Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Genius Awakened's Stream (1)
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“A-a-a 5-Star?! But Mr. Oh-jin, didn’t you just reach 4-Star two months ago?!”
“I did.”
“What in the…”
He trailed off, his mouth agape with an expression of sheer disbelief.
A look of utter incredulity.
Oh-jin casually lowered his shirt to reveal the Seongheun on his chest.
*‘Taking my shirt off in front of this gorilla-like man feels a bit weird.’*
What can you do?
There was no more direct way to prove his ‘Star’ level.
“Huh.”
A short gasp escaped Director Han’s lips as he saw the five distinct lines etched next to the Seongheun.
“T-to actually become a 5-Star in just two months.”
Oh-jin had awakened the Seongheun of Geomungojari around November last year.
It was now June, meaning he had reached 5-Star in a little over half a year since his awakening.
And not with some trivial Seongheun, but with the Seongheun of Bukgeukseong.
“…I can’t even write an article about this.”
Director Han sighed deeply, pressing a hand to his forehead.
Rumors were already circulating that the Association’s article about Noerang reaching 4-Star in less than half a year was fabricated. If they announced he was now a 5-Star, no one would believe it.
They’d probably call him a fraud or something, only deepening the distrust.
“Well, it’s not like there have been zero Awakened who reached 5-Star in half a year, right?”
“That’s only true for trivial Seongheun that are easy to level up.”
Among those with a Seongheun of the Hwangdo 12-gung or higher, no one had ever reached 5-Star in half a year.
*‘Although, among the Chilseong, Nokjonseong did rise quickly.’*
But even that wasn’t in half a year.
“In any case, it would be best to keep this a secret for a while.”
If someone runs the 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds, they’re praised for a new world record, but if they suddenly clock in at 6 seconds, wouldn’t they be met with suspicion instead of praise?
“That’s a bit disappointing.”
As he had said before.
Fame and honor are, in themselves, a great power.
Look at the Byeolbit Hosu Guild. They kicked out Choi Jong-cheol, a guild executive, without a second thought, all because of a single complaint from him.
And at the time, he was a 3-Star, while Choi Jong-cheol was a 6-Star Awakened.
They hadn’t hesitated to cast out a 6-Star Awakened over a complaint from a mere 3-Star.
*‘That’s the power of fame.’*
If he could prove he’d reached 5-Star just two months after becoming a 4-Star, it was obvious he’d gain an even more solid reputation than before.
No one would turn down a lottery ticket that was a guaranteed winner.
*‘Well, I should probably listen to Jun-man here.’*
Even if he took a picture of the five lines etched on his chest and posted it, people would surely suspect it was fake.
The reaction would be the same even if he filmed and uploaded a Seongheun demonstration video.
People are naturally suspicious of things that defy their common sense.
“Then I’ll be back in a week.”
He planned to focus on recovery for the remaining week.
***
One week until the weapon was complete.
During that time, he focused on recovering his stamina as planned, eating his fill and resting.
He didn’t spare any expense on food, just as Riak had advised.
Nutrient shakes made from blended chicken breast and vegetables, raw salmon and meat, various nuts and supplements.
He bought all sorts of nutrient-rich foods and forced them down.
*‘I never knew eating could be this agonizing.’*
At least 4,000 calories a day.
For Oh-jin, who usually ate so little it was closer to fasting than just eating small meals, a diet of over five meals a day was nothing short of torture.
*‘Still, though.’*
The effects were undeniable.
In just one week, he had quickly gained weight, and his muscles had swelled.
His once-gaunt ribs were no longer visible.
“Holy crap. This can actually happen in a week.”
Oh-jin, shirtless in front of the mirror, let out a gasp of admiration.
Now that he had put on some weight, his body was in such good shape he could have been a fitness model.
*‘My stamina has increased, too.’*
Was this the balance of mind, spirit, and body that Riak had talked about?
