Chapter 69
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 69.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Yoo Baek-jun.”
“How many times are you going to apologize today?”
“No matter how many times I apologize, I still feel ashamed…”
Chae Jeong-jun apologized again, for what felt like the hundredth time. Yoo Baek-jun waved his hand in exasperation.
Yoo Baek-jun waved his hand dismissively, as if he was tired of it.
The two were at the Seoul branch of the Sword Saint family.
“Enough. I already made preparations anyway.”
“Huh?”
At the sudden remark, Chae Jeong-jun tilted his head in confusion.
Yoo Baek-jun called for Lee Jun-woo.
“I anticipated this and brought the magic weapons to Seoul. Lee Jun-woo.”
“Yes, I’ve also arranged for workers in advance, so installation can begin immediately upon your word.”
“We can proceed with the installation, right?”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
Chae Jeong-jun’s face was blank with shock.
“I was just asking. We already secured installation approval through the Sword Saint family.”
“You already got approval? How…?”
“The young master instructed us to obtain permission from the family before coming here.”
“In advance?”
Chae Jeong-jun’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.
Did that mean Yoo Baek-jun had known even before meeting him that he wouldn’t be able to handle things properly?
“Ugh… hmm…”
It was a swirl of emotions.
Relief that the issue had been handled properly, but also sadness at the realization that he hadn’t been trusted enough.
As if sensing his thoughts, Yoo Baek-jun spoke.
“I’m somewhat aware of the internal affairs of the association. Given the chairman’s tendencies, getting approval… was likely difficult from the start.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Right. Well, in that sense, I suppose I’ve placed you all in my debt.”
“Debt?”
The moment he asked, Yoo Baek-jun’s gaze at Chae Jeong-jun carried a hint of pity.
“I gave you an opportunity. A chance to take down that association chairman you all have resented so much.”
“An opportunity… Ah, yes! R-right. Huh? ‘You all’? Uh, who exactly are you referring to…?”
“You must belong to a faction, Chae Jeong-jun. The Hunter Association’s Gate Response Strategy Division… Ugh, the name’s ridiculously long. Shorten it next time.”
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
“In that case, I’ll need compensation.”
“What kind of compensation…?”
“I need recognition.”
“Recognition?”
“Yes. Well, as you may know, my standing within the family isn’t exactly solid.”
That much was true.
The first successor was Yoo Tae-rang, the second was Yoo Jung-yeon, and the rest were irrelevant.
“If this matter concludes successfully, I’d like your side to help raise my profile.”
“You mean through the media or something similar. But wouldn’t the Sword Saint family handle that directly…? No, that was a foolish question.”
As the first successor, Yoo Tae-rang undoubtedly had many supporters within the Sword Saint family.
While he might not be prominent now, once the situation was resolved, his faction would undoubtedly try to suppress Yoo Baek-jun.
“To elevate someone, you must tear someone else down. And as for who that will be…”
“I understand perfectly, Mr. Yoo Baek-jun.”
Chae Jeong-jun smirked darkly.
That would be very pleasing to the Executive Director.
“An evacuation order will likely be impossible. After things unfold, prepare to evacuate people with minimal casualties.”
“Ah, understood.”
Having heard everything, Chae Jeong-jun hurriedly bowed and returned to the association.
He probably had a lot to discuss.
‘An evacuation order can’t be issued… Actually, that might be for the best.’
The fact that the chairman was the one who blocked it was crucial. Once everything was over and the full story began to surface, it would be difficult for him to retain his position.
‘The director is currently at the association.’
He was a supporter of Han Chang-woo, one of the main protagonists of Heroes Road.
Considering future events, building friendly relations with them wouldn’t be a bad idea.
‘That bastard Han Chang-woo too…’
It was about time to seek an opportunity.
In other routes, he begins to stand out after the Great Invasion event.
Since he’d already lit the spark, things would grow complicated within the association as events unfolded.
“Hmm.”
Yoo Baek-jun took out the Demon Jar.
