—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Hey? We’re about to be business partners. You should show some respect…”
“Shut your trap.”
“Excuse me?”
[…Oh, dear.]
As Moon Cheon-yeop blinked in confusion, Na-kyung covered her face with her wing, Limon uncrossed his arms, and a sickening thud echoed through the room.
WHACK!
“…?”
For a brief moment, Kim Seung-jun and Mr. Jeong didn’t understand what had happened. As mere mid-level players, their perception was limited.
They had heard a loud noise, and then both Limon and Moon Cheon-yeop had vanished from their sight.
But the next moment, the scene that unfolded before them clarified everything.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
“Ugh! Gah! Urk!”
Moon Cheon-yeop’s head snapped back from an uppercut, then whipped from side to side as punches rained down, teeth scattering across the floor. His body jerked like a marionette, his legs wobbling.
He stumbled, only to be yanked back up by his hair, a punch to the gut doubling him over, followed by a blow to the throat that choked back his vomit.
Were the removed sunglasses an act of mercy, or simply to give Limon a clearer target?
One thing was certain.
Moon Cheon-yeop, moments ago so smug and confident, was being systematically dismantled by Limon.
“Th-that’s…”
Kim Seung-jun and Mr. Jeong could only stare, too terrified to intervene.
The sheer speed and brutality of Limon’s assault, the chilling aura he radiated, paralyzed them.
[Team Leader! Stop! You’re going to kill him!]
It was the tiny bluebird who finally intervened. Na-kyung flew to Limon’s head, pecking at his forehead until he finally stopped.
Thud.
Moon Cheon-yeop, like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsed onto the floor. Limon looked down at him coldly.
“Say that again. Who plagiarized whose song? And what was that about a ‘better way’ to resolve this?”
“Ugh… uh…”
No answer. Moon Cheon-yeop, his face swollen like a steamed bun, could only moan and writhe on the floor.
Na-kyung sighed, sending a telepathic message to Wei-ling, requesting an ambulance.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[As I recall, you asked me to handle this discreetly.]
“I did.”
[And I told you I’ve already taken care of the lawsuit, even spoken to the judge.]
“I know.”
[…Then why do I now have to cover up your assault?]
“Because I beat him half to death.”
[…]
Wei-ling was momentarily silenced by the blunt, unapologetic answer. Then, her voice, colder than usual, echoed in Limon’s ear.
[I’ve dealt with the police, but be prepared for trouble if Midas gets involved, not just WIM.]
“Alright, don’t overwork yourself.”
[…Try not to create situations that require me to overwork.]
“I’ll try.”
Limon hung up, ignoring the exhaustion hidden beneath her cold tone. She had been working tirelessly to clean up his mess, ever since the Shanghai Royal Family joined Guardian.
“Hmm, money and power are nice. No need to deal with the police personally.”
[It’s not ‘resolved’! You made things worse! Can’t you feel the atmosphere?!]
“What’s wrong with the atmosphere?”
[Look at them!]
Na-kyung gestured towards Mr. Jeong and Kim Seung-jun, whose expressions had gone from funereal to utterly despairing. They avoided Limon’s gaze.
[Why did you have to resort to violence? You said you didn’t like showing off your strength!]
She had everything prepared for a peaceful resolution.
Why had he ruined it?
Limon replied casually,
“Showing off and dealing with an asshole are two different things.”
[What’s the difference?!]
“I can tolerate a dog that’s proud of its big turds, but a dog that shits everywhere to show off needs to be put down.”
He glared in the direction Moon Cheon-yeop had been taken.
“If you play with people’s lives using your petty power and influence, you deserve to have your own life toyed with.”
[…I’d rather he just lost his voice.]
Na-kyung grumbled, but she couldn’t argue. Even a cursory investigation had revealed the numerous lives Moon Cheon-yeop had ruined. Limon had shown remarkable restraint by even talking to him.
Of course, that restraint had evaporated the moment Moon Cheon-yeop threatened him.
[What are you going to do now?]
“About what?”
[The aftermath. You can’t just leave things like this.]
