Chapter 94 - Grandmother's Guardian (1)

Analysis Broadcast.

At those words, Lee Kyung-bok recalled the 'Master Anatomy' program he had previously co-hosted with Ji-nom.

‘Back then, I did benefit a lot.’

At the time, his name was not yet well-known, so he could take advantage of Ji-nom's fame.

But now, things were different.

‘Still, it’s not a matter of calculating gains and losses.’

He didn’t feel any ominous premonitions, so it didn’t seem like it would be a problem. After pondering for a moment, Lee Kyung-bok spoke.

“Analysis? How do you plan to proceed?”

Regardless of his relationship with Ji-nom, he needed to understand the process of the broadcast.

“By the way, if I have to go out, it might be a bit difficult. Today is a scheduled break day.”

If he had to go out, it wouldn’t be a problem, but today was his once-a-week break day.

“Ah, of course, I’ve already figured that out. I plan to invite Eclipse instead.”

“Eclipse?”

“Yeah. I’m thinking of a format where I ask questions on behalf of the viewers, and Eclipse answers them.”

Lee Kyung-bok rolled his eyes for a moment.

‘Eclipse would definitely not refuse. He’s very skilled.’

While Ji-nom wasn’t bad at games, there was no one better than Eclipse when it came to the Elden series.

If Eclipse were to analyze it, it would certainly gain credibility.

“And since you’re on a break, I planned it this way.”

“Huh?”

“Since you don’t have a broadcast today, where would the hardcore viewers go? I’ll gather them all when you’re on break.”

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled.

“Are you going to openly leech off me?”

“Of course. Hey, I’ve told you many times on the broadcast, right? I’ll benefit from you.”

Ji-nom responded with a smile, as if it were a playful question.

Lee Kyung-bok liked this about him. It was better to be straightforward rather than hiding behind a facade.

“Alright. It’s better than having other streamers take over. Brother, help fill in for me during the break.”

“Right, good thinking! Thanks. Anyway, congratulations again!”

“Yeah, thanks. I’m going to bed now. I need to take care of myself at my age.”

“You brat… You’ll be fine, man!”

They ended the call with laughter.

Lee Kyung-bok stretched and started his breakfast.

‘Let’s see what today’s schedule is…’

On a normal day, he would finish his morning exercise, have a meeting with his friends, and then start the broadcast. But today was different.

‘Joo-ho said he has a family gathering.’

Park Joo-ho decided to spend time with his family on this rare day off. With his mother’s remarriage, they needed to make an effort, so he couldn’t be called away.

‘Byeun-hoon said he’s definitely taking a break.’

Choi Byeun-hoon, with no work to do, declared an offline day to catch up on his accumulated fatigue.

He would probably sleep in or watch Netflix. While he could go out, sometimes it’s necessary to spend time alone.

‘It feels weird to take a break.’

Lee Kyung-bok finished his meal and made a protein shake while thinking.

‘A month ago, I couldn’t even imagine this kind of life.’

Starting the broadcast as a trial based on Choi Byeun-hoon’s suggestion, and the channel growing faster than expected.

As a result, he found himself fully committed to the path of a streamer.

‘Thinking about it, I’ve never really taken a proper break.’

A month is a short period, but during that time, he had been running non-stop.

As a result, taking a break felt strange.

‘Or maybe I don’t want to take a break.’

Lee Kyung-bok drained the protein shake in one go and chuckled.

He wanted to broadcast.

He wanted to experience the viewers’ reactions and the affection and joy felt through the chat window again. That feeling was incredibly addictive.

His gaze turned to the capsule in the room.

‘Should I do it alone?’

Broadcasting itself isn’t difficult. Without Park Joo-ho, managing the chat might be a bit tough, but with the chat management bot, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

However, Lee Kyung-bok shook his head.

‘No, it’s not right to take a break and then start broadcasting.’

If he started broadcasting, his two friends would naturally receive notifications. Even if he did it alone, they would eventually come running.

He didn’t want to overwork his friends out of his own desire.

“Then what should I do…”

First, Lee Kyung-bok started doing the dishes out of habit. While doing so, he recalled his days off when he was an office worker.

