Chapter 206 – Worse Than Strangers
Ma Kyung-rok had two younger brothers.
Ma Kyung-sang, the second son, one year younger.
Ma Kyung-su, the third son, two years younger.
They fought a lot when they were young, but they’d never had to glare at each other with reddened faces.
The reason their brotherly bond grew distant once they became adults wasn’t anything complicated.
Money.
As they grew older, they realized the value of money—and also realized that they weren’t just born with a golden spoon, but a diamond one.
That when their father died, they would inherit an immense fortune.
So naturally, they began looking out for their own bowls at the table, and the problem was Ma Kyung-rok, the eldest son.
Usually, the heir’s position went to the firstborn.
The second and third sons had a high chance of spending their entire lives watching the eldest’s mood.
Maybe they hated that position.
The brothers joined hands and began protesting to their father, saying it was unfair.
That it didn’t make sense for Ma Kyung-rok, the eldest with no ability, to take everything for himself.
That they were far more suited to build the company.
Ma Dae-cheol, thinking they had a point, eventually abandoned the old custom and declared he would choose the successor based on ability.
That was why Ma Kyung-rok couldn’t help but have a bad relationship with his brothers.
“Why did you two come here?”
At Ma Kyung-rok’s icy stare, Ma Kyung-sang and Ma Kyung-su returned it with equally sharp eyes.
“What do you mean why? We came to congratulate you.”
“Can’t your little brothers even congratulate their Hyung?”
“I don’t want your congratulations. Get out.”
“Seriously—do you think we came because we wanted to?”
“Father—no, the Chairman told us to come together. What are we supposed to do about that?”
Chairman Ma Dae-cheol shot the two sons a piercing look.
“That’s enough, all of you. You came all the way here—do you really have to fight?”
“……”
“I called you to see your Hyung’s achievement and maybe make up, but the moment you see him you stare like you’re about to kill him.”
“Yes, boys. Isn’t it about time you acknowledged your Hyung?”
At the voice from behind, they turned their heads to see a broad-shouldered middle-aged man entering with bodyguards.
It was Ma Dong-won, the Mayor of Seoul.
“Little Uncle— no, Mayor, you came too?”
“It’s been a while, Kyung-rok. We’re with family—no need for formalities. Just call me Little Uncle.”
Despite his imposing build, Ma Dong-won wore a gentle smile, then shifted the topic to loosen the cold atmosphere among the brothers.
“Thank you for arranging a celebration like this. Did you prepare it yourself?”
“I just put something modest together.”
“A celebration for a company that made it onto the KOSPI after five years, and you call it modest.”
“Getting onto the KOSPI isn’t that big a deal. Father built a whole group. So I can’t get complacent here. From now on, I have to lead the group.”
As he said that, Ma Kyung-rok looked at his brothers with the gaze of someone looking down on losers.
A smile near a sneer hung at the corner of his mouth.
‘That f*cking bastard…!’
‘If only Hyung wasn’t here, f*ck…!’
Unaware that his brothers were clenching their fists and trembling, Ma Dong-won laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha! So you’re saying you’ll become the successor of Ohsung Group someday? Right! If you’re going to inherit the group, you need this much confidence!”
As if he liked what he heard, Ma Dong-won patted Ma Kyung-rok’s shoulder, then looked at his older brother.
“Hyung-nim, does that mean you don’t have to worry about your eldest anymore?”
“No need. He produced results this clear—what is there to worry about?”
“Isn’t it beyond expectations? The condition you set was KOSDAQ Top 30, wasn’t it?”
“That’s right. I never even imagined he’d list on the KOSPI so boldly. He did an excellent job.”
At his father’s praise, Ma Kyung-rok smiled with satisfaction.
“Thank you, Chairman.”
Hearing those words from a father who was stingy with praise made it feel like his hardships had finally been repaid.
In contrast, his brothers didn’t even bother to hide their expressions—they twisted their faces as much as they could.
It was enough to make him think his father hadn’t brought them to reconcile, but to make them choke on it.
Though Ma Dae-cheol’s true intention lay elsewhere.
‘My sons—envy your Hyung, resent him, be jealous. That will become the driving force that makes you grow stronger.’
