From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 53: The Round Table Pt. 3

Jeong In-Chang increased the speed of his greatsword after hearing George’s comment.

Swish!

George exclaimed, “That’s it! If you could do it like that in the first place, why didn’t you bring it out earlier?!”

“I can’t understand such complex English!” Jeong In-Chang responded in Korean to George while focusing even more and swinging his greatsword. The greatsword that Lee Jun-Kyeong had given him was indeed the best weapon that matched his fighting style.

The sense of alienation that he had felt when he had used an ordinary sword had long since disappeared, and he found himself becoming more destructive and more aggressive.

‘Iron Wall.’

In addition, he was able to defend harder than he had ever been able to do before. However, that didn’t mean that this change only had advantages. It was more difficult than he had expected to wield such a heavy and humongous greatsword. He had thought that as it was the most compatible weapon for him, he was handling it properly.

George scolded, “If that’s the extent of your understanding of weapons, you won’t progress at all!”

“I told you, I don’t understand what you’re saying!” responded Jeong In-Chang.

But, as he clashed with George’s sword…

No, he had realized his shortcomings when he had run into the Hunters at the Catalyon Mountain Gate.

The greatsword was the most effective weapon when hunting monsters, but it had many shortcomings when facing Hunters. Monsters were thoughtlessly driven by the desire to slaughter. Their intelligence was lacking compared to humans, to the point that it was simple enough for Hunters to analyze their patterns. The greatsword was the best weapon to combat things in a battle that mainly consisted of clashes of strength and power.

But Hunters were different.

'They think and act.'

The higher the level of the Hunter, the better they were able to grasp the weakness of the greatsword accurately, and the easier they were able to get close and attack.

Clang!

Just like the attack that George had just made.

Drip.

Blood dripped from Jeong In-Chang’s cheek after it got cut by the blue gladius. George pulled back his sword and took a step back.

“Should we stop?” he asked.

“No!”

Jeong In-Chang was able to answer because he had heard George say those words over and over again. He wouldn’t stop here. Jeong In-Chang had clearly realized his limitations and problems and was determined to overcome them.

‘Mr. Lee…’

He had been unable to protect anyone, and his performance at the Catalyon Mountain Gate was nothing short of pathetic.

Lee Jun-Kyeong’s prediction that he would have received a title after the gate was wrong. Not only did he not get a title, but he also didn’t even gain any recognition. All he had done was block the enemies' attacks and create an opening to lure them into a trap.

[<The Prince on a White Horse> looks at you sadly.]

How pathetic must he have been to hear these sorts of messages from his Sponsor…

‘Mr. Lee…’

Many things had changed since he had joined Lee Jun-Kyeong. He had thought he had started alongside at the same point as his partner, but Lee Jun-Kyeong had ended up running in front of him. As for himself, he had stagnated and couldn't even offer his friend the aid he deserved as a colleague.

That was why Lee Jun-Kyeong had gotten hurt in such a severe manner. This was the reason why the spearman had faced a near-death crisis.

George suddenly asked, “Who is your Sponsor?”

“What did you say?” Jeong In-Chang responded.

“A Hunter’s potential varies dramatically depending on their Sponsor. It would be good for you to uncover the true identity of your Sponsor.” Unfortunately, George’s English was too complex for him to understand, so he simply answered wordlessly by raising his greatsword.

Slash!

Jeong In-Chang took the offensive for the first time instead of moving defensively. The greatsword slashed forward, tearing the wind apart and smashing down with a heavy and colossal gravity.

Boom!

A loud noise echoed in the secret garden of the Round Table Council.

'I will become stronger.’?Jeong In-Chang thought while ceaselessly moving his greatsword about. His forearms felt as though they were about to explode, and his whole body was drenched in sweat.

Throughout this, he continued to repeat it to himself.

'I will become stronger.’

Until he could live up to the name of being a colleague.

‘And when that time arrives, grant me a title, Sponsor!’

A fire lit in his eyes like never before as he dove forward with blows backed with a strength unlike anything he had ever produced.

Jeong In-Chang started his journey.

***

“Whew… It seems it’s true that Koreans are all monsters,” George said while wiping his face with a towel after a shower. His body was covered in injuries that seemed more like tearing blows rather than cuts.

