Chapter 49

Ding.

"Welcome. Did you come alone?"

"Ah, yes. One bowl of pork soup."

"Sure~ I'll show you to your seat. One bowl of pork soup in the dining area!"

Carpe, or rather Jung-hoon, sat down at the table as directed by the server.

It was a little past dinner time, but since it was a restaurant near a university, there were quite a few customers.

"Oof. My shoulders."

Did I work too hard?

Jung-hoon thought to himself as he massaged his right shoulder.

Since he had started the game early in the morning, it was only around 8 PM by the time he finished his 10-hour session.

Usually, this would be the time he'd put effort into video editing, but since the room had been opened, Chilma had taken over the video side, so there was no need for him to do it.

However, it was still too early to go to sleep... After a moment of contemplation, Jung-hoon had come out for a walk, driven by a fleeting thought.

His destination was the game center!

More specifically, the rhythm game at the game center.

'If I see such hammering in front of me, I can't help but feel motivated.'

Impressed by Fergus's skills, he had just enthusiastically played the rhythm game, hoping it might help him in production.

To think that he would go to the game center for Lase right after spending 10 hours on Lase... He thought, "I must be really hooked," but in fact, it wasn't that unusual.

The world was changing rapidly, day by day, and this was due to the changes brought about by Lase.

For example, according to the records of the Statistics Office, the number of people engaging in sports and exercise had exploded over the past six months.

Gyms, archery, kendo, boxing, and jujitsu, among others. The population participating in sports that directly involved physical activity or the use of weapons had increased exponentially.

Unfortunately, team sports had lost popularity, but overall, the total number of people engaging in sports had surged.

This was because research had shown that physical abilities in the real world significantly influenced character manipulation.

'Should I go to the gym?'

A prominent American sociologist said that the impact of Last Savior on society was unprecedentedly fast and an unstoppable trend.

Now, it was not at all strange to see hammers and anvils in a game center instead of drums and cymbals.

If the world could change this much in just six months, how would it be in three years? Jung-hoon thought to himself as he crunched a pickled radish.

Ah, this place makes great pickled radish.

-Hello! This is Jang Yong-jin, the anchor of '9 PM! Today's Lase!'

-And I'm Lee Ye-na.

-Yes! Hello, viewers. Today, we've compiled the issues that occurred during the day...

"Yong-jin, your armor looks different today. Did you get a good drop?"

"Ye-na's costume is out of this world today. She really has a great sense."

Now, even live TV broadcasts were conducted within Lase.

If this much could happen in just six months, how would the world change in three years? Jung-hoon thought to himself as he crunched a pickled radish.

Ah, this place makes great pickled radish.

-The first news is about the proud Korean player 'Cheongeom (天劍)'! Let's take a look at the video.

"Yong-jin, you really are a huge Cheongeom fan. Look, your mouth is wide open."

"Are there people in Korea who don't like Cheongeom? That's a natural reaction."

"There's a fan here too."

"So, you don't like it?"

"No... that's not it."

'Cheongeom' was a name he had heard even before starting Lase.

Actually, it was more than just hearing; Cheongeom was the most well-known Korean in the world.

A perfect superhero straight out of a movie, game, or comic.

A combination of a beautiful girl and the best pro-gamer, which was an unbelievable combination in reality!

She had proven that a character like D.va from the popular Hyper FPS game of a few decades ago was possible.

Ranked first in Korea and fifth in the world. A standout player in Eden (Eden), a guild known for its elite members.

The combination of her world-class gaming skills and a face that could make any idol center look ordinary had made her a global superstar.

Especially in China, her popularity was beyond imagination, and the nickname 'Cheongeom' was originally used by Chinese fans and later became official.

Naturally, with such global popularity, it was only natural that she swept the advertising industry, and there were even rumors that she would become a singer or actor.

-Now, in this video, she cleanly defeated the boss. Ye-na, did you notice anything unusual in the video?

-Uh, the fact that Yong-jin's expression was very wide-eyed when looking at Cheongeom?

-Cough, cough. Since you didn't notice, I'll point it out. This scene is a still shot right after Cheongeom defeated the boss. Do you see her sword slightly glowing gold?

-Yes, but... Is that special? It looks like the effect of Striking.

-Haha. Most people would think that. But to the eyes of Lase veterans, it looks a bit different. The effect of Striking is a deeper gold.

-Hmm... That's strange. Is there a buff skill that has a golden effect other than Striking?

-You've become a solid intermediate player, Ye-na. That's correct. There is no buff skill that produces that effect. In other words, it's not a skill effect.

-Then what is it?

-Don't be surprised. That effect appears when a weapon is successfully upgraded to level 10!

-What?! Level 10? That's impossible!

The audience began to murmur at the hosts' statements.

"Level 10? Wasn't Cheongeom's weapon unique?"

"Wow. She succeeded in upgrading a unique weapon to level 10? It's like she has everything and even good luck. Is this a country? Good luck should be taxed!"

"She pays a lot of taxes and donates a lot, so stop raging. It's embarrassing."

"I'm really envious. I haven't even touched a rare weapon at level 9, let alone a unique weapon at level 10."

Jung-hoon, who didn't feel the same as the others, silently moved his spoon.

The people here would never know.

The person sitting at the next table, eating pork soup, possessed a legendary weapon at level 12.

'Fergus was really a monster.'

It was obvious that he was a monster, having two 9-star production skills... Still, he couldn't imagine that Fergus would create a legendary weapon at level 12 when a level 10 unique weapon was already considered one of the best in the world.

Jung-hoon felt a bit better every time the TV mentioned a level 10 unique weapon.

-Now, let's introduce today's newcomer.

-Ugh. I hate this part. Seeing talented people makes me feel inferior...

-The protagonist of today is already a hot topic in the community. Someone Ye-na knows well.

-Oh, no way?

-Yes. The star of Cheonma TV, 'Cheonma'!

"Ahem!"

Jung-hoon choked and made a coughing sound that was hard to describe.

After drinking some water to calm down, he continued to watch the TV, thinking it couldn't be.

-Wow! I'm a real fan!

-One video of a One-Piece Squad kill, one of a guerrilla quest, and one of a Hell Beast one-hit kill. Only two videos have been released, but the community is already buzzing. There are many comments about it being a hack or a fake.

-But Mr. Cheonma isn't that kind of person!

"Ye-na says she's a fan every time a promising player appears."

"Maybe that's her concept. But did you see the Cheonma video? I don't know if it's a fake, but he really fights well."

"Killing the One-Piece Squad was refreshing."

Jung-hoon felt embarrassed listening to the people's conversations and kept drinking water.

-I'm neutral. It doesn't seem like a hack or video synthesis, but it's too unbelievable to accept at face value.

-Hmm. Such mechanical neutrality is the worst.

-Haha. People like us always have to keep an open mind. Wait, hold on. Ye-na, it seems a new video has just been uploaded to Cheonma TV.

Click!

The server, who was serving in the dining area, panicked and turned off the TV, but it was too late.

"Let's go."

"My stomach feels weird. I think I need to buy some medicine at the convenience store."

"Cheonma TV, thank you for the forced diet at the pork soup restaurant. I'll remember your name."

"Customer? Customer?!"

All the customers, except for Jung-hoon, got up and left after paying.

"Hey, what if all this is left behind!"

That day, 'Jangsu Pork Soup' recorded the highest amount of leftover food since its opening.

The player who became strong through luck, a 10-star player.