In truth, Ma Dae-cheol didn’t have even a speck of desire to reconcile the brothers.
He didn’t expect it, either.
He simply wanted to show them the eldest son’s achievement directly and provoke them, giving them a foothold for growth.
That was the reason he had deliberately brought the two sons here.
‘Now that Kyung-sang and Kyung-su have been stimulated, they’ll strive and work hard to catch up to their Hyung.’
But Ma Dae-cheol didn’t know.
That bringing the brothers here only poured oil on the fire.
“By the way, Hyung. Isn’t it about time you told us?”
“Told you what?”
“Hyung. Your nickname.”
At Ma Kyung-sang’s question, Ma Kyung-rok fell silent.
It wasn’t like the three brothers weren’t all Players in their twenties.
That’s why they knew exactly what it meant to reveal a nickname.
‘These bastards… don’t tell me? They’re trying to track me?’
Revealing your nickname was like taking off the mask and showing your face.
It gave them an excuse to use Tracking.
In the Otherworld, where you wouldn’t be punished even if you stabbed a blade into someone’s back and left the corpse rotting.
‘Track me for what? To kill me?’
There was no other reason to ask for his nickname.
That was why he hadn’t revealed it until now.
“My nickname—what are you going to do with it?”
“I’m just curious.”
“Then what’s your nickname?”
“Come on—don’t you know the rules? The Hyung goes first.”
“It’s Black Scythe.”
“Stop bullsh*tting.”
“It’s true.”
“Your joke’s too much. Then can you prove it right here?”
“How am I supposed to prove it?”
“You know the Duel Request function got added this time, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll send a request, so beat us—both of us. Weapons and skills completely forbidden, only bare hands. If you really are Black Scythe, you can do at least that, right?”
Once everyone hit Level 60, the Duel Request function appeared.
He already knew what it did because he’d used it.
And that through duels, you could stake a price.
“If we win, step down from the successor position. But if Hyung wins, we’ll acknowledge you cleanly.”
“Fight two against one?”
“Yeah. Why? Not confident, Mr. Black Scythe?”
It was a pathetic provocation, but Ma Kyung-rok couldn’t respond.
If he had a weapon, maybe—but bare-handed, without skills?
No matter how good he was, he wasn’t confident he could win under conditions that bad.
“Fine. I lied. I’m not Black Scythe. Satisfied?”
“I knew it. What kind of Black Scythe would Hyung be?”
“You think you can lie about something that’ll get exposed immediately? Are you stupid?”
“What?”
At the insult, Ma Kyung-rok’s expression turned vicious.
The brothers’ gazes also chilled in an instant.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!”
No wonder Ma Dae-cheol, who’d been watching in silence, exploded.
“You idiots! Duel this, duel that—what kind of thunderstruck nonsense are you babbling about! Did you come here to fight your own brother?”
“Exactly. We said we didn’t want to come.”
“And the one who insisted to the end and dragged us here was you, Father.”
“W-what? You little—!”
The Chairman raged, but the brothers didn’t even twitch an eyebrow.
In the past, they’d had to mind their step because an heir hadn’t been chosen yet.
But now it was different.
Ma Kyung-rok had produced outstanding results, and the situation had already been decided with him as the successor.
“Honestly, I don’t even know why you brought us.”
“If you’re going to say some boomer crap like ‘learn from your Hyung,’ we’ll go back now.”
“Y-you brats!”
“Boys! How can you talk to your father like that!”
Ma Dong-won scolded them and tried to stop them, but he couldn’t turn back two hearts that had already gone crooked.
“Kyung-rok Hyung. Watch your back at night. Don’t get cocky just because you survived to Round 13.”
“What?”
“If you keep your head stiff, remember that one day you’ll trip over a rock and fall.”
Leaving a curse that was almost a curse, the brothers walked out.
“To think those pieces of trash are my sons… agh, my neck.”
“Hyung-nim! Are you okay?”
Supporting Ma Dae-cheol, Ma Dong-won called out to Ma Kyung-rok, who stood there blankly.
“What are you doing? Help your father!”
“Ah—yes.”
Even as Ma Kyung-rok supported his father, his face looked dazed.
Because he was chewing over what his brothers had said.
‘Watch your back at night? Trip over a rock?’
