The Traitor's Opening Remarks
"That concludes the entrance of all participating guilds!"
The people on the set lifted their heads in unison.
"Before we begin the formal introduction of our participants, we'd like to invite Ryu Sungho, President of the Korean Awakened Association, to share a few words of greeting!"
A single shaft of light fell onto the center of the stage.
A man in an immaculate suit walked out, wearing a friendly, approachable smile.
It was Ryu Sungho.
His gaze swept across the auditorium and grazed over Seongyeon's table. For an instant, his eyes met Sihyun's—but his expression didn't waver in the slightest.
Seongyeon's table, on the other hand, went ice-cold in a heartbeat.
No one said it out loud, but the exact same thought flashed through all four of their heads.
That traitorous bastard.
The man who had dragged Seongyeon down to rock bottom ten years ago.
The naked hostility was obvious enough that even the other guilds noticed it almost immediately.
"Take a look at Seongyeon's section."
"I mean, Ryu Sungho's basically their mortal enemy, isn't he?"
"Weren't they the ones who did something wrong, though? He just reported them for it."
A low murmur rippled through the seats.
Ryu Sungho, who could hardly have missed those stares, only smiled more gently.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Ryu Sungho."
A crisp bow, a courteous voice.
"Some of you may be wondering why a government institution is dabbling in entertainment now. A sign of the end times, perhaps."
A light laugh drifted through the audience.
"But the Awakened Association is an institution for the people. Rather than hiding behind our own authority, we chose to take one step closer to the citizens we serve."
With the joke set aside, his voice took on a sincere weight.
"I hope that through this program, we can also reflect on the true essence of hunters and guilds."
Ryu Sungho turned slowly, surveying the guild sections.
"A hunter is not merely a celebrity who enjoys the public's attention. A hunter is a hero who protects humanity. And a guild, too, should not be a corporation built for profit, but a community where such heroes gather with a shared purpose."
Several guild officials nodded along.
It was a seasoned politician's remark, aimed squarely at the recent dungeon bidding controversy and the hunters' excessive broadcasting careers all at once. And there could have been no better stage to scrub away the industry's image of guilds as bloated corporations full of fame-chasing celebrities.
"Past glory does not guarantee today's victory. Likewise, a single mistake does not mean eternal failure."
At that final moment, his gaze landed precisely on Seongyeon.
It sounded like encouragement—an offer of a second chance. But to Seongyeon, it was a brand re-stamped onto them: the ones who had erred.
"I hope every participant competes fairly under identical conditions, and shows us the true worth of the awakened."
Ryu Sungho bowed his head.
"This concludes my remarks."
Applause erupted.
Some clapped with all their might; others clapped half-heartedly while sneaking glances at the silent Seongyeon table.
Sihyun sat with her arms crossed, smiling quietly.
Identical conditions?
How dare a traitor lecture about fairness with that filthy mouth of his.
Same rules did not mean the same starting line.
From the order of entrance down to the seating arrangements, the hierarchy between guilds had been laid bare for all to see. The rookies of the top guilds had walked onto this stage backed by enormous capital, top-tier equipment, accumulated raid intel, and systematic training.
What Seongyeon had been able to prepare for Sihyun was pitifully meager by comparison.
And now the man who had rigged the starting line was droning on about how the same rules made everything fair.
Sihyun let out a small laugh.
Go right ahead. Play at fairness all you want. I'll show you what a genuinely unfair competition looks like.
"Now then! It's finally time to meet the stars of our survival show!"
At the MC's bright voice, the giant screen at the center of the stage lit up.
The moment the <NEW TOP 50> logo appeared, even the bored audience perked back up.
"We will now proceed with the participants' self-introductions. When your name is called, please stand and answer a few brief questions, including your class and grade!"
As the cameras began to move, the participants straightened in their seats. The idle chatter among the guild sections died down as well.
"We'll begin in reverse order of entrance! First up, Do Suho of Giwon Guild!"
Do Suho rose from his seat.
Several cameras trained on him at once.
"Hello. I'm Do Suho, A-Rank mage of Giwon Guild."
The audience stirred at the brief introduction alone.
At the same time, the eyes of Jena, Jisoo, and Hoyeon all snapped toward a single point.
Toward Sihyun.
Is she okay?
Sihyun hadn't taken her eyes off Do Suho for a single second. She watched him as if she couldn't afford to miss even a moment, her gaze unusually serious.
The three of them looked at her with pity.
She'd been trying so hard to act normal, but apparently she still hadn't gotten over him.
While their misunderstanding deepened, Sihyun was coolly analyzing Do Suho's combat capabilities.
An A-Rank mage, huh.
