Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 82

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 82

Sermin’s disappointment ran deeper than I’d expected.
When I called her name several times before she finally appeared, it became clear.
“What is it?”
“I came by hoping we could talk about what happened earlier, if you don’t mind? Major?”
A straightforward strategy: just push forward.
Someone as conscious of hierarchy as Sermin wouldn’t dare refuse outright.
“I apologize, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to converse normally at the moment. Would it be alright if I visited you another time instead?”
Hmm. So much for that.
Still, I had no intention of backing down.
I pressed on with shameless persistence.
“No, I’d really appreciate it if you made time now.”
For most ordinary people, if Sermin responded that way, nine out of ten would simply retreat.
And for good reason—ordinarily, the one approaching is in the wrong position, and there’s always something awkward about it.
But somehow, I felt I couldn’t let this go.
A gut instinct that she shouldn’t be left alone like this.
‘And more than anything, who knows what might happen if I leave her to her own devices.’
She might request a transfer, for instance.
Or the rift in her heart could deepen, making her passive during operations.
Fortunately, my stubbornness seemed to work.
Sermin hesitated for a moment before finally yielding to my insistence and letting me in.
“…Please, come in.”
Sermin’s room was nothing like an ordinary girl’s bedroom.
Not a trace of cuteness anywhere.
It was quintessentially Sermin.
Neat and tidy, with every pillow arranged with military precision.
The room of a true soldier, through and through.
‘Yes, this is Sermin.’
Which is precisely why I couldn’t make sense of it.
She really disliked the Drone Form because of its appearance bothered her that much?
Something didn’t add up.
“Please have a seat at the table over there. I’ll bring you some tea.”
I sat down at the small table in the corner.
Sermin returned with two cups—one coffee and one hot chocolate.
I’d expected her to offer me the coffee instead.
Swish—
She slid the hot chocolate toward me.
Noticing my bewilderment, Sermin spoke.
“Is something wrong with it?”
I don’t particularly hate hot chocolate.
But I’ve never sought it out either.
Someone as perceptive as Sermin wouldn’t fail to notice that fact.
‘Could it be…?’
Was this her own way of expressing discontent about what happened earlier?
“It’s nothing.”
If that’s the case, I should accept it gracefully.
I am the guilty party, after all.
Slurp.
The moment I took a small sip of the hot chocolate, my tongue shuddered.
The sweetness was beyond imagination.
I set the cup down hastily, my mind racing.
What is this?
I said I’d accept it gracefully, but—
This is way too sweet.
I know hot chocolate is supposed to be sweet, so you might wonder what the problem is.
But this is roughly five times as concentrated as normal hot chocolate.
I couldn’t bring myself to drink any more of it.
After barely soothing her parched tongue, I attempted conversation with her as she rushed through her coffee.
“I’m genuinely sorry about what happened earlier. But your commander wanted to see your true heart.”
“…That’s all right. I understand that part well enough.”
No, she didn’t.
She wasn’t naive enough to let her guard down over words like that.
“Ar filled me in on the basics anyway. Said you see it as a complex.”
“…….”
The atmosphere had grown heavier than before.
Wait—was that not it?
I just started saying anything that came to mind.
Because it felt like I had to say something, anything, right then.
“To be honest, I couldn’t understand it. It was too magnificent for words to capture.”
First, praise above all else.
Since it came from a place of absolute sincerity, the words flowed out naturally.
“Watching Sermin fly confidently at the heart of that massive formation—just imagining it sent shivers down my spine.”
“…I see.”
Hmm….
That’s still ambiguous.
Not it either?
“More than anything, Sermin—you’re cool and beautiful enough as you are right now.”
Not this one either….
By this point, I’d given up trying to figure it out.
“What I mean is—our unit needs you! If it came down to contribution alone, I’d transfer out every last person who rubbed the commander the wrong way just to keep you.”
I honestly had no idea what I was even saying anymore.
If someone asked me right now to pick the first person I’d want transferred out, I’d be the one pointed at.
That would be pretty ridiculous, actually.
Team Seon-woo without Seon-woo.
“…That would be amusing.”
But Sermin laughed too, as if she’d been thinking the same thing.
It was like accidentally catching a mouse while backing up a cow.
Was I actually good at this kind of thing?
Regardless, I was certain this was the moment that mattered.
Seizing what felt like my chance, I handed over the chocolate I’d prepared.
“I hope you like it.”
“…Thank you.”
“Go ahead and open it. Aren’t you curious what it is?”
Sermin unwrapped the packaging and checked the chocolate inside.
“I hope you like it.”

