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Chapter 76

Scribble scribble.

The quiet sound of documents being signed could be distinctly heard in the room. And amidst that quiet sound, Eun-Ha was examining documents as usual.

Bang!

But all of a sudden, that serenity was shattered by a middle-aged blonde black hair man. Slamming open the door and entering without knocking, Michael Barmuth looked at Eun-Ha with a cold expression.

“Dean Ryu Eun-Ha.”

Although his tone was polite, it was filled with palpable anger.

It was so blatant that the end of his sentences carried mana, causing the entire office to tremble faintly, but Eun-Ha didn’t even look up from her documents.

“Speak.”

“Do you even realize what you have done?”

“I’m not sure. Please explain it to me.”

Furrowing his eyebrows at her calm, indifferent attitude, which showed she had no intentions of engaging in conversation, Michael forced himself to quickly calm his emotions.

“Your biased review video has caused substantial economic losses to the Barmuth family.”

Due to the video Eun-Ha uploaded, the Barmuth family struggled with refund requests that exceeded their order volume—this was the first time. Many enterprises and guilds that still had doubts over the performance of their upcoming newly created mass-produced equipment immediately switched to Carlton’s workshop as if they had been waiting.

We would have fixed all those faulty parts before we publicly released them to the market... but all because of that one video...!

And even though the Barmuths had immediately taken countermeasures when the video first started spreading, they had all still switched.

「The facts that are currently being disputed are not official, and any defamation or dissemination of false information will be met with legal action.」

Along with their statement, they planned to suppress the rumors by pressuring the owners of the website where the video was uploaded to take it down.

However, their plan was flawed from the start because the influence of the uploader—Ryu Eun-Ha—was just too significant.

anger231: The Barmuths just published their official statement. Time to sit back and watch.

└RedGinsengMint: Watch what? Ryu Eun-Ha uploaded the video herself lol

└anger231: Is she above the official association? You’ll see how wrong you were.

└RedGinsengMint: lol even the top one hundred blacksmiths won’t even make a peep about equipment evaluation in front of her, yet here you are talking about the association. What’s the association going to do? Slap an official certification on it and call it a day?

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HGBeam: The overall performance is a whole thirty percent higher, yet the price is twenty percent cheaper? Isn’t this obviously a scam?

└NeonBlue: What would an S-rank hero even get from scamming others?

└HGBeam: I mean, it’s not like there isn’t anything. Isn’t she also human?

└NeonBlue: Do you think everyone is like you???

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dd: I feel like this is the first time I’ve seen Ryu Eun-Ha genuinely smile. Is it just me?

└RyuEunHaSuperFan: It’s the first time, for sure. I’ve seen every single uploaded video that she’s in and she’s never smiled once. My heart almost stopped when I saw her smile.

└LiteLeft: If someone who usually eats the Seraphim Guild’s Hero equipment with a straight face is actually smiling while eating those, then how insane are those pieces of mass-produced equipment?

Eun-Ha, who had become an S-rank hero at a young age, had made tremendous contributions by purifying various Danger Zones and subduing countless monsters and demons. And thanks to the widely spread internet anecdotes about how she was a weapon gourmet, the Barmuths’ response inadvertently reinforced her position instead.

It’s past the stage where we can handle this ourselves.

Realizing that her review couldn’t be challenged without backlash since it was an unexaggerated mention of facts and that legal disputes were likely to be smoothed over by someone even more formidable than her—Chairman Ludwig—the Barmuths found themselves with only one option left.

“I don’t know what you are trying to get out of this, but we will try to accommodate you as much as possible. So please, could you be so kind as to take down the video and then make an explanation video—”

“Vice Dean.”

Cutting off Michael’s proposal, Eun-Ha continued to sign documents as she spoke to Michael.

“If you came here to just say that, please leave. You’re disturbing my work.”

“...”

Clearly indicating that she had no intention to discuss it any further, she dismissed him. But rather than anger, all Michael felt was bafflement.

Was it just a plan to strike us from the start?

