Chapter 375
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 375
Chapter Title: Invitation to the Survival League
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Jeong Hoon, having sealed the rift, immediately returned to Seoul.
James Marcus, left alone, entered a nearby park and sat on a bench to rest.
He'd been told to take his time deciding on the gear, since he'd receive it later, but what James wanted was a shield.
If the shield's rank goes up, my defense will increase even further.
He resolved to become an even more perfect tank, blocking every attack flawlessly.
But in truth, he'd long realized it was impossible to block every attack.
Honey1no, Hoon he was truly amazing.
Honey1 was how he'd introduced himself as Jeong Hoon.
And with his number in hand, James had become one of the few people to exchange contacts with Jeong Hoon himself.
The corners of James's mouth kept twitching upward.
"Heh heh, looks like my acting was pretty good after all."
Oh, and he needed to clear up the misunderstanding.
James hurriedly called Sophia.
But though the ringtone sounded, the call didn't connect.
"What the? This has never happened before."
Had something happened to her?
James quickly turned on his GPS.
Yet the location that should have been in France was showing in LA.
And very close by, at that.
"James."
At that voice, James's head whipped around, his eyes widening.
"Sophia, what brings you here?"
"I came because I wanted to, so don't look at me like that."
"Then?"
"The others will arrive soon too."
"The others?"
He didn't understand at first, but soon enough, he did.
Sophia had summoned all their comrades to LA.
James stared at her in shock, and Sophia shrugged.
"If you'd really become an avatar, I was going to call everyone to beat some sense into you."
"You..."
"But looks like you didn't, huh?"
Sophia narrowed her eyes, scanning him up and down.
James couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"Pfft, was that what you were so worried about?"
"W-What?!"
Her face flushed red as a ripe apple, her weak spot pierced.
"Heh heh. That's right. Sophia was really worried about you, James."
Amelie Reina covered her mouth as she smiled.
"When did I?!"
Sophia shrieked, while Amelie tilted her head innocently, as if wondering why she was embarrassed.
She's really got a knack for teasing.
Amelie was never the purely innocent type.
If anything, she was sly.
Just looking at her class made it hard to see her as a simple saintess.
She divided good and evil by her own standards, and if something was deemed evil, she brought down merciless judgmentthat was Amelie Reina.
If I had become an avatar, her gaze would have turned icy.
Amelie Reina saw avatars as evil.
When she placed the concept of an avatar on her scales, it tipped toward evilthat was proof.
"I was an avatar for a little while, actually."
With no need to hide anymore, James Marcus decided to be honest.
"You were an avatar?"
Everyone's eyes wavered at his words.
"Of course, not anymore. The contract broke."
"...Explain it so we can understand."
Louis Verdant said with a stern face.
His cold tone felt like a warning that he wouldn't let it slide if it wasn't convincing.
James Marcus took a moment to steady his breath, then spoke.
"I got a request."
"A request?"
"From Honey1."
"Honey1?! How did that guy"
"Yeah. Anyway, unlike the transcendent who sent the message, he asked me to let another transcendent who wants to destroy Earth get close. Using jealousy as the medium."
Everything Honey1 had said was true, and having witnessed his power up close, James knew there was no catching up to him, no matter what.
James explained everything that had happened.
"...So that's why he talked to me like that?"
"Sorry. To fool the guy's eyes, I had to act like a James Marcus consumed by jealousy."
"Well... if you'd told us the truth, he might've noticed."
"Right. And now that it's all over, I can finally come clean."
"So, any thoughts of becoming an avatar?"
"Never had any to begin with."
James grinned.
He had already rejected the sent message and refused to become an avatar.
"Ha, don't scare us like that."
"This is all because Sophia put the fear in me."
Amelie slyly turned the arrow toward Sophia.
Furious, Sophia aimed her staff at Amelie.
"You wanna die for real?"
"Eek! Spare me!"
At that moment.
Back in Seoul, Jeong Hoon immediately linked up with Hoyoung.
I hope everyone joins up with Hoyoung.
At Jeong Hoon's request, his mother, Ha-jin, and Deok-gu soon joined Hoyoung as well.
"Whew, Hoon. Long time no see."
Upon arriving at Hoyoung, Park In-tae greeted Jeong Hoon with a trembling voice.
"Yeah. It has been."
Jeong Hoon smiled brightly, and Park In-tae gaped, unable to close his mouth.
"Th-that... it's not a bug, right?"
"A bug?"
"No... your level."
He'd been shocked enough seeing the guild master and lady over level 2,000, but Jeong Hoon's number was in the wrong place entirely.
Five digits.
Over 10,000.
"Oh, yeah, it is a bug."
"Really? It is a bug?"
"Yeah. How could a level go over 10,000?"
Jeong Hoon joked back, and Park In-tae scratched his head in bewilderment.
