Chapter 92
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 92.
“So, that land called the Demon Realm.”
“Yes.”
Yoo Moo-hak showed interest.
“What do you plan to do with it?”
“I’m currently looking for a decent spot near Seoraksan Mountain. We can’t just leave it hovering over Seoul forever, and people are already clamoring for us to get rid of it quickly.”
“…Where are you planning to move it?”
Yoo Min asked.
A suitable place to relocate the Demon Realm.
Placing it in Seoraksan Mountain was out of the question. The environment there was far too harsh.
‘This will be my future base—I can’t just dump it in some desolate place.’
Fortunately, there was a suitable location near Seoraksan Mountain.
“We’ll put it in the sea.”
“…You mean the Sokcho coast?”
“Yeah, it’s just right. We’ll place it there and use the Demon Tower’s assistance to create a teleportation magic circle.”
“Not a bad idea.”
Yoo Moo-hak didn’t seem particularly displeased. However, Yoo Tae-rang had a slightly different opinion.
“The Demon Realm, was it? I heard that land is rich in rare ores and magic stones. Is that true?”
“Yes, according to Bigtums. We’ll know for sure once we dig deeper, but it’s probably accurate.”
“I’ll send some gnomes over.”
Yoo Baek-jun’s chopsticks paused for a moment.
“They’re experts in magical engineering. Besides, we’ve already exhausted a large portion of our magic stones. Sending them to the Demon Realm to mine and research there would be ideal.”
At first glance, it sounded like a good proposal.
Who wouldn’t want to make use of skilled gnomes for free?
But there was a catch.
‘The problem is, those gnomes would gladly die for Yoo Tae-rang if he ordered it.’
They owed their loyalty to him.
Moreover, the Gnome King had commanded them to follow Yoo Tae-rang, so they regarded him as their king and obeyed him without question.
Letting those guys into the Demon Realm?
‘How am I supposed to know what kind of sabotage they’ll pull?’
In fact, during a few playthroughs in the game, gnomes had trolled the Demon Realm before.
That had to be prevented at all costs.
“The Demon Realm still needs development, so discussing this now feels premature. Instead, if we discover any magic stones, I’ll send them to the family.”
“You don’t want the gnomes going to the Demon Realm?”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want them there.”
Yoo Baek-jun scratched his cheek.
“It’s just that some adjustments are needed first.”
“Adjustments?”
“Yes. I’m not a child anymore, Brother. Since it’s land I obtained, I’ll manage it myself.”
“You’re saying that?”
“What’s stopping me? Let me try first, and if I fail, you can take over.”
The Demon Realm still needed work.
The demons didn’t rebel for no reason—it was because the realm was barren and barely habitable.
‘I need to grow some plants.’
Plants that could cover the entire Demon Realm.
The means to do so lay within the Magic Tower. For multiple reasons, he planned to visit the tower soon.
In any case, that was Yoo Baek-jun’s intention, but Yoo Tae-rang didn’t seem pleased.
“Do you really think you can manage it? Wouldn’t it be better to entrust it to someone more capable?”
“For example?”
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
“Someone like you, Brother?”
Yoo Tae-rang fell silent.
Just as he was about to say something—
“Leave it to Yoo Baek-jun.”
“Father.”
Yoo Moo-hak interjected.
The unexpected remark made even the usually composed Yoo Tae-rang widen his eyes slightly.
He hadn’t anticipated his father siding with Yoo Baek-jun.
“He said he’d handle it, and since he’s the one who obtained it, it’s only fair to give him a chance. But if he fails, that’s the end of it.”
“Yes, if that happens, I’ll hand it over to Brother Yoo Tae-rang.”
“…….”
With the conversation taking this turn, Yoo Tae-rang couldn’t say anything more.
“…….”
“…….”
The meal continued in silence.
‘What a heartwarming family dinner.’
Yoo Baek-jun laughed bitterly to himself.
Heartwarming? More like painfully awkward.
* * *
With the whole family gathered, Yoo Moo-hak decided to observe the morning training session.
Under the watchful eyes of the grandmasters and instructors, the disciples began their drills.
