Contrary to its name, which meant "the sound of breaking," the CEO’s office at Pasung was excessively quiet.
It was a reflection of CEO Cha’s preference for silence.
The man sitting still in his chair, wearing headphones, looked no different than usual.
However, Mok Sae-hwa, who had known CEO Cha for a long time, recognized that he was in a slump.
It was always like this.
On the days he dreamed, he was always subdued.
Yet, CEO Cha never let his mood affect those around him.
He acted consistently, but Mok Sae-hwa was one of the few who could read his atmosphere.
She always wished for CEO Cha to be in a good mood.
To her, wanting her boss to be happy was only natural.
Mok Sae-hwa sighed inwardly.
’It must be because Han Goyo has entered that Trial...’
Since then, CEO Cha had cleared his schedule once again and was waiting at the Pasung headquarters to prepare for any eventuality.
Pasung’s losses were increasing in real-time, but the directors harbored no complaints.
Mok Sae-hwa was waiting for Han Goyo’s safe return more desperately than anyone.
For CEO Cha’s sake, if nothing else.
Seomun Chan, who had been dispatched to Cheongang, felt the same way as Mok Sae-hwa.
She was recalling the messages they had exchanged when...
Mok Sae-hwa’s gaze shifted sharply.
The phone on the CEO’s desk was vibrating.
Very few people knew the number CEO Cha used personally.
CEO Cha, who had been staring down at the phone, took off his headphones and draped them around his neck.
Checking the screen, which showed an unknown caller, he gestured to Mok Sae-hwa.
Mok Sae-hwa immediately summoned The Blooming Funeral.
Shouldering the long rifle entwined with flowers, she approached the window.
She pushed aside the blinds with the muzzle to look outside, but saw nothing.
Whenever this person contacted them, they acted as if they were watching from nearby, so she checked...
But as expected, nothing was visible.
Mok Sae-hwa shook her head slightly as she put The Blooming Funeral back into her inventory.
CEO Cha reached out and picked up the phone.
As soon as he answered the call from the unknown number, he addressed the caller.
"Reporter Sa Gong-yeon."
His low, deep voice continued slowly.
"I told you I wouldn’t do an interview."
The person on the other end seemed to be attempting to persuade him.
Mok Sae-hwa frowned slightly.
Normally, it wasn’t difficult to overhear a call from this distance.
However, calls from this ’Sa Gong-yeon’ were always unclear, as if filled with static.
CEO Cha was the only one who could hear Sagong Yeon’s voice clearly.
"A special interview... I don’t know. It’s only special for you, Reporter."
CEO Cha spoke dismissively while looking at Mok Sae-hwa.
Mok Sae-hwa shook her phone.
She had already relayed the situation to Samra.
Soon, a screen appeared before CEO Cha. An expressionless android was displayed on the screen.
Since speculating that the entity known as Sa-gong Yeon was connected to a god, they had been cooperating with the Era Administration on related matters.
Samra immediately wiretapped CEO Cha’s phone.
But it seemed they couldn’t hear anything either.
No emotion could be read from the androids inorganic eyes, but for some reason, it felt as if a faint irritation was present.
Meanwhile, the person on the other end of the line seemed to be spouting nonsense.
CEO Cha leaned back in his chair as if annoyed.
He hated wasting time on useless words.
He was listening only to see if he could dig up any information from Sa-gong Yeon, but his remaining patience seemed short.
Just as Mok Sae-hwa inwardly guessed the call was about to end...
The laptop on the desk turned on by itself, and a video began to play before CEO Cha’s eyes.
Han Goyo was in the video.
Bound by thick ropes, Han Goyo was covered in blood.
Through the gaps in his torn shirt, red scratches on bare skin and bruises were clearly visible.
Beneath hair disheveled and soaked in blood and sweat, Han Goyo’s eyes, barely looking up at the screen, were trembling slightly.
"CEO Cha... please help me...."
The whisper was filled with terror and dread. The sound of labored breathing followed.
Mok Sae-hwa clenched her fists. Forcing down her shock, she first checked CEO Cha.
But for some reason, CEO Cha looked indifferent. Far from being shaken, he simply asked back as if bored.
"Reporter. Aren’t you past the age of lying to get attention?"