All he had done for a week was eat and rest, yet his strength and stamina had increased significantly.
*‘My mana circuits are still a weak point, though.’*
Well, that wasn’t a problem that could be easily solved without raising his ‘Star’ level.
-*Click.*
“Oh-jin, I was just organizing your things for the gate…”
Ha-eun, who had just opened the door and walked in, froze with her mouth wide open.
“Y-your body?”
“Phuhu! How is it? A lot better to look at than before, right?”
Oh-jin flexed his arms into an ‘O’ shape like a bodybuilder.
“…*Gulp*.”
A dry swallow went down Ha-eun’s throat.
She turned away, her cheeks red, and uselessly fanned her face with her hand.
“I-it’s a little hot.”
It was June.
It *was* hot.
But that didn’t seem to be the reason she was feeling hot.
“Hehe. Why are you suddenly sweating so much?”
He approached her playfully.
“Kyaa!”
She shrieked and ran away.
This reaction is pretty fun.
“You little punk… you wanna mess with your nunna?”
Her fluster lasted only a moment.
She snorted and, as if nothing was wrong, came closer.
“You think your nunna, huh? You think I’d get flustered over something like this?”
With a trembling hand, she placed it on Oh-jin’s shoulder.
*Squeeze, squeeze.*
She felt his firm, swollen muscles.
“Oh man. Th-this is crazy.”
Getting caught up in the mood, her hand now crept past his shoulder and down to his chest.
“Hey, how far are you going to touch?”
This nunna?
“Ahem. Just stay still.”
Ha-eun groped his body with a thoroughly excited expression.
“Hu, huhuhu. Hihi. Heheheh.”
Now she was even letting out a weird laugh.
Soon, she nodded her head with a satisfied look.
“See, I raised this man right.”
“Anyone hearing that would think you actually raised me.”
“It’s basically the same thing. Anyway, keep eating well and grow up big and strong, okay?”
She grinned and patted his butt.
Patting someone else’s butt so casually.
“This is sexual harassment.”
“Oh, really? Calling what your nunna does sexual harassment? Sexual harassment?”
“Then I’ll touch you too?”
“Wh-what?”
*Flinch.*
Ha-eun’s shoulders trembled.
*Ahem!* She quickly cleared her throat and spun around.
“Huhu. You punk, you wanted to touch this nunna’s booty that badly?”
*Sway, sway.*
She swayed her hips alluringly right in front of him, as if to provoke him.
“Kyahahat! If you want to touch it, then tou—”
*Groooope.*
“Hmm.”
Firm.
“KYAAAAAAAH!! Y-you actually touched it, you bastard!”
“You told me to.”
“Th-that was just an expression!! You little punk!”
Ha-eun huffed and lightly pinched his side.
It was more ticklish than painful.
“Oh?”
Oh-jin, not one to take it lying down, pinched her side back.
“Kyahahat! Th-that tickles!”
“You started it.”
“Why you!”
As they were giggling and pinching each other’s sides.
[…So. When do you plan on departing?]
Vega, perched atop Riak’s head, asked with narrowed eyes.
She seemed quite displeased, her legs crossed and her foot tapping impatiently.
[To be laughing and joking so casually right before a life-or-death battle with monsters shows a severe lack of awareness. A true warrior must properly prepare their mind and body before a fight…]
She continued to mutter, as if scolding a child.
It seemed she was quite displeased that Oh-jin and Ha-eun were laughing and chatting so happily together.
“Hmph.”
Ha-eun turned to Vega and smirked.
“If you’re jealous, just say you’re jealous.”
[J-jealous…!]
*Crackle!*
Sparks flew from Vega’s silver hair as it floated up.
[I am offering you profound advice, and you dare speak such nonsense!]
“Oh my~ Is that so?”
[You insolent girl!]
Now Vega and Ha-eun started bickering.
*‘Nunna and Vega have gotten pretty close.’*
Well.
