Chapter 69

# 69

User Manual for the Reincarnated 069

Media (2)

Feeling utterly infuriated at the thought of being toyed with by a despicable person, I was in a state of excessive excitement. Reflecting on the situation again, that assessment was correct. At that time, I was undoubtedly in a state of excessive excitement. I failed to properly grasp the situation and did not pay attention to the atmosphere of the expedition team. While the person was manipulating public opinion, I did nothing. I could only try to maintain my dignity. It was only natural that I couldn't regain my composure. The person's tone, which subtly provoked me, turned my insides upside down, and the occasional gesture of licking his lips felt like digging into my heart. I was fortunate not to have plunged the dagger I held into his neck. Just imagining it made my fists clench so tightly that blood dripped from them. I can confidently say that I had never seen or heard of such a type of person in all my years on this continent. 'Despicable bastard.'

Judging by the amount of magic and his profession, Lee Gi-young is undoubtedly the type of person this continent deems weak. He was the kind of person who had to beg in the slums, living day to day, and had to wander around to find a party. The audacity of a person who couldn't even speak to me, relying on his background, was absurd. His audacity was beyond belief. Although he kept spouting apologies, his expression told a different story. I was sure that the other party members who went on the expedition with me also remembered his face. It felt like he was mocking and inciting us. Recalling that expression again, I felt the heat rising in me once more.

“Damn it….”

Lying down to cool off, I heard a voice from outside.

“Yura-ssi?”

“How’s the situation?”

“It’s the same. There’s still no news….”

“Huh….”

“Protesting formally is still premature….”

“How can it be reasonable to still be assessing the situation after so much time has passed?”

“Well, but….”

“When did our guild start caring about others’ opinions? There was definitely a connection between the Red Mercenaries and Blue. Even if we turned everything upside down, it wouldn’t be enough. What is the guild even doing? Large guilds are just doing the bare minimum… They’re just trying to get rid of the Red Mercenaries.”

“Still, we were told not to act rashly and to stay calm. They think it’s better to move after accurately assessing the situation… We can’t ignore Cha Hee-ra’s opinion.”

“What about Cha Hee-ra?”

“The guild’s executives seem to be meeting with the Red Mercenaries for a conference.”

“What more do we need to assess? Isn’t it exactly as we reported?”

“Well, of course, but….”

“And what’s the point of finding the circumstances with the culprits? It looks like the Black Swan is just following the Red Mercenaries’ lead, and our image in Lindel is suffering. What do you think other large guilds will think of us? We’re not exactly bowing down to that whore Cha Hee-ra, but we’re being manipulated by a fox riding on a tiger’s back! Damn. I’m talking about Lee Gi-young, that bastard.”

“What can we do? The man is rumored to be Cha Hee-ra’s lover… I don’t know the details, but I heard they’ve known each other since Earth. They’re apparently very close… If Cha Hee-ra is willing to go to such lengths, it’s clear. Since the Red Mercenaries and our guild have a symbiotic relationship… It seems like there’s nothing we can do. I understand how you feel, but….”

“What?”

“It’s best to observe the situation a bit more. There will definitely be a chance to get back at them.”

“Right. That’s what we need to do.”

“Yeah.”

“It won’t just be about returning the favor. I’ll make them suffer until they beg for mercy. They probably think Cha Hee-ra will protect them forever. Let’s see how long that belief lasts….”

“Right, right.”

“Many accidents happen during expeditions, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but right now….”

“I know. But it’s just hard to bear.”

“You can do what you think is right. But looking at the items we received this time, it seems they didn’t completely ignore us. It feels like they want to resolve the issues in the dungeon amicably.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. There are many rare-grade weapons and more materials than expected. Looking at the list of distributed items, it seems we received a bit more than Blue….”

“Right, that’s what we need.”

“Phew! Even if they’re the Red Mercenaries, they can’t completely ignore us.”

“It felt like they showed at least some consideration. Let’s go out for a meal. I think a change of mood is needed….”

“Sure.”

“I heard there’s a good restaurant. Let’s go, Yura-ssi.”

I pretended to agree and started walking. I actually thought a change of mood was necessary. Staying in the room only brought back the despicable person’s smug face, and I knew I couldn’t do anything about it right now. The opportunity will definitely come. Even if Blue has a strategic alliance with the Red Mercenaries, they won’t be stupid enough to alienate the Black Swan, a large guild. It’s more logical to favor us. I started feeling better. If what Park Eun-hye said was true, the Red Mercenaries had shown at least some consideration, so my thoughts weren’t entirely wrong. As I slowly walked, I quickly left the guild house. The surroundings were unusually noisy, but it was still the familiar free city of Lindel. I noticed people gathering in the square.

