The Player Who Can't Level Up

"Lee Sun-Ho?” Gi-Gyu flinched when he heard the unexpected name. The first three names Sung-Hoon had mentioned made sense since they were the KPA and Gi-Gyu’s allies.

But Lee Sun-Ho was different.

“Haven’t Sun-Ho always taken a neutral stance? Isn’t he almost completely independent of the Korean Players Association? Did he owe a debt to KPA or something?” Gi-Gyu asked, wondering why Lee Sun-Ho came to Oh Tae-Gu and Oh Tae-Shik’s rescue.

But this wasn’t very important at the moment. Gi-Gyu quickly returned to the matter at hand and asked, “Never mind. So what happened next?”

“They lost.” When Sung-Hoon replied, Gi-Gyu gasped, “...!”

‘This couldn’t be! Lee Sun-Ho and those three powerhouses lost?! ‘

Even Old Man Hwang seemed flabbergasted when he mumbled, “This doesn’t make any sense at all. This is…”

He seemed to think very hard before asking Sung-Hoon, “Lee Sun-Ho and Lucifer… They alone hold the greatest power in this world. So how could they have been defeated? Are you saying that every high ranker in the world came to fight them?”

Sung-Hoon smiled unhappily and shook his head. A brief silence fell before Gi-Gyu spoke up.

“Are you seriously telling me that… this one fighter defeated them all?”

“Yes,” Sung-Hoon answered, utterly certain. Shocked, Gi-Gyu even forgot to ask for the battle details. Besides, that probably didn’t matter anyway.

His eyes darkened as he asked in a tense voice, “Just who did this? Who was this fighter?”

How did such a powerful being remain hidden for this long? Nonetheless, the whole world knew about this figure now. After all, this fighter had defeated the KPA and four incredible high rankers.

Sung-Hoon replied, “I only know his name. Him… and the woman who was with him.”

Gi-Gyu suddenly got a bad feeling when he heard this.

“Their names are Ha Song-Su and Ha-Rim,” Sung-Hoon answered.

Gi-Gyu couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“...!”

Gi-Gyu knew these people. He had met them only briefly, but the memory was still crystal clear.

‘Talon’s underground prison!’ Talon was the gatekeeper of the sustained gate he had entered; he also found El there.

He had met Ha Song-Su during the hunt, whom Ha-Rim, a mysterious girl, had been accompanying. Gi-Gyu couldn’t believe the same duo had defeated the KPA, Lee Sun-Ho, and Lucifer.

“And there is something else you need to know,” Sung-Hoon added before Gi-Gyu even had the time to organize his thoughts.

Sung-Hoon continued, “Ha Song-Su… The look in his eyes…”

Sung-Hoon began to shake in fear again as he stammered, “It was what you had in the Gangnam Gate, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu.”

“Pardon?”

“True evil.” Sung-Hoon whispered, “In all my life, I haven’t seen a stronger, more frightening evil.”

***

“What the hell? I can’t believe that all this happened in three short months.” Gi-Gyu had become smarter, but he still felt muddled. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around this unbelievable situation. His past self, the one that didn’t have the improved intelligence, would have been tearing its hair out by now.

Lou and El expressed their confusion and shock as well.

-I don’t know either. I’m just as confused as you. Andras… Just what is he planning? How far will he go?

-Master, this doesn’t sound right. I would like to meet Lee Sun-Ho and Lucifer to find out what happened. They aren’t the kind of people who would be defeated easily.

Gi-Gyu knew this very well.

El continued,

-The fact that these two figures defeated them… It means they are stronger than… when Lou descended into your body, Master.

How could this be?

Gi-Gyu declared, “We better get to work immediately.”

He couldn’t wait around any longer; he had to jump into action. Gi-Gyu thought of the conversation he had with Sung-Hoon again.

Earlier, Gi-Gyu had asked Sung-Hoon, “Then shouldn’t I meet with Soo-Jung or Tae-Shik hyung right now? Or anyone who was there? How can I contact them?”

According to Sung-Hoon, the Caravan Guild and the Iron Guild now controlled Korea; for some reason, they had not penalized the Angela Guild. However, Lee Sun-Ho, Lucifer, and the others who came to the KPA’s rescue had gone into hiding. They had been defeated but managed to escape with Oh Tae-Shik.