It made sense, since they’d been spending more time together lately as his activity periods grew longer.
And it wasn’t like Ha-eun was the type to be intimidated just because Vega was a Seongjwa.
“Let’s get going.”
He stopped the two from arguing and gathered his gear.
*Click.*
He strapped the wire shooter he’d received from Director Han yesterday to his wrist and picked up a metal rod the size of a handheld flashlight.
*‘He said it turns into a spear if I channel mana into it, right?’*
When he lightly channeled mana into it, the flashlight-sized metal rod transformed into the shape of a long glaive.
“Kuh, nice.”
Portability, one of the chronic weaknesses of a spear, was easily solved.
“Brat. Are we going hunting?”
“Yep. You’re coming with, right?”
“Grrr! Of course. A warrior cannot avoid the battlefield.”
Riak’s lips curled into a smile, eager to move his body for the first time in a while.
“Then let’s go.”
*Click.*
He opened the door and went outside.
He went down to the parking lot, got in the car, and headed for Busan.
-*Bustle!*
After driving for about five hours, he arrived at the gate.
He could see a sizable crowd gathered in front of the gate.
“Wow, it’s packed with people.”
Ha-eun looked at the crowd in front of the gate and shook her head, looking fed up.
“Were there always this many 5-Star or higher Awakened in our country?”
“They’ve all gone crazy because you can get two Seong'yuseok at a time.”
He had expected a large crowd.
“But can we even hunt with all these people?”
“I heard the inside is huge. And that a lot of monsters spawn.”
They would just have to go a little deeper.
“Alright! Then let’s go!”
Ha-eun grinned and strode forward.
Riak and Vega followed behind her.
Oh-jin watched their backs as they walked ahead and let out an incredulous chuckle.
*‘A Seongjwa and a spirit, a rare Awakened of Yongjari, and an Apostle of Bukgeukseong all in one party.’*
There probably wasn’t a party like this even in the first timeline’s world.
It was while he was thinking this and heading toward the gate.
“Hello~! Viewers! It’s your skilled gate-clearing streamer, JerryKim!”
An energetic voice came from the side.
“Today, I’m here again in front of the hot-topic gate where Seong'yuseok are being duplicated! Haha! You think I’ve been coming here too much lately? C’mon, how could I not come here?”
A handsome young man with orange-dyed hair lifted a large sack beside him.
“This is the Seong'yuseok I’ve farmed here for a month! How could I not come here!”
*Pahahat!*
He burst out with a bright laugh and proudly shook the sack.
“You think everyone’s gathering this much? Nah, it’s only because it’s me!”
The young man shrugged his shoulders boastfully and continued talking to the camera.
“…What’s that?”
Oh-jin tilted his head and looked at him.
“You don’t know JerryKim?”
“JerryKim?”
The name sounded familiar.
“He’s super famous. JerryKim, the 6-Star Awakened of Gungsujari. He’s an independent who streams himself solo hunting in gates.”
“Hoh.”
Gungsujari was a powerful constellation belonging to the Hwangdo 12-gung.
A 6-Star Awakened of the Hwangdo 12-gung would be welcomed with open arms by any guild, yet he was an independent streamer.
“Do internet streams make a lot of money?”
“Well, the ones who make a lot, make a *lot*. But it’s probably more for the fame, you know? The viewers praise him in real-time.”
That made sense.
A 6-Star Awakened from the Hwangdo 12-gung probably wasn’t streaming because he was short on cash.
*‘Streaming, huh.’*
It did pique his interest.
“Don’t even think about it, punk. It has its pros, but the cons are huge too. One wrong word and you can get canceled.”
“I guess so.”
Fame is hard to build but easy to lose in an instant.
If he were desperate for money like before, maybe.
But since that wasn’t the case, there was no need to get hung up on streaming.
“Let’s just ignore it and go in.”
“Kay.”
And so, he followed Ha-eun into the gate.