"Uh... so what's your real level?"
"No idea. Haven't calculated it in ages."
"Doesn't that mean it's not a bug?"
"You're quick on the uptake."
"Wow..."
But Park In-tae was still one of the better ones.
With most of Hoyoung's guild members gathered, there were about 70 people here.
The rest couldn't even think of approaching Jeong Hoon.
Wow...
That's Jeong Hoon?
Sixth transcendence and over 10,000... how does that even happen?
They'd all long surpassed 1,000 from the storm of level-ups.
Reaching 1,1001,300 had made them proud, but now it felt embarrassing.
"Nice to meet you all."
Sensing the mood, Jeong Hoon went around shaking hands and greeting each one.
Simple self-introductions followed, and finally, they opened their mouths, unleashing a barrage of words.
"How do you level up that fast?"
"I'm so jealous! Tell me and I'll be your lifelong benefactor!"
"Forget thisbe my master!"
Master?
Jeong Hoon listened with an awkward smile as Yeo Min-ji quickly stepped in to cut them off.
"Everyone, stop. We don't have time for this."
They backed off reluctantly.
Jeong Hoon gave her a grateful look and got to the point.
"Anyway, I called you all here to share some important news."
"Important news?"
"Even bigger threats than now are coming."
"..."
The room fell silent at Jeong Hoon's words.
They touched their foreheads with serious expressions.
Stopping the current invasions wasn't hard.
Their levels were much higher, and their experience from New World days meshed perfectly with their comrades.
But if dimensionally superior foes came... crises would multiply rapidly.
It wasn't a gamethis was reality.
One mistake meant death, end of story.
"Of course, I don't plan to just sit and watch."
"You have a way?"
"I made a deal with a fairly high transcendent. They'll hand over invasion intel to me."
Get the info ahead, assemble a team that can clear it reliably, and repel the invasions.
Then his mother pulled him aside with a worried face.
"Hoon."
"Yeah? What's up?"
"You're really okay, right?"
He knew what she was worried about.
"Yeah. Don't worry. Nothing will happen to me."
"Sigh... the one giving info isn't trying to destroy Earth, is he?"
The price for that intel must be huge.
Her son showing no sign of it made her feel all the more uneasy.
"Um... it's a long story, but I have this item. And the guy really wanted it?"
Jeong Hoon pulled out his prepared excuse.
Am I just an item?!
Tenebrous freaked out, but Jeong Hoon brushed it off lightly and continued.
"So we made a deal. Info in exchange for sharing the item."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'd never deal otherwise."
"Then that's a relief."
"Don't worry. I'll do my best not to give you any reason to."
"...Thanks, son."
Jeong Hoon shared a brief hug with his mother.
Argh, damn it. I want to rage, but I can't.
Tenebrous gnashed his teeth and pulled away from Jeong Hoon.
Tenebrous, understand. I made that excuse so Mom wouldn't worry.
Then you get hit instead?
Sorry.
Jeong Hoon chuckled and rejoined the group.
"Fortunately, there's some good news too. No more brute-force invasions like this for a while."
"Then what method...?"
"A league."
"A league?"
"Yeah."
Jeong Hoon looked at the message in front of him.
A message visible only to him, the dimension's lord.
Invitation
It was an invitation.
Inviting you to the Survival League.
Survival League.
Simply put, a format where you battle superior races to decide survival.
Winner receives a Wish Grant.
You can refuse, but the opportunity won't come again.
If defense rate falls to 70 or below, the dimension is deemed non-functional, allowing external intervention.
Before invasions began, Jeong Hoon's plan was to absorb invading dimensions.
He thought being half-god half-mortal would allow it, but in reality, all he could do was seal rifts or slip into those dimensions to act.
It was designed that way from the start, leaving Jeong Hoon no counter.
Ultimately, keeping the defense rate above 70 was best.
Dropping to 70 or below meant the dimension couldn't function on its own, letting named ones exercise special authority.
In other words, isolation followed by death.
Endure till death? Or gamble?
Wish Grant provided.
Win the league, regain peace.
Just wish for Earth to be left alone.
Tch, if it weren't a trap, it'd be perfect.
But Jeong Hoon knew it was a trap.
Psyche had told him this too.
He'd foiled Beelzebub thanks to her intervention.
Wish? Puhahaha, those bastards granting wishes? What bullshit.
Tenebrous burst into laughter.
He knew better than anyone that named ones wouldn't stake a Wish Grant.
Jeong Hoon pondered, gazing at Tenebrous.
What exactly was the relationship between Tenebrous and Psyche?
Psyche had helped seal Tenebrousthat much was true.
That's why he was so furious.
So why approach him amicably?
He was grateful for her help, but this suspicion wouldn't vanish.
He had to act assuming she could betray him anytime.
Ill participate.
Still, there was only one choice.