The Downfall of the Koran Union
After the Koran Union’s official statement, it seemed like the situation might calm down. Park Tae-jin had left with an investigation team that very day, and some voices were calling for patience until the truth was revealed. Among users who found this reasonable, a sentiment of restraint began to form, and the once chaotic Northern Continent seemed to settle, if only slightly.
But who could have predicted that this calm would last less than two weeks?
A week after Park Tae-jin’s departure, and then another week passed. A new incident struck the Northern Continent.
When the investigation team first set out, they were fully staffed. But instead of heading towards the dragon’s resting mountain range, they returned with only a handful of members, some barely clinging to life.
At first, users were bewildered. But when it was revealed that the team had been attacked not by external forces but by factions within the Union itself, the Northern Continent was once again thrown into turmoil.
As the Union was sucked back into chaos, the central administration acted swiftly. Declaring that the Union was no longer capable of resolving the issue, they announced their official intervention and dispatched their own investigation team—not to the dragon’s mountain, but to uncover the truth behind the new crisis.
Two weeks later, the central investigation team’s findings sent shockwaves through the Northern Continent.
“The recent attack was orchestrated by the Nambeol Clan. The central administration focused on two key questions: Why did the Union’s investigation team camp in front of the ruins? And why did Nambeol attack their own Union’s team? After interrogating Park Hwan-hee of the Su Clan and a few surviving users, a startling truth emerged. According to a whistleblower, the investigation team was never meant to uncover the truth but to excavate the ruins. This suggests that the Nambeol attack was likely a result of tensions surrounding the mercenary incident…”
In the small southern city of Koran, the Union’s meeting room was dim and somber. But unlike before, the room was noticeably emptier. Once filled with sixteen members, only three remained.
It was inevitable. Park Tae-jin was missing after the attack, Baek Du-san was confirmed dead, Shin Hyuk was imprisoned, and Sa Gong Un-hyeon and Gu Hyun-gyu had declared their withdrawal from the Union. Only three members were left.
Seo Ji-hwan, the leader of the Merchant Guild Clan, wore a grave expression, while Min Baek-hwa of the Baekhwa Clan looked despondent. Their faces seemed to ask how things had come to this.
Min Baek-hwa occasionally showed signs of worry, troubled by the recent disappearance of a cherished clan member. After it was revealed that she had been involved with Shin Hyuk and had hired mercenaries, Song Hee-sun had cut off all contact and vanished.
Meanwhile, Woo Seol-hee, leader of the Artemis Clan, was visibly anxious, biting her nails as her body trembled. Although the Nambeol Clan led the attack, many from Artemis were involved, leaving her in a position where she couldn’t avoid explaining why. She had been approached by Shin Hyuk’s loyalists, who showed her evidence and urged her to join, but she had declined, thinking success was unlikely. It was a wise decision, but she hadn’t anticipated that some of her clan members would be drawn in, leaving her unable to claim complete innocence. Yet, revealing this would mean the end, so she feigned ignorance.
The room remained steeped in silence.
”…Seol-hee.”
Seo Ji-hwan finally broke the silence, his voice heavy with gloom. Woo Seol-hee, who had been gnawing at her fingers, startled and turned to him.
”…Do you really know nothing? Why did they attack Tae-jin? Why were they at the ruins instead of the dragon’s mountain?”
“I-I don’t know. I told you, I really don’t know. I was just quietly keeping to myself, and they went and did this on their own… I don’t know! I really don’t!”
Though she knew some things, Woo Seol-hee focused on what she didn’t know. She truly had no idea why Park Tae-jin had gone to the ruins. Her face showed genuine frustration, and Seo Ji-hwan could only sigh and nod.
“Sigh… We haven’t even resolved the mercenary incident, and now this. How can we explain anything when we don’t even know what’s happening?”
Seo Ji-hwan’s voice was filled with exasperation, as if urging them to say something. But there was nothing to say. One knew nothing, and the other risked ending up like Shin Hyuk if they spoke.
Silence reclaimed the room as Seo Ji-hwan sighed again.
Then, after a moment, there was a sudden commotion.
Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. It wasn’t just one person; it sounded like many, and the urgency made the three in the room turn towards the door.
Bang!
“The situation is dire!”
The door burst open, and a dozen people rushed in. Seo Ji-hwan frowned instinctively. As if things weren’t chaotic enough, now there was more trouble.