A high grade didn't automatically mean strength. A grade measured how far you could climb—not how strong you were right now. Present strength was decided by level, class, and how much you'd been through. She'd seen unpolished A-Ranks lose to B-Ranks who'd been beaten black and blue on the battlefield more times than she could count in the Tower.
Still, one look was enough to take his measure.
Mages were the most versatile of the combat classes, his physical stats were solid, and from the glimpse she'd caught of him moving in the lobby, his reaction speed was respectable too. And on top of that, he'd have gone through Giwon's training regimen.
By anyone's reckoning, a championship favorite.
But what am I going to do about this?
Talent could be born into. Experience could not. And she was someone who had walked to the very end of the Tower.
Even if they brought in a Ki Taewon of the same level, I'd still win.
The corner of Sihyun's mouth curled up slightly.
"We're curious why Do Suho chose Giwon Guild."
"It was always going to be Giwon. From the very beginning."
"Is that because of Guild Leader Ki Taewon, I take it?"
Only then did Do Suho show an awkward smile fitting for his age.
"Yes. I know it's an obvious answer, but he's someone I genuinely respect."
The audience's cheers grew louder.
"And finally—is there anyone here you know among the participants?"
Do Suho's eyes flickered briefly toward Sihyun.
Their gazes met.
But he looked away as if nothing had happened.
"No, there isn't."
Sihyun's eyebrow rose a fraction.
Right—we agreed to pretend we don't know each other.
At least he'd kept one promise.
"Thank you. Next up, Yang Haejun of Sewol Guild!"
The introductions moved along quickly.
The MC asked every participant about their class, grade, and reason for joining. As similar questions and answers repeated themselves, the officials from the higher-ranked guilds—who'd finished being introduced first—began slipping out of the set one by one.
Jung Wooseon, Giwon's Vice Guild Leader, was the first to leave the studio entirely.
After Sewol's introduction wrapped up, the Sewol officials followed suit before long.
Seongyeon, meanwhile—the very first guild to enter—was stuck in their seats until every last participant had been introduced.
Watching the seats of honor empty out one by one, Sihyun swallowed a bitter laugh.
So that's why the production team arranged the order this way.
The higher a guild's rank, the later they entered and the sooner they were introduced.
Seongyeon, dead last, had to be called up first and sit in their corner seat longer than anyone else.
It was more cunning and more polished than the old days.
Which made it all the more irritating.
Fine. Let's see how far you'll take this.
And at last, the final turn arrived.
"Lee Sihyun of Seongyeon Guild!"
The spotlight came down.
Sihyun rose from her seat, unhurried.
Countless eyes and cameras swung toward her all at once, but there wasn't a trace of nerves about her.
The audience's response was noticeably weaker than it had been for the earlier participants.
"Guess we're at the end, huh."
"Is that the kid in that outfit from earlier?"
Worn out from the long shoot, the audience clapped half-heartedly, if at all. And since the officials from the other guilds had already filed out, patches of the auditorium sat empty.
"Please introduce yourself, including your class and grade."
Sihyun picked up the microphone.
"I'm Lee Sihyun, S-Rank Summoner of Seongyeon Guild."
The slumping audience members shot upright all at once.
"What?"
"S-Rank?"
"Did the Association ever announce that?"
People turned to one another, murmuring.
The Association had yet to make an official announcement, so this was the first most of the room was hearing of it.
The production crew scrambled into action.
"Close-up on Lee Sihyun!"
"Get the guild sections' reactions too!"
Every scattered camera converged on Sihyun at once.
An S-Rank awakened, appearing after ten long years.
And a summoner, no less—one who'd joined Seongyeon.
It was a combination that made any single name leap to mind.
Sung Jeyeon.
The faces of the guild officials who remained grew complicated.
Seo Jeongchan, too, looked directly at Sihyun for the first time. A faint flicker of interest passed through his otherwise listless eyes.
Only Ryu Sungho, who had stayed behind in the VIP seats even after his greetings concluded, remained utterly unmoved.
Instead, a thin smile played at the corner of his mouth, as if he found Sihyun's confidence laughable.
"S-Rank—that's quite extraordinary. Might we hear about your resolve going into this program?"
Sihyun slowly took in the stares fixed upon her.
The temperature of the room had transformed completely from before.
Yet her expression didn't change in the slightest.
"My goal is an overwhelming, undisputed victory."
A short answer, brimming with certainty.
"I'll show you why a summoner—and why Seongyeon—was once the strongest."
Gasps and applause broke out across the audience.
Sihyun waited for the moment when the crowd's goodwill peaked, then opened her mouth again.
"The reason Giwon has been able to hold the number-one guild spot all this time—"
Her gaze turned toward the men in black suits.
"—is because Sung Jeyeon hasn't been around. Let me make that perfectly clear."