Mok Sae-hwa blinked.
It... was a fake...?
It had been so convincing that she hadn’t even considered it a fake video.
She was simply amazed at how the CEO had recognized it instantly.
Sa-gong Yeon burst into laughter over the phone.
Then, the screen changed.
It was another version of Han Goyo.
A gold-tinted Han Goyo was occupying every screen in the city.
Mok Sae-hwa unconsciously held her breath and stared at the screen.
Han Goyo, scanning the surroundings with radiant eyes, stared directly at the screen.
It felt as if their eyes met.
Those brilliant golden pupils could not be called human. The differently colored pupils clearly revealed him to be an alien existence.
Mok Sae-hwa, who had been staring as if possessed, suddenly snapped back to her senses.
Her phone vibrated briefly.
Checking the arrived message, Mok Sae-hwa looked at CEO Cha.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Han Goyo on the screen.
Mok Sae-hwa carefully approached CEO Cha and held out the phone.
A short report from Seomun Chan was written on the screen.
[Missing within Kang Byeok-rin’s residence.]
Seomun Chan had been dispatched to protect Kang Byeok-rin from Geumcheon.
But missing within the residence...
It couldn’t be a coincidence that it coincided exactly with the timing of Sa-gong Yeon’s call.
Having read Seomun Chan’s report, CEO Cha spoke.
"Why are you dragging Ms. Kang Byeok-rin into this?"
At that moment, Sagong Yeon’s voice was heard clearly for the first time.
- For the special interview, of course!
An instinctive chill ran down her spine. Just as goosebumps rose along her back from an inexplicable repulsion...
"Let’s do the interview."
Mok Sae-hwa’s eyes widened at CEO Cha’s words.
"In exchange, you’ll have to pay a price worthy of a news story. As you know, my price isn’t cheap, so I’ll be taking something expensive.
Rising from his chair, CEO Cha summoned The Great Vairocana. As he equipped the sword, he added in an indifferent tone.
"Where is Han Goyo?"
[Day News Exclusive! Live Broadcast of the Young God!]
[The Young God in crisis, trapped in an arcade! Will he be able to escape safely?]
[Live streaming will begin soon on M-Tube!]
- Wut is this, a broadcast of the Young God?
- Yeah, it’s live.
- Young God Young God Young God hurry hurry hurry
- I heard the Young God is in Hyper Eden.
The broadcast began from the moment a black-haired man entered the arcade.
The man, whose eyes tilted upward at the corners, looked around with a bewildered face.
It was the Young God, currently the hottest topic in Akasha.
The Young God wandered frantically through the arcade, checking the machines one by one.
Suddenly, noise flickered across the screen.
When the streaming resumed after a brief interruption, the color of the Young God’s eyes had changed.
The Young God sat in front of the arcade machine where his kin was trapped and took out a coin.
He was given only 3 coins.
- Young God cute Young God cute Young God cute Young God cute Young God cute
- ?? Did the stream crash?
- Why is the live lagging so much;; it’s working properly now;;
- He’s going in there? Arcades are f***ing hell?? The Young God is gonna die??
- Why are you sending a child in there irl
- Beginners can never clear that arcade. I consider myself quite an expert, and even I barely cleared it. The difficulty is abnormal. You need at least 10 spare coins to clear a single machine.
- Young God is screwed Young God is screwed Young God is screwed Young God is screwed Young God is screwed
-Dammit, give the kid his toy back. What are you doing taking his kin?
The reactions in the broadcast were a mix of criticism and worry.
No one thought the Young God would clear the arcade quest.
The only one who was calm was the Young God. He lightly cracked his knuckles and inserted a coin into the machine.
And so, the fighting game began.
As the first opponent proved to be formidable, the viewers reacted intensely.
But soon, everyone began waiting with nothing but question marks.
- Young God totally failed, right? Young God totally failed, right? Young God totally failed, right?
- Failed from the first round lol
- Isn’t the difficulty too much? Please adjust it for the child ??
- Stop child abuse???
- What was that just now?
- ??? Did he dodge??
- What was that movement??
- Young God cute Young God cute Young God cute Young God cute
- Lmao wow lmao I can’t even see the hand on the lever??
- No way, this is insane.