Sung-Hoon told Gi-Gyu, “Lucifer told us that you would find a way to fix this, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu. She told us to wait on the 51st floor for you.”

And this was exactly what Sung-Hoon had done. He gathered the Grigory members scattered in various places and hid on the 51st floor. They had been waiting for Gi-Gyu all this time.

What had happened next was even more shocking. For some reason, the Global Players Association had declared Gi-Gyu the most wanted player in the world. It had released detailed information about Gi-Gyu and had offered a giant reward for his capture. Consequently, many players had formed teams to stake out the 51st floor for Gi-Gyu. Sung-Hoon had decided to monitor these groups, thinking they would definitely find Gi-Gyu.

“Soo-Jung said I will find the solution?” Gi-Gyu mumbled as he contemplated everything he had heard after leaving the Tower. Sung-Hoon had explained that the syringes Gi-Gyu’s attackers had used were being provided by the Iron Guild and the Caravan Guild. They had claimed the liquid inside the syringes was some kind of potion. Although it wasn’t perfect, it still gave players incredible battle power.

‘Sung-Hoon said it is called the First Potion,’ Gi-Gyu remembered. Apparently, this potion was becoming popular among the players, thereby changing the player world. Many players hadn’t used it yet because of the high risk involved. But Sung-Hoon believed it was only a matter of time before every player was on it.

‘A potion that is injected with sorcery…’ This gave Gi-Gyu a pounding headache. He muttered, “According to Soo-Jung, I’ll have to give her and the rest the signal for action…”

To get in contact with the powerful players, he needed to make himself visible for them to find him. But…

“I’m a wanted man now, so I can’t reveal myself just yet…” Gi-Gyu decided. Of course, he was now strong enough to deal with whatever stood in his way, but there was one thing that made him hesitate.

‘I don’t know what to think about Ha Song-Su,’ Gi-Gyu thought.

Ha Song-Su and Ha-Rim. Gi-Gyu didn’t expect to hear these names again and now didn’t know how to feel about them.

“But for now…” Gi-Gyu was beginning to get the big picture. He had a good idea of what Andras was planning, how the KPA had planned to fight back, and how he fit in the picture.

“I guess it’s time to get to work,” Gi-Gyu announced.

Lou, El, and Brunheart chimed in.

-You talk too much, idiot.

-Master was only trying to figure things out. Please be respectful, Lou.

-Master! I totally believe in you!

Ignoring his Egos’ noisy chatter, Gi-Gyu laughed and muttered, “The best way to clear my head is to move my body.”

***

“Please take good care of me.” Gi-Gyu bowed to Sung-Hoon.

Sung-Hoon replied, “I should be the one bowing here, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu. To be honest, I have been feeling a little hopeless.”

Sung-Hoon’s eyes sparked as he explained, “Waiting for you without guarantee that you’ll even show up… It felt like time had stopped. But now, I can see that we still have hope. I can believe that things will get back to normal.”

Gi-Gyu smiled. Sung-Hoon also smiled but a grim expression quickly took over. Gi-Gyu wasn’t used to Sung-Hoon looking this grim. It solidified the fact that much had changed during his three-month absence.

Sung-Hoon offered, “As you requested, I will research where the Iron Guild and the Caravan Guild’s main territories are. I have actually been working on it before you asked, so all I have to do is collect the information and process it all.”

Gi-Gyu had asked Sung-Hoon for things. First, the exact extent of the Iron Guild and the Caravan Guild’s authority over Korea. After the KPA had been disbanded, these two guilds took control of the players and the gates. This meant that spies from these two guilds were everywhere.

“I’m more interested in my second request. I honestly am not too worried about those two guilds,” Gi-Gyu replied confidently.

“All right. I will not forget the second thing.” Sung-Hoon nodded.

The second mission Gi-Gyu asked Sung-Hoon to accomplish was…

“Ha Song-Su and Ha-Rim… We need to know how powerful they really are. Their skills, how they came to them, and most importantly”—Gi-Gyu gulped—“if they are even human.”

“Of course. We’ve already begun our investigation on them. However, we have to move cautiously since we no longer have the KPA’s resources. But I will put more men on this,” Sung-Hoon replied.

