Chapter 1415: Side Story 24
Chapter 1415 - Side Story 24
Fortunately, the scene that unfolded in front of Minhyuk was the scene of the gods and his grandpas treating each other as brothers.
“Hahahaha! So, hyung-nim, what about you? How old are you?!”
“Ah. Can’t you tell just by looking? I’m… seventy-three years old!”
“Come again? I couldn’t hear you properly. You spoke a bit too quietly there!”
Chairman 6 Park Tae-Soo stared at the distant mountains and said, “This guy… we’re already old. I have long forgotten to count my age. I think I’m around… seventy-three years old.”
‘...Seventy-three?’
As before, they still could not hear what they said correctly. However, the way Tae-Soo and the other chairmen and presidents stared at the distant mountains made it seem as if they were more than 5,000 years old. They even chuckled and mumbled, ‘Hohoho… Life has gone by in a flash…’
“I understand. If that’s what you say, hyung-nim…” “That’s right. This guy! Well, do you think I’m younger than you?! Can’t you tell just by looking at my face?!”
When Minhyuk saw the chairmen and presidents react like this, he realized, ‘My father learned how to con… no… how to speak from the chairmen and presidents. And I… learned how to speak from my father. This is a bit messy… no! This is an excellent education~’
Then, Minhyuk caught sight of his father, Black Dragon, laughing to himself in one corner of the bar while drinking his glass of makgeolli.
“Fu… Fufufu… Fufu…” Black Dragon chuckled darkly as he grabbed a piece of kimchi pancake, the bar’s best seller and highlight of the menu, in his mouth.
“Kghhk!”
Then, he drank an entire glass of makgeolli and…
“Fu… Fufufufu! Fufufufu!”
‘Father?’
Why was he doing that after drinking a glass of makgeolli…?
“Keuhahahahaha!”
‘Dad…?’
Black Dragon chewed on a kebab’s skewer and continued to laugh wildly. “Wahahahaha! Minhyuk. Do you really have no idea why I’m laughing like this?”
Minhyuk was bewildered. He just said, “Dad, you usually laugh while walking on the street. Sometimes, you even say, ‘Fu… Fufufu. Ants.’ Sometimes, when you’re hunting, you will say, ‘Aaaah. How dare you! You can’t even fight against the power of my dragons! Hahahahaha!’ then you will laugh again.”
“...”
Indeed. Black Dragon had been overusing ‘Fufufufu!’ and ‘Keuhahahaha!’.
“Minhyuk, many of the chairmen and presidents have changed their classes to God-classes. Have you ever seen something like this before?”
A total of thirty old chairmen and presidents had come to play Athenae together. Around eight of them then successfully transferred and became God-class players.
‘Even if the others did not get a God-class, they can easily get a legendary class.’
They were not even at Level 100 yet. The more shocking part was that they were going around in groups as if they were a guild of their own.
‘I think it’s more than a guild? They always play the game in groups.’
What would it look like if these God-class players and other players of similar strength and talent gathered together? The thought left goosebumps running down Minhyuk’s skin.
“Fufufufu. Son. I see your reaction. You must have felt goosebumps, no?”
That was true.
“You see, I have this dream. It was something that I longed for quite some time now…”
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“I think this is the 754th time that I have heard that line from you?” Minhyuk said as he took out his notebook, drew a line, and confirmed the numbers. “Your dreams change every day…”
“...Anyway, I have this long-standing dream.” Black Dragon chuckled awkwardly and changed the subject once again. “They will grow stronger and follow the same path that you took in the past.”
The exact path that he took in the past? Minhyuk recalled his growth. His growth was fast. Not only that, his eloquent tongue and superb speeches had allowed him to gather plenty of friends and comrades by his side. He grew swiftly from a lord of a small territory to a king of a kingdom to the emperor of the Beyond the Heavens Empire.
“Wait. Don’t tell me…?”
Minhyuk finally realized it. The speed at which the chairmen and the presidents would grow would be beyond common sense.
“It seems like you finally understand now, son. I will build a kingdom and strive to create an empire with these people by my side.”
“...”
Goosebumps covered Minhyuk’s entire body once again.
“What do you think? You must have gotten goosebumps again because you think it’s cool, right?!”
If Minhyuk were to be honest, his father just got half of it correct. The thought of an empire dominated by chuunis was embarrassing. Just thinking of his grandfathers becoming dukes who would laugh like, ‘Fufufufufu!’ was truly… hair-raising.
However, considering how fast they were growing and how much power they had already obtained, he could not help but shudder. It seemed to be possible. The birth of a Chuunibyou Empire truly seemed to be feasible.
‘No. Wait. An empire filled with chuunis?’
The thought alone was enough to give him goosebumps. Minhyuk imagined people trading in the market.
‘Fufufufu. How much is this?’
‘This one? This is worth every drop of your warm and bloody tears. Fufufufu!’
