The royal lineage had several origins and sources.
And depending on those origins, their title “faction” was decided.
Although there were a few exceptions that existed based on mutual relationships.
The most widely known were the Mythology faction, legendary faction, folklore faction,
The source that was recorded as a mythology, left as a legend and referred to as a folklore differentiated the league of these factions.
The founding myth of Korea for this world was the myth of Gaecheon instead of the myth of Dangun.
Unlike the myth of Dangun, there were no bear tribes in the myth of Gaecheon.
Those of the myth of Gaecheon had taken over the Korean Peninsula, they were the sacred tigers that appeared with the blessing of celestials and ruled a country together with the gods.
So unlike the bear lineage that existed in the mythology faction, they existed as a legendary faction.
I was able to make contact with the sad bear goddess who was a member of the bear lineage’s 8 deities.
The moment I saw her at the dream auction I handed her a memo.
It was a note inviting her to this place we were currently at, the fire beacon of Muakdong located at the top of the Ann mountain.
“Thank you for heeding to my invite.”
“It’s repayment for the entertainment you provided at that boring party. Now speak.”
Dressed in a black dress with a golden shawl, she smiled from the shadow like a painting.
‘I need to stay calm….’
What I was about to say would enrage the sad bear goddess.
But to ask for what I wanted, I needed to mention it anyway.
“The red tiger from the myth faction…now a legendary faction since he was demoted, dies a year from now.”
Paaattt!
A large force was being emitted out from the bear goddess.
Even with Yeom Junyeol’s appearance, the strong and impactful force caused my hair to be blown around like crazy.
‘If I hadn’t put up a defense barrier I would have lost a body part from the force.”
After seeing the fine crack in the fire beacon that was a great distance away from us, I felt a shiver down my back.
“Everyone in the Korean Peninsula is well aware of the antagonism between the tiger and bear lineage. Even if you knew of the red tigers’ death what reason do you have to share that with me?
I did not answer.
The fact that one was demoted a faction down meant they had committed a crime worthy of such punishment.
Not only did I know that the red tiger had been demoted, but I was also aware of the sad bear goddess’s involvement leading to the demotion.
The tiger lineage had supremacy over the Korean peninsula and the blessing of the celestials.
The tiger lineage had wished to come to a compromise and share the supremacy and reign over the peninsula together with the bear lineage.
But the bear lineage were too ambitious and eventually, the sad bear goddess betrayed the red tiger and made him lose the blessing of the celestials.
With the wheedled saying….
‘Only when the blessing of the celestial disappears will the tiger and bear lineage be able to live fairly in the Korean peninsula’
After tricking the red tiger to commit a sin the bear lineage caused a rebellion.
The tiger lineage eventually suppressed the bear lineage but it was only after the gods, feeling betrayed by the red tiger, had withdrawn their celestial blessing over the Korean peninsula and resulted in them losing many of their families.
For the tiger lineage consisting of deities from the mythology faction, they erased the name of the red tiger and bear lineage from the myth so as to erase the shameful part of history.
And even after the mythology period came to an end, within the invisible world line the antagonism of the tiger and bear lineage continued.
Even in the present, which was what they had constructed after the clash of powers.
But the truth being told in this world’s present moment was,
“The tiger and bear lineage continue to be antagonistic. They are predicted to have been at odds with each other since the time of the myth of Gaecheon.’
That was all.
Since the story between the red tiger and the sad bear goddess had been erased in history.
‘I bet if I mentioned that now she would really hurt me or even kill me.’
I didn’t like the thought of getting hurt and disliked the thought of dying even more.
I hid the truth and changed the subject of the conversation.
“You, the sad bear goddess, possess the cane of truth that has three eyes. Please lend me that cane now.”
“….Those that stand in front of me can not speak of any lie. Are you aware.”
“Yes.”
The sad bear goddess made a gesture in the air, then a goosefoot cane with three red eyes embedded in it appeared.
The cane of truth with its three eyes.
