Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The All Master Who Returned to Bronze 096
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Choi Shin-hyeok's flashy national team entry test struck the entire nation of Korea like lightning.
He had already drawn all the attention by single-handedly crushing the national team in the opening match, but this time, it was on a whole different level compared to that.
No matter how much people raged day in and day out with cries of "Disband it!", no one denied that they were the top players in Korea.
And he had taken them all down single-handedly.
That alone was an incredible feat, but the real showstopper came after.
In the end, the Flame King lost.
Does that mean Choi Shin-hyeok, the survivor, is the winner?
Kya! Great Shin-hyeok! Awesome Shin-hyeok! King Shin-hyeok!
You've completely shaken up the player forums that turned into a cesspool!
So how did he do it? Why only you? Let us see it too!!!
I'll buy it. Never seen it. Flame King defeat meme.
The Flame King's defeat—Choi In-ho himself.
He was one of the Twin Kings, hailed as the pinnacle of Korean players, and a living legend who had dominated the industry for nearly decades.
Even among the five king-tier players in the world, he was one of the strongest, so his loss delivered an earth-shattering shock.
Hey guys, did you hear? Korea's Flame King got beaten.
By his own nephew who awakened this year, no less.
FXXK YOU, don't waste electricity spewing such bullshit. And don't forget to say "Sorry Earth" three times before bed.
[Link] It's real though?
......What the fuck?
Holy...... If he awakened this year, he's only been a player for about half a year. Where the hell did this monster come from?
He was already famous, you know. Silver/Gold unified league MVP, owns legendary gear made by a master craftsman, owns ultra-high-end elixirs made by an alchemist, stuff like that.
Insane, all that was the same person?
Haha, is Rocket Man finally making his move?
X God, that's the north.
It wasn't just Korea—overseas reactions were the same.
Everything Shin-hyeok had done so far was unprecedented, with massive ripple effects, but defeating a king-tier player was enough to make all that seem trivial.
Of course, this was a spar in the real world, not a deathmatch in the Dimension Arena, and the Flame King wasn't at full condition, but the world doesn't sweat the small stuff.
The Flame King fought Shin-hyeok.
And the Flame King lost.
That core storyline didn't change, and people went wild over that single dopamine-hit sentence.
Since the Five Emperors and Three Kings were established, no new king-tier player had ever emerged, so expectations were sky-high.
And soon, they gave Shin-hyeok a nickname.
[One Monster]
One Monster.
It was a nickname praising Shin-hyeok for defeating the Flame King alone.
Originally, "monster" implied something incomprehensible, making it a perfect fit for him.
So, what was the new promising star, the One Monster that everyone pinned their hopes on, doing?
"Phew, finally fully recovered."
He was focused on treatment.
His condition had been so bad that for several days, he could do nothing but lie there receiving treatment after treatment.
It was only natural, in a way.
No matter how superhuman his body was, it was still a living being made of flesh and blood.
Run, and you tire. Fight, and you get hurt.
And the opponents he'd fought weren't pushovers.
He'd held back and toyed with them, but he'd fought the Martial God, a high-ranking constellation, and back on Earth, the Flame King Choi In-ho, one of Korea's strongest.
Especially since he'd fought In-ho right after the Martial God, the damage had piled up.
But it had to be done, and the gains were massive, so Shin-hyeok was satisfied.
Crack!
After some light stretching to loosen his stiff body from days in bed, Hyorin shot him a pouty glare as he got up.
"You can't leave your kids behind and die first after becoming a parent~"
"I didn't die, did I?"
"Is that something to say? If you do this again, no more treatment."
"Just kidding, kidding."
For the past few days, Hyorin had been personally handling his treatment.
As an alchemist, she was also a master of pharmacology, making it possible.
Without her unique recipes blending herbs to maximize healing, he'd have been bedridden for days longer.
She'd even half-abandoned her beloved alchemy to focus on caring for him.
Of course—
"......But can you do the alchemy outside? I'm still a patient, you know."
"Then I can't care for you."
"No option for not doing it?"
"Nope. Not even for Daddy."
"Figures. Alchemy's more important to you than Daddy anyway."
"Of course!"
One corner of the hospital room had become her makeshift workshop, so she did alchemy in between treatments—it wasn't much different.
A few more words, and she might go full Lu Bu on him, so Shin-hyeok just shook his head and changed clothes.
Ditching the patient gown from days in bed, he slipped into casual yet stylish clothes, instantly shedding the patient vibe.
Tall stature, handsome looks.
Plus player perks like flawless skin—he exuded an aura that could outshine top models or celebrities.
"Where you going?"
"Grandpa wants to see me. Message came a few days ago, but I was bedridden then. Now I can go."
"Bring back Ilgaksu's horn, Marmun vines, Hash ton powder, and Celleirn shells......"
"One Melona good?"
"No way!!!"
Even as she watched him, Hyorin was focused on alchemy in her mini-workshop, but the moment she heard he was meeting Grandpa Choi Cheol-ho, she rattled off pricey materials—only for Shin-hyeok to brush it off with a single Melona.
A masterful negotiation tactic.
