Chapter 64
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 64.
Jin Seo-yeon came with the mages of the Magic Tower to adjust the magic circles in Seoul.
After replacing the worn-out magic stones, they began weaving in new functions.
“You’re using magic stones like they’re water?”
“Well, they’re not our magic stones, are they?”
“Right, they’re mine.”
Yoo Baek-jun was standing beside them.
Since there were many matters in Seoul that required his attention, he had come down personally.
“How long until it’s finished?”
“Hmm, since we need to adjust the magic circles all over the city, it’ll probably take about two or three days.”
“What about the new functions?”
“I’m adding them without you even having to ask.”
The Magic Tower’s skills were undeniable.
They reinforced the existing anti-air defense function in the magic circles and added a feature to pull enemies that breached the barrier down to the ground.
And even a barrier restoration function.
“Good work. What about the golems?”
“Brought them, just like you said. Over there.”
As Jin Seo-yeon gestured, a heavy thudding sound could be heard in the distance. Looking out the window, a group of golems could be seen standing there.
“The golems we made thanks to you, plus the ones you mentioned—I brought them all.”
“Good.”
The golems were largely divided into two types.
One was the defense-specialized golems created from the blueprints Yoo Baek-jun had previously provided.
The other was the long-range interception golems the Magic Tower had always used.
The latter had devices attached to their arms that fired magical projectiles.
“I also brought mages to control the golems. They’ll probably stay here for the rest of the month.”
“You’re not planning to bill me for that too, are you?”
“You’ve got so much money, yet you’re so stingy.”
“Says the Magic Tower, which is no different…”
Yoo Baek-jun let out a sigh.
“You decide the locations. Just tell the mages, and they’ll deploy the golems there.”
“Alright.”
Not a bad arrangement, anyway.
The interception golems would attack demons appearing in the air, while the defense golems would protect both the golems and the civilians.
‘It’d be good to deploy magical weapons too.’
In this world, Gates had been appearing for a long time, and the resources from them were being utilized.
Magical weapons were one such example.
There were likely weapons suitable for attacking enemies swarming from the sky.
‘Money’s no issue.’
It was practically overflowing.
Yoo Baek-jun first contacted his family, then spoke to Director Chae Jeong-jun of the Hunter Association, who had been observing from the sidelines.
“Mr. Chae Jeong-jun.”
“Yes, Yoo Baek-jun.”
“I’d like to deploy magical weapons. I’d appreciate it if your side could handle the necessary permits.”
“Magical weapons? There are already some deployed in Seoul, but I suppose they’re insufficient.”
“Yes, my family has some spare magical weapons, so I plan to bring and use them.”
“Hmm…! Understood. Just let us know the locations, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Chae Jeong-jun’s voice brightened.
“We’ll designate points at each location. If a crisis occurs, we’ll establish a defensive line at Point A. Since it’s the very center of Seoul.”
“We can structure it so the defensive line expands outward from there.”
“Yes, and at the points I designate, we’ll also set up separate magic circles…”
As he listened, Chae Jeong-jun’s eyes gleamed.
If this were a video game with a relationship meter, Baek-jun figured his affection level with Chae Jeong-jun would’ve just shot up.
Not that it mattered.
“Like gaining favor with some guy’s going to do me any good…”
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
“Could you leave now? You’re bothering me.”
“You’re really cold today, huh?”
“I’m too disappointed in you for not bringing Seol-yeong. I’d appreciate it if you left quickly.”
“You, this guy…”
She was clearly irritated that he hadn’t brought Seol-yeong.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed.
“I’ll bring it next time.”
“Good, that’s a great idea. Make sure you do.”
“Hey, if you’re staying late, let’s grab a meal.”
“Hmm, having a meal with you might keep some of the annoying pests away. Not bad.”
“What am I, insect repellent?”
Since he didn’t have the luxury of staying here too long anyway, he left immediately.
Yoo Baek-jun walked through the streets.
As expected for a weekday afternoon, there were many people passing by.
“It’s fascinating.”
“What is?”
Chae Jeong-jun, who was following behind, suddenly spoke up.
