Chapter 55: Best for Business

Chapter 55

“Ah, I suppose I should address you differently now.”

Baek Jun greeted Yang Joong-geun once more.

“Nice to meet you, Player Yang Joong-geun.”

Yang Joong-geun did not respond. He only glared at Baek Jun with murderous intent. Baek Jun, unfazed, didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

“I don’t understand why you’re giving me that look. Surely you don’t blame me for the downfall of the Dream Gold Clan, do you?”

Yang Joong-geun’s face twisted in anguish at the mention of “Dream Gold.” Baek Jun immediately understood why Yang Joong-geun was glaring at him.

“If you hadn’t meddled with my fight club, I wouldn’t have had to take action.”

“So you’re admitting you took action?”

“Yes.”

Baek Jun answered calmly.

“To be honest, I wanted to handle it personally…”

As he spoke, an overwhelming aura suddenly erupted from Baek Jun.

‘…!’

Yang Joong-geun’s eyes widened as he felt the oppressive force. It was a pressure unlike anything he had ever experienced.

‘Is he really this strong…?’

Sweating profusely, Yang Joong-geun looked at Baek Jun in disbelief. Even Kim Minwoo, the strongest opponent he had ever faced, who was ranked in the top 10 hunters, had never exuded such an aura during combat. And yet, Baek Jun, who was considered to be in the 20th rank, was emitting an even stronger presence than Kim Minwoo.

“…I am too busy to deal with someone like you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the oppressive aura vanished as if it had never been there.

“Gasp… cough, cough!”

Yang Joong-geun involuntarily gasped for air, then cleared his throat in embarrassment. Now completely subdued, he couldn’t even look Baek Jun in the eye. Baek Jun spoke softly.

“Let’s get to the point.”

Baek Jun’s voice calmly filled the space above Yang Joong-geun’s bowed head.

“As you know, you have been selected as a supplementary participant for the second preliminary round of Colosseum Survival Season 12.”

The Colosseum program had a special system called “supplementary participants.” These were players who joined after the first preliminary round, selected based on certain criteria.

– Possessing skills far above the average of the first preliminary round participants.

– Being a well-known figure recognized by all viewers.

– Having a special story connected to at least one of the first preliminary round qualifiers.

A player could be selected as a supplementary participant if they met at least one of these criteria.

“You meet all three criteria for supplementary participants. As a B-rank hunter, your skills far exceed the average of the first preliminary round qualifiers. You are a well-known figure who has frequently appeared in recent news.”

Indeed, a month ago, South Korea was abuzz with the “Yang Joong-geun Gate.” Many high-ranking officials’ children had been caught purchasing drugs distributed by Yang Joong-geun. Every Korean might not know his face, but everyone remembered the name “Yang Joong-geun” as the protagonist of the drug scandal.

“And the final condition, your story with Kim Jinsung, is perfect.”

At the mention of “Kim Jinsung,” a murderous glint returned to Yang Joong-geun’s eyes. Baek Jun, sitting across from him, noticed the change immediately.

‘As expected, he holds a deep grudge against Kim Jinsung.’

Baek Jun continued, looking into Yang Joong-geun’s trembling eyes.

“A reunion between the tragic past of Kim Jinsung and the villain who relentlessly tormented him, Yang Joong-geun… There couldn’t be a more engaging story for the viewers.”

**Bang!**

“Who are you calling a villain?!”

Yang Joong-geun couldn’t hold back any longer and exploded in rage. He slammed the table with his cuffed hands and shouted, his body trembling with anger.

“That bastard is a murderer who killed my son! I was just trying to avenge my unjustly killed youngest son!”

“It doesn’t matter what you think.”

“What?!”

“The viewers don’t see it that way. You know better than anyone how the public perceives your relationship with Kim Jinsung.”

Yang Joong-geun clenched his fists but couldn’t say anything more. He knew how he was viewed by the public.

– A piece of trash who not only ignored his son’s bullying but also ensured the bullied would die in an underground fight club, never seeing the light of day.

That’s what the internet and various media outlets said about him. In contrast, Kim Jinsung was seen as:

– The rising star of Colosseum who overcame all the hardships and adversities caused by Yang Joong-geun and Yang Dongju with sheer skill.

“But you don’t need to worry about the current public opinion.”

Baek Jun continued.

“If you perform spectacularly in this program and become a star, no one will criticize you. Many Colosseum stars who survived and gained freedom have experienced this.”

“…Hmm.”

Yang Joong-geun couldn’t deny the truth in Baek Jun’s words. In these strange times, hunters who could defeat monsters were the most revered. With portals and monsters constantly threatening lives, strong protectors were celebrated. In today’s world, strength equated to heroism.

Colosseum stars perfectly embodied the qualities of the “strong” that people adored. It wasn’t surprising that stars from this program continued to enjoy national popularity even after the season ended.

“You must have seen Kim Jinsung’s performance during the first preliminary round of Group A.”

Yang Joong-geun nodded silently. He had been transferred from the detention center to the Colosseum dormitory exactly one day before the first preliminary round began. From the next day, he had watched all the first preliminary round matches on TV, studying the participants he would face in the second preliminary round. Naturally, he had observed Kim Jinsung more than any other participant.