With the opponents’ consent, the cane distinguishes the authenticity of answers to three questions. It was one of the most popular SSR rarity items created by the sad bear goddess herself.
I was determined to go through with this after seeing the sad bear goddess yield the cane.
“Is it true that you know the future of the red tiger.”
“Yes.”
One of the eyes on the cane closed. Authenticating the truth.
The moment I speak a lie, instead of the red eyes closing it would release a curse that would destroy my eyes.
“Does the red tiger die in a year.”
“Yes.”
Another eye on the cane closed.
The sad bear goddess too closed her eyes.
For a few seconds, the goddess remained silent before asking the last question.
“Are you able to save the red tiger.”
I was not sure of this myself.
But I was going to.
But I was not 100% sure if I could.
But in truth, there never is any future where we can be 100% sure.
“If I say “yes” here that would be a lie.
I closed my mouth.
Seeing how I refused to answer she changed her question.
“Fine, let me change the question. Is there something you can do to prevent the red tiger from dying?”
There was no need to hesitate about this question.
“Yes.”
All the eyes on the cane closed.
The sad bear goddess made a graceful gesture with her arm once more and the cane disappeared.
“Speak. What do you want.”
The sad bear goddess’s eyes were wet with tears.
The eyes that had seen 5000 years of rage and longing.
I observed those eyes as I answered.
“I need the three secret weapons that the 8 deities had created to harm the Gods.
“What!”
Shhhhaaa
A tree that had been in a 10m radius from the sad bear goddess immediately shriveled up.
When the royal lineage was raged, the ground beneath them lost their lives and turned to the color of ash.
“Human child, do you even know what that means.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Are you aware that the secret weapon was a failure”
“Yes.”
The item that only existed with the game data.
The item I had come to know after seeing it in the setting home page.
One of my goals was not achievable without the use of this item.
This was before the clash.
This was the period when the royal lineage existed invisibly in the human world and did not interfere with their lives.
The eight deities had collaborated their wisdom and power to destroy the gods.
But during the process, two had lost their minds and three fell into deep hibernation, resulting in a failed attempt.
All that was left was the remainder of their failure.
The sad bear goddess quietly closed her eyes.
When she had opened them again there were three cards in her hand.
“Remember this no matter what. If the red tiger dies before you meet the end of your short life, I the sad bear goddess swear upon my name that I will destroy you.”
<You have received been given ownership of the ‘wealth and weight of life’ by the sad bear goddess.>
The shining item cards flew over from the sad bear goddess to me.
The moment I held the cards in my hand they disappeared into the item window.
I felt a sense of relief only then.
‘I’ve finished a huge milestone I needed to resolve until the start of Eunkwang high.”
The sad bear goddess who had passed the items to me was now standing in front of me.
She observed me with eyes that were impossible to read.
“The next time we meet it will be when you are in your real appearance. As long as you hold onto those failures of mine, there is no way that I wouldn’t be able to recognize you.”
She must have realized that I was under the disguise of Yeom Junyeol.
‘Were the royal lineages able to see through the player’s trajectory?’
My eyes were wide as I watched her defensively.
Then as though all the rage that she’d shown until now had been a lie, she made a mischievous smile.
“The small red dragon is doted on in the bear lineage and I have met him on several occasions. There is no way that you are that immature young boy.”
The sad bear goddess smiled widely under the moon with her set of teeth on full display.
She leaned forward as though she could see Jo Eushin hidden behind the appearance of Yeom Junyeol.
‘….she truly was a royal lineage that had been able to seduce the red tiger.’
The sad bear goddess was alluring.
But at the same time, she triggered an immense fear within me.
Subconsciously I took a step back.
“You appear to be a version of him from a very far away time, which is impossible for that young boy to achieve now.”
Hahaha, the sad bear goddess laughed.
As she turned her back to me and walked a step forward into the shadows, she disappeared immediately.
***
After taking a long nap on the first day of the year it was already night time.