“Are you suggesting I should hunt him down and finish the job?”
[No! If you provoke Midas, the already overworked Black Dragon Clan will die from exhaustion!]
Na-kyung was horrified. While the Seven Dragons Association’s wealth and power could suppress most guilds, Midas, one of the Ten Great Guilds, was a different story.
Especially now, while they were still recovering from the Liberation Brigade’s attack.
“He’s not a Midas Guild member. Just a low-level thug from a subsidiary guild.”
[A very profitable thug. WIM’s mastermind, and the manager of a popular singer like Claire? He’s probably a valuable asset to Midas.]
As a former PAB agent, Na-kyung knew how ruthless and profit-driven Midas was. If they suffered a loss because of this incident, they would demand compensation.
Limon could hide, of course, but Mr. Jeong and Kim Seung-jun would become the targets.
[You’re not actually thinking of fighting Midas, are you?]
“Do I look like a madman? Starting a war with a Ten Great Guild over this?”
It was a surprisingly convincing argument, coming from the man who had nearly killed the Infinite Monarch over a subordinate’s blood debt. But Limon was serious.
He didn’t know the extent of the Liberation Brigade’s influence within the Ten Great Guilds. If Limon Asphelder clashed with Midas now, he might end up having to deal with the Golden Monarch as well.
Of course, that hadn’t stopped him from beating Moon Cheon-yeop to a pulp.
[Then you have to compensate them somehow… are you going to ask the Princess?]
“No.”
He could ask Li Chingwei to handle it. Midas was pragmatic, easily appeased with sufficient compensation, and the Seven Dragons Association had plenty of money.
But he didn’t want the Seven Dragons Association to be involved with Midas, potentially alerting the Liberation Brigade. And he didn’t want Moon Cheon-yeop to receive any of the compensation.
“I’m not going to let that asshole live comfortably in a golden doghouse after I put him down.”
[Then what are you going to do?]
If he wasn’t going to fight or compensate them, how would he resolve this?
“The problem is that I’m involved with Midas, right?”
[Right?]
“Then I just have to make sure I’m not involved.”
[…You are involved. That’s why we’re in this mess.]
Flick!
[Ow! Why did you hit me?!]
“For your disrespectful gaze.”
Limon flicked Na-kyung, who had been looking at him with pity, as if he were senile.
“I told you, he’s not a Midas Guild member. He’s just a thug from a subsidiary guild.”
[Same difference.]
“No, it’s not.”
He shook his head, pointing out something Na-kyung hadn’t considered.
“If a minister’s dog dies, you send condolences. If a minister’s servant’s dog dies, you stew it.”
[What?]
As Na-kyung blinked in confusion, Limon turned to Kim Seung-jun, who flinched at his gaze.
“PD Kim, do you have the WIM Guild Leader’s contact information?”
“Y-yes, of course.”
“Then contact her.”
He smiled coldly, the image of his brutal assault on Moon Cheon-yeop still fresh in Kim Seung-jun’s mind.
“Tell her I’m offering her a chance to get rid of the lapdog who’s been using Midas’s name to act like a big shot. If she wants out from under him, she should come here immediately.”
Twenty minutes later, another person joined the three humans and one bird in the empty cafe.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
‘What’s going on?’
Yeonhwa, the WIM Guild Leader, a woman in her late thirties, with a surprisingly approachable demeanor despite her stylish clothes and understated makeup, was puzzled.
She hadn’t been surprised by the news of Moon Cheon-yeop’s assault. It was inevitable, considering his methods.
‘I heard he’s been frequenting this place… but I didn’t expect him to get beaten up here.’
He had been operating under the protection of Midas and his own high level. But high-level players weren’t invincible. It was only a matter of time before someone retaliated.
She hadn’t given it much thought. She would simply contact Midas and follow their instructions.
But then she received a call. From Kim Seung-jun, a relatively unknown PD from the struggling KTB network.
The call itself wasn’t unusual. But its content was. It was so significant that she dropped everything and rushed to the cafe.
However, the scene that greeted her was far from what she had imagined.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Your Text Here]