“The way you interact so casually with Jin Seo-yeon. It’s surprising to me.”
“Everything seems fascinating to you.”
“Well, it’s hard not to be. I’ve never seen her act so fondly with anyone before.”
“Ah… well.”
‘Fondly’ was putting it mildly.
Due to her unique personality, Jin Seo-yeon didn’t have a wide social circle.
Her upbringing was largely to blame for that.
“Well, we’ve known each other since we were kids.”
Yoo Baek-jun brushed it off casually.
Yoo Baek-jun, Han Seong-ah, and Chae Jeong-jun continued walking through the streets.
“There are a lot of people out, Young Master.”
“Yeah, probably all office workers.”
“Yes, and they’re staring a lot.”
“Well…”
He was used to people staring at him now.
As he walked, Yoo Baek-jun marked points where defenses would be necessary.
Han Seong-ah watched him curiously.
“Young Master, what’s the meaning behind this?”
“What do you mean? These are high-probability points where enemies might strike during the Great Invasion.”
“How do you know that?”
“Thanks to the Demon God’s Jar.”
Yoo Baek-jun subtly pulled out the Demon God’s Jar.
See? The demonic energy is leaking out. Even Han Seong-ah could see it.
“I see. If we hadn’t taken it from those Treasure Hunter bastards, things would’ve been tough.”
“Yeah, good thing we wiped them out in advance.”
Yoo Baek-jun continued his work.
Well, the Demon God’s Jar did have the ability to detect demonic beings. It was useful last time too.
But did it really have the function to predict where Gates would appear?
‘As if the Demon God’s Jar would have such a convenient feature.’
No way.
That was obviously a lie.
He was just relying on his own experience from going through the Great Invasion event multiple times.
Since he couldn’t explain that, he just claimed the Demon God’s Jar had that function.
‘It’s not like this is some miracle solution.’
The Gates would appear in the skies above Seoul.
First, the Legion Commander would appear, followed by the legions under its command.
If he could pinpoint exactly where they’d emerge, he could bombard them the moment they appeared and deal massive damage.
‘The exact spots change each time, but there are overlapping points.’
The locations Yoo Baek-jun marked were such points.
Now, all that was left was to deploy magical weapons on rooftops and position the golems.
The next thing needed was—
“Mr. Chae Jeong-jun, I’d like to build shelters.”
“Shelters for monster attacks? We already have some in place.”
“Aren’t they badly outdated?”
Chae Jeong-jun thought for a moment.
In the past, when monsters frequently attacked Seoul, the shelters were used often.
But recently, with advancements like Gate detection technology, it became possible to suppress attacks before they happened.
“Right. It’s true that the shelters haven’t been used much in at least ten years.”
“Inspect all of them, and if necessary, build more. Also, prepare guidance systems so people can evacuate during emergencies.”
“Understood.”
The look in Chae Jeong-jun’s eyes as he watched Yoo Baek-jun grew even brighter.
The shelters were managed by the Hunter Association, but the organization wasn’t exactly swimming in funds.
So many shelters had been left neglected.
‘This becomes fatal during the Great Invasion event.’
Failing to stop the monsters, allowing them to invade unchecked, or lacking stocked supplies—
Such issues only increased casualties.
It was better to prevent them in advance, even if it was a hassle.
“We should also issue evacuation orders. Can you prepare for that so people can evacuate early?”
“That’s…”
Chae Jeong-jun scratched the back of his head.
“That’s not something the Association can decide alone. It’s up to the Association’s Chairman, and we’d probably need the President’s approval too.”
“Report it and get ready.”
“Yes…”
Even as he spoke, Yoo Baek-jun figured issuing preemptive evacuation orders would be difficult.
Because of internal politics within the Association.
‘Well, it’s worth a try anyway.’
He also had the resources of the Sword Saint Family prepare a massive stockpile of recovery items—Potions, scrolls, and the like.
He intended to minimize casualties, but this was a Great Invasion event unfolding across Seoul.
‘We need at least this much preparation.’