At the moment, Heo Sung-Hoon was the leader of the remaining Grigory members in Korea. Gi-Gyu realized that Sung-Hoon was more talented and trusted by Oh Tae-Gu and Oh Tae-Shik than he had initially thought.

“If you need my help at any point, please feel free to ask. I can think of many ways to help you without getting directly involved,” Gi-Gyu offered.

Sung-Hoon nodded.

Gi-Gyu turned around as someone walked toward him. He ordered, “Hamiel, please take care of Sung-Hoon like you would take care of me.”

“Of course, Grandmaster.” Hamiel nodded in determination. Hamiel and the other two angels were tasked with assisting Sung-Hoon. They would also act as a communication point between Sung-Hoon and Gi-Gyu.

Hamiel looked touched as he whispered, “I am so honored that you would give us such an important mission, Grandmaster. My siblings and I will protect Heo Sung-Hoon with our lives.”

Knowing this could go on for a while, Gi-Gyu interrupted Hamiel, “Yup, thanks. Just make sure you guys stay safe too. Don’t get hurt, because I’ll need you later. Got it? What you need to do is to help Heo Sung-Hoon escape if a dangerous situation arises before contacting me.”

Hamiel hesitated for a moment before nodding. He replied, “Of course, Grandmaster.”

Turning toward Sung-Hoon and the Grigory members, Gi-Gyu murmured, “Then Sung-Hoon… and everyone else. Please do your best.”

“Of course,” replied Sung-Hoon.

“We won’t fail you,” the Grigory members answered.

Gi-Gyu could see why these players were considered the KPA’s secret weapons. They were powerful, determined, and a tightly knit group above all.

‘I can tell that they trust and follow Sung-Hoon willingly.’ Gi-Gyu was impressed. He suspected that how this group had been formed was a big secret.

“Then, we’ll take our leave now.” Sung-Hoon seemed impatient to leave. He was glad to be reunited with Gi-Gyu, but it was time to get back to work. Leaving Gi-Gyu again would make him sad, but he knew they would meet again. Gi-Gyu nodded in agreement.

“And…” Gi-Gyu trailed off.

Sung-Hoon grinned and replied, “You want to tell me to be careful, right? I know, I know, so don’t worry. And my mother is still alive, so… I won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“Ah…” It seemed that Gi-Gyu had remembered something. He replied with a smile, “All right. Take care.”

Gi-Gyu suddenly remembered the gift he had planned on giving Sung-Hoon since he appreciated Sung-Hoon.

“See you later.” Sung-Hoon, the angels, and the members of the Grigory finally left the gate. The exit led to Gi-Gyu’s home, which was now a fortress near the Bukhan River. Various barriers created by the KPA and Lucifer protected this area, which made it a formidable and safe place. But Soo-Jung must have believed it wasn’t safe enough since she hid Gi-Gyu’s family elsewhere.

“Hmm…” Gi-Gyu thought about his family again, and Lou and El tried to reassure him.

-Don’t worry.

-Please don’t worry, Master.

“I’m not worried.” With a nod, Gi-Gyu replied, “After all, I know I can trust Soo-Jung.”

He knew how powerful Lucifer was. On top of that, Baal was with her as well. And there were also Suk-Woo and Lim Hye-Sook. Gi-Gyu did not doubt that these people would protect his family no matter what.

Gi-Gyu walked toward a new structure, which was Old Man Hwang’s workshop inside the gate.

“This is incredible…” Gi-Gyu was impressed by the building. Old Man Hwang didn’t say anything about it before, but he could tell that the blacksmith had been preparing for the worst for a long time. It was impressive how quickly the elderly man had accomplished so many things inside Brunheart’s gate.

-Well, he’s the blacksmith who inherited everything from Paimon.

Even Lou seemed to admire Old Man Hwang.

Gi-Gyu knocked on the workshop door. For some reason, he felt a little excited just like when he had first visited the blacksmith’s old workshop. It was like opening a treasure chest.

“Hello there,” Old Man Hwang greeted him. The elderly man looked exhausted, but he appeared to be happy to see Gi-Gyu.

“Is it ready?” asked Gi-Gyu.

“Yes, it’s done,” replied the blacksmith. Showing a toothy grin, he announced, “Lou’s body is finally completed.”