‘No, there’s no way this is real. I know exactly what kind of a person this bastard is...’ Chae Hyung-Seok thought, refusing to take Tae-Sung’s words at face value. Without a doubt, Chae Hyung-Seok understood Tae-Sung better than anyone else in the world. After fighting each other for three years, he knew all too well just how ruthless Han Tae-Sung could be, which was why he simply couldn’t believe Tae-Sung, no matter how badly he wanted to do so. “Haha... You son of a bitch... I know I deserve everything coming for me, but this is too fucking much...” Chae Hyung-Seok muttered weakly. “Do you honestly think I can’t see right through your bullshit?!” Chae Hyung-Seok roared in anger. “You’re just playing with me right now! Fuck off, you goddamn demon! There’s a fucking limit, you know?! Look at the state I’m in! And you still want to toy with me? Just kill me instead! Kill me!” From Chae Hyung-Seok’s perspective, it was only natural for him to be furious. He had finally mustered the courage to apologize, only for Tae-Sung to respond with something like that. “Are you trying to make me kill myself?! Is that what you came for? To watch me kill myself?! Fuck you! Like hell I’ll be your plaything! I’d rather just fucking die! I’m not letting you mess with me anymore!” “Hey, that’s not it.” “Was your apology just now even sincere?” “...What did you say?” “You said you’re sorry, right? Were you lying?” “I said what I said because I feel like I’ve done enough. It felt like I was driving you off a cliff now.” “We’ve both done enough to each other.” With that, Tae-Sung grabbed the bottle of soju Chae Hyung-Seok had been drinking from and took a few gulps from it. “Ugh, that’s bitter.” “What the hell are you thinking...?” “Isn’t it simple? We’ve both done enough damage, so let’s just stop. You already admitted your mistakes and apologized, so what would I gain from toying with you now?” “So come work for me. Stick by my side, give me buffs, and do what I tell you to do.” “But you said you turned me into a totem already.” “You should be able to move if you log in. I checked with Tubal-Cain, the blacksmith, and apparently, you can move your character normally if I allow it.” “Just take my hand, man. I’ll pay you enough to cover your debt and then some. Use that money to pay off what you owe, take care of yourself, and use the rest to make amends with the people you screwed over. “That way, you don’t have to kill yourself just to make amends, right? Well, it won’t erase what you did, but at least you’ll be able to do the bare minimum as a human being.” “And if, after all that, you still want to die, then do whatever you want. Kill yourself or not, I won’t meddle in your affairs at that point.” “Han Tae-Sung...” Chae Hyung-Seok muttered and cast a baffled gaze at Tae-Sung. Then, he asked, “Why the hell are you going this far for me? Even if you think you’ve already gotten back at me for what I did to you, you have no reason to extend a hand to me first. “Back when you were in my state.. I had never offered you a hand. Hell, I didn’t even think about you at all. “If you had killed yourself back then... I probably would’ve just thought you were some idiot and deserved to die. And then I would’ve just forgotten about you...” “With your personality? Yeah, that sounds about right,” Tae-Sung replied with a shrug. Back then, Chae Hyung-Seok was pure evil. He was so evil that he wouldn't bat an eye even if someone had died because of him. “But I’m not like you.” “I’m not you. No matter how skewed my moral compass is, I’m not as bad as you.” “Why? Cat got your tongue?” Tae-Sung felt a bit mischievous after seeing Chae Hyung-Seok silently accept what he said, but he decided to let it go and not stray from the conversation. “I’m willing to become the bigger man and let bygones be bygones. That’s why I’m reaching out to you, so just accept my offer and...” Tae-Sung trailed off and smirked before continuing, “A debuff and buffer working together. Don’t you think that’s gonna be broken as hell?” “If you and I teamed up, we're going to be unstoppable. Don’t you think so?” As Tae-Sung’s words sank in, Chae Hyung-Seok couldn’t help but acknowledge it. ‘A debuffer and a buffer paired together... Nothing’s going to beat that combination,’ Chae Hyung-Seok thought. A powerful debuffer or buffer was already overpowered when alone, but if the two were working together... Their synergy would be beyond imagination. Tae-Sung could still have the synergy between a debuffer and a buffer with the Demonic Cross: Hyungseokius in his hand. But no matter how well he used it, there was no way he could wield it as masterfully as a real high-ranking player like Chae Hyung-Seok. Chae Hyung-Seok’s skills were not the only things that brought him to the pinnacle of all buffers. He was a highly intelligent player who knew exactly what his role was and when he ought to do something. He was also a capable off-tank, so he could always pull off some clutch moves. Moreover, he had developed a deep understanding of large-scale warfare due to his experience of running one of the top ten guilds on the continent, the Genesis Guild. Chae Hyung-Seok was not incompetent in the slightest. The only reason Tae-Sung managed to toy with him for years was that a debuffer was the natural predator of a buffer. Now, that very same Chae Hyung-Seok was about to become Tae-Sung’s ally, and their synergy would be beyond anything the world had ever seen before. Aside from their synergy of buffs and debuffs, Chae Hyung-Seok’s experience as a commander over large armies was extremely valuable. Chae Hyung-Seok could lead the