* * *

Four days after the Trial of the Tower began.
Korea’s Rankers had assembled in Peronta.
There was only one reason.
Departure.
Technically, one can enter a Trial floor from anywhere in the Tower.
But then why gather in Peronta?
Click-click-click—
That was exactly it.
The massive crowd of reporters gathered here.
Cha Seong-hun accepted the camera flashes erupting from all directions as if it were routine.
He had agreed to an interview with the press.
Normally, Kang Min-hyuk would have handled the spokesman role.
But this time, Cha Seong-hun stood in that position.
“What are your expectations for this Trial?”
“The consensus is that it will be a relatively manageable Trial, though there is widespread concern about the absence of Player Kang Min-hyuk. Would you care to address that?”
“Neia is scheduled to join us in a week, but why are you moving so quickly?”
The Trial’s deadline was six months.
But that didn’t mean we could afford to dawdle.
If the plan went wrong, it would be a disaster.
A journalist wouldn’t fail to know this.
Yet the fact that they’d say it anyway made it feel as though they were admitting they didn’t quite trust us—which left a bitter taste.
‘This doesn’t sit right with me.’
Of course, Cha Seong-hun got on well with Neia.
He’d even received her help before.
Still, he couldn’t shake the sense of resistance that rose in him.
After all, before he was anything else, Cha Seong-hun was a Player.
He acknowledged Neia’s potential, but how could a Ranker not harbor some pride, some sense of worth?
Without the penalty, he was confident he wouldn’t fall short of her.
Yet he kept these thoughts to himself and carried on with the interview.
“I understand your concerns, and I’m well aware of what troubles you. There will be a gap left by Representative Kang Min-hyuk—there’s no denying that—but given how much stronger we’ve become through the special materials, I can assure you there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Do you have a specific goal in mind as you proceed?”
“I know Neia can hold her own—that’s not in question—but whether joining up will really make a difference, I’m not sure. What matters most is reaching stability as quickly as possible. In any case, I hope you’ll watch with confidence in what we can do.”
With that, Cha Seong-hun ended the interview and turned to leave.
As he did, he exchanged knowing glances with the representatives of the other guilds.
The formal interview was done.
No point lingering here any longer.
He manipulated the Quest Window, and the group entered together.
Into the Trial Field.

* * *

Whoosh—
The flash of light set them down in a dark forest, stained black by shadow.
Simultaneously, the elite of each guild that had entered the Trial Field numbered a full two hundred.
A scale of deployment reminiscent of the Aerial Garden operation from before.
But there was a difference from then—unmistakably, it was the quality.
The personnel then had been elite in their own right, but this time the very best combatants had gathered, surpassing even those numbers.
It was only natural, given the scale of mobilization amounted to the nation’s full strength.
“It’s quite dense, just as we heard.”
Cha Seong-hun surveyed the interior of the field the moment he arrived.
In fact, before this large-scale expedition, there had been others who came through here first.
A preliminary reconnaissance team, sent for safety reasons.
Cha Seong-hun had read through their report multiple times and committed it to memory.
And after a cursory examination, he concluded that the current state of the field matched the report without discrepancy.
Mist hung thick across the entire forest.
Black, damp earth beneath their feet.
Air so heavy it stung against the skin.
It was as he swept his observer’s gaze across the field that it happened.
Yu Se-ra, the representative of the Nakwhwa Guild, approached him.
“We should divide into teams as planned beforehand, yes?”
“Yes, let’s do that. Representative Yu.”
The preliminary reconnaissance had been conducted in three phases.
And based on those findings, the field had been divided into three major sectors.
The assault teams would each take one of these three zones, carrying out their trial missions in their respective sectors.
Fortunately, the records indicated no dangerous elements had been detected in the vicinity of this starting point, so they would gather periodically to share updates on the situation.
“If any problem arises, use the beacon immediately.”
And of course, contingency plans had been prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
A Mana Tracking Beacon to relay location and status—that was the backup.
“Though I’m not sure anything will happen. From what I hear, there aren’t supposed to be any particularly formidable monsters.”
Yu Se-ra spoke with confidence as the leader of the second team.
Then Yang Jun-seok, the representative of the Hyeseong Guild and leader of the third team, spoke up as well.
“I basically agree with Representative Yu’s assessment. Above all, there’s no benefit in showing unnecessary weakness.”
Today’s reconnaissance would be streamed live online.
Already they were under skeptical eyes because of Kang Min-hyuk’s absence and the inevitable comparisons—the last thing they needed was to display anything that would invite further doubt.
Of course, Cha Seong-hun sympathized with that to some degree….
Well, they’d manage well enough on their own.
No point in unnecessary comments.
“In any case, do well out there. The public is watching.”
Cha Seong-hun watched the two figures retreat into the distance, shaking his head with a sigh.
Of late, the other Top 10 Guild representatives had grown increasingly wary of him because of the rare materials he possessed.
So it was only natural that they wanted to exaggerate their own strength and relevance.
Kang Min-hyuk and Neia were not the only ones—he himself served as a benchmark for the other representatives.
“Shouldn’t we depart soon as well? We’re streaming live, and if our performance is too lackluster, there’s nothing to gain from it.”
Cha Seong-hun identified the voice’s owner.
It was Kang Se-hyun, who had appeared without warning.
He pushed his glasses up as he spoke.
“I agree, but how about you step back a bit?”
“Of course.”
Cha Seong-hun, who had been regarding him with discomfort, took a step toward Team One as he spoke.
Fortunately, the player with streaming ability was with the main body of Team One, and there was enough distance between them that no one else would overhear this strictly private conversation.
“But Guild Master Kang, were you always this type of person?”
“What do you mean?”
“I always had the impression you were rather smart and… quiet.”
The first part was hollow; the real point was the “quiet.”
Kang Se-hyun seemed to understand the implication and chuckled softly before answering.
“Someone told me to get along peacefully.”
“Who?”
“That’s proprietary information I’m afraid I can’t disclose.”
Who could command a Top 10 Guild representative to keep quiet?
Someone of considerable influence, surely.
Or perhaps it was all a lie from the start—doubt compounded upon itself.
“So there’s no need to be overly cautious.”
“Well… I’ll keep that in mind.”
Kang Se-hyun spoke in a reassuring tone, but Cha Seong-hun’s unease did not lift.
One thing was certain: the man had an ulterior motive.
In fact, when they had divided into teams, hadn’t Kang Se-hyun volunteered to join his own team?
In any case, leading Team One, Cha Seong-hun set forth in earnest on the path of conquest.
Carrying with him several lingering doubts.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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