It was swollen, as if it might burst at any moment.
Crunch!
Yoo Baek-jun crushed the candy in his mouth.
“I’ve done everything I can…”
Would they be able to stop the Great Invasion safely?
As the name 'major event' suggested, the Great Invasion was on a different scale from other events.
When it began, countless Gates would open in the sky, and armies would pour out.
‘That’s the first wave.’
The Great Invasion consisted of two waves.
They had to stop the Underworld demons’ invasion, which would come in two stages.
The first wave would involve three armies.
‘Whether it’s the association or the government, they’ll be indifferent until the first wave hits. They’ll only scramble into action once their feet are on fire…’
It didn’t matter.
The first wave would be handled smoothly. He’d prepared enough for that.
In fact, the lack of an evacuation order would be an advantage for the first wave.
The enemy would assume they hadn’t anticipated the attack.
‘Still, I can’t just let people die.’
Yoo Baek-jun had studied the map and marked several key points—areas where the demons’ attacks would be especially fierce.
He’d instructed the Sword Saint family to ensure the residents of these areas left Seoul by any means necessary.
“As for the second wave…”
By then, the government would panic and issue an evacuation order to the citizens.
The real problem was the second wave onward.
‘There are two patterns.’
In one pattern, the second wave would come a week after the first was repelled.
In the other, the second wave would begin immediately after the first ended.
‘The first pattern is more manageable, but the second isn’t a problem either. Though in that case… the lack of an evacuation order would sting a bit.’
It wasn’t for nothing that he’d secured the Holy Grail.
Still, just in case, he’d made a few preparations to counter the second pattern.
“When the time comes, the entire demon realm will cross over.”
It wasn’t just the demons.
The demons’ commander had spent a long time preparing to transport their entire race to this world.
‘And the means to do so is relaying the entire land mass itself.’
A chunk of the demon realm’s land would pass through the Gate and position itself above Seoul.
It was a miracle made possible by the commander’s spatial manipulation abilities and the demons’ long preparation.
‘If we fail, Seoul will fall under demon rule. The demon realm hovering above would become a symbol of their dominion.’
He couldn’t let that happen.
Even when playing Heroes Road, he’d restart if he failed to stop the Great Invasion.
But now, this world was his reality. There was no restart.
“Sigh…”
Yoo Baek-jun looked at the sky outside—pitch black, impossible to see even an inch ahead.
“I wish life could be easy…”
It was a desperate wish.
Why couldn’t he live comfortably in this gifted body?
Once the Great Invasion event ended, he’d have to prepare for Yoo Tae-rang immediately.
And after that…
‘I’ll have to make a trip to the martial world.’
After the Great Invasion, a Gate to the Northern Sea Ice Palace would open.
He needed to secure that Gate before anyone else found it.
‘There’s so much to gain there—martial arts, traits, items… No reason not to go.’
But to do that, he’d have to save that princess…
Yoo Baek-jun clutched his throbbing head.
“Please, just let me have an easy life…”
He truly wanted it.
***
A room in the Sword Saint family’s Seoul branch.
It was a luxurious room reserved for important figures of the Sword Saint family, equipped with all sorts of amenities.
Yoo Baek-jun opened the Book of the Martial God there.
‘I received an achievement reward.’
A B-rank trait selection ticket.
An item that allowed him to learn any B-rank trait recorded in the Book of the Martial God.
He’d already decided what to learn.
‘Magical Veins.’
Despite being a B-rank trait, it cost over 1,000P, making it one of the most expensive.
But its effects were worth it.
Deciding to save his 900P for later, Yoo Baek-jun chose to learn this.
[Magical Veins (B)]
―Thanks to an innate constitution, the veins throughout the body are optimized for magic. Allows for greater mana storage and regeneration.
The book glowed.
Yoo Baek-jun closed his eyes, vividly feeling the changes within his body.
How should he describe it?
It felt like blocked veins were suddenly cleared.