‘Hmm, this familiar sight.’
Yoo Baek-jun felt a sense of déjà vu.
“The disciples who returned with Brother Yoo Tae-rang have noticeably improved.”
“They’ve been through a lot.”
“And yet, there were no casualties.”
“They’re the ones who will carry the family’s future—we couldn’t just let them die in a foreign world.”
“The ones who will carry the family’s future…”
Yoo Jung-yeon smiled ambiguously, trailing off. How ridiculous those words must sound.
“Look, it’s Lord Yoo Tae-rang.”
“He looks even more imposing than two months ago.”
“As expected, the family’s heir…”
The disciples praised Yoo Tae-rang.
Given his unshakable standing within the family, such evaluations weren’t surprising.
“What are you talking about? Lord Yoo Baek-jun is here too.”
“Right, he’s more than qualified as well.”
“After what he showed in Seoul recently…”
But not everyone shared the same opinion.
Word had spread within the family about Yoo Baek-jun’s decisive role in stopping the Great Invasion and how he was hailed as a hero by the public.
Some had even begun to admire him for it.
“…….”
Yoo Tae-rang noticed it too.
In the past, discussions would’ve revolved solely around him and Yoo Jung-yeon—mostly him.
But now, Yoo Baek-jun was included. This situation displeased him greatly.
‘Annoying. He still has some use left.’
Yoo Tae-rang glanced at Yoo Kang-ho.
That bastard’s usefulness had plummeted. Was there any way to salvage it?
And if possible, he’d also like to test the extent of Yoo Baek-jun’s power.
‘This won’t do. I need to see for myself.’
He’d heard plenty about Yoo Baek-jun but had never witnessed his strength firsthand.
Yoo Tae-rang decided to test Yoo Baek-jun’s abilities right then and there.
“I heard Yoo Kang-ho and Yoo Baek-jun sparred here before I arrived. Is that correct?”
“Y-Yes?”
Yoo Kang-ho flinched.
Yoo Jung-yeon clapped as if she’d just remembered.
“Ah, right. He sparred with Kang-ho too. It ended pretty one-sidedly, didn’t it?”
“…Sister, is this really the place for that?”
“Tch!”
Yoo Kang-ho, who had been silent until now, gritted his teeth.
But it didn’t last long—soon, his body trembled. He could feel Yoo Tae-rang’s gaze.
“Right, I heard about it. You lost to Yoo Baek-jun and didn’t even bother to redeem yourself, so you lost access to the family’s resources. Is that accurate?”
“N-No, that’s not…”
“Losing a spar isn’t the end of the world. But not even trying to improve afterward? That’s incomprehensible.”
“Ugh…”
The already tense atmosphere grew even colder.
“Pathetic.”
Watching this, it was clear just how much Yoo Moo-hak and Yoo Tae-rang resembled each other.
In the game and among players, it was widely accepted that Yoo Tae-rang had inherited Yoo Moo-hak’s blood most strongly.
Their actions, their values—everything.
‘Well, that’s not the only reason he’s angry.’
Yoo Kang-ho had given up his succession rights and devoted everything to Yoo Tae-rang—just to survive.
Yoo Tae-rang had accepted him because he saw value in what he offered.
‘But now, all of that has essentially shifted to me.’
On top of that, the failed gate raids had drastically reduced the number of instructors and disciples under Yoo Kang-ho’s faction.
No wonder he was furious.
“Still, Father.”
“Speak.”
“Give Yoo Kang-ho one more chance. He may be incompetent, but I’ll personally guide him back on the right path.”
So, he wanted to reclaim what Yoo Kang-ho had lost—which was effectively his own assets.
Everyone glanced briefly at Yoo Moo-hak before stealing looks at Yoo Baek-jun, who remained unperturbed.
“Father, surely this much…”
“That’s not for me to decide.”
“Huh?”
Yoo Tae-rang, unusually, questioned him.
“Ask Yoo Baek-jun. He was the one who won the spar, and the rewards are his to claim.”
“…….”
Yoo Baek-jun felt the weight of their gazes.
Slurp.