“What now?!”
“Th-the thing is…! The Mercenaries have declared war on the Union!”
At the mention of a declaration of war, Seo Ji-hwan’s expression hardened, as if he had been expecting this. It wasn’t just him; Min Baek-hwa and Woo Seol-hee also turned pale, their mouths agape.
Seo Ji-hwan closed his eyes.
”…Tell me more.”
“It’s exactly as I said. They emphasized that the Union’s investigation team went to the ruins instead of the dragon’s mountain. They said they’ve waited long enough and endured enough, and with that, they officially declared war on the Koran Union!”
”…And the central administration? Have they said anything?”
“I-I don’t know. But that’s not the point right now! What do we do? Huh?”
The once quiet meeting room was now in disarray. Seo Ji-hwan kept his eyes closed, biting his lip, while the newcomers clamored for a response.
Then it happened.
“Everyone, quiet down!”
A sharp voice rang out, accompanied by a loud bang on the table. The users instinctively fell silent and turned their heads. Woo Seol-hee stood there, breathing heavily.
“A declaration of war? Let them! I’m done holding back!”
“Seol-hee, calm down!”
Seo Ji-hwan shouted, his voice unusually loud. Woo Seol-hee’s hair was disheveled, and blood trickled from her lips and fingertips. She was clearly at her breaking point.
But Woo Seol-hee, eyes blazing, shouted back.
“Calm down? How can we keep doing this? This is all because of Park Tae-jin and Shin Hyuk! It’s their mess! What did we do wrong?”
“Seol-hee!”
“Damn it, what! They declared war first! Isn’t that better? This world is ruled by user information and power! The Mercenaries? They’re barely fifty strong! Even in our current state, if we gather everyone, we have hundreds! Let’s crush them so they never dare challenge us again!”
“You really…! Sigh…”
Seo Ji-hwan shook his head, feeling it was pointless to argue. Woo Seol-hee, eyes burning, turned and shouted.
“What are you waiting for? Gather the troops! They declared war, didn’t they? We have to respond!”
Her icy command fell, but the users hesitated, glancing at each other. They hadn’t expected an actual war. Sensing their reluctance, Woo Seol-hee’s face twisted in frustration.
Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!
Again, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. Perhaps sensing the ominousness in the sound, Woo Seol-hee’s anger momentarily gave way to confusion. Moments later, a user burst in, breathless.
“Th-this is bad! The Haemil Clan has also declared war on the Union! They’re joining the war as part of the Crafting Alliance!”
Following the Mercenaries’ declaration, the Haemil Clan had also declared war.
Thud, thud, thud! Thud, thud, thud!
Before anyone could fully process the shock, another urgent clamor echoed down the hallway. A breathless user burst into the room, barely able to catch their breath before shouting out the news.
“The Istantel Low Clan has declared war too! They’re joining the fight alongside the Mercenaries as part of their alliance!”
The Mercenaries and Hamill had already declared war, and now Istantel Low had joined the fray.
For a brief moment, an eerie silence settled over the conference room. It was a silence so profound that even the sound of breathing seemed absent, a quiet that was more than just the absence of noise.
“Oh…! This, this…!”
Woo Seol-hee, who had been about to say something, suddenly let out a strangled gasp and collapsed to the floor. It wasn’t just a simple fall; her eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth hung open in disbelief. Eventually, she lay sprawled on the ground, utterly defeated. All eyes turned to her, and the occasional sound of her labored breathing filled the room.
Seo Jin-hwan rose quietly to his feet.
”…I’ll go to the Central Management Bureau. I’ll request mediation.”
He opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut, and spoke in a somber voice.
“I’m sorry, Mercenary Lord. I should have come to apologize sooner, but with everything that’s been happening…”
“Hmm.”
“I have no excuses. I’m truly sorry. All we can hope for is the Mercenary Clan’s leniency.”
“Leniency, you say…”
I repeated the word “leniency” as I flicked the ash from my cigarette.
In front of me, Seo Ji-hwan knelt on the floor, his head bowed deeply. Behind him, three other users were also kneeling, their heads lowered. Min Baek-hwa, Woo Seol-hee, and… Park Hwan-hee, who was wrapped in bandages as if to advertise his injuries. (Though with healing spells available, I wondered if all that was really necessary.)
