Chapter 14
—
‘You’ve never been the protagonist.’
The words from Lee Shin pierced through Kim Jong-pil’s heart.
The situation of Lee Shin telling Mountain King Kim Jong-pil—a legendary figure who once brought the nation to the top of the world—that he had never been the protagonist was laughable.
Yet the one who should have been furious, Kim Jong-pil, kept his mouth shut and said nothing.
Because it wasn’t wrong.
It was the truth he had struggled to deny. A truth that he had occasionally, no, recently, dwelled on every single day with regret.
“Looking back, sir, throughout your hunter career, you were always surrounded by absolute top-tier figures.”
The beginning of the legend: the USA World Raid.
In the national competition held every four years, Korea rose to the pinnacle again.
At this glorious event, the world gave titles to the key players of the victory:
Combat King, All-King, and Mountain King.
Thus began the legend of the Three Kings.
“While the legend of the Three Kings was written, the one who received the most attention was Combat King Ma Jang-dong.”
Later, when the <Kirin Guild> was established, transcending to become not just Korea’s best but winning the Guild War Asia and Champions League,
Once again, when the legend of the world’s greatest guild was written…
“You still had All-King Han Jeong-do by your side.”
When evaluating Mountain King, haters clung to this point like leeches.
“They say, Mountain King just got lucky. Mountain King just caught a free ride. Mountain King hasn’t proven anything… even that so-called leadership that supposedly changed raid paradigms is nothing but an illusion.”
Hmm…
Listening quietly, Kim Jong-pil tilted his soju glass.
The fact that Lee Shin brought up a stigma that had followed him throughout his career so openly wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Even so, he didn’t get angry.
Because even Kim Jong-pil himself wasn’t sure.
Was I really just lucky? Was I really just riding their coattails? Was my leadership really just a sham?
At first, he had cursed at such questions, calling them nonsense.
Later, he dismissed them with a laugh, saying they weren’t even worth answering.
But now, his answer was, “I don’t know.”
That’s why he was a little curious.
How would Lee Shin answer this question—one even Kim Jong-pil couldn’t confidently resolve?
And Lee Shin responded with an answer more direct than Kim Jong-pil expected.
“Tell them to go f*** themselves.”
“Pfft!”
Cough! Cough!
The two people drinking water in the back gasped, while Kim Jong-pil’s eyes widened.
W-what did he just…?
“Combat King Ma Jang-dong. That guy, who brings to mind the livestock market, known as the strongest of primates and idolized as the pinnacle of martial combat—your former comrade.”
In Lee Shin’s eyes,
“He’s just a gorilla. A slightly stronger, better-fighting beast, that’s all.”
Sure, he got lucky to be born with the strongest primate physique.
Yes, his combat instincts befitting the title of Combat King are undeniable.
But that’s all.
“He lacks understanding, has terrible judgment, and his crappy personality makes teamwork impossible. He only knows how to charge in recklessly, so positioning is out of the question. Even in his last game this year, it was the same. The moment he lost a little patience, his brain switched off, and he just ran in. Even gorillas wouldn’t do that.”
“Are you seriously evaluating Jang-dong?”
“You worked with him, so you know best. Honestly, doesn’t it resonate with you?”
It was true. That was Ma Jang-dong.
Physical abilities and combat instincts.
Aside from these two, everything about him was hollow, to the point where it seemed absurd. He was more beast than human, more predator than person.
“But our dear gorilla is mild compared to the next guy. This one’s even more shameless.”
As harsh as he was, even Lee Shin acknowledged Combat King as an SSS-tier character.
Strength 100, Agility 95, Stamina 100.
These were Ma Jang-dong’s physical stats at his peak. Both Strength and Stamina were maxed out.
The miracle logic of “when lacking brains, just use brawn” worked for him.
However, the drawback was clear: to utilize this guy, a certain level of power was required.
Across all GM characters, he was the strongest “human,” but his demerits were equally glaring.
Fine, let’s leave it at that. At least he had physical prowess.
But what about the next guy?