‘Keuhahahahaha! I see, it’s not worth that much, huh?!’
‘...’
Just imagining the scene alone was horrifying. What if it became a reality?
‘Then… are you saying that there will be tens of millions of people like that?’
“Son. I…”
The gaze of his father, who had drunk a few glasses of makgeolli, clearly reflected his dreams. With his clear and bright eyes, his father said, “I will become the emperor of that empire.”
Black Dragon had lived most of his life in pursuit of a cure for his son’s eating addiction. Now that his wish of curing his son had been fulfilled, he could try and start playing this game for himself, no?
“So, please cheer me on.”
Minhyuk was silent. This man in front of him had reached the pinnacle of the business world. He was also the one who did everything to find a cure for his son’s rare disease!
‘My father’s dream is cool! I want to support him and cheer him on. It’s just that… why do you have to call it the Chuunibyou Empire…?’
Even if Minhyuk’s father left the Beyond the Heavens Empire and established his empire, the situation would remain good. For one, there would never be any conflict between the Beyond the Heavens Empire and his father’s empire. The transactions and deals between the empires will also be beneficial to both sides. His father and the empire that he would build could also attract the talents that the Beyond the Heavens had not yet or could not attract.
“I… I will support you, Dad! I will always support you and cheer you on!”
Alas, there was one problem.
“But Dad, will there be enough people who have the same dream as you for you to create an empire?”
Minhyuk could not understand it. Common sense dictated that there could not be that many chuunis in the world!
“Son. Your view of the world is far too narrow.” Black Dragon was confident. “This land is filled with people whose hearts are pumping with the same passion as mine. They are just hiding in plain sight.”
Black Dragon smiled wryly.
“Although I said so, I’m also wondering if the empire that I long for is possible. So, I have posted a message in the community site before coming here.”
“You posted?”
“Yes. I posted about preparing the establishment of an empire and asked those who share the same ideas to gather in Black Flame Dragon’s Nest.”
“Black Flame Dragon’s Nest? Are you talking about Beysin Territory?”
The Beysin Territory was located in the east of the Beyond the Heavens Empire, a vast territory, and was considered one of the ten most extensive territories of the empire. The lord of this empire was none other than Black Dragon.
“Ahem.”
It seemed to be the case.
“I just need 30,000 people. If at least 30,000 people gather, then my dream can become a reality. I will use that as a starting point and speed up the preparations for the establishment of an empire.”
‘Thirty thousand people?’
Thirty thousand people might seem to be a small number for Minhyuk and Black Dragon, considering that they were the emperor and the duke of an empire. Regardless, it was a sizeable number that was hard to fill, and could fill any territory’s central plaza with excess.
Although Minhyuk was worried, he still nodded and said, “I see. Then, I will cheer you on and wish you all the best, Dad.”
It did not matter what Black Dragon would do or would not do. He was and would always be Minhyuk’s father. So, he would support him until the very end.
At that moment, Minhyuk recalled the words that his father had told him when he first started Athenae.
“But please promise me one thing. Please make sure that you will have fun and enjoy it. That’s all I want for you to do.”
***
Kang Minhoo, who had logged out of the game, came out with a bitter smile on his face. When he stepped out into the living room, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with a mirror.
“My gray hairs keep on sticking out.”
Kang Minhoo was slowly reaching the age where he would also be called an old man. Although he was fit for his age, just like everyone else, he could not escape the passage of time.
Minhoo entered his bedroom. He smiled bitterly as he stared at the pictures displayed on his desk. There were pictures when he was younger, along with a photo of his beloved wife.
“What if I’m just doing something stupid?”
Ilhwa Group was recognized as one of the leading companies in South Korea and had demonstrated its influence in the world. His son, Kang Minhyuk, had not only grown remarkably well but had also overcome his eating addiction. Furthermore, he was showing an outstanding performance as the successor of Ilhwa Group and as the emperor of the Beyond the Heavens Empire.
All of Kang Minhoo’s wishes had been granted.
And now, this old man, who had already achieved everything that he had wanted, wanted to create a Chuunibyou Empire.
He was sure that there would be people who would point their fingers at him and call him crazy. There would even be people who would tell him that they felt like they were shrivelling up from cringing too much. Perhaps even the foreign media would create reports and say, ‘A man like this is the greatest chairman in South Korea?’ to mock him.
‘Is this the right thing to do?’ Just as this thought flashed in his head, he remembered the words that Minhyuk told him before he logged out.
–But please promise me one thing. Please make sure that you will have fun and enjoy it. That’s all I want you to do.
‘Ah. I was thinking too hard.’
The words that he once told his son were now bringing him comfort and easing his worries. What was the purpose of a game? A game’s purpose was to bring fun and enjoyment. He was just having fun. He was just enjoying himself.
“Can I let go and have fun? Hmm, honey?”
