Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Sword King's Defeat
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“……W-Wowwwww!”
“Did he really win?!”
“No way!”
“A Silver beat a Diamond?!”
The sparring room in the training hall erupted in cheers.
It was only natural.
Silver versus Diamond.
Despite the gap between them being as vast as heaven and earth, the Silver player had emerged victorious.
And his opponent wasn't just any Diamond player—he was one of Korea's top players, the one they called the Sword King.
“What kind of win is that?”
“The Sword King went easy on him, obviously.”
“Getting this hyped over a spar with handicaps? Kinda weird.”
“Fair.”
Of course, not everyone bought it.
The duel between Lee Ho-seok and Choi Shin-hyeok had started with handicaps imposed on Lee Ho-seok.
“What are you talking about? The Sword King agreed to it himself.”
“Would a top-tier Diamond really go all-out against a fresh Silver?”
“You could just overpower with stats. But this was about skill and technique. And Choi Shin-hyeok's skill outdid the Sword King's.”
“Exactly. Bunch of clueless loudmouths.”
But those were a tiny minority.
The voices of the so-called Sword King fans were quickly drowned out.
“……I'll send the Oseong Workshop contract over to Shinwa Group right away. We'll transfer the equipment and artisans too.”
“Thank you, Senior.”
Lee Ho-seok's face, accepting his defeat, was red as a ripe tomato.
In his haste to escape, he spun on his heel and strode toward the training hall exit.
“Let's go!”
“Huh?”
“I said let's go! You planning to stick around here?”
“N-No, Father! I'm coming!”
Shin-hyeok chuckled as Lee Joo-ho chased after his bewildered father.
“Title effect's pretty nice.”
Disciple of the War God (Temporary)
• Handles all martial arts even better.
• Proficiency of all martial arts increases.
The biggest reason Shin-hyeok had beaten Lee Ho-seok.
It came down to the title he'd just acquired.
The title's effects applied not only to his 'Choi Shin-hyeok Style' but also to the War God's Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style.
His techniques had more than doubled in power compared to usual.
Just look at how he'd freshly learned the first chapter, second verse of the Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style—Heaven-Exterminating Extreme Thunderbolt Split—and shattered Lee Ho-seok's handicap.
“This'll be a huge help for learning the new Heaven-Destroying Annihilation Style from Cheok No-sa too.”
His joy swelled even more, knowing it'd aid him greatly there.
With Lee Ho-seok and Lee Joo-ho gone from the training hall...
“Gym Master.”
“Huh? Y-Yeah?”
Shin-hyeok called out to the gym master, Oh Sang-cheol—the Iron Man—who'd been staring blankly at the sparring area.
“Could I ask you for a duel too?”
“Heh, I'm a government employee on the payroll. No business like Oseong Workshop attached to me.”
Like with Lee Ho-seok, Oh Sang-cheol gave a wry smile to Shin-hyeok's request.
He was a national player.
A Diamond through and through, he made good money but didn't command a corporate empire.
Shin-hyeok didn't care.
“Doesn't matter. I'm not expecting to win this time anyway.”
“Hm?”
“Go all-out. No handicaps.”
“……Hoo.”
A Diamond player's full power.
He had no illusions of beating that right now.
Intrigued, Oh Sang-cheol stroked his chin and pulled his main weapon—a gauntlet—from his inventory.
“That's the unique-grade item owned by the Korean government. Indomitable Gauntlet, right?”
“My baby. Your sword's better anyway, so we're good?”
“Yes. Then... shall we start?”
“Sounds good.”
Bam! Bam!
As Shin-hyeok signaled the start, Oh Sang-cheol grinned and slammed his gauntleted fists together.
Soon, Shin-hyeok and Oh Sang-cheol charged at each other.
“……Damn, that hurts.”
Fwoosh!
The duel with Oh Sang-cheol ended in Shin-hyeok's defeat.
Inevitable.
An ant with world-champion boxing skills still couldn't take down a lion.
Shin-hyeok had been thoroughly pummeled.
His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in bruises.
He'd burned through expensive potions and even tapped holy power to heal himself.
“Still, his shocked face was worth it.”
But a satisfied smile played on Shin-hyeok's lips as he treated his wounds.
Oh Sang-cheol had taken a few hits from Shin-hyeok, who kept slipping past his senses time and again.
Silver versus Diamond.
Despite the insane gap, landing those blows had etched Oh Sang-cheol's stunned reaction deep in Shin-hyeok's mind.
Having honed his senses against two Diamond players, Shin-hyeok turned to his next plan.
“All that's left is the global TOP 100 promotion match.”
The global TOP 100 promotion match.
Every player's dream.
It didn't exist for Iron or Bronze tiers.
Silver and above only.
And it was simple.
Select the top 100 players from each tier worldwide.
Those 100 fight and fight until only one remains in a deathmatch gauntlet.
That was the global TOP 100 promotion match.
“To enter, I need to hit Silver 1 peak and get system approval. Guess I'll focus on Dimension Arena for the next few days.”