“All-King Han Jeong-do.”
Balanced stats. No glaring flaws.
He could seamlessly transition between roles, from frontline tanking to backline support, covering all positions and roles.
The symbol of versatility. Thus, he was called All-King.
Certainly a good character.
But there’s a significant gap between “good” and “the best.”
Does he deserve the title of “King”? If asked, Lee Shin’s answer was consistent.
No.
“Stats, traits, versatility—it’s all fine. But so what? Being versatile just means being mediocre at everything. The proof is simple: can this guy change the game?”
SSS-tier characters are game-changers.
They can dominate and reshape the field with their abilities alone.
Even the gorilla, despite his idiocy, qualifies as SSS-tier because he can do this.
But All-King?
“Nope, he can’t. I’d bet my hands on it.”
Why? Because All-King is, at his core, just a tool. A passive tool that can’t do anything on its own.
“So, we have a gorilla whose only asset is his body and a tool that can’t even clean up after itself. Now, let’s circle back to the main point.”
Was Mountain King just lucky?
“The ones who were lucky were the semi-human gorilla and the tool who couldn’t function alone. Without you, they were nothing.”
Was Mountain King’s leadership a sham?
“You made the gorilla look like the world’s strongest and packaged the tool as SSS-tier. Isn’t that proof enough? Your leadership is the only ‘real’ thing here.”
Then why was Mountain King never the protagonist?
“Because you were too busy cleaning up after those two to have the time to be the protagonist.”
And so, Lee Shin asked again if Kim Jong-pil didn’t want to grow stronger.
“Honestly, doesn’t it feel unfair? You carried those half-wits to the top, but they reaped all the rewards. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night from the sheer frustration.”
Well, putting aside the fact that you weren’t the flashiest of the Three Kings, Lee Shin smirked as he spoke.
Looking at Lee Shin’s face, which practically radiated madness, Kim Jong-pil’s jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Hah… Unbelievable.”
If it had been mere flattery to gain favor, it wouldn’t have been so shocking.
But Mountain King could tell.
Lee Shin, standing before him now, was speaking with 100% sincerity.
He genuinely believed that Combat King Ma Jang-dong, known as the strongest man among primates, was just a gorilla.
He genuinely saw All-King, the supposed perfect hunter, as nothing more than a tool that needed permission to even use the bathroom.
Gulp. Kim Jong-pil’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously.
This guy… He’s the real deal—a bona fide lunatic!
And the ensuing conversation was nothing short of a masterpiece.
“Let me ask again: even after all this, don’t you want to grow stronger?”
Let’s grow stronger. Let’s grow so strong…
“That we can show them who the real protagonist is.”
And also…
“To those <Kirin> bastards.”
Flinch.
At Lee Shin’s whispered words, Kim Jong-pil narrowed his eyes.
“You…”
A guy who suspiciously knew way too much about him.
Even as Kim Jong-pil doubted himself, this guy looked at him with eyes brimming with conviction.
Kim Jong-pil couldn’t help but acknowledge it.
“You’re one interesting fellow.”
He found this lunatic amusing.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that very moment, Lee Myung-hwan’s car was speeding down the highway at a dangerous pace.
“Driver Choi, ignore the cameras and step on it.”
“Yes, young master.”
Now that Mountain King’s location, which he had long coveted, had been revealed, there was no time for delays.
He departed immediately, and now, Geumgangsan was less than an hour away.
As Lee Myung-hwan’s leg trembled nervously, a woman reached out to straighten his tie.
“Honey, you’re too excited. Relax.”
“How can I stay calm?”
“Then look at this. It’ll help.”
The moment Lee Myung-hwan looked at the tablet the woman handed him, his expression shifted.
Displayed on the tablet were photos of his cousins, assigned to oversee regional guilds under Lee Sang-byuk’s orders—potential competitors, in other words.
Lee Myung-hwan’s gaze turned icy cold.
“Shinji’s guild managed to recruit the ‘Magician Killer’…? But they said it was impossible before.”
“It seems they did.”