“Thanks to his incredible performance, Kim Jinsung is currently the most popular star of this season.”

“So what?”

“Someone who was hired to kill such a superstar will naturally be seen as a villain by the public.”

Baek Jun began to persuade the silent Yang Joong-geun.

“Let me give you some advice. Since you’re already seen as a villain, embrace it fully. Become a ‘badass’ like Yoo Junho from Season 4.”

“……”

As soon as Yang Joong-geun heard the name Yoo Junho, he understood what Baek Jun was suggesting.

Yoo Junho was the most infamous villain in Colosseum history. He ruthlessly killed participants using any means necessary, even betraying those who tried to help him. He was the ultimate villain character. Yoo Junho, the winner and protagonist of Season 4, had first made his name known to the world this way.

“The one who laughs last, laughs best. If Kim Jinsung dies mid-program and you are the last survivor, the public will forget about Kim Jinsung. The history of the Colosseum program proves this.”

“Hmm…”

“But it won’t be easy.”

Yang Joong-geun looked at Baek Jun, as if to ask, “Why not?”

“Because Kim Jinsung has improved significantly. Once considered no more than a D-rank player, he has grown strong enough to defeat Forghinae on his own.”

“So what?”

“Inside the Colosseum, he’s considered much stronger than you.”

“What, what?!”

Yang Junggeun was incredulous. A B-rank hunter was a top-tier ranker, never falling below the top 100 in South Korea. And now they were saying that brat was stronger than him?

“You’re saying he’s stronger than me just because he defeated your fake Forghinae? I could take down a weed like that with one hand!”

Baek Jun’s indifferent gaze met Yang Junggeun’s furious eyes.

“Do you think we’re having this conversation over just that?”

“What…?”

“Surely you know about Colosseum’s internal evaluation system?”

Yang Junggeun fell silent again. He had momentarily forgotten, in his anger over Kim Jinsung, how accurate Colosseum’s hunter ranking system was—so accurate that even the South Korean government used it as an official program. It was so well-regarded globally that other governments and clans frequently inquired about acquiring it.

If this system evaluated Kim Jinsung’s rank, it couldn’t be wrong.

‘…Wait. So that brat is really stronger than me?’

Yang Junggeun’s eyes trembled with disbelief. Baek Jun waited until the trembling subsided before speaking again.

“Let’s get to the real reason for this meeting.”

As Yang Junggeun looked up at him, Baek Jun asked,

“Do you seek survival or revenge?”

In other words, did he want to meet Kim Jinsung in the second preliminary round, or did he aim to pass the preliminaries without necessarily encountering him?

“……”

Yang Junggeun remained silent, deep in thought with his head bowed. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Do I have to answer that now?”

“Is it difficult to answer right away?”

“I… I have a question before I answer.”

“What is it?”

After a moment of hesitation, Yang Junggeun cautiously asked,

“Is there a chance to meet Kim Jinsung before the preliminaries start?”

“No.”

Baek Jun’s firm reply made Yang Junggeun lower his gaze again. But Baek Jun’s next words made his eyes widen.

“But if you want, I can arrange it.”

“…Really?”

Baek Jun nodded.

“For the sake of the program, I can make that happen.”

From Baek Jun’s perspective, there was no reason to accommodate Yang Junggeun’s request. But as the representative of Colosseum, he would arrange such a meeting ten times over if it enhanced the storyline with Kim Jinsung. It was all for the program.

* * *

[Finally, the long first preliminary round of Colosseum Survival Season 12 has concluded, with even the last Group D finishing up!]

[It’s already been a month.]

[Time flies, doesn’t it? Let’s check the final number of survivors!]

A chart appeared on the TV screen.

[Combining the 403 survivors from Group D, a total of 1,193 participants survived the first preliminary round!]

[Group D had more survivors than expected, while Group A didn’t even have 200 survivors.]

[That’s right! Let’s ask commentator Kim Jincheol a question. Out of nearly 1,200 survivors, who is the most memorable player?]

[Personally, I’d say Kim Jinsung.]

[Ah! I agree. He created many memorable moments and is currently the most famous among the survivors!]

[The most memorable moment for me is…]

**Knock, knock, knock.**

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

“Yes.”

The middle-aged man watching TV answered, and the double doors opened to reveal a familiar face.

“Ah, welcome! Colosseum’s representative!”

The middle-aged man greeted Baek Jun warmly. They shook hands, and Baek Jun joked.

“Is it okay to watch an adult-rated program in an official minister’s office?”

“Why not? We’re watching a program that trains the best hunters in the South Korean Hunter Department’s office.”

“Haha…”

“Have a seat.”

The middle-aged man guided Baek Jun to a sofa. Behind the sofa, on a large desk, was a nameplate with the following inscription:

[Minister of the South Korean Hunter Department, Tak Namgyu.]

“Speaking of Kim Jinsung, who was just mentioned on TV…”

Tak Namgyu asked his first question as soon as he sat down, his expression serious.

“Is Kim Jinsung really a skill absorption ability user?”