Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The All Master Who Regressed to Bronze
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After the stormy family dinner came to an end.
Choi Shin-hyeok's family was the first to slip away from the table.
Choi In-seok, the eldest son, eyed the seat left by In-gyun—Shin-hyeok's father—and turned to Choi Cheol-ho.
"Father, are you really going to take that In-gyun back into the fold?"
"Why? Is there a problem with that?"
Choi Cheol-ho sipped his after-meal herbal tea as if it were no big deal, causing In-seok to grit his teeth.
"That bastard In-gyun ignored your orders and married some woman from who-knows-where. Bringing a guy like that back into the family fold is going to cause—"
"In-seok."
"......Yes, Father."
But even In-seok froze the moment he met his father's half-lidded gaze, like a man stumbling upon a bear.
Choi Cheol-ho patted the rigid shoulders of his son and whispered softly.
"Are you the father?"
"......!"
"Manage your own kids however you like. But I manage mine. Whether I cast them out or bring them back."
"......Understood."
With a single sentence, Cheol-ho subdued In-seok and drained the rest of his tea.
Meanwhile, the second son, In-ho, flashed a gentle smile.
"Man, if our nephew lands in Silver Tier on the Placement Exam, he's prime talent... We should slot him right into Shinwa Guild, yeah?"
"That's for you to decide. Shinwa Guild is yours, isn't it?"
"Haha, Father, come on. Nothing with the Shinwa name isn't yours. Anyway, I'll take that as permission. Of course... only if that ridiculous claim actually pans out."
Cheol-ho said nothing, even as he caught the sharp edge hidden behind that affable smile.
"Oh, then we could do a collab at Shinwa Department Store too? Something like, 'The Useless Scrub Nephew's Epic Turnaround!'"
The family gathering on December 30th wrapped up with Choi Seon-hwa, the eldest daughter, slyly piling on with her brothers to mock Shin-hyeok.
Once everyone had scattered to their homes.
Choi Cheol-ho, reading in his study, spoke into the empty air without changing his posture.
"What do you think?"
"......Shadows don't think."
"I'm asking you now, so answer."
Astonishingly, a reply came from the seemingly empty space.
A feat visible only to those who had honed the Player skill Stealth to its limit.
Cheol-ho, who commanded such a being as his shadow, pressed for more.
The shadow fell silent for a moment before sharing its thoughts.
"He had presence."
"Presence, huh... In what way?"
"He was utterly convinced his words would come true. I could see the presence radiating from that conviction."
Presence.
The aura in his declaration—that his words would absolutely come to pass—was so impressive even the shadow was awed.
"So, do you think that outlandish claim will actually happen?"
"......But presence and ability are different things. If everything he's shown so far wasn't some elaborate ploy just for the Placement Exam... honestly, it's tough."
But admitting that was another matter entirely.
Especially against Lee Joo-ho, the firstborn of Oseong Guild's master, backed by the full might of Oseong Group.
A natural talent rated not quite Gold but top-tier Silver.
Shin-hyeok's chances of beating Joo-ho were vanishingly slim.
No, honestly speaking, nonexistent.
Of course—
"Want to make a bet?"
"A bet, sir?"
"Yeah. A bet. I'm wagering that kid will make good on his words."
"......You really think that boy can pull it off?"
"That's how it looks to me. Something's changed. Something fundamental."
Cheol-ho was different.
Closing his book with a grin, he looked like a kid who couldn't contain his excitement over a shiny new toy.
The shadow sighed at the sight.
"I'll pass, then."
"Why's that?"
"I've never seen you make a wrong call, Chairman. I'm not dumb enough to take a bet I know I'll lose."
"Too bad. It would've been fun to mess with you."
Chuckling ruefully, Cheol-ho rose and issued an order.
"Contact the PR team. On January 1st, during the Placement Exam, announce that a divine star will be born from Shinwa Group. Get them prepped."
"Yes, sir."
And with that, it was decided.
The value of Shin-hyeok, whom the entire Shinwa Group would hype up, was set.
In the Hannam-dong residence.
More precisely, a commotion erupted in Shin-hyeok's home.
"Shin-hyeok, what on earth possessed you to say that in front of Grandfather?"
At the center of the uproar was Shin-hyeok's father, In-gyun.
Still dizzy from the bomb his son had dropped, he clutched his forehead and staggered.
But Shin-hyeok brushed it off.
"Father."
"......Father?"
"Trust me just this once. I'll show you the results."
"......What the hell happened overnight? You've never even called me Father before..."