While pouring a potion in between the gap of his robe, George repeated to himself, “His growth rate is no joke. I thought that he had enough potential for growth just from what we had seen from him within the Catalyon Gate, but…”

George smiled as he thought about Jeong In-Chang.

“He really is an impressive little tyke. He got stronger with every strike.”

He lowered his eyes for a moment, seemingly looking at something.

“It’s almost like seeing you from the past.

He was actually talking to Demetrios.

“I think you’d like him a lot. Also, it looks like that bastard named Lee Jun-Kyeong had also woken up. So…”

George stood, muttering to himself, water dripping down his cheeks. It wasn’t clear if it was sweat or tears. He quickly wiped it away…

“Hurry up and wake up.”

In front of him lay a massive body. It was his friend and colleague

“Demetrios…”

He had burst into madness under the influence of the red ore at the Catalyon Mountain gate, and he had also been fatally wounded. His stomach had been pierced by a spear in his fight with Lee Jun-Kyeong. The wound had been serious, but thanks to his unparalleled physique, he had succeeded in surviving.

However, that was all he was able to do.

"You idiotic bastard of a bear..." George murmured.

A few days had passed since the gate had been cleared, but the bastard was still unconscious. If it hadn’t been for the help of the Round Table, it would have been challenging to make it this far.

“Lying in bed doesn’t suit you…”

George eventually collapsed to the floor. He didn’t want to lose any more friends. He had always been so sure of himself. Since he was always with Demetrios and because he himself was a great Hunter, he had been so arrogant. Unfortunately, that was how he found himself in this position.

He didn’t want to hate them. They had done the best that they could and eked out a victory that exceeded everyone’s expectations. That was why George was helping train Jeong In-Chang.

They competed, calling it sparring. In reality, they were fighting with each other while mixing in barbs against one another.

It was an unrestrained anger. For George, who was paying the price for his pride, that was all he could do.

"Damn it…"

Demetrios' sheets were growing damp ever so slowly.

***

"How the hell did you get here?" Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to ask, but he couldn’t due to his still-damaged voice. Yeo Seong-Gu was surprised to see his rapid improvement.

Scratch.

The bald man pulled out a chair and sat down.

"You always surprise me,” Yeo Seong-Gu said, smiling as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was curious as to how Lee Jun-Kyeong had recovered so much in such a short period of time. Also, he wondered what kind of weird blood was covering the blanket.

"There will be many more surprises in the future."

Yeo Seong-Gu made a noise in astonishment as if he was even more astonished by Lee Jun-Kyeong's response.

"How did you get here?" Lee Jun-Kyeong finally asked his responseless Hyung. He had seen and heard things through his body while he had lost control due to the Dragon’s Bloodstone. It was just like that day in the past. He had been surrounded on both sides by both Yeo Seong-Gu and Athena.

“Do you know anything about Lighting?”

Nod.

“As expected…”

Yeo Seong-Gu seemed even more surprised. What he had just asked wasn’t simply about Lighting, which was the basis behind Zeus’ name and the weapon that represented him. What he had asked about was the power and the role Lightning held.

“It’s a power of Olympus and Zeus’ authority.”

"…"

Lee Jun-Kyeong prodded, "Hyung."

"Oh, sorry." Yeo Seong-Gu finally came to his senses and began to speak again, “There are a few items in the world that are similar to the Lighting that Zeus possesses. Moreover, that Lighting can be observed and followed by special items.”

“...”

“The thing that can chase after Lighting…”

“It’s your Bifr?st, Hyung.”[ref]This is referring to the Bifr?st, which is the rainbow bridge in Norse Mythology. The Author is using the phenomenon where rainbows come after storms to express how the Bifr?st can follow after Zeus’ lightning.”[ref]

"H… how did you?"

Yeo Seong-Gu finally stood up in shock. This was way too much. He had known that Lee Jun-Kyeong knew a lot of secrets, and he had thought it was because of a special ability that he had. But this was different.

‘He knows about everything…?’

Unless it was Asgard or even the head behind the organization, none of these things were stuff that other people should have known. Moreover, Lee Jun-Kyeong actually knew about even his own authority, which was information that only Asgard’s top leaders were privy to.

Yeo Seong-Gu couldn’t help but react to it.

“Hyung.”

To be honest, Lee Jun-Kyeong had already thought about it for a long time.

