Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Crack-!

The steel desk bent and collapsed to the floor. A middle-aged man with long, luxurious blond hair cascading down to his chest. Reinhardt muttered, his eyes flashing a menacing blue.

“This... insolent brat....”

His gaze was fixed on the player kit lying on the floor.

A message flashed on the kit: 『’Falcon Eye’s stream has ended’』.

The time and points he had poured into that stream felt like a waste, but more than that, his pride had been scratched.

“W-what’s happening?”

Creak-.

At the loud noise from inside, Reinhardt’s manager hastily opened the door and entered. Seeing the broken desk and Reinhardt’s fierce expression, the manager flinched and took a step back.

“You know Lee Suhyuk, right? The one you told me about.”

“Ah, yes. You mean the streamer?”

Streamer Lee Suhyuk.

The person who had informed Reinhardt about him was the very manager now standing in the room. Having taken an interest in streaming, Reinhardt thought it would help boost his notoriety, leading him to hire a personal manager for his streaming activities.

“Yes, that Lee Suhyuk. He rejected my proposal.”

“Rejected your proposal?”

The manager looked surprised. This was Reinhardt, after all. Despite the infamous moniker, the title of the First Sword, coupled with his other name, the Golden Sword, marked him as a renowned high-ranker.

Moreover, considering the relationship between Blue Eyes’ Lee Suhyuk and Reinhardt, a collaboration between the two would be highly appealing content. Surely, even a large company like Balhae would see the value in it.

“It must have been the streamer’s independent decision.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Balhae is profit-driven. They wouldn’t refuse a collaboration with someone like you. It seems to be Lee Suhyuk’s personal judgment.”

“Why would he do that? By your logic, there’s no reason for him to refuse.”

“That... I’m not sure either. There’s no apparent reason.”

The manager glanced at the broken desk, looking troubled. Reinhardt stared at the manager for a moment before gesturing for him to leave the room.

Picking up the kit from the floor again, Reinhardt muttered, “Pointlessly wasted points.”

17,000 points.

Not a major blow, but it was still a waste. If he couldn’t persuade them, there was no need to spend points in the first place.

Furthermore, “And my pride, too.”

Pride.

It was worth far more than 17,000 points. Because of this incident, his name would buzz in the community for a while. Some might even mock him, saying Lee Suhyuk rejected the First Sword’s advances.

Annoyance surged. Reinhardt’s face contorted.

Lee Suhyuk.

Publicly crushing him was meant to dilute the lingering image of the First Sword in people’s minds.

Tick, tick-.

Reinhardt picked up the kit again and checked the accumulated messages. Among them, his finger paused on one lower down the list.

“Isaac, what the hell are you up to?”

Neither calls nor texts were getting through to Isaac. Reinhardt felt a growing sense of unease.

***

Returning to the dormitory with Suhyuk, Un Hyang headed to her room and answered a call. The caller was John Dale. With a resigned sigh, she answered.

“Yes?”

Do you always sound so tired when you answer my calls? Why no energy?

“You’re calling about the collaboration, aren’t you?”

-Of course, I can’t just let such an opportunity slip by!

As expected, it was about the declined collaboration with Reinhardt. It was something Un Hyang could understand, but from John Dale and the company’s perspective, it was incomprehensible.

“Understand, it’s Lee Suhyuk we’re talking about.”

-I know. But he’s also a streamer, isn’t he? As his manager, you should try to persuade him.

“Climbing the tower takes precedence over collabs. That’s how it is for players. No—”

Un Hyang cut John Dale off decisively.

“For Lee Suhyuk, it has to be that way.”

-......

Knock, knock.

As he was examining his kit, someone knocked on the door. At this hour, he knew who it was. Suhyuk donned the mask he had left on the desk and spoke.

“Come in.”

“Yes~.”

It was still a bright and cheerful voice. Un Hyang entered Suhyuk’s room with a smiling face, holding a mask in her hands.

“The mask you requested is ready.”

“That was fast.”

“They had a finished mask that just needed a few tweaks.”

Suhyuk accepted the mask Un Hyang handed him. It was designed to allow the mouthpiece to be easily detached and reattached, adding to its convenience compared to the previous mask.

“They must have a lot of these if they could get one quickly.”

“Yes, of course. Because it’s Lee Suhyuk.”

Because it’s Lee Suhyuk. Such a simple phrase. For Un Hyang, everything seemed to be explained by those words. But unfortunately, it wasn’t the same for Suhyuk. Despite it being his own story.

“Why do people like Lee Suhyuk so much?”

Asking this, Suhyuk alternated his gaze between the mask in his hands and Un Hyang. Suhyuk was aware that he had many fans. However, because he was busy climbing the tower, he had never conversed with them. Indeed, he couldn’t.

“Reasons, huh...”

Un Hyang pouted her lips, deep in thought over Suhyuk’s question.

“There are many reasons. Maybe because we’re from the same Earth, or because you’re cool.”

Continuing to talk, a joyful smile spread across Un Hyang’s face.

“Fans probably see him as a symbol of hope and resilience. He had achieved things they can only dream of. And then, there’s his demeanor—unstoppable and confident. It’s inspiring.”

Suhyuk listened, a contemplative look on his face.

“And above all else, Lee Suhyuk was our hope.”

“Excuse me?”

Hope?

That was a grand word, something entirely unexpected.

“What kind of hope are you talking about?”

Un Hyang smiled at Suhyuk’s inquiry, as if looking at a child who knew nothing. Naturally, she was unaware of Suhyuk’s true age.

“When I first came into this tower, there was nothing.”

Suhyuk nodded at her words. He remembered too, the day he first entered the tower.

“Outside the cities, monsters roamed, and there were no means to earn food or money. It wasn’t the stable world it is now.”

This was not just something known only to veteran players. The early days of the tower had been passed down through words and records even after nearly fifty years.

“There was only one way. Climbing up.”

What was above?

That anticipation was the only hope players had.

“If you climbed the tower, you could earn points. With this world’s currency, you could settle down here, and maybe even integrate this world as our own.”

Making this world our own. Thinking back, there had been moments when such thoughts did cross his mind.

“Great players give us hope that this tower can be conquered and ruled. Lee Suhyuk was the best among them. What he achieved wasn’t just about exploring many floors.”

“Hope...”

Suhyuk nodded. Listening to the explanation, he began to understand why so many people were passionate about the name Lee Suhyuk. But that was for the average player.

“Do you feel the same way, Manager?”

Un Hyang laughed awkwardly at Suhyuk’s question.

“That’s part of it.”

“So there’s more to it.”

From what Suhyuk had observed, Un Hyang’s fandom was extraordinary. Her enthusiasm for a streamer simply sharing the same name made him wonder what her reaction would be to the real deal.

“It’s still a secret.”

With a playful expression, she put a finger to her lips.

“You’ll be surprised. Make sure you’re ready when I decide to share it.”

A secret. Be prepared.

Did she even imagine?

What kind of secret lay within the person standing right in front of her?

Reflecting on their conversation, Suhyuk felt a mix of unease and curiosity. Un Hyang’s words hinted at depths he had yet to explore about her admiration and her reasons. Whatever lay beneath, Suhyuk knew that understanding these layers—and how people saw him—would be crucial as he climbed higher, not just in the tower but in the hearts and minds of those who followed his ascent.