Instead, with the same bold momentum he'd shown against Cheol-ho, he pushed his will forward.
A sensation like hitting an iron wall.
A feeling that inexplicably compelled belief. In-gyun slumped onto the sofa, unable to hide his deflation.
"......Are you confident?"
"Yes. It'd be even better if you grant my request."
"Your request... Fine. I'll do it. You've never asked for anything your whole life, and now you're asking—so how could I refuse?"
"Thank you."
"Shin-hyeok."
"Yes, Father."
"I believe you. Not because of that victory reward you mentioned, but because I believe my son really is that exceptional."
"......Yes."
The stern tone carried unmistakable warmth, and Shin-hyeok, sensing it, replied with a slightly trembling voice before listing his requests and heading to his room.
"First, let's check my status."
As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle. With that in mind, the projected status sheet he pulled out was shocking.
"......My highest stat is Strength at just 14? Mana at a measly 9? Is this really the status of a prospective Player on the cusp of the Placement Exam? From Shinwa High School, no less?"
Player training high schools—high schools for short—had systems that roughly estimated the status windows visible only after awakening as Players.
And Shinwa High boasted the best equipment among them, so the margins for error were negligible.
Yet the results were bizarre enough to make his eyes pop, leaving Shin-hyeok understandably rattled.
The average adult male's stats hovered around 10.
Shin-hyeok, who'd aimed for Player life professionally, clocking in at 14? That said it all.
Especially fatal was his Mana stat of 9—the single most crucial for Players.
Staring at the sheet that made him want to sigh, Shin-hyeok smirked at the traits section.
[1. Versatile]
"Down to just one, as expected."
Trait: Versatile.
A trait that let him excel at anything.
The very trait that earned him the "Useless Scrub" moniker.
He was good at everything—but never outstanding enough for a signature specialty.
But Shin-hyeok knew.
Beside Versatile, he had another trait.
"Late Bloomer unlocks at Platinum, right."
Trait: Late Bloomer.
One of the so-called hidden or sealed traits, unknown until its specific condition was met.
Late Bloomer's condition: Reaching Platinum Tier.
And its effect was straightforward.
"Until awakening, every skill I had jumped at least one grade—sometimes several. Even afterward, new skills leveled up faster."
Skills.
If traits were the heart, skills were the organs.
Essential components forming the body.
Bumping skill grades by multiple tiers was an insanely powerful trait.
Paired with Versatile, which let him acquire a wide array of skills, the synergy was explosive.
He'd climbed from Platinum to Challenger faster than from start to Platinum.
"This time, I'll awaken Late Bloomer even more perfectly."
In his past life, Shin-hyeok had many miscellaneous abilities but focused on one skill to climb tiers.
Thus, when Late Bloomer awakened, he didn't have many skills.
But this life would be different.
"Guess I should sleep."
With his resolve firm, Shin-hyeok tossed his weary, exhausted body—worn from facing Cheol-ho—onto the bed.
December 31st.
One day before the Placement Exam, Shin-hyeok faced his father, In-gyun.
"I got the low-grade stat boosters and mana pills like you asked. With the exam tomorrow, stock was nil and prices were insane... but I managed. Sorry it couldn't be better stuff."
"No, this is plenty. Thanks for the effort, Father."
On the table before In-gyun sat the low-grade stat boosters and mana pills he'd scoured for all day.
Stat boosters to raise physical stats, mana pills for mana.
Being low-grade meant they were only viable early on, but since all Placement Exam takers were rookies, it was no issue.
'Boosters and pills give +5 each. So my current status should be roughly...'
Shin-hyeok swallowed what In-gyun had procured and mentally calculated his status window.
Job: None
Traits:
Skills: None
'Something like that.'
His peak stat of 14 was now his floor. Satisfied, Shin-hyeok smiled contentedly.
But complacency? Not a chance.
'I've barely reached the starting line. Shinwa High kids will outstat me. That Joo-ho punk might be over 30. No room for slacking.'
The boosters and pills were buyable with cash.
Shin-hyeok, needing to surpass Joo-ho—who surely had access to uncashable exclusives—couldn't afford to relax.
"Alright, time to head out."
"Your gear?"
"Prepped in my room."
"Good. Can't use inventory without awakening yet. Smart."
Finishing his thoughts, Shin-hyeok left the clock ticking toward midnight and entered his room.
He donned his prepped basic gear and sheathed a sword at his waist.
Preparations complete—
January 1st.
The day of awakening and the Placement Exam had dawned.