Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The All Master Who Regressed to Bronze
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"...Does this even make sense?"
Silver 1.
Considering that Gold tier and above were generally seen as true players, Shin-hyeok had essentially lined up alongside them right from the jump.
And there was one even more crucial point.
It was that Shin-hyeok's placement result marked the very first in Earth's dimension.
And the Dimension Arena never skimped on rewards for firsts.
"Blessed Steel... Not quite Legendary, but handing out a Unique-grade material item as a reward. The 'first' title sure delivers sweet prizes."
Blessed Steel.
A Unique-grade material item, the third tier in the ranking from Common - Rare - Unique - Legendary - Mythic.
Weapons forged from it were guaranteed to be Unique-grade or higher, so a satisfied smile crept across Shin-hyeok's lips.
But that lasted only a moment.
Along with a message announcing the end of the placement exam, another popped up about his stats increasing.
"...That's insane? Even for early game, that's a ton of stats. Looks like my accomplishments weren't small potatoes after all."
A total stat boost of 41.
Even accounting for how stats rose easily in the early stages, it was no small gain, and just as Shin-hyeok was reveling in it...
Whoosh!
A sensation like when he'd first entered the waiting room washed over Shin-hyeok, and in the next instant, he was back in his room.
Bang!
The moment Shin-hyeok returned to his room, the door flew open, and In-gyun rushed in with a beaming face, pulling him into a tight hug.
"Shin-hyeok! You really did it!"
"Eh, it wasn't too hard."
"When that Lee Joo-ho punk put a bounty on you at the start, I was on pins and needles."
"Oh, that? I claimed it at the end too. Hope that's okay?"
"Hmm, 1 billion is a big sum, but how could I hold out after seeing my son ace the placement exam? I'll have it transferred right away."
"Thank you."
Shin-hyeok bowed his head in gratitude toward In-gyun, who readily offered the massive sum of 1 billion—but
"No, I should be the one thanking you. First place in the placement exam? It wouldn't be too much even at 10 billion!"
In-gyun was the one thanking Shin-hyeok.
First place in the placement exam.
After marrying into an ordinary family, In-gyun had lost most of the family's support and plummeted from Platinum to Gold.
For him, his son's top score was a wave of pure emotion.
"Honey. You planning to hog him all to yourself?"
"Bro! I watched it all on TV! Total domination from start to finish—what a show!"
"Ahem, this is father-son time right now—"
"Keep it up, and tomorrow morning it's just rice and kimchi for you."
"...Shin-hyeok, come give your mom a hug too."
"Heh, sure thing."
In-gyun deflated at So-yeon's words, ladle in hand, and let Shin-hyeok go.
Leaving his father's arms, Shin-hyeok was soon surrounded by So-yeon and Shin-woo.
'Feels good.'
It was stuffy and hot, but even that felt like the warmth of happiness—until his thoughts were interrupted.
Bzzz!
"Looks like a call. Check it."
"Oh, okay."
The vibration from his pocket phone was the culprit.
Shin-hyeok frowned at the untimely interruption of his joy, but a smile broke out the instant he saw the sender.
The sender was his grandfather, Choi Cheol-ho.
"Looks like I have to head to Pyeongchang-dong again tomorrow."
"No way—Dad reached out?"
"Yeah. Grandpa wants to see his grandson. Can't say no to that."
"...Haha, never imagined we'd be heading to Pyeongchang-dong without even a family gathering."
Leaving the dazed In-gyun behind, Shin-hyeok checked the next message from Su-ah and powered off his phone.
Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!
'Don't know any of these people, no need to pick up.'
When he was called Useless Scrub, Shin-hyeok's only friend had been Su-ah.
These latecomers were all hyenas.
Knowing that, he unhesitatingly shut off his phone, shooed his parents and brother out, and flopped onto his bed.
"Oh yeah, almost forgot about this."
But before sleep...
He pulled out the random box from his inventory, obtained upon becoming a player.
Placing the gift-box-like item on his palm, Shin-hyeok opened it with light spirits.
"Not asking for much. Just pull a Legendary."
As the true-hearted Shin-hyeok wished for a Legendary from a box that could yield up to that grade, the lid sprang open.
Fwoosh!
"...Oh."
A brilliant light burst forth the moment the lid lifted, filling him with anticipation.
The glow faded soon after.
Inside sat a single suit of armor.
"...What is this? Hidden camera?"