An overwhelming victory. At the declaration of a Perfect K.O. achieved with no hits taken, the people watching the broadcast went wild.
The chat window scrolled up at a frantic speed.
The Young God merely wore a confident smile on his lips, as if the victory were obvious.
The burning chat window truly exploded during the second game.
For some reason, the kin controlled by the Young God began to be unilaterally beaten.
The moment his health was down to a single pixel, noise flickered in the live broadcast again.
It had cut off at the most critical timing.
Just before the viewers started a rebellion in the chat, the broadcast finally reconnected.
And from that moment, the Young God began his counterattack.
- Holy s***
- Wow
- No, wow, this is crazy
- It’s impossible to block 15 consecutive attacks with zero damage. It must be a bug.
- He’s turning this around?
- Insane
- This makes no sense
- Lmao you guys said he was screwed
- Where did the guy who said he totally failed go?
- Young God didn’t fail, right? Young God didn’t fail, right? Young God didn’t fail, right?
Watching the scene where he overturned the game with a sliver of health, the viewers began to lose their minds.
Even those who dismissed it as a bug had no choice but to acknowledge the Young God’s skill as the game continued.
Having finished 10 games in an instant, the Young God stood up from the machine.
The screen displayed a number announcing a new record.
- First time I’ve seen a score like that.
- Holy s***, this is insane.
- I’m the 2nd place holder for that, so the Young God’s skill is actually insane. You’d know if you’ve played it. Only the people who haven’t played are talking s*** lol. I learned a lot watching him play. I want to see him play other games too
- I believe in you Young God I believe in you Young God I believe in you Young God
- I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry
- The Young God is also a ’God’
While the chat buzzed over the unbelievable score, the Young God headed toward the game where the next kin was trapped.
A similar pattern repeated.
The chat seethed with people certain that he wouldn’t clear it this time, sneering that it must be a bug, and picking him apart with logical arguments.
However, those people soon fell silent.
The chat window was simply enthusiastic about the Young God’s amazing gaming skills.
And Kwak Han-mook and Mo Hae-in, who had checked all the videos and chats, could not say a word.
They had entered a fast-food restaurant for a quest and experienced such an anomaly...
They were trapped in the classic games of an arcade.
Fortunately, Han Goyo struggled and managed to return the Special Task Team trapped in the games.
Except for one person.
For some reason, Je Hyeon-oh alone could not return to normal.
"They took my kin..."
With those words, Han Goyo transformed into a ’God’.
Golden light swept across the city, and every screen changed.
Mo Hae-in, who had just regained consciousness, also witnessed the ’God’ looking down and giving orders.
It was thanks to Cecilia, an NPC of the Hyper Eden, that they, who had been staring at Han Goyo in a daze, snapped out of it.
"Roasted Chestnut!!"
Cecilia, who stopped her motorcycle in front of the fast-food restaurant, froze at the sight of the enraged Young God.
The Young God, who had been scanning the city, stopped his gaze at one point.
The being on the screen spoke with the voice of a god.
"So you’re there?"
Just as the golden light pressing down on Hyper Eden was about to grow stronger, Han Goyo’s body suddenly staggered.
The golden light faded, and Han Goyo slowly closed his eyes.
The Young God disappeared from all screens, and only the real Han Goyo remained before their eyes.
Kwak Han-mook hurriedly caught his falling body. The limbs of the unconscious Han Goyo went limp.
Mo Hae-in also rushed to stand beside Kwak Han-mook.
To the wary pair, Cecilia spoke in a low voice.
"Follow me. I’ve prepared a safe place."
Normally, they would have refused the help, but this was an emergency.
They had no choice but to follow Cecilia and were able to hide in a decent shelter.
And as soon as they laid the unconscious Han Goyo on the bed, they heard a shocking story from Cecilia.
Someone had live streamed the Young God.
Cecilia showed them what broadcast had been aired.
Kwak Han-mook and Mo Hae-in were simply appalled.
To do such a thing without any consent.
Moreover, there was no mosaic; his face was fully exposed.
Han Goyo had clearly been wearing a half-mask to cover his face, but that had disappeared as soon as he entered the arcade.
Thanks to that, the sight of Han Goyo playing the games was exposed without concealment.