armies, and Tae-Sung could wreak havoc behind enemy lines to his heart’s content. The continent was growing increasingly chaotic, and major wars were about to erupt soon. In preparation for that, Han Tae-Sung needed Chae Hyung-Seok. “The reason I’m reaching out to you is partly for forgiveness, but mostly because I've recognized your worth,” Tae-Sung said. “If you work with me, I know you’ll be more than worth it.” Chae Hyung-Seok found it difficult to accept the offer so easily. It was only natural, as he had asked for Tae-Sung’s forgiveness as an expression of remorse for his past actions, but that did not mean that all of his resentment had disappeared. On top of that, he had a strong pride, so it was not easy for him to work under his archnemesis. “If you’re really sorry for what you did, this is your last chance to make amends for what you’ve done,” Tae-Sung said. “Think carefully and decide. Whatever you choose, I’ll respect your decision,” Tae-Sung said, slowly rising from his seat. Then, he added, “But if I’ll be honest... I do want to work with you.” “We’re not exactly on good terms to drink, so I’ll head out first. I’ll be waiting for your call.” With that, Tae-Sung left Chae Hyung-Seok’s tiny semi-basement room. Chae Hyung-Seok sat there in a daze for a long while, thinking of Tae-Sung's words just now. “You fucking bastard...” In the end, he had no choice but to acknowledge Tae-Sung, and he couldn’t help but be moved by Tae-Sung’s willingness to be the first to extend him a hand. “I had a drink, so I’ll be taking this instead.” Tae-Sung handed his Ferrari to one of his bodyguards and got into the Cadillac Escalade. “Did things go well, Young Master?” “Who knows? I explained it as clearly as I could, but the choice is his.” “Oh, and just in case that guy does something drastic, assign two people to watch over him, okay?” “By the way, it’s kind of hot in here.” Tae-Sung took off the stab-proof vest he was wearing and leaned back in his seat. The traffic was horrible on the way home, and it was all because the monsoon had lasted for over forty days now, even though it was already late autumn. ‘There were many flood victims. I should probably to them,’ he thought. He pulled out his phone and d three billion won to a relief donation site. For someone as wealthy as Tae-Sung, donating that much was nothing. In fact, he received tax benefits for donating, so he had no reason to hesitate. [Breaking News: Pro Gamer Han Tae-Sung s 3 Billion Won to Flood Victims!] It hadn't even been five minutes since he d, but a news report of his actions had already popped up. “Ughh! I wanted to do that quietly, damn it!” Tae-Sung preferred to discreetly, so it annoyed him that it had been made public. “I believe they are trying to publicize celebrity donations to encourage more people to , young master.” “People’s opinion of you will increase while the flood victims will be getting more donations. Think about it this way, and don’t let it bother you too much.” “Well, I guess that’s fair. Good things should be shared after all.” Tae-Sung’s phone vibrated, and the screen displayed a message from Chae Hyung-Seok. In the end, Chae Hyung-Seok accepted Tae-Sung’s offer. Tae-Sung smirked as he read the message. “Could it be... Did Chae Hyung-Seok accept your offer, Young Master?” “Congratulations! That is truly a huge achievement.” “That must have been a difficult decision for you as well, but I’m glad it worked out.” “Yeah, me too. I was so nervous at the thought of not being able to mess with Hyung-Seok anymore.” “Now that he’s legally my employee, I can torment him as his boss. And you have no idea how useful Hyung-Seok is! If I push him, then he will work like a machine for me!” The bodyguards in the car felt a chill shoot down their backs. They felt as if the devil himself was sitting in the car with them. But why did he suddenly seem so demonic? Paying no heed to the silence, Tae-Sung added, “Since I’m paying him well, I’m going to work him to the bone! Hohoho!” Discover more novels at N0veI.Fiɾe.net He was practically trembling with excitement at the thought of dumping all the work onto Chae Hyung-Seok. “Nghhh! Aaah~ I love you, Hyung-Seok!” After finally putting an end to his ill-fated relationship with Chae Hyung-Seok, Tae-Sung decided to stay away from the game for a while longer. It would take about a week for Tubal-Cain to craft his relic, so he figured he might as well spend some time in the real world. The materials had already been collected when he defeated Dantalion, so there was nothing else for him to do. All he had to do was wait for the relic to be crafted and then find a way back to the Middle Realm. With some free time on his hands, he decided to spend it with his family. He brought his mother and younger sister on an exclusive shopping spree in an empty department store early in the day, and they indulged in a luxurious omakase meal featuring the highest-grade Korean beef that cost over five hundred thousand won per person. He managed to blow through billions of won in just a few hours, but he did not regret it at all. After all, it was money spent on his family, so rather than finding it wasteful, he found it deeply satisfying. Besides, Tae-Sung was so ridiculously wealthy that even if he spent a hundred million won a day, his bank balance would still keep growing. Moreover, it was the duty of high-income earners like him to spend freely and keep the country’s economy thriving. While he was busy enjoying quality time with his family... [Breaking News: BNW Unveils New Game Content!] His phone vibrated and showed him an important news alert.