Given that she was not the type to engage in such negotiations, he had somewhat anticipated the refusal, but it still made no sense to him.

Why would such an oddball, who showed interest in nothing but consuming equipment, pull something like this?

Could it be the Seraphim Guild? No, they also seemed surprised by her actions...

If it wasn’t her long-time sponsor, the Seraphim Guild, then who had made her act this way? Unable to come up with an answer, Michael wrestled with his thoughts, but then, he was interrupted.

Knock knock.

“Excuse me.”

The voice that followed the knock instantly irritated Michael. Turning around, he saw the young Lee Se-Hoon, leaning against the door.

“I thought he was done with his business with you, so I just came in, but... he’s still here?”

Upon seeing Se-Hoon’s puzzled face, full of wonder as to why Michael hadn’t left yet, Michael’s expression twisted in annoyance. Se-Hoon’s behavior was arrogant and presumptuous.

“How dare you just walk into this place casually...”

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

Michael was about to lash out at Se-Hoon, but he trailed off when he heard Eun-Ha’s voice from behind. Feeling like something was different, Michael turned around and saw something that completely surprised him.

Eun-Ha, who hadn’t spared him a glance during their conversation, was now looking at Se-Hoon with eyes full of warmth.

Could it be that... she did all that for him?

It was hard to believe, but after seeing those eyes, there seemed to be no other explanation. And now, after learning that Eun-Ha and Se-Hoon were in a cooperative relationship, Michael naturally recalled the other massive question he had been harboring.

Who exactly forged that newly released equipment?

According to the Barmuths’ intelligence network, there was no way the workshops in question could have produced equipment of such caliber. Therefore, he naturally thought there was an intervention from another power, but with that new piece of information, one more possibility suddenly clicked into place.

No, it can’t be...

Although it was a possibility he had considered, he had found it impossible to believe and thus disregarded it, but since the situation was unusual enough, it came back to him.

Turning his head once again, Michael stared at Se-Hoon, who was leaning against the door frame.

“What are you doing? You should just leave already if you’re done with your business here.”

Unlike how normal students weren’t able to even make proper eye contact with him, Se-Hoon was speaking to him with ease. But rather than being angered by the amount of composure and mockery in Se-Hoon’s tone, Michael was finally convinced.

“So... it was you.”

Though it was absurd, the one who had forged all that new equipment was indeed the one standing before him—Lee Se-Hoon. At this revelation, Michael’s face went cold, his feelings surpassing astonishment to reach pure shock due to Se-Hoon’s chilling talent.

“You’ll be better off not getting too arrogant.”

Leaving that warning, Michael passed by him and left.

Se-Hoon smirked at his retreating figure, his head simply tilted back.

Now he’s really pissed off.

Had there been no one around, Michael would have attempted to kill him right then and there. But despite that fact, Se-Hoon just smiled at how smoothly things were going.

Swoosh.

Approaching his side silently, Eun-Ha looked at Michael’s retreating figure.

“Judging from his murderous intent just now, it seems like he could become dangerous if not dealt with. How do you plan to proceed?” she said quietly, a glint of murderous intent in her eyes.

Seeing that glint, full of willingness to vaporize Michael in an instant if he asked, Se-Hoon quickly spoke to abate her.

“It’s okay. I have something prepared for him.”

“...Understood.”

With that slightly reluctant-sounding confirmation, she went back into the room.

Following her in, Se-Hoon closed the door behind him.

“Did the Chairman contact you after you uploaded the video?”

“Yes. He told me I might as well hire a proper video editor while I’m at it.”

“Hm. So, he’s not completely against it.”

While the pressure from the Barmuths could be easily ignored, the pressure from Ludwig was an entirely different matter. As the Chairman of Babel and a Perfect One, his influence was overwhelmingly stronger than Eun-Ha’s.

It’s unlikely for him to get involved... but still, I should be careful.

He had information on Ludwig from before the regression, but he knew that he shouldn’t blindly trust it.

Still, he could breathe a sigh of relief since the biggest potential obstacle seemed to have been resolved.