System approval for the global TOP 100 was basically guaranteed.
The sole player to hit Silver 1 in placement exams.
The one who'd perfectly cleared that near-impossible hidden stage.
Denying him entry would be absurd.
Just one thing mattered:
Reaching the absolute top of Silver 1 for promotion eligibility.
“Oh, right—this first.”
Finishing his thoughts, Shin-hyeok pulled the demonic steel from his inventory.
True to its魔-infused nature, thick demonic energy wafted up the moment it emerged, drawing a smile from him.
A normal player would freak out, feeling dragged into sticky muck at the first touch.
Not Shin-hyeok.
“Gotta get my demonic energy ASAP.”
Demonic energy was essential for him.
Crucial for claiming overwhelming first place in the global TOP 100.
With that, he stowed the demonic steel and headed to Shinwa Workshop.
-Over there, please.
-Material storage is this way.
-New artisans, gather up front.
'What the hell is going on?'
Se-jin, now owner of Shinwa Workshop, couldn't hide his shock and confusion at the sudden chaos.
'Shin-hyeok said not to be surprised, but how could I not be?'
A few hours ago, Shin-hyeok's call.
Even then, he'd been skeptical.
Now, Oseong Workshop-marked smithing gear filed in, followed by artisans with the same puzzled looks.
Finally, wooden crates—from common to rare, even unique-grade materials—stacked neatly in storage.
Se-jin gave up thinking.
“Brother, I'm here. Oh, already moving? Fast as expected.”
“Sh-Shin-hyeok! What the hell is all this?”
“I told you.”
“You just said not to freak out—no explanation!”
“Oh, right...”
Se-jin practically wailed his grievance at Shin-hyeok, on the verge of tears.
Shin-hyeok scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.
“Here's what happened...”
He spent a good while recounting the training hall events.
“The Sword King showed up and challenged you?”
“Yep.”
“And the bet was Shinwa Workshop versus Oseong Workshop?”
“You got it.”
“……And you won, so Oseong merged into Shinwa?”
“Exactly. I did good, right?”
“……Haa.”
Oseong rivaled major corps in scale—wagering it was insane enough.
But Shin-hyeok beaming for praise? That topped it.
“……No injuries?”
“Nah, sparred the gym master after and got banged up, but potions and holy power fixed me.”
“Gym master... Iron Man, Oh Sang-cheol?”
“You know him too?”
“Who doesn't? One of Korea's elite Diamonds!”
“If he's that level... Korea's in a sad state.”
“Why?”
“Nothing.”
Once the absurdity faded, worry for Shin-hyeok creased Se-jin's face.
Shin-hyeok waved it off.
His expression hardened briefly at the assessment of Oh Sang-cheol, but it passed.
“Now, this.”
“……Demonic steel!”
Before Se-jin could speak, Shin-hyeok pulled it out.
As a heavenly blacksmith, Se-jin lit up with interest.
Shin-hyeok had known he'd react this way since waking in the hospital.
He grinned.
“Can't waste the new materials, gear, and artisans you brought.”
“Obviously. Wasting what you got us? Sacrilege.”
Matching Shin-hyeok's smile, Se-jin bellowed at the efficiently moving artisans.
“Everyone, assemble!”
“……Assemble!”
They knew he was the boss—quick on their feet.
Fun fact: Ex-Oseong ones beat Shinwa's originals.
That solidified Shin-hyeok's plan to purge Shinwa's old guard.
Se-jin spoke.
“We're making the ultimate spear. I need your help. Will you?”
“……!”
His humble tone, unfit for Korea's top workshop post-merger, stunned the Oseong artisans.
Used to tyrants barking orders, Se-jin was their first savior.
They raised tools high, nodding.
Dozens turned loyal in a blink.
Shin-hyeok eyed Se-jin, impressed.
Feeling it, Se-jin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Can't hammer by Cheonggyecheon forever. I'm Shinwa's owner now—you pushed me here, believed in me.”
“……That's my brother.”
Shin-hyeok beamed at the evolved Se-jin.
No longer Cheonggyecheon Bang.
Shinwa's one and only boss.
With fitting charisma and leadership, Se-jin directed: gathered spear materials, fired up gear.
The workshop buzzed twice as loud.
Se-jin handed Shin-hyeok a hammer.
“Brother?”
“Saw your talent last time. You'll forge this spear. I'll assist—no worries.”
“……Can I really?”
Shin-hyeok gazed at the lifeblood hammer in Se-jin's hand, eyes trembling.
Se-jin chuckled, patting his shoulder.
“Helping an apprentice become a master? That's the teacher's duty. Today, one apprentice dies... and a smith is born.”
“……!”
Se-jin's total faith electrified Shin-hyeok, warming his heart inexplicably.
“But don't make it better than mine?”
“Ever heard of sour grapes, brother?”
“Nope.”
“Lame. Ruined the moment.”
Se-jin winked playfully, easing tension.
Shin-hyeok laughed dryly and gripped the hammer tight.