TRWP 10

TRWP

Posted by Leo, Released on September 18, 2025

The Return of the Wicked Player

Chapter 10 —

Click—
The door shut, leaving only Min Sung-kyu and Baek Kang-hyuk inside the office.
A tense silence filled the air.
Min Sung-kyu was the first to speak.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Min Sung-kyu, Vice President of the Korean Player Association.”
“…I’m Baek Kang-hyuk.”

Kang-hyuk swallowed and gave a small nod.
For some reason, saying his name in front of Min Sung-kyu made him nervous.
Maybe because it felt like confessing his identity.
Luckily, Min Sung-kyu didn’t show any suspicion and continued calmly.

“I saw your test footage. Truly incredible.”

As expected, this was the reason.
The association wanted to recruit outstanding rookies.
That was exactly what Kang-hyuk had aimed for—
the association would never let an S-rank talent slip away.

Still, I didn’t expect him to show up.

Kang-hyuk hadn’t imagined that someone of Min Sung-kyu’s rank—let alone someone who used to be one of his closest friends—would personally come.

“There’s a joke among our people,” Min Sung-kyu said with a steady gaze. “That only one person could ever clear the 25th round.”

He leaned forward.
“Who do you think that is?”
“…I wouldn’t know.”

Kang-hyuk shook his head cautiously, but Min Sung-kyu answered right away.

“Baek Kang-hyuk.”
“…!”
“Twenty years ago, Baek Kang-hyuk could do anything.”

Hearing his own name so suddenly made Kang-hyuk flinch.
Don’t tell me he suspects something?

“Your test today reminded me of that saying. I wondered, ‘Could this Baek Kang-hyuk be that Baek Kang-hyuk?’ Hahaha!”

Behind the laugh, Kang-hyuk sensed a hidden meaning.

“But you stopped at round 22. What a shame. I hoped you’d go all the way.”

The question was clear—why had he stopped?
And was there a connection to the ‘real’ Baek Kang-hyuk?
Of course Min Sung-kyu was considering it.

Always sharp, just like before.

He’d figured out a lot from barely thirty minutes of combat footage.
Most likely from the sword technique.

Unlucky for me.

Out of all people, it had to be Min Sung-kyu, who knew him like family.
Still, nothing changed.

Suspicion is all he has.

There was no way Min Sung-kyu could imagine the man before him was actually the ‘real one.’
At best, he only thought something felt odd.

And he’s being friendly.

Min Sung-kyu’s tone had stayed warm and open—
a sign he wanted a conversation, not an interrogation.
If he truly suspected him…

He would’ve already used his ability.

Dragged him off, pressed for answers.
So this was just probing—trying to draw out a mistake, gain the upper hand in negotiations.
But—

I’m not someone who folds easily.

Kang-hyuk could also read Min Sung-kyu clearly.

“I did my best, but it wasn’t enough,” Kang-hyuk said firmly. “Fighting nonstop opponents was too much. Especially the Venom Basilisk.”

He added with confidence:
“Still, I don’t think it was a disappointing result.”

A topic shift.
He was saying, I’ve proven my worth. If you want me, let’s get to the point.

Min Sung-kyu seemed to understand. He reached into his coat and pulled something out.

“Of course. In fact, I was impressed!”

Shhk—
A square card slid across the desk.
A Player Registration Card.

The words were simple:
Name: Baek Kang-hyuk. Rank: S.

Nice.

Kang-hyuk secretly sighed in relief.
Exactly as expected.

But then—

“You’re the only one in the past year to show this level of ability.”
“…Sorry?”
“Even most Rankers can’t compare. If there were an SS-rank, you would’ve qualified easily.”

At that, Kang-hyuk winced inwardly.

…I might’ve overdone it.

He should’ve aimed closer to the S threshold.
Still, not a big problem.

“So, how about we treat you like SS-rank instead? What do you think?”

In the world of players, strength was everything.
Being overwhelming worked in his favor.

“I’ll hear you out.”

Min Sung-kyu slid over a contract.

“We’ll give you the best treatment. Thirty billion won as a signing bonus—double the usual S-rank rate.”
“….”
“You’ll have access to a state-of-the-art training ground and armory. Priority rights to one gate per month.”

The list went on:
No commission fees at official shops.
80% tax reduction.
VIP access to partnered hospitals, full medical coverage.
Quarterly check-ups and combat consulting.
The benefits seemed endless.

Kang-hyuk swallowed hard.

…Why go this far?

Even after twenty years away, he knew this was excessive.
Better than most major guilds—because only a government association could offer such perks.
And thirty billion upfront? Even private guilds couldn’t match that.

Money wasn’t his concern—he’d earned plenty in his past life. But still…

“…Exclusive gate rewards?”
“Yes. The Association won’t take any share of your clears.”

Now that’s huge.

Guilds and associations usually recruited players to claim a cut—anywhere from 5% to 50%.
But here, nothing.

“…Why?”

They must have a bigger reason to eat that loss.
But Min Sung-kyu’s answer was unexpected.