“Jeong Su-mi, are you kidding me?”
Calling her by her full name, an enraged Lee Myung-hwan glared at the woman, but Jeong Su-mi merely shrugged nonchalantly.
“You’re speaking as if it’s my fault. Honey, even I can’t know everything if the chairman himself is stepping in.”
“…The old geezers got involved?”
“By the looks of it.”
“Check the next page.”
At Jeong Su-mi’s prompting, he quickly flipped to the next page.
There were photos of men entering a hotel lobby, followed by women wearing sunglasses in the same frame a little later.
“HighSix, the rising girl group. They entered the hotel where the Magician Killer stayed. And guess what? The next day, Lee Do Life’s commercial model was switched to them.”
“…Such a vulgar tactic. A petty, old-fashioned move.”
“That’s not all. It seems even the department stores are stirring.”
“Is it my aunt?”
Articles about League 2 guild aces in the Jeolla region failing to renew their contracts. It was obvious whose handiwork it was.
“It’s clear.”
“They’re smart, destroying the competition itself. Lee Do really is Lee Do. Not a single person is easy to deal with.”
“Damn it… It’s too early.”
“Exactly. This means they’re ready to jump in without hesitation.”
The leaders of the various factions, whom he thought would wait a bit longer to test the waters, were suddenly taking action for reasons unknown.
The prelude to proxy wars had begun.
It was now truly time to clash with full force.
And so, securing Mountain King was more crucial than ever.
He had to succeed at all costs. Determination burned anew in Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes.
“Give it to me.”
“What?”
“The recruitment script you prepared. Hand it over.”
“Oh, that.”
It was a script created after analyzing big data about Mountain King Kim Jong-pil to simulate the most favourable conversation.
The contents read:
Do not use threats or coercion.
Despite his gentlemanly appearance, Mountain King is far more combative than expected.
Conversely, do not appear overly submissive. He exhibits macho tendencies in his usual behaviour.
Avoid mentioning money or recruitment outright at the beginning.
Based on Mountain King’s personality, approaching with a casual, interest-driven conversation in the first meeting is ideal.
……
…
.
“…‘Show your sincerity instead of clumsy tricks,’ huh? Sincerity, my ass.”
“When I looked into it, Mountain King is surprisingly a romanticist. If all else fails, just drink with him.”
“He really likes drinking, doesn’t he?”
“Definitely. Soju, and it has to be the red label. Not your style, though.”
“Damn it, this is why commoners are such a pain.”
Lee Myung-hwan was a stubborn man, but he was also an ambitious one.
He wasn’t putting on this show to gain the approval of his father, who only owned a single car.
No, he wanted something much greater. Something grander.
The empire called Lee Do.
‘I can do it!’
If young entrepreneurs are the trend, why can’t I be one of them?
A smile spread across Lee Myung-hwan’s face. The mere thought of it was thrilling.
Sitting on the throne of the Lee Do Group…
Brrrr~!
Sitting on the throne as its king…
Brrrr~!
Sitting…
Brrrrrrrr~!
“…Who the hell is calling?!”
“It’s your phone.”
“Oh, right.”
Looking sheepishly to his side, he realized it was indeed his phone.
The phone spun around on the table, displaying the name “Old Man” on the screen.
Someone must be quite worked up.
Lee Myung-hwan let out a small chuckle as he answered, only to freeze instantly.
―”Myung-hwan, what the hell are you doing? Turn the car around and come back to the Seoul headquarters immediately.”
The fantasy of sitting on Lee Do’s throne…
―”Mountain King has arrived.”
The dream of succeeding Lee Sang-byuk…
―”And he’s holding hands with Lee Shin!”
…shattered like a block of ice falling to the ground.
It was utterly destroyed.
* * *
※ Notes on Mir Guild
- League 4
- Representative: Lee Shin
- General Manager: Jeong Soon-dong
- Deputy General Manager: Chae Dong-ha
- Raid Leader: Mountain King, Kim Jong-pil (New!!)
—
Kindly Rate this Series at <NOVELUPDATES>
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment