Chapter 90
Chapter 90
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Eighth Shirt Rip
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I tore my shirt again. This made it the eighth time.
'What the hell.'
It was ridiculous, but since it was necessary, I was following orders. The setup was that my clothes got torn during an intense battle, so it wasn't entirely forced.
Grumbling, I kept shuttling back and forth between Earth and Ardenia.
"Log in."
I'd unleash One Sword Momentum in Ardenia, return to Earth, and film a kissing scene with Hye-young.
"Log out."
Unleash One Sword Momentum in Ardenia, return to Earth, and film a fight scene with Seong-jae.
'I need to think more about martial arts.'
The internal energy I currently possessed was neutral qi without any unique traits. It lacked specialized effects but could be used with any martial art.
This seemed to be because it wasn't the result of cultivating a heart method myself—it was mana gained from class bonuses and collections, processed into chakra.
'Even with Instantaneous Secret, I only use One Sword Momentum. At this rate... I should find a martial art specialized for similar combat styles.'
The advantage of being able to rest by repeatedly logging in and out was overwhelmingly powerful. I couldn't just bury such a strong edge.
If no suitable martial art existed, I planned to invent one.
"Log out."
I unleashed One Sword Momentum and returned to Earth. Then, I leaped forward, my muscles still hot from exertion.
Clang!
"Urk!? What are those guys?"
"Block them!"
The massive cartel army launched an attack.
Seong-jae snapped his fingers to send out a magic field, and I slipped through the gap, shaking off sword aura like lightning to finish them off.
Thud.
Our backs touched.
"Not bad."
"You're decent yourself."
Dry compliments. And then.
"Cut! Alright, prep the next scene!"
With brief applause, the staff rushed around the temporary set. I heard whispers as I discarded my torn clothes.
"I didn't think there'd be a love triangle... but Jaeyeon looks pretty good, doesn't he?"
"Yeah. Great voice, solid aura... I thought he might look too rough, but he's got this wild charm."
"Those split arm muscles are too good... so sexy..."
Pretending not to hear, I checked my reflection in the mirror.
'Good thing I underwent bone purification and marrow replacement.'
Without it, I couldn't have pulled off this constant shirt-ripping trope.
Twenty years in medieval land without any backing.
Injuries were daily life, and there was no proper medical care. Scars covered my body like a child's scribbles—my condition looked terrible.
But bone purification erased all those scars, leaving my skin smooth.
It wasn't all good, though.
'My body got smaller.'
My massive trapezius muscles shrank, and my arms thinned pathetically. The staff cheered 'He's ripped when he strips!' but for someone who'd always been impressive clothed, it was regrettable.
At least my athleticism hadn't dropped despite the smaller frame. It felt like my muscles had been compressed, not just shrunk.
"...Log in."
Sitting in my chair to rest, I entered Ardenia directly.
Whoooosh!
Ching! Crack!
Ice elementals swarming the ramparts spewed cold air and fired ice arrows.
"Hold your shields right!"
"Don't stop advancing! Push into the castle!"
Thousands of soldiers poured through the broken gates.
"Grraaah!"
A yeti blocked the main road with a roar, buying time for monsters to gather and halt the advance.
Instantaneous Secret, First Form.
One Sword Momentum.
I leaped from atop the gate, cleaving its head in two.
"The lord is with us!"
"Advance! Climb the walls! We must seize the north gate!"
"Victory in this war means we become elite soldiers too! We can earn citizenship!"
Most of those sieging now were regular soldiers. The elites who'd challenged the dungeon were mostly resting outside, munching on rice cakes.
'Time limit.'
Helldifficulty dungeons required starting the siege within 2 hours of clearing, and winning within 3 hours of starting.
'Of course, now that the game is reality, we can attack the castle anytime.'
In the game, hostile actions inside the castle were impossible outside siege times, but reality lacked that enforcement.
Kill all monsters and claim the castle—it's yours.
My situation differed.
I had to claim this castle 'system'-wise.
Naturally, the elites who'd entered the dungeon couldn't recover in just hours. Many were seriously wounded, most afflicted with frostbite from the extreme cold. So, I left them to rest and led the remaining forces in the siege.
Our combat power was greatly reduced, of course.
"Hah!"
But the process was easier than expected.
"Block them! Damn humans! Rip their limbs off!"
"Not bad spirit."
An ice golem blocked my path as I charged.
But no chance.
Its cold aura was reduced by 90%, and my strength surpassed the size difference.
Boom!
I grabbed its leg and hurled it, sweeping away dozens of monsters.
I approached the shrieking snow woman and raised my Herculean Sword.
"You can't stop me with these numbers."
The siege difficulty was low. I'd killed most elite monsters clearing the dungeon.
Regular monsters respawned when the siege started, but elites didn't.
No matter the numbers, the gap in level was too vast. How could regular monsters block endless One Sword Momentum from me?
"Log in."
"Log out."
I repeated. Kept repeating. At some point, Seong-jae looked at me and said,
"You finally look human, Jaeyeon."
"What?"
"You look tired. Makes sense—your schedule's packed lately, right?"
As Seong-jae said, I was tired. Naturally, shuttling to Ardenia nonstop for the siege.
Less like waging war, more like a One Sword Momentum machine—but combat was combat.
And on Earth, no rest—just acting. Fatigue piling up was normal.
"Yeah, a bit."
I answered, then pondered.
'Might skip Ardenia for a while? Finishing filming should help.'
But I shook my head.
'No, that won't fix anything.'
It wasn't just now. In a week, a month, a year—I'd be busy. I had to keep earning money, which meant keep working.
"Log in."
"Log out."
But repeating wore me down, stirring doubts again.
I was really tired.
'Just phone it in with acting?'
But I reined in my wavering mind.
'No. If I'm doing it, do it right. More work might come.'
Work harder. My acting guarantee was far below novel patronage, but patronage had limits.
'Lack of works...'
Patronage per work was once only.
Suspecting over ten suspiciously rich patrons, but never two on one work.
In short.
'Hard to get more patronage.'
Encyclopedia-level works were rare; excluding those, few novels left.
Ardenia wasn't literature-rich; monster attacks destroyed many.
Royalties from written works trickled in, but pocket change compared to billions in patronage. I'd abandoned mass appeal from the start.
"Log in."
And amid that, I finally assassinated all elite monsters.
Boom!
Enraged regulars swarmed, but I ignored them and leaped. Superhuman strength plus lightness skill shot me 50 meters up.
"Kasim!"
A white drake appeared midair, catching me.
I'd advanced manually, smashing the gate myself—summoning upfront to the lord's castle would've meant a gang-up death.
Now soldiers filled the castle, advancing—no risk of encirclement.
"...Hm?"
But at the lord's castle, something felt off. No monsters guarding it.
"What? What's going on?"
Bewildered, I searched—no one. Empty building.
I returned to the throne room and sat on the jade throne.
[Han Jaeyeon is attempting to imprint on the jade throne!]
The announcement blared—come stop him. No one came.
"...Whatever. Claiming the castle ends it all."
Suspicious, but not enough to stop. Occupation completes, monsters vanish, castle becomes mine.
But then—battle prescience activated.
"...!"
No time for groans—I drew Herculean Sword, unleashing One Sword Momentum.
Crack! Clang!
The entire lord's castle froze solid. Battle prescience countered, but barely. Unavoidable attack.
[Impressive. Counter-thrusting mid-clash... Hard to believe a mere human killed me, but this makes it plausible.]
I saw the enemy's calm figure, sword impaled in my heart—unfazed.
Awakened Ice Queen (Legendary)
Elisa
'Respawned? Already?'
Locking eyes with the Ice Queen chilled my body to the bone.
Literally.
[Afflicted with abnormal status 'Freeze'!]
A status that should've lasted 5 seconds max wouldn't lift. No reason for a frozen body to recover.
'No way. If she could do this, why not before?'
Stunned, I watched her body crumble from fingertips.
Realization hit.
'Mutual destruction... suicide bomber.'
Incredibly, she'd detonated her core, unleashing cold beyond her limits. Impossible in game. What raid boss packs a trash suicide skill? Just pay diamonds and respawn.
Reality differed.
[Heard from subordinates. You recover from any wound with a word. How's now? Can you?]
"......"
No. Frozen inside out—even Herculean strength useless. Couldn't utter "log out," not blink.
'No way.'
[Inexplicable Battle Prescience] was cheat-level.
Unknown mechanism granted me ambush immunity despite zero senses or intuition.
But not invincible.
No detection meant I couldn't avoid [walking into traps] like this. Late activation—useless. Already center-stage.
'If only I'd brought Stealthstone, trained in Reverse Muscle Marrow Scripture—I'd have sensed the setup.'
Log in/out was cheat-level.
As long as I didn't die, evade and heal. 34th Earth safe—any injury treatable, even permanent disabilities.
But not invincible.
'Didn't expect speech-sealing.'
Unforeseen. Considered special boss respawn post-dungeon, but suicide bombing?
Ice Queen spoke.
[Watched you... Without you, that army's scarecrows. I can sweep them anytime.]
Spot on—no denial. My forces utterly dependent on me.
No heirs—my death shatters everything.
Fsssh...
Her body faded slowly. She gazed fearfully a moment, then composed.
[You die, I revive.]
[I'll freeze your entire army, claim all land.]
With that, Ice Queen vanished.
"......"
Struggling qi circulation—freeze unrelenting.
Consciousness faded.
[Congratulations! One guild has occupied Ice Queen's Paradise!]
[New lord: Han Jaeyeon.]
Finally.
I blacked out.
* * *
Wung!
A new seat opened on my inner go board.
Acupoint.
Nine meridians seated on the board.
Snap!
A new element slotted in. Something Han Jaeyeon never had or trained—unsealed, awakening vividly.
Attribute element, awakened mainly by those with near-death frostbite experience.
Cold qi.