The broadcast ended with the scene of Han Goyo all-clearing the arcade games.
Leaving them speechless, Cecilia went outside, saying she would find out more about the situation.
Only Kwak Han-mook, Mo Hae-in, and the still-unconscious Han Goyo remained in the shelter.
They were worried about Je Hyeon-oh’s whereabouts, but they decided to prioritize Han Goo’s recovery.
They judged that they could only find Je Hyeon-oh once Han Goyo regained consciousness.
Kwak Han-mook and Mo Hae-in looked at Han Goyo lying on the bed.
Cold sweat beaded on his face, which looked strained from a high fever.
Due to the succession of events, both Kwak Han-mook and Mo Hae-in were mentally exhausted.
It was a time when they needed rest, but both reached for a dry towel as if they had made a promise.
"I’ll do it, so Captain Mo, please rest."
Kwak Han-mook forcibly took the towel and vigorously wiped Han Goyo’s face.
Watching this, Mo Hae-in sighed softly and sat in a chair.
Her entire focus was still on Han Goyo.
The golden light that had covered the entire city still seemed to flicker before her eyes.
Recalling the ecstatic light, Mo Hae-in murmured slowly.
"He must have overdone it, right?"
Kwak Han-mook paused for a moment, then answered while continuing to wipe Han Goyo.
"Probably."
Mo Hae-in looked at the sleeping Han Goyo again and spoke.
"Han-mook."
"Yeah?"
"What you said. I understand now."
Mo Hae-in had thought she had accepted Han Goyo as a god, but that was a complete misconception.
She realized only now that she had caught a glimpse of the existence known as a god.
Even if it was only a tiny fraction.
What is a god?
The God she had witnessed before her eyes and experienced with her skin was beyond the scope of human imagination.
However, Mo Hae-in’s god was kind.
Mo Hae-in remembered the meteor shower that had adorned the night sky for her.
And the emotion of the god conveyed at that moment.
Absolute trust, affection, and protection.
Those emotions, which felt like a bombardment, would have been overwhelming for ordinary people.
In fact, it would have to be described as something close to madness.
But for Mo Hae-in, it was salvation.
Within the miracle created by the god, Mo Hae-in thought.
Perhaps she had been waiting for moments like this all along.
"I think I finally understand why you said it’s a relief that the trainee is a god."
"Yeah."
Kwak Han-mook said, looking down at Han Goyo.
"I don’t think I could have accepted it either if he hadn’t been ’Chestnut’ from the start."
Mo Hae-in and Kwak Han-mook were the same.
Only because it was Han Goyo, and no one else, could they accept their god.
Mo Hae-in quietly bit the inside of her cheek.
She had personally felt and seen through the broadcast how Han Goy had struggled and tried his best to save the Special Task Team.
Han Goyo had done his best until the end.
To find Je Hyeon-oh, he had pushed the god’s power beyond its limit and lost consciousness.
In a state where it was unknown when he would wake up...
Twenty four. The same age as her younger sister.
The thought that he was young hit her anew, and at the same time, a great sense of worry and anxiety surged within her.
It was ambiguous whether this was directed toward the god or toward the trainee.
She simply hoped that the being before her would wake up safely.
It was then.
Han Goyo slowly lifted his eyelids.
Hazy eyes, as if unable to find their focus, were revealed.
They were golden pupils.
The moment I let go of the last thing I was clinging to, I felt the sensation of falling into a deep abyss.
And when I opened my eyes.
I was in a strange space.
It was a place filled with all sorts of electronic devices.
Old TVs, cassette players, the latest gaming consoles, and landline phones were all mixed together.
Small trinkets like keyboards and CDs were scattered here and there.
I was floating along with them, as if placed in the middle of outer space.
I was not wearing the Hyder Eden hooded jumper, but rather a...priest’s robe?
Clutching my throbbing head, I recalled my last memory.
In my rage over losing Je Hyeon-oh, I had used my power beyond its limit...
What on earth did I do in Hyper Eden...?
It was while I was tracing back my flickering memories.
Someone suddenly grabbed my wrist.
Lost in thought, I jumped in surprise, and the moment I looked at the other person, I was even more shocked.
It was me....
No, it wasn’t me.
A young god with golden eyes greeted me.
"Hi!"

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