He took a sip of tea first.
‘Smoothly passing the responsibility, huh.’
He sighed inwardly.
He’d expected this development, but that didn’t make it any more pleasant.
“Baek-jun.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Don’t you think it’s time to show some magnanimity?”
“Magnanimity, you say?”
It sounded like a noble sentiment.
The problem was that it came from Yoo Tae-rang’s mouth and was directed at Yoo Kang-ho.
“Anyone listening would think Brother Yoo Kang-ho had shown me tremendous generosity.”
“What?”
Yoo Baek-jun lowered his teacup slightly, revealing Yoo Tae-rang’s face—now twisted in displeasure.
“I mean, what exactly have I received from Brother Yoo Kang-ho that warrants my magnanimity?”
“As the heir of the Sword Saint family, you shouldn’t harbor such petty—”
“Then I’ll just stay petty, Brother.”
“…….”
Did he think he was dealing with a pushover?
Slurp.
Yoo Baek-jun took another sip.
“The tea is delicious, Brother. You should try some.”
“…….”
Yoo Tae-rang shut his mouth.
“Or how about another spar? If Brother Yoo Kang-ho can defeat me, I’ll consider it. That’s only fair.”
A faint smirk flickered across his lips—brief, but telling.
The smile of someone whose plan had succeeded.
“Yoo Kang-ho.”
“Y-Yes!”
Yoo Tae-rang locked eyes with someone behind him before turning back to Yoo Kang-ho without a word.
The implicit pressure to accept the spar was undeniable.
“I… I…”
Yoo Kang-ho stammered.
To redeem himself, he had to defeat Yoo Baek-jun and reclaim what he’d lost.
But,
‘C-Can I even win?’
Everyone in the family knew about Yoo Baek-jun’s recent exploits.
He’d even gained nationwide fame through media coverage.
‘Fighting that guy…’
He had no confidence.
At first, he’d thought he’d lost because he’d underestimated his opponent. Given another chance, he believed he could win.
But now, things are different.
‘Even I would struggle against those demonic monsters that appeared in Seoul.’
How was he supposed to defeat Yoo Baek-jun, who had slaughtered them like nothing?
Unlike before, Yoo Kang-ho’s confidence had been severely dented.
“Are you saying you can’t do it?”
“N-No, it’s just…”
Yoo Tae-rang’s gaze turned frostier.
Yoo Kang-ho felt a dull ache in his once-broken right arm. Even his healed wounds throbbed.
Sensing—no, already knowing—that Yoo Kang-ho had no will to fight, Yoo Tae-rang turned away.
“…….”
“…….”
The man he’d exchanged glances with earlier nodded and stepped forward.
“Young Master Kang-ho seems unwell. How about I step in instead?”
“What?”
It was Kim Mok-jun.
Yoo Tae-rang’s right-hand man, the one who handled his dirty work.
He let out a frivolous chuckle.
Yoo Tae-rang’s expression darkened.
“Kim Mok-jun, don’t overstep. This isn’t your place.”
“Ah, my apologies. It’s just that Young Master Baek-jun’s reputation is so dazzling—I couldn’t help but be curious. Forgive my presumptuousness…”
Kim Mok-jun’s eyes gleamed for the briefest moment.
“Surely the other instructors and disciples are curious too? Whether the rumors are exaggerated…”
“Kim Mok-jun!”
“Eek! Forgive me, Young Master!”
Yoo Tae-rang barked, and Kim Mok-jun scratched the back of his neck while bowing repeatedly.
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue at the act.
‘Cheap theatrics.’
Those who had fought alongside him during the Great Invasion knew—and believed—what he’d done.
But the family members who’d stayed behind were different.
Having only heard rumors, some assumed they were exaggerated.
In truth, the government and the association’s media play had indeed amplified Yoo Baek-jun’s achievements.
‘If I let this slide, those voices will only grow louder. Not that I didn’t see this coming.’
Yoo Baek-jun popped a candy into his mouth.
“Do the rumors feel exaggerated?”
Crunch!
He bit down.
“Then test it out. See for yourself whether they’re true or not.”