Brr-

Glancing at the screen of her phone vibrating on her desk, Eun-Ha immediately declined the call.

Seeing that, Se-Hoon became curious.

“Who was it that you declined right away?”

“After I uploaded that video, I’ve been getting various offers from everywhere. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Typically, S-rank heroes either joined guilds or signed contracts with large corporations, using them to create their paths in one way or another. However, Eun-Ha had shown little interest in doing that, only engaging in contracts she deemed necessary, which naturally made her less receptive to solicitations.

Do people think that changed because of the video?

For those who were unaware of the current circumstances, it might seem like she had changed her mind, and when combined with the strong impact of the video, they persistently proposed offers to her.

That definitely has to be annoying... I feel somewhat sorry for her.

Eun-Ha’s phone rang again, making Se-Hoon feel embarrassed.

“It seems you’re dealing with something quite annoying because of me.”

“There’s really no need to worry. It’ll gradually stop once I ignore them enough times.”

“No, we should make an equal deal.”

Although she appeared indifferent and seemed like she didn’t care, there was no one more decisive when it came to making and breaking ties than her. He knew that assuming she was fine and doing nothing in this situation could lead to a significant setback someday.

“Should you find yourself in a difficult situation or in need of assistance, please let me know at any time. I will aid you in any possible way.”

It was unlikely he would be able to assist her with issues that corresponded with her current stature, but it was the thought and effort that counted.

Touched by his sincere offer, Eun-Ha looked at him quietly before nodding.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

With that, he was satisfied that there was no room for any hard feelings to harbor, so he changed the subject.

“Professor Kim In-Cheol mentioned that there are other workshops that are joining in, solving the disruption in the production supply chain. You should be able to upload the remaining videos in sequence soon.”

The video uploaded yesterday was just a teaser. Soon, the remaining seventy-six comparison videos would be released, each also showing a rigorous comparison between a type of mass-produced equipment of the Barmuths and the ones prepared by him.

“Will the workshops be alright, though? It’ll be difficult to cover so many workshops, even if there are security personnel in place,” Eun-Ha asked after a moment of thought.

“It’s going to be fine.”

Se-Hoon smiled at her valid concern.

“I’ve appointed quite the reliable person.”

***

In the darkness of the city, a small voice sounded from the shadows of a dark alleyway where all the streetlights were off.

“Right side fence, a thirty-eight-year-old woman, a twelve-year-old boy, and a nine-year-old girl. Take care of them, and make it look like a simple accident.”

Leaving behind a single shadow clump that detached and climbed over the fence, the remaining shadows rippled and moved to the corner of a stairwell in a distant apartment.

“Apartment 1802, sixty-year-old woman. Proceed in the same manner.”

Leaving behind another shadow clump that detached and began climbing the stairs, the remaining shadows rippled and moved once again.

The shadow clumps that were detached across the city were all from an A-rank demon, the Shadow Phantom.

He recalled the task at hand.

Targeting the families instead of directly attacking the workshops, huh? Truly a forward-thinking individual.

Attacking the workshops that were protected by security personnel would likely result in failure and raise unnecessary suspicion. Therefore, his client, the Barmuth family, chose a different approach; they would assassinate the families of a few selected involved individuals.

There’s nothing more effective than instilling fear.

The plan for today was simple assassinations, but going forward, the Barmuth family planned to slowly kill one or two individuals at a time, disguising them as accidents.

And unlike ordinary people who would dismiss each incident as a coincidence, the involved parties would immediately recognize the warning. Frightened, they would inevitably withdraw entirely.

It’d be nice if they all backed out at once out of fear. I wouldn’t have to drag this on for ten years then.

He dearly wished to eliminate every last target in one go, but doing so would make him a target for pursuit and he’d lose trust in the underworld, so he decided it was best to exercise restraint.

He annoyedly sent out another shadow subordinate, but at that moment, something flew past.

Fwoosh-

And a blue arrow impaled its heart.

“Cough...!”

Thrashing violently, the impaled shadow subordinate eventually spat out a man’s body.