As I remained silent, Park Hwan-hee cautiously lifted his head and met my gaze, offering a tentative smile. I gave him a stern look, signaling him to stop, and he quickly lowered his head again, looking chastened.
The reason they were here was because of the declaration of war I had announced yesterday. As expected, Shin Hyuk had ambushed Park Tae-jin, who was engrossed in his archaeological pursuits, and a few users who survived had revealed the truth—or rather, the version of the truth I had orchestrated.
There was no need to consider the justification or the users’ reactions any further. The declaration of war was summed up by the phrase, “We’ve waited long enough, and endured as much as we could,” which perfectly captured the current situation. Despite the calls for restraint, the alliance had spectacularly betrayed even that.
The users’ anger was immense. So much so that after the declaration of war, instead of seeking mediation, they were fervently cheering for us to crush them completely.
In truth, I had hoped that someone from the alliance would foolishly retaliate. But apparently, they weren’t all idiots, as they quickly ran to the Central Management Bureau to request mediation as soon as the declaration was made.
“Hey! Kim Soo-hyun! You’re not really planning to go to war, are you?”
“Why not? If they retaliate, we have to.”
“They won’t retaliate! They won’t!”
“Oh? How do you know that?”
“The alliance has requested mediation! You said you’d let us intervene at the end, right? So let’s wrap this up, okay? Please!”
“Too bad.”
I chuckled, recalling my conversation with Lee Hyo-eul last night. His frantic call had been quite amusing.
Of course, the declaration of war hadn’t been fully retracted yet. It was more like it was on hold. Since I had made a promise, I accepted the Central Management Bureau’s mediation, but naturally, there were procedures to follow. The mediation would only be valid if the Koran Alliance met the conditions set by the Mercenaries.
As I looked back at the group in front of me, I realized my mistake. The four of them were still kneeling with their heads bowed. It must have been exhausting to maintain that position for so long.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I got lost in thought for a moment. Anyway, you can raise your heads now. It’s a bit overwhelming. Haha.”
At my words, the four of them slowly lifted their faces. I glanced around the room and spoke in a slightly playful tone.
“I didn’t expect all four of you to come together like this. I understand Nambeol and Serengeti, but… is it really okay for Su and Artemis to be here together?”
This was a pointed reference to the recent incident where Shin Hyuk had attacked Park Tae-jin. Although Nambeol had led the charge, the casualties included members from the Artemis Clan as well.
Woo Seol-hee’s face turned ashen, and she shook her head vigorously, pleading with a pitiful expression.
“No, Mercenary Lord. I don’t know anything. Really, I have nothing to do with this situation. Please believe me.”
“Is that so? Then what was your intention when you came to discuss the results last time?”
Caught off guard, Woo Seol-hee clammed up, her throat bobbing as she stammered like a fool.
“Th-that was…”
“Well, never mind. I think I already know, so let’s get to the point.”
Seeing no reason to drag it out, I cut her off and moved on to the main issue. Woo Seol-hee’s fate was already decided. While I intended to overlook the involvement of the three clans, any user directly involved would be dealt with, without exception, according to the Mercenaries’ standards.
“In fact, the Mercenaries’ conditions have already been communicated to the Central Bureau. I’ve heard they’ve passed them on to the alliance, so I’m not sure why you’ve come today.”
“Yes, we’ve heard. But the conditions are too burdensome for the alliance to handle, so we came to ask if you could ease them a bit.”
The user who responded was Seo Ji-hwan, at the forefront. It seemed he was leading the remaining alliance in the absence of Park Tae-jin and Shin Hyuk. I nodded, recalling that I had heard his name a few times in the first round.
“Easing the conditions isn’t the right term in this context. If the first condition is too difficult, there are other conditions. Would you like to hear them?”
”…I’m listening.”
With a quiet smile, I began to speak.
“The other condition is the dissolution of the Southern Free Alliance. In other words, withdraw from Koran.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
This part will probably conclude in the next chapter. What’s left is the negotiation and the handling of Park Tae-jin, Shin Hyuk, Song Hee-sun, and Woo Seol-hee. I’ll take my leave for today. Have a great day, everyone.
Actually, no. It might be better to wrap this up cleanly today. I’ll post another chapter today to finish this part, and we can start a new part tomorrow.
I’ll get to writing right away. But I do need to sleep, so expect an update in the afternoon. :)