Chae Jeong-jun looked at Yoo Baek-jun with admiration once again.
‘To think there’d be someone like this among the successors!’
By the time they finished the necessary work, evening had fallen.
Chae Jeong-jun left due to overtime work, and Yoo Baek-jun was about to head to his dinner appointment with Jin Seo-yeon when his phone rang.
“Who is it?”
An unfamiliar number.
Spam?
He hesitated briefly before answering.
“Hello?”
―Is this the brat from the Sword Saint Family?
“Hmm…”
Yoo Baek-jun paused to think.
While his standing within the family was weak, there were only a handful of people crazy enough to address him so disrespectfully.
‘A middle-aged voice, someone with the status to call me a brat.’
If it were the family head, it’d be possible.
And the only family head likely to contact him now was—
“Elder Peng Dae-yeop.”
No one else fits.
Sure enough—
―Haha! Quick on the uptake, I like that!
“I figured you’d contact me soon. So-young must have mentioned what happened during the meeting.”
―Hmm! Calling her So-young already? You’ve gotten close, huh? As a father, my feelings are complicated.
“Huh?”
The conversation had taken an odd turn.
But there was no helping it. The Peng Family members all had… unique personalities.
―I heard your family was worried about you, but I never expected things to turn out like this.
“It is surprising that I’m active outside the family, I suppose.”
―Exactly. I thought you’d be trapped within the family’s confines forever.
Yoo Baek-jun smiled bitterly.
In other routes, that’s exactly what happened—until Yoo Tae-rang killed him.
―So, I can understand why my daughter expressed her opinion so strongly.
“She expressed it strongly?”
―Yeah, it was the first time I’d seen her like that. She always just followed orders, but it seems she’s been inspired by you!
Being in a similar position, Yoo Baek-jun was out and about while she wasn’t.
It was only natural for her to have mixed feelings.
―So, brat. If we gather those elixirs like you said, will it actually accomplish something?
“The elixirs alone won’t be enough. There’s more to it, but… it’s not something I can explain over the phone.”
―Such confidence, I like that.
Peng Dae-yeop laughed heartily for a while.
―Alright, so you need our help because something big is happening in Seoul, is that it?
“Correct.”
―In exchange for improving my daughter’s constitution, right?
Yoo Baek-jun’s expression twisted.
This old man. He’s already getting the benefit of her constitution being improved, and now he’s trying to freeload on top of that?
“That’s a separate matter, isn’t it?”
―Why would it be separate? We’re trusting your word about something that might not even happen and sending our warriors to Seoul for two weeks. Considering the loss, this is a fair exchange.
“I disagree.”
Yoo Baek-jun sighed inwardly.
“The Peng Family has oddly bad luck with heirs. I’ve heard Peng So-young is the only heir, so you treat her like a priceless treasure.”
―That’s right, my one and only treasure.
“And you’re aware that this treasure is looked down upon inside and outside the family for her lack of ability, right?”
―Hmm…
Peng Dae-yeop sounded displeased.
Having his daughter insulted to his face couldn’t sit well with him.
But most people would think that way.
In fact, in the Peng Family’s case, internal strife often broke out after Peng Dae-yeop’s death.
“You’re going to act like this when I’m offering to make your one and only heir into a proper person?”
―You’re saying you have the ability to do that?
“Can’t you tell just by looking at me?”
If anyone else had said it, he wouldn’t have believed them.
But the one speaking was Yoo Baek-jun. Peng Dae-yeop knew he had been abandoned by the Sword Saint Family for his utter lack of talent.
But now, things are different. Having witnessed it himself, the words carried weight.
“If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. The loss is yours, not mine. Ah, suddenly I can’t be bothered. Let’s just drop—”
―Hahaha! You’re an interesting one. Among the successors, you’re the first to be this bold.
Peng Dae-yeop cut him off with a laugh.
―Fine, regardless of that matter, I’ll dispatch the Peng Family’s warriors. Now, what do you want in return for improving my daughter’s constitution?
“Oh that…”
Yoo Baek-jun smiled bitterly.
“…You’ll find out soon enough.”