He knew he would tell Yeo Seong-Gu everything someday. Even if he didn’t, he had still decided to convince his hyung. It was not only proper for him to do so for Yeo Seong-Gu; it was the right that the other man had earned. After all, Yeo Seong-Gu had been with him in the past, and would be with him now and in the future.

‘Hyung has shown his faith in me several times.’

Furthermore, he knew that Yeo Seong-Gu had followed Lighting this time around, but that shouldn’t have simply been the full story. Zeus’ Lighting was the symbol of his name, so it must have been used from time to time. Hence, there was no reason for Yeo Seong-Gu to follow it every time it was thrown.

'It must have been because of me.'

His Hyung must have triggered the Bifr?st that he seldom ever used because the location Lighting had been thrown to was England, which was where he was. Yeo Seong-Gu must have used the rainbow bridge to follow the bolt here.

That was the trust and affection his Hyung held for him, so now, it was his turn to return it.

Lee Jun-Kyeong called out, "Hyung."

"Yeah."

Yeo Seong-Gu saw Lee Jun-Kyeong's determined face, so he nodded and replied. Most likely, what Lee Jun-Kyeong wanted to say was related to the secret he had been hiding.

“But, this isn’t a good place to talk.”

This was the Round Table. Although there wasn’t any specific reason for them to be cautious while they were here, there was still the possibility that someone could be eavesdropping on them.

Bzzt.

Yeo Seong-Gu waved his hand, and a rainbow appeared in front of him. Beneath the rainbow lay an open portal that glimmered with the same color as the rainbow above it. It was the Bifr?st, Yeo Seong-Gu’s Authority.

This was Lee Jun-Kyeong’s first time seeing it.

"Can you move?" Yeo Seong-Gu asked as he reached out to Lee Jun-Kyeong.

Lee Jun-Kyeong grabbed the offered hand and stood up. It wasn’t easy for him to move yet, but it was bearable.

"Is there anything else you know?" Yeo Seong-Gu asked a final time with an expression that showed he anticipated the answer that he would get. Although he knew he would hear all of it soon enough, he was curious about what Lee Jun-Kyeong would say right now.

The younger man dropped a bombshell, "Athena’s your ex, Hyung."

Yeo Seong-Gu wanted to close his eyes as he thought, ‘I shouldn’t have asked…’

***

"Inebu, what are you planning on doing?"

Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn’t aware of it, but Olympus and Asgard weren’t the only members of this Round Table. Most of the other hunters had returned to their organizations to deliver the news, but the Hunters belonging to Nile, Inebu and Numek, had stayed behind. They were participating as witnesses to the Round Table Council.

“About what?" Inebu asked.

Numek insisted, "We also have to return. The order to return was given from above."

But, this had been an arbitrary decision of Inebu’s. Currently, Inebu was here with the Eyes of Osiris, a symbol similar in status to Olympus’s Lightning. Therefore, he was able to participate as Egypt’s representative, but he didn’t actually have permission to do this.

“I heard that Hermopolis and Memphis are already discussing your punishment…” Numek said worriedly.

The struggle for power in the Nile was as fierce as the secret organization was powerful. It was divided into several factions that fought amongst themselves for supremacy. The largest faction was Heliopolis, which was the one Inebu and Numek belonged to. Among the others were their bitter rivals, Hermopolis and Memphis.

Inebu stated, "We can’t leave yet.”

"Inebu…” Numek sighed.

He insisted, "The Underdog, I have to talk to him.”

Although it had been a while since Lee Jun-Kyeong had woken up, that information hadn’t been dispersed to the Nile. Yeo Seong-Gu knew that the reason they remained behind was because of Lee Jun-Kyeong, so he had deliberately blocked the news.

"Why are you so obsessed with him?” Numek asked, looking frustrated. This was the first time Inebu had disobeyed orders and refused so stubbornly. It had been fun for her to see an unusual side of him when they were at the Catalyon Mountain Gate, but it was nothing compared to his appearance at this moment.

"You could die for this, Inebu.”

The Nile was a radical organization, and the way it conducted discipline was different from the other organizations. But nevertheless, Inebu was adamant.

"No." He had to speak with the Underdog. He then added, "Horus could wake up."

"What…?"

Numek's big eyes widened even further.

1. Zeus’ Authority is called Lighting, so any reference to it will be capitalized.