The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2-Novel - Chapter 20

The Martial God Who Regressed to Level 2

[Translator – SCM]

[Proofreader –  ilafy]

Chapter 20

500 million USD…

The atmosphere of the auction cooled down at those words.

‘A brand new model of that Battle Net connector costs two million.’

‘If it were the Sword King during his peak popularity, it might have fetched a premium, but now, it’s just secondhand goods.’

‘The data is a bit tempting, but 500 million? Absurd.’

‘The auction is meaningless.’

From the moment Takeda Kazuo of the Neo Self-Defense Force offered 500 million, the auction was practically over.

“What will you do?” the host asked JiHan, who got up from his seat and walked toward the Japanese man.

“If you have something to say, do it here,” he said.

“I’m sorry. A private talk is included in the conditions for the 500 million…” Takeda Kazuo said while rubbing his hands.

Contrary to his behavior, the meaning of his words was clear: ‘If you want the 500 million, a private conversation is a must.’

The way the corner of his mouth was quirking up made it seem like he was saying, ‘There’s no way you’re going to refuse this offer.’

JiHan smirked. “Then I’ll refuse.”

“Haha, yes, yes. Let’s go and have a private… What?” Takeda Kazuo stopped rubbing his hands. He seemed confused. Had he heard wrong, perhaps?

“Uhm… I’m sorry, but could you repeat that again? My Korean isn’t good, so it seems like I’ve heard wrong…” He asked him to repeat the answer.

“If a private conversation is among the conditions, we won’t take that money.”

“JiHan, I’m sorry, but this money isn’t yours. It’s something the Sword King’s giving to his daughter.”

‘The 500 million isn’t for you, so why would you interfere?’

The smile had disappeared from Takeda’s face.

“Isn’t that right? Ms. Yoon?”

“…”

“500 million… It’s an amount of money a salaryman like me could never hope to earn. I’m not sure what your uncle is thinking about, but Ms. Yoon, you’re the one who’s going to receive the money, so please think about it carefully. Can you really give up on this money?”

Just like Takeda said, 500 million was an astronomical sum of money.

The viewers on JiHan’s channel agreed with that comment.

– It’s too much money to refuse…

– Is today’s stream already about to end?

– That seems to be the case. The money’s going to his niece anyway, so why should the uncle interfere?

– Yoon Sae-ah will be able to live well even after donating the Sword Palace.

– The donation hasn’t yet been decided! The Sword King will return!

– Are you out of your mind? How could you say that after he sent that bald Japanese guy?

“I…” Sae-ah looked at JiHan.

She couldn’t understand why he was refusing to have a private conversation, but she’d already decided what to say to Takeda.

“I believe in Uncle, so talk to him.”

“Ah… I see.” Takeda sighed and straightened his body.

He tried to shake things up through Yoon Sae-ah, but his plan failed. All he’d done was confirm their strong bond.

– The provocation failed.

– Tsk tsk, she’s too young. If she had life experience, she would have had a private conversation even for USD 100K.

– She’s the Sword King’s daughter.

– Ms. Yoon! Trust JiHan?! The Sword King Fan Club is warning you! If you keep being bewitched by JiHan, we won’t recognize you as the Sword King’s daughter!

– The Sword King fans are truly crazy…

Unaware of the chaos in the chat window, JiHan nodded at Sae-ah, telling her she’d done well, and then he looked at Takeda again. “Since Sae-ah also said that, if you have something to say, don’t do it privately, but do it here.”

“I wonder why you’re so against talking in private… I’m saying this because I’m being considerate of your position.”

“Don’t worry.”

Talking privately with the Neo Self-Defense Force recruitment chief for 500 million? That wasn’t a good image. He had no idea what people might say. They might criticize the fact that the father sold out for a woman and the daughter for money.

Of course, 500 million was an amount of money that made such criticism worth it.

‘But there will come a time when money isn’t scarce anymore.’

If JiHan kept growing as a player, money would inevitably follow. That had happened in his previous life, and in his new one, it would happen even faster.

Also…

‘That person… Takeda, he gives me bad vibes.’

To be more precise, he was bothered by his job.

‘When I was in the USA, I heard that the government banned the entry of the chief of recruitment of the Neo Self-Defense Force.’

There was a recruitment chief who’d kept taking promising American people, so the government prohibited the recruitment chief from entering the country.

It was said that there was something strange with him.

Regardless of their race or gender, whenever that bald guy was involved, they strangely went to Japan as if they’d been enchanted.

People said he certainly had a unique Gift, and there was nothing wrong with being cautious.

“Hmm… It doesn’t seem like you’re going to change your mind.” Takeda seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he rubbed his hands again. “Whew, understood. Mr. Sung, Ms. Yoon, it’s my defeat. I will proceed with the purchase of those items for 500 million.”

– Woah.

– What?

– He’s just going to give the 500 million?

“The money is something the Sword King wanted to give, regardless of the private talk, so what needs to be given should be given.”

The chat window exploded at those words.

– Woah. The private talk was never among the conditions in the first place!

– That’s why you mustn’t negotiate with a Japanese!

– As expected, this is why one must be careful of bald people!

– You might insult Japan, but stop insulting bald people!!!!!!

– Everyone, you might also lose your hair at any point in your lives!

Takeda pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “I was originally going to read this in private, but since you refuse, I will convey Sword King Ito’s message here.”

– A message from the Sword King?

– So there was something like that?

Everyone watched his mouth.

“Sae-ah, I’ve heard you will donate the Sword Palace. I’m not sure why you made such a decision. Consider this your last bit of inheritance from me. You should be able to live comfortably with this money.” Takeda cleared his throat before he continued reading the last sentence with particular emphasis. “And with this, our relationship as father and daughter is over, so don’t expect a ‘next time’…”

“Don’t expect a ‘next time’?” JiHan’s expression went cold.

He was telling her to take it and never bother him again.

“Yes, if you look here…” Takeda gave them the paper. Sae-ah, who was standing next to JiHan, spoke in a toneless voice. “It’s Dad’s handwriting.”

“Yes…”

500 million…

For most people, it was an astronomical sum of money, but it wasn’t a significant amount for someone who was ranked 3rd in the world and 1st among Warriors. In fact, he probably earned more money than that in a month.

‘But he’s cutting the parent-child bond with this?’

At least he said ‘sorry’ to his daughter before he left Korea, but that had changed to him proudly saying he would sever their bond.

Despite everything, JiHan’s brother-in-law had seemed like someone who cherished his daughter a lot—he wasn’t such a piece of trash.

JiHan, rather than being angry…

‘Are the rumors about the Beauty Gift true?’

He began to suspect the rumor Park Yoon-sik had mentioned about an SSS-rank Gift called Beauty was real.

“Haha…” Meanwhile, Sae-ah let out a dry laugh as she looked at the letter.

“Mr. Kazuo…”

“Yes, yes?”

“Please tell Mr. Ryuhei that I’ll make good use of this final inheritance and that I’ll gladly cut the parent-child bond, just as he wishes.”

She took the paper from JiHan’s hand and tore it into pieces.

“Uncle, should we go back?” Sae-ah was smiling brightly, with no changes showing in her expression, but nobody believed the smile to be genuine.

“Ah, that’s right. Trash shouldn’t be thrown on the ground…” Sae-ah prepared to pick up the pieces, but her hands were trembling.

Her body was resisting the very act of picking up the pieces of paper with her dad’s handwriting.

‘…’

Seeing that, JiHan extended his hands to the ground. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”

The pieces of paper began floating into the air.

Force was a supreme power that ruled over space, and it was a product of combining Divine Power and Magic Power.

Instead of being used inside a game, it was used for the first time in real life to levitate pieces of paper.

– What’s that?

– What did JiHan do?

– Wasn’t he a Warrior?

– A Mage…? But he didn’t chant…

The viewers were confused.

From what JiHan had shown them, they thought he was a Warrior, so the spectacle they were seeing was completely unexpected.

– Is his Gift related to Telekinesis?

The debate regarding the source of JiHan’s power continued.

“Fire,” JiHan spouted, and the pieces of paper burned and turned into ash.

Those watching reached a conclusion:

– Fire? He’s a Mage!

– JiHan’s a Mage?

– To think that the person who reached 10 kills in a Survival is a Mage class…!

JiHan hadn’t revealed his status window, so those who hadn’t seen him participate in the defense game as a Support naturally thought he was a Warrior, but as he used ‘Fire’ and it was revealed he was a Mage, the chat window fell into chaos.

“Now you don’t have to worry about trash.”

“Uncle…” Sae-ah stared blankly at the fire.

She had a brighter expression than before.

“Were you a Mage?”

“That’s a secret for the moment.”

“To me, too…?”

JiHan smiled and looked at the camera.

“I’ll reveal it once I reach 200,000 subscribers.”

JiHan’s channel had high views but not many subscribers. After all, the number of views had increased because of Sword King-related news, so it was a good opportunity to finish the subscriber-related achievements.

While thinking that, JiHan took his gaze away from the camera.

“Oh… What’s going on? Mr. Sung… Weren’t you a Warrior class? On top of that, what’s this strength…?” Takeda, who was watching everything unfold before him, had his face red with excitement.

Takeda Kazuo, the Neo Self-Defense Force’s Chief of Recruitment…

As expected of someone who’d reached the position of Recruitment Director of Japan’s top guild, he noticed something from what JiHan showed that other people couldn’t.

“Mr. Sung!” Takeda quickly handed him a business card. “Please contact us. We’ll give you the best treatment we can offer! I promise, as the Recruitment Director of the Neo Self-Defense Force!”

“…” JiHan stared at the business card, and then he raised his index finger, and Takeda’s business card began floating and then spun around JiHan’s finger.

Soon after…

Rip.

They heard the card being torn apart.

Rip. Rip. Rip…

“Ah…”

The business card was torn into pieces and then into even smaller pieces that soon turned to dust and vanished.

It only took 10 seconds.

“…”

The auction house, which had been quiet until a moment before, was filled with a buzzing sound.

Rather than using Magic Power, JiHan had torn the card to pieces with Force.

Since the real world had many more restrictions than the game, it was a strength beyond a Bronze’s.

“This is my answer.” JiHan turned away.

Takeda trembled, and the camera caught JiHan’s back.