Plain-looking exterior.
The only standout feature was what looked like a mouth on the breastplate.
After the flashy light, the shabby reward left Shin-hyeok dumbfounded for a moment.
"Check it first anyway. I can always melt it down for scrap later."
On a whim, he inspected it—and was stunned.
"A growing item that starts with +5 to all stats? How insanely powerful must it have been before losing its power?"
Growing items were notoriously hard to obtain.
And despite being Common-grade—the lowest—this armor's outrageous +5 All Stats option was something even Shin-hyeok from his previous life had never laid eyes on.
"No brainer—this is a lifelong keeper. Equip."
Clink!
Without a second thought, Shin-hyeok donned the armor.
It perfectly resized to his body, extending where needed, shortening elsewhere.
But the real highlight was his updated stats.
"+5 from Strength to Mana across the board—the difference is immediately noticeable. At this level, nothing in Silver can touch me."
All Stats +5.
Thanks to it, all of Shin-hyeok's stats now exceeded 30.
Of course, that just put him at the starting line others stood on—but he didn't mind.
"Stat cap in Silver League is 50. No one grows all stats evenly like me, so averages around 40. I can close that gap with my traits and skills."
Trait: Versatile.
And the myriad skills derived from it.
"Plus the new trait Predation—my growth potential is off the charts. Time to climb like mad."
And finally, his newest trait, Predation.
It meant Shin-hyeok was fully primed for takeoff.
"Whew, time to crash. Tomorrow's schedule is tighter than the placement exam."
With that, Shin-hyeok drifted off to dreamland.
A schedule tougher than the placement exam.
It was a face-to-face with his grandfather, Choi Cheol-ho.
Pyeongchang-dong Grand Estate.
A limousine pulled up smoothly.
"...Haven't ridden one of these in ages."
"Get used to it—you'll be riding them from now on."
"Really... I'm truly grateful."
Shin-hyeok grinned at In-gyun, who patted the limo fondly as he stepped out.
As In-gyun's eyes reddened, recalling his son's feats once more...
"Grandpa's waiting. Let's head in."
"Oh, right. Can't make Dad uncomfortable with Shin-hyeok."
In-gyun's tears vanished at his perceptive son's words.
Knowing his father Choi Cheol-ho better than anyone, In-gyun tensed up and hurried inside.
Following him into the estate, Shin-hyeok saw a familiar sight from days ago.
"Uncle, Little Uncle, Aunt. Hope you've been well."
"...Yeah."
"Haha, that's my nephew! Crushing Oseong's Lee Joo-ho like that—you're the pride of Shinwa Guild!"
"Hmph, didn't inherit your parents' blood, huh? What, picked you up off the street?"
Big Uncle Choi In-seok.
Little Uncle Choi In-ho.
Aunt Choi Seon-hwa.
The three greeted Shin-hyeok's family first.
The curt In-seok gave a perfunctory reply, while the lively In-ho chuckled and heaped praise.
But Seon-hwa spat thorns, griping as if he'd been scavenged from under a bridge.
A flicker of killing intent crossed Shin-hyeok's eyes at her words—but
"What're you all standing around for? I'm hungry. Let's eat."
"Yes, Father."
It vanished instantly as Choi Cheol-ho emerged from his study and descended the stairs.
Leading, In-seok bowed slightly and headed to the table.
A grand, elongated table fit for over ten.
Shin-hyeok aimed to sit beside his father at the far end.
Seating here reflected real-world hierarchy.
But—
"Shin-hyeok, eat beside me. Gotta have my grandson's exploits as a side dish."
"...!!!"
Cheol-ho's casual remark as he picked up his chopsticks shattered that.
Shin-hyeok, who should've been at the bottom, rocketed up several ranks.
In-seok's expression, now displaced, was quite the sight.
His cheeks quivering.
Regardless, Shin-hyeok smirked inwardly at In-seok's silence out of fear and plopped down beside Cheol-ho.
As if it had always been his spot.
Even Cheol-ho's eyes widened briefly at Shin-hyeok's natural poise.
"Let's eat."
Cheol-ho said leisurely, scooping rice into his mouth.
"Shin-hyeok, tell us about the placement exam."
"Yes, Grandfather."
And Shin-hyeok became a living recorder, recounting his tale verbatim.
But that alone sufficed.
To realize a storm had swept through the stagnant, rigid Shinwa clan.