“I want you to become a symbol.”
“…A symbol?”
“Hope. Courage. Passion. Miracles. Inspire those feelings in people again.”

Kang-hyuk blinked.

“As you know, the global player ecosystem is in crisis,” Min Sung-kyu continued.
“It all started after the Curse’s Heart appeared.”
“…The Curse’s Heart?”
“Yes. Five years ago in Egypt, an enormous gate. Since then, high-risk gates keep spawning, top players are disappearing—as if cursed.”

He showed a thick report.
The Curse’s Heart.
Minimum entry level: 100.
Black-grade, the highest danger level.
Over 2,000 failed attempts.

“And because of that, many awakened refuse to enter gates anymore.”

But the gates kept multiplying.
With fewer players to clear them, the result was obvious.

“…Disaster.”
“Exactly. Someday, gates could engulf the whole world.”

This time, Min Sung-kyu’s face was deadly serious.

“That’s why we need you. Someone with overwhelming power to clear them.”
“….”
“You can give courage to the players who’ve given up, and reassurance to the people. Just like Baek Kang-hyuk did 20 years ago.”

That memory returned—
the memorial hall, people dreaming because of him, praying to him like a guardian.
Now he understood what Min Sung-kyu wanted.

“When disaster comes, the world needs a hero.”

A hero.
Min Sung-kyu was asking him to be one.

“I believe you could destroy the Curse’s Heart gate.”

That was the Association’s request:
with their full support, clear the gate that had haunted the world for years.

The answer required no hesitation.

“I’ll clear the Curse’s Heart.”

The report made it look doable.
After all—

It’s nothing compared to the Abyssal Cradle.

His grave twenty years ago had been far worse.
Now, he needed strength at any cost.
The harder the challenge, the better the rewards.

“But.”
“But?”
“I don’t want to stand in the spotlight. In fact, I’d rather no one knew who I was—for now.”

The hero request he refused.
That clashed with his current plan.

At least until the next Lord Qualification Exam.

He needed to regain his power first.
If word spread too soon, it would surely reach Oh Seong and those snakes.

“…Why? Not satisfied with the contract terms?”
“No. I want to work with the Association.”

Everything had gone according to plan so far—prove himself, get a seat at the table.
Now for the final condition.

“I only have two requests.”
“Speak freely.”
“First, keep my information classified. Today’s test, and any future clears—none of it leaks.”

For the Association, it was an easy deal.
Suppressing the data would keep rival guilds at bay.
Kang-hyuk could then focus entirely on gates.

“…But people will find out eventually. You can’t block all the reporters.”
“True. No secret lasts forever. But with your ability, you could delay it, couldn’t you?”
“…What?”

Min Sung-kyu froze.
His ability wasn’t widely known.

“…You want me to alter memories?”
“Yes.”

Memory Manipulation.
A rare mental-type ability.
His unique S-rank trait.
With it, Kang-hyuk would have time to grow stronger.

“How do you know about my ability?” Min Sung-kyu’s eyes narrowed.

Kang-hyuk replied steadily.
“From the Silent Cave raid with the Blood Ghost. Survivor accounts were all different, but they all said the same thing: it felt like a dream. I read the after-action reports.”
“…That was over 30 years ago. How—”

Because I was there too.
Of course he knew.

“I even found a column speculating on your ability from that event.”
“…I see. Can’t argue with that.”

Min Sung-kyu chuckled, half-impressed, half-surprised.

He’s sharper than I thought.

Not just strong—
but clever enough to dig into old records and turn it into leverage.

“Very well. I’ll erase the memories of everyone involved in your test today. And we’ll keep the results classified.”

He was determined to bring Kang-hyuk to the Association’s side.

“Thank you. At the right time, I’ll go public. And then, I’ll cooperate with media as needed.”

That was fine.
Timing was everything.

“What’s your second request?”

“The first is related. I’d like a special pass.”
“A pass? You mean Association access? Your registration card should cover that.”
“No, I mean for gate entry. If I flash an S-rank card, word will spread. A pass without rank would be better.”
“…Hmm. Makes sense.”

Min Sung-kyu thought for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. It’ll take some time to arrange, but by tomorrow at the latest. For now, I can give you a decoy registration card.”
“Decoy?”
“Yes. A card with a lower rank. That way, you won’t draw attention.”
“That works. Good idea.”
“Shall we make it C-rank?”
“Sure. That should do.”

It wasn’t like he could enter S or A-rank gates right away anyway.

“Good. Any other requests?”
“No. That’s all.”

The contract already had more than enough perks.

“Then I look forward to working with you.”

Min Sung-kyu rose, smiling, and held out his hand.
“Contact me anytime if you need something.”

He also handed over a card.
Min Sung-kyu, Vice President, Korean Player Association.

Kang-hyuk stared at the business card, lost in thought.

…Can I really trust him?

He seemed like a strong ally, but after twenty years apart, things couldn’t be the same.
People change. Feelings fade.

For now, I’ll just use him.

Swallowing bitterness, Kang-hyuk clasped his hand.
“Looking forward to working with you.”

Until he regained his strength, keeping some distance was best.