Anyone could tell it was a curse and a threat.
‘Those fcking nobodies. They can’t even congratulate me, and they say that kind of sht to my face?’
Crunch—
They were brothers by blood, but he had no good memories of them at all.
‘Bastards worse than strangers.’
After being threatened with murder, his temples throbbed.
Ma Kyung-rok had been under no small amount of stress lately.
Maybe that was why.
Ma Kyung-rok ended up having a thought he shouldn’t have.
‘Before they get me… should I move first and kill them?’
It wasn’t an empty threat.
If it was them, they’d absolutely plan to kill him.
That way, the successor position would be empty.
That way, they’d get their chance.
‘Up until now, they must’ve thought I’d fail Father’s mission. They didn’t expect I’d grow the company this much. Maybe I’d just die on my own while progressing through the Rounds.’
But now the situation had changed.
‘They won’t just sit around waiting for me to die in the Otherworld. They’re desperate too—they don’t know how long they themselves can survive.’
So they’d left after making a sincere threat like that.
Truly believing they had to kill their Hyung.
‘You think I’ll just sit still and let it happen? They don’t know me at all, for people who call themselves family.’
With a cynical smile, Ma Kyung-rok genuinely resolved to kill his younger brothers.
Without realizing that someone else was reading that very thought.
‘Ah… why is the mood like this?’
Ryu Min, who’d arrived at the company after Ma Kyung-rok invited him, couldn’t bring himself to pretend he knew.
Because he had witnessed Ma Kyung-rok’s fight with his brothers.
That was why he approached under Invisibility and read their thoughts like this.
‘Seriously, being a chaebol isn’t all good things either.’
A fight over inheritance among chaebol kids was such a common cliché that it’d be disappointing if a drama didn’t include it.
‘In a situation where your life is on the line, would you really want to fight your family over the successor issue?’
No—rather, because you don’t know when you’ll die, it could make you cling harder to the idea of grabbing a fortune before then.
‘From the looks of it, the Chairman doesn’t intend to change the successor.’
In his head, he’d already finalized Ma Kyung-rok as the next successor.
It made sense.
With the eldest son producing beyond-expectation results by listing on the KOSPI, how could a father not adore him?
‘And he probably called the other brothers as a stimulant so they wouldn’t get discouraged, but it backfired.’
Ryu Min read the brothers’ thoughts as they left, ending with “watch your back at night.”
They truly wanted to kill Ma Kyung-rok.
When they got back, the two of them might put their heads together and plot a concrete crime.
‘And Ma Kyung-rok believes he needs to strike first before he gets hit.’
Brothers harboring the will to kill each other.
Even a broken family isn’t this broken.
‘Wait. This might be an opportunity for me.’
If he used this situation well, couldn’t he separate Ma Kyung-rok and Christine perfectly?
If that happened, he could make Christine completely his person.
‘I’ve already confirmed what kind of feelings Ma Kyung-rok has toward Black Scythe. They can never become close.’
They’d stayed together so far because of mutual benefit, but now it was time to cut ties.
There was no higher peak to climb.
‘Same with the company. The listing review passed, but that’s it. Players keep decreasing, and once Round 15 ends, revenue and everything completely collapses.’
If he was going to sell, now was the perfect timing.
‘But I can’t sell as the top shareholder.’
In the current situation, if he sold all his shares and cleanly walked away, he could secure a massive profit.
But Ma Kyung-rok wouldn’t fail to notice.
‘If I sell now, it’s basically declaring open hostility to Ma Kyung-rok.’
Even if he did it, only some.
After securing about one hundred billion won—enough money to live his whole life without worry—it would be better to hold onto the rest.
‘In terms of equity, selling about 3% would be best.’
That way, even if the company collapsed later, Ma Kyung-rok wouldn’t think the Prophet betrayed him.
‘I should call Russell right away. Tell him to cash out the shares I’m holding.’
And one more person.
‘Christine.’
He should call her and use this situation.
‘And I should call Seo Arin too—so she can help me organize my thoughts.’
With a sly lift of the corner of his mouth, Ryu Min watched the atmosphere, then released Invisibility at a spot far away.
And he naturally approached Ma Kyung-rok.
With a welcoming expression, as if he hadn’t seen what just happened.