Without warning, one of his subordinates had been instantly killed by an arrow to the heart. Rapidly noticing the curse implanted in the arrow, which was the real cause of his subordinate’s death, Shadow Phantom quickly made a decision.

The enemy is at least S-rank. I have to flee.

If someone was able to locate him in this city and snipe without being noticed, fighting back was out of the question. Acting immediately, he activated his skill, Shadow Sacrifice.

Whoosh!

Ten subordinates hidden in his shadow then burst into black blood, the blood spraying in all directions to create a magic array. When completed, twenty more subordinates were used as fuel to instantly activate the skill.

Whoom!

The scenery changed in the blink of an eye. Although he had warped dozens of kilometers away to a remote forest, Shadow Phantom refused to relax and continued to use his skills.

I don’t know what the enemy has up their sleeves, so I need to be sure of my escape.

While calling all of his subordinates back again wouldn’t be easy, he did it anyway, knowing that facing an S-rank hero meant he could lose his head at any moment.

Activating Shadow Sacrifice again, the recalled subordinates turned into black ichor, covering his body entirely.

In an instant, Soul Cloak and Magic Neutralization, along with powerful stealth magic like Nature Assimilation, were layered. And this time, he crossed hundreds of kilometers, weaving through shadows in a flash.

He was confident in his technique which required the sacrifice of many of his subordinates since he had escaped an S-rank hero before. However, a strange unease lingered.

Is this really enough?

Recalling the precision of the snipe that wasn’t noticeable until the arrow had pierced through, the chilling sensation that followed forced him to use a scroll he had been saving.

Sssss-

Now torn, purple mana erupted from the scroll, enveloping his entire body. Amidst it, Shadow Phantom’s form began to blur, melting away as if about to disappear without a trace.

But, before his body could scatter in all directions and vanish, he was expelled from the mist of purple mana.

Boom!

Falling into an abandoned, dilapidated building, Shadow Phantom lay gasping on the ground, breathless and without the strength to hide in the shadows any longer.

“Huff... huff...”

The sight of Shadow Phantom, gasping on the ground, drew the attention of other demons who had gathered around.

“Huh? Isn’t he the shadow guy?”

“Looks like he’s in bad shape. Did you get beaten up by an S-rank hero?”

The demons, each a notorious assassin and user of the Dream Refuge, mocked Shadow Phantom upon seeing his condition.

This should do it...

The Dream Refuge—created by one of the Ten Evils and the master of brothels, Dream Demon—was a hideout that was notorious for its elusiveness, a place not even the most formidable of S-rank heroes could infiltrate.

As such, Shadow Phantom relaxed.

“I was sniped and had to run immediately. And... it seems like I’ve expended all of my subordinates. Damn, I didn’t even break even.”

“Sniped? Who would even be capable of sniping you?”

Completely bewildered by Shadow Phantom’s story, the other demons looked puzzled; Shadow Phantom was the most skilled in stealth among them.

“I don’t know. One of my subordinates was hit by an arrow so I just ran without even figuring out where it came from.”

“...Arrow?”

An ominous tension immediately built up.

Poof!

Without warning again, the head of one demon exploded without a trace.

“...”

“...”

Normally, the demons would have prepared immediately to counter the next attack, but they couldn’t even muster the thought, staring at the arrow that had pierced their comrade.

Sssss-

Appearing to be made of special steel at first glance, the tip of the blue arrow, firmly embedded in the ground, began disintegrating into mana, revealing its true nature.

Invisible sniping and the ability to see through the Dream Refuge, plus this arrow made of mana.

Each clue slowly clicked into place in each demon’s mind, and soon, all of their thoughts were naturally led to one notorious entity.

A fiend that hunted monsters on the contaminated African continent from the world’s highest peak for fun, effortlessly sniping any demons caught in their sight.

“The Visionary...”

Realizing they had been exposed to Ha Baek-Yeon, their faces turned pale in despair.

“Ah fu—”

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh.

A barrage of arrows rained down, piercing through the heads and hearts of every single demon present in the Dream Refuge.