During that time the mysterious Yeuido fire had been revealed as a large criminal gate.
‘To think that they would have been able to find out within a day.’
The investigation had proceeded much faster than I had anticipated.
I opened the hologram window and read several articles on the fire.
[The missing rare player, accounts on human trafficking records found causing a shock.]
[How far were they involved, the dream gate, 100 of witnesses to investigate.]
[Dream gate, main mastermind ‘Byeon SoonHui’, human trafficking, violence, kidnapping, confinement, money laundering, breaking the laws of construction as such with more criminal records being discovered….]
[Seoul Metropolitan Department, those bribed by the dream gate will be investigated and disclosed. Special investigation ongoing.]
[Player association Korean affiliated society, players present at the dream auction everlasting expulsion expected.]
‘Is this the power of the cast iron arm hero Song Mansuk…..’
On that day I had aimed not to only call the fire department and the players who had a deal with the fire department.
The real objective was to call the “Han river cycling team.’
The Han river cycling team.
A team established around 20 years ago by the master of this player team ‘cast iron arm Song Mansuk’ who had turned 72 years old this year.
50 years ago Song Mansuk had achieved on becoming a professional player by defeating the enemy with no game strategy or items and survived with his bare hands.
Although he lost many warriors in battle he saved far more people.
He had been a hero of the dawn and led an era as the great hero ‘cast iron Song Mansuk.’
But even the great hero passed his forties and into his fifties where his stamina decreased as compared to his days of youth and he was soon forgotten into his retirement.
After his retirement, he gathered his team of players and created the Han river cycling club that would soon become the han river cycling committee.
The purpose of this committee was purely for group exercising. The committee started every weekend with a simple cycle around the cycling trail at the Han river.
Then one day.
The cycling club came across a 100 boys possessed by the evil demon enemy attempting to commit suicide at the Yanghwa tower bridge.
The fatalities of this incident referred to as the “Yanghwa tower bridge group suicide case” totaled to zero.
That was the result of cycling club members consisting of 15 retired players with their average ages at 54.
‘That was how the current Han river cycling team was born.’
After that incident, Song Mansuk and his committee members came together to create the ‘Han river cycling team.’
The minimum requirement to join the club was a player experience of a minimum of 30 years.
After the formation of this team for the last 20 years they avoided the public and press’s attention and saved the lives of others just as the cast iron hero had for many years.
On average the number of attempted suicides at the han river is over a 1000.
Those who actually make the jump are around 400.
Then there were the evil devil and demon enemies that sabotaged and lured the weakened hearts of these people into suicide.
However, these formless demon enemies were only compatible through the feelings and intentions of humans.
The Han river cycling team sought out these weakened and tired souls and convinced them out of the devil’s whispers.
‘The han river cycling team are bound to make their rounds even on public holidays.’
Fortunately, the convention center where the dream auction was held faced the han river.
And if they saw the large fire?
No matter how late the hour they were bound to call in their teams to assist the situation on-site.
Just as how when the Red Lion team that Yeom Bangyeol led to attack the national assembly, there wasn’t even one civilian casualty all thanks to the hard work of the Han river cycle team.
‘Even in the press, it mentioned that the Han river cycle team were present.’
I made the assumption based on one line of headline I read on the hologram.
A veteran like Song Mansuk would have been able to guess that Byeon Soonhui had been hiding something else.
Song Mansuk the hero of justice would not have been able to ignore the repeatedly disgusting events occurring at the dream auction.
‘Byeon Soonhui had mentioned that he had already bribed the police. But seeing how there was mention of a special investigation…Son Mansuk must have confronted the head of the police department.’
Although the majority of the public had forgotten the existence of the cast iron arm hero, those from his age group who were now in their 50s and holding high jobs, who were unable to forget his heroism.
With one call from him, within 10 minutes, the Korean head of the players association would have flown over to meet him.
As for me, having wiped out the dream auction, I received another title along with the nameless supernova.
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