“Damn, are there really such despicable people?”

“What, can’t you tell just by looking? Even with your eyes closed, you can imagine the situation….”

“Tsk.”

The voices I heard from all around were not friendly. The gazes I occasionally caught were the same. The common factor was that everyone was holding newspapers. It was an unfamiliar scene. The power of the media in Lindel wasn’t that significant. At most, they reported on new monsters or news from the Holy Empire, and adventurers in Lindel didn’t usually access other media. The sight of people gathered in groups reading newspapers was definitely strange. Curiosity naturally arose, though it felt ominous. I couldn’t help but pick up the daily newspaper being sold at a shop.

“Yura-ssi….”

“This is….”

[Blue’s Rise]

[The first dungeon expedition of the Kim Hyun-sung party, which Blue recruited with a large sum of money, was successfully completed. Everyone remembers the party that broke through the tutorial dungeon the fastest with just four members. The Kim Hyun-sung party, known for its close ties with other large guilds, left Lindel a few weeks ago with the Magic Guild, Red Mercenaries, and Black Swan.

Despite concerns and criticisms about excessive pampering, the Magic Guild’s dungeon strategy log has caused a significant stir.

The excessive bullying by a member of the Black Swan, known as Jeong Mo, was also revealed to the public. There were rumors about the expedition team’s problems when they returned to Lindel separately, but the rumors have been confirmed, causing a significant shock to members of other guilds.

Jeong Mo (29), who caused conflicts within the party before departure, is said to have threatened Imo of Blue. Testimonies from various sources have revealed that Jeong Mo excessively pressured Blue, causing everyone to frown.

While the victim, Imo, is cautious about revealing the exact nature of the threats, rumors of physical pressure are spreading. Experts speculate that the issue might be related to the distribution of items and contributions within the dungeon, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

While both Blue and Black Swan are tight-lipped about the matter, the direction of this incident is closely watched.

Collaborating between guilds to conquer dungeons is a familiar story in the free city of Lindel. Issues related to item distribution and contributions are also common. Everyone knows that most incidents arise from greed. The pressure exerted by large guilds on medium and small guilds is a natural part of our daily lives. However, at this point, with Lindel firmly established, large guilds should lead a healthy dungeon culture.-Lindel Daily, Kim Sung-kyung]

‘What is this?’

This wasn’t all.

[Jeong Mo (29) Causes a Stir by Saying the Mercenary Queen Can’t Protect You]

[The remarks made by Jeong Mo (29) in a rare-grade dungeon have caused a significant stir in Lindel. The remarks were directed at Imo, an alchemist of Blue, who is known to be the lover of the Mercenary Queen. As Imo’s party performed well in the dungeon, Jeong Mo, aware of the contributions, threatened Imo. The remarks have been re-evaluated, causing a stir.

Jeong Mo insulted Imo by calling him the Mercenary Queen’s sidekick and questioned whether the Mercenary Queen could protect him. The issue has brought to light the pressure exerted by large guilds on smaller ones. The remarks are seen as targeting not only Imo but also the Mercenary Queen of the Red Mercenaries, leading to speculation about the future direction of the Red Mercenaries and Black Swan.-Middle East Daily]

Various provocative headlines continued to catch my eye.

[The Relationship Between Black Swan and Red Mercenaries - Subtitle: Where is Blue Now?]

[Is the Bullying by Large Guilds in Dungeons Acceptable? - Dungeon Columnist Kim Sung-kyung]

[The Hidden Issue of Large Guilds’ Bullying: How to View the Jeong Yura Incident? - Lindel Political Department, Journalist Kang Yumi]

[The Resurgence of Past Controversies Involving Jeong Mo (29)]

[The Remark About the Mercenary Queen: Targeting Blue or Red Mercenaries? The Unfathomable Moves of Black Swan]

It felt like the world had turned upside down overnight. My hands trembled. I couldn’t fully grasp the current situation. The smug face came to mind, and voices echoed from all around.

“Ah. I once went into a dungeon with him… I’m sure it’s all true. If it were us, we’d probably be found dead somewhere.”

“Damn. Lindel can’t progress because of people like this.”

“Shh. What if….”

“No, am I wrong?”

“No matter what….”

“Hey, is that Jeong Yura?”

“Shh. They might hear.”

‘This… this bastard.’

It took some time to realize that I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t finished. ‘This bastard….’