Leaving the grumbling Hyorin behind, he hopped into the waiting limo outside the hospital and headed to Cheol-ho's mansion in Pyeongchang-dong.
The Myth Hospital where he'd been staying was in Gangnam, so it didn't take long.
Arriving swiftly, he stepped out of the limo opened by the driver and strode into the mansion without hesitation.
"Grandpa, I'm here."
"Good, my grandson's here. Come sit."
Cheol-ho, already informed of his visit, was waiting on the living room sofa.
A natural one-on-one.
"Manager Hong's not here?"
"He's been busy lately. Dimension Arena this, protecting the workshop master that—he'd need two bodies. And today's talk doesn't need him."
"I see."
"Your detection's gotten so natural now. Noticing Hong's absence right away. Worlds apart from a few months ago."
"I'm on another level now. Manager Hong's no match for me anymore."
"Heh, good. That's my proud grandson."
Upon entering, Shin-hyeok had deployed Mana Detection [C] to instantly confirm Hong's absence—Cheol-ho chuckled, unable to hide his delight at the skill.
Hong, known as Shadow, was a top-three assassin player.
Above him were only Salmak Lord's Salmakju and the freelance villain assassin Killer Ghost.
Declaring even him no match anymore? Adorable to Cheol-ho.
"So, your sick grandson kicks off the bedcovers and rushes over—what's my gift gonna be? Something big, right?"
"Kuhaha! Yes! Of course! Gotta give it!"
Even demanding a gift so boldly? Music to Cheol-ho's ears.
His kids saw him as intimidating.
To them, he was a wealth-giver, not someone to demand from.
But Shin-hyeok was different.
Knowing his worth, he was confident before Cheol-ho and only asked for what his achievements deserved—no hard feelings.
Unlike his kids, who groveled yet treated his wealth as theirs—Shin-hyeok was more than just a grandson.
Thus, Cheol-ho's gift was beyond imagination.
"I'll give you my shares in the Myth Guild."
"......!"
Myth Guild.
The place where In-ho, whom he'd fought days ago, was guild master—rivaling Oseong Guild for Korea's top spot, its value immense.
Not comparable to Myth Electronics' hundreds of trillions, but still tens of trillions.
Handing over shares of such a giant—even Shin-hyeok was stunned.
Especially since it was from Cheol-ho.
He held massive Myth Group shares but never gave a single one to his kids.
Money and property? Sure. Group stocks? Never. So the sentiment was special.
One key detail remained.
"How much?"
The amount.
Cheol-ho held 51% of Myth Guild stock.
Not all of it, surely, but even some was exciting—Shin-hyeok's eyes sparkled.
For reference, In-ho had scraped together under 25% personally.
Even 1% would be fine—hundreds of billions from a tens-of-trillions giant.
But Cheol-ho's generosity exceeded that.
"First off...... 5%. That'll let you strut as a major shareholder anywhere."
"......Wait, that's not just strutting—that's enough to boot the guild master."
"Is it? Well, do what you want. In-ho's got more shares, and he grips the board tight, so it'll be tough for now."
5%.
Far beyond major shareholder threshold.
Handing over trillions casually, Cheol-ho stayed nonchalant—Shin-hyeok inwardly marveled.
'My money sense is numb lately, but Grandpa's even worse.'
Thanks to Se-jin's forge and Hyorin's alchemy, Shin-hyeok shoveled in cash, tossing around billions casually.
That let him build All Mighty Gym flashier than the entire Taereung athlete village.
But compared to Cheol-ho? A firefly to the sun.
One thing Shin-hyeok overlooked—
"And if you utterly crush In-ho and take his seat, I'll give you another 20%."
"......!!!"
—Cheol-ho wasn't done.
20%.
Matching everything In-ho had scraped over decades—Shin-hyeok was floored.
But Cheol-ho grinned mischievously, adding a condition.
"If you fail, though, these shares go to In-ho. That'd throw a wrench in your plan to devour the group, huh?"
"......You knew?"
"How could I not? Forgot who approved your dad's distribution arm touching your aunt's department stores and hotels? Heh, you sly eel."
Facing Cheol-ho's shrewd gaze that pierced his every scheme, Shin-hyeok felt sheepish but unfazed.
"Time limit?"
"Boring if not. One year from now. If no resolution by this time next year, In-ho wins."
Calmly asking the bet's duration, showing no reaction—Cheol-ho propped his chin, enthusiasm waning, and set the term.
One year.
Topple In-ho, who'd ruled player world for decades, in a mere year? Shin-hyeok's reply was simple.
"Plenty of time."
"......What?"
Plenty.
One year.
To others, too short for anything major—but not to him.
He went further.
"Make it by year's end. Shorter time, so up the shares accordingly?"
"......Ha! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!!!"
Halving the time and countering for more shares—such audacity had Cheol-ho slapping his knee in glee.
"Deal! Half the time, so half again the reward! 30%! Succeed by year's end in replacing In-ho, and you get 30% of Myth Guild stock!"
Cheol-ho gleefully upped his stake by 10%—Shin-hyeok smiled and nodded.
The countdown to In-ho's downfall had begun.