He had lived all his life for Minhyuk and his company. Why? Because he wanted to fill the space that his wife had left behind. But now, it was time for him to have fun too, no?
“Can I do something fun? Something that I enjoy?”
His wife had always believed in him. If she were alive, she would have told him this.
‘You’ve worked hard. I believe you and the choices you make.’
Minhoo smiled faintly. Then, he entered the community site.
[Set your heart ablaze! Hello, everyone! How are you? I am Black Dragon.]
This was the title of his post. The contents of the post were precisely what he told Minhyuk earlier. He had explained how he was preparing to establish his empire and had declared that he would begin to proceed with the step-by-step process. He also asked those who shared his thoughts and ideas to gather together, to join him at Black Flame Dragon’s Nest.
[Heok! Lolololololol. In the end, Black Dragon became Black Flame Dragon. Lololoololol.]
[Set your heart ablaaaaaaaaaze!!!]
[If you were me, would you go, Black Dragon?]
[If you give one million won per person, then we’ll go. Yepyep.]
[Oh? That actually sounds good. Chairman. If you give me a million won, I will go!]
[+22222222222]
[+33333333333]
[No. Even if you’re like the chairman, will you go to such an embarrassing place?]
[I can feel my face starting to burn from shame. Lolololol.]
[Chairman. Please act your age.]
[For real? You f*cking x#!#!##%!!$$!# you’re all the same. Lololol.]
[My character’s name is KimHyukSoo. I’ll go there tomorrow to check. Lolol. If no one comes, I will personally kill myself.]
[Oh! Hyuk-Soo is going there to check tomorrow.]
[Hyuk-Soo, go there and pat Flame Dragon’s shoulders in comfort. Lololololol.]
Minhoo’s expression grew more bitter when he saw the negative comments on his post.
Park Munsoo, who had entered without him noticing, had sat next to Kang Minhoo. He shouted indignantly, “How can they say this! Ah! I’m so angry!”
Kang Minhoo smiled kindly. “Isn’t this normal in the online world? Besides, what they are saying might just be the truth.”
Perhaps, he thought wrong. That was why he had set a limit. If he could not gather 30,000 people, then he would give up on this dream cleanly and neatly.
“Chairman, aren’t you angry?” Munsoo asked, his anger almost boiling over.
How could they dismiss another person’s dream that easily?
But Kang Minhoo just chuckled and said, “What should I even bother with these people?”
Munsoo stared at Minhoo in awe.
‘As expected of the man I am serving! He’s a genuine gentleman! His heart is as wide as the sea, and these harsh words cannot sway him…’
“Contact our legal department.”
“...?”
That was right. Chairman Kang Minhoo would not bother to deal with them. He would just file a complaint against them.
***
[For real? You f*cking x#!#!##%!!$$!# you’re all the same. Lololol.]
Dongsan Middle School Grade 2, Class 3.
A boy’s face crumpled as he looked at one of the posts in Athenae’s community site. The boy, Jin-Ha, bit his lips angrily.
“Look at this?! How dare you mock Mr. Black Dragon, the person that Dongsan Middle School’s Shankks admire?!”
Jin-Ha was none other than Red Flame Fighter Ace. Jin-Ha had met Black Dragon when he was still in elementary school and had been watching the man since then. In Jin-Ha’s eyes, he was someone who would continue to push forward even though others laughed at him and mocked his ways.
He saw Black Dragon play the game and enjoy it more than anyone else. The old man did not even show any interest in money, women, and gambling, things that most adults tended to enjoy. As such, he thought, ‘He looks fun and interesting. I want to be like that when I grow older.’
Yet these people were cursing him and trying to ruin that man’s dream? The worst part was that the comments in the community sites were rapidly spreading and were even being shared through articles.
“What the?! How dare you insult our beloved Flame Dragon hyung-nim?!”
“These bastards!”
Many might not know, but many elementary and middle school students viewed Black Dragon as their idol. Why? Well, just look at him. He was a chairman in real life and was also a high ranker in Athenae. On top of that, he even had amazing lines!
“Hey! Get your tools!”
At Jin-Ha’s words, the children in his class all took out their tools from underneath their desks. The tools were none other than thirty-centimeter rulers and mackerel pencil cases. Of course, they were just joking around.
“Hey, send a message to all of the elementary and middle school students!”
The most interesting fact about Jin-Ha was that he dominated all of the elementary and middle school students in the area.
One of his friends asked about the summon orders. “Do we really have to do it like this?”
Were they going to act like chuunibyous just because they were really in the eighth grade? That was right. They were real chuunis, and in the second year of middle school, genuine eighth graders.
“Hey. He’s a cool chuuni…”
Regardless, these words were more than enough to convince all of them.
“It’s fun.” Then, Jin-Ha dropped a famous quote. “Aren’t games made to be enjoyed?”
Middle school students across the country began to stand up and take action. They all thought that it would be fun to create an empire with Black Dragon.