A refreshing sensation.
“Mm!”
Seizing the moment, he activated his mind technique and also tried Blood Flow Acceleration.
Thanks to magical Veins, the efficiency of his mind technique had improved. He could absorb more magic than before.
And Blood flow Acceleration…
‘The magic consumption is still high, but the usable duration has increased significantly.’
The strain was lighter than before.
Yoo Baek-jun checked his status window.
With Demon Hunter, Magical Veins, and the other traits he’d acquired so far, it was quite impressive.
“To reach this point in two months… I’ve worked hard.”
Yoo Baek-jun immersed himself in the book, lost in thought. Then, something approached him.
―Meow.
It was Seol-yeong .
The cat casually placed its paw on the Book of the Martial God.
“What are you doing, putting your paw on our sacred ancestor’s book?”
―Grr? Meow!
When he removed its paw, it placed it back again.
And again.
It seemed like a game to the cat.
Or maybe it was demanding attention.
He’d been too busy lately to pay it much mind.
―Mrrp.
“Hey, aren’t you going to move?”
―Grrr.
“Tch, you…”
Yoo Baek-jun lifted Seol-yeong up.
Its bright, curious eyes were full of curiosity.
Though they hadn’t known each other long, it had grown much closer compared to when they first met.
“…….”
―…….
It still didn’t trust humans, but it played with Jin Seo-yeon and Han Seong-ah.
Yoo Baek-jun examined the cat he’d lifted, turning it this way and that. Seol-yeong stared back intently, then—
―Meeow!
Thud!
“Oof!”
It kicked him squarely in the chest.
He lost his grip, and the cat smoothly scaled the wall before landing gracefully on the floor.
“You… damn cat…”
It licked its paw nonchalantly after landing.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed and closed the Book of the Martial God.
Unfortunately, he planned to leave Seol-yeong with the Sword Saint family during the Great Invasion.
“Hurry up and grow, will you? I can’t take you anywhere like this.”
Seol-yeong flicked its tongue out.
Somehow, it looked adorable.
***
The next day.
The magic weapons were installed in a single day. Thanks to prior preparations, it was possible.
The Sword Saint family had directly contacted the President to secure the necessary permits.
They’d also discovered that the association chairman hadn’t reported to the president.
‘As expected.’
The sky’s condition remained ominous.
He’d suggested an evacuation order to the government, but they wanted to wait and observe a little longer.
The relevant departments were investigating the anomalies in the sky, and they claimed it wouldn’t be too late to act after the investigation concluded.
Meanwhile, public sentiment had shifted.
―Why is the air pollution in Seoul so bad lately?
―Ugh, no idea. Can’t even see the sunlight. My laundry won’t dry, and it’s starting to smell. So annoying.
―But… is that really just pollution?
At first, everyone assumed it was just severe pollution or abnormal weather.
After all, strange weather patterns had occurred occasionally since Gates appeared.
But as the sky remained pitch black, people gradually began to sense something was wrong.
“How are the evacuation shelters?”
“All reinforced. The Hunter Association’s hunters are scheduled to guide people there.”
“That’s good. What about the other guilds?”
“All are on standby at the locations you specified, young master. The Magic Tower has also prepared their magic weapons and golems.”
Yoo Baek-jun meticulously checked everything he’d prepared for contingencies.
All the guilds that had attended the meeting had gathered.
The Crimson Crusade, Peng Family, Magic Tower, Sword Saint family. Thanks to the association’s coordination, hunters based in Seoul were also on standby.
“What about the rankers?”
“Chae Jeong-jun was quite clever. He used every excuse to keep them in Seoul. Once things start, they’ll have no choice but to help.”
“Compensate them generously. We don’t want complaints later. The same goes for the other hunters.”
“Understood. We’ve already discussed it with the association.”
All possible preparations were complete.
Yoo Baek-jun gave his equipment one final check and kept a close watch on the sky’s movements.
And then, that evening.
The <Great Invasion> event began.