Back then, he would divide his time for exercise. However, the equipment at home wasn’t enough, so he would go to the nearby public sports facility on his days off to make up for it.

“Maybe I’ll go to the gym for a change.”

Lee Kyung-bok smiled faintly.

The idea of using his body in the real world, not in virtual reality, felt good.

* * *

Public sports facility on a weekday morning.

Most of the users were middle-aged and elderly people who had retired, and a few young men who looked like college students.

But their numbers were not large.

‘Nothing much has changed.’

Lee Kyung-bok looked around the public sports facility he had visited and commented.

It seemed that there hadn’t been any significant changes in a month, just as he remembered.

‘Well, there’s not much that could change anyway.’

At the public sports facility, various sports could be enjoyed. There was a basic fitness center, as well as various sports fields for futsal, basketball, volleyball, and kickball, and even a swimming pool.

Lee Kyung-bok headed to the small boxing gym attached to the fitness center.

‘There are quite a few people even on a weekday morning.’

The gym wasn’t large, with only punching bags and a ring for sparring.

There were more users than he expected, but fortunately, there was still a punching bag available.

Lee Kyung-bok stood in front of the punching bag and chuckled.

‘I used to think of that guy while hitting it.’

When he was working, he would think of his annoying supervisor and release his stress by hitting the punching bag.

‘Compared to back then, this is really heaven, heaven.’

Thinking about the physical and mental hardships and the poor income of that time, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Other people, unaware of his thoughts, looked at him strangely.

“Anyone can come to the public gym, but it’s a problem.”

“Hey, leave him alone. He looks like a beginner. He probably won’t come back tomorrow.”

Some of them whispered and mocked Lee Kyung-bok. He was wearing a loose hoodie, so his physique wasn’t visible.

“He’ll probably hit the punching bag a few times and leave.”

“It would be better if he just left. He might hurt his wrist and complain.”

“He should watch some YouTube videos before coming.”

They snickered and glared at Lee Kyung-bok.

In the meantime, Lee Kyung-bok put on his gloves and warmed up.

‘There are always some people who don’t do their exercises properly and just fool around, no matter where you go.’

He felt an unpleasant sensation from a few of them, but he didn’t bother to pay attention to them.

He started hitting the punching bag lightly.

‘This is a new recruit, a new recruit.’

Since he was young, his body had been weakened by the backlash of his supernatural power, and his parents had to visit various hospitals. Eventually, they sought help from his grandmother.

‘Kyung-bok, you need to exercise.’

He started exercising at his grandmother’s suggestion.

It wasn’t just for health.

‘To survive, you need to learn how to control your supernatural power. Kyung-bok, don’t pay attention to your surroundings. Focus on yourself and learn to concentrate on yourself.’

More important than health was the direction of his consciousness.

He learned to focus on himself as he started proper exercise.

From the exercise posture to breathing and strength control, he trained his body and became accustomed to focusing solely on himself.

Thanks to this, his supernatural power didn’t go out of control, and the backlash decreased, improving his condition.

‘When a container breaks, the contents spill out. Kyung-bok, you need to have a strong and large container. Only then can you survive, understand?’

The light sounds of his punches gradually grew louder. The movements that started with light jabs gradually gained momentum.

Lee Kyung-bok began to focus on himself, just like he used to.

“Hey, hey, look at that.”

“What…?”

The chains of the punching bag started to creak as it swayed more.

Those who had mocked Lee Kyung-bok, as well as those who had shown no interest, stopped and turned their eyes.

However, Lee Kyung-bok’s attention was not on them. He focused entirely on the swaying punching bag.

“Crazy… His footwork is amazing.”

“Is he a pro? Or is it weaving?”

The sound of the gloves hitting the punching bag became crisp as the pendulum motion of the bag grew more intense.

Lee Kyung-bok demonstrated not only jabs and straight punches but also hooks and body blows while stepping.

The various combinations amazed the people around him.

“Wow…”

“Is he a pro?”

No one was mocking him anymore.

Everyone was captivated by his movements, unable to look away. The people gathered here were particularly interested in boxing, so they recognized his skill.

“Hey, hey… Let’s just go home today.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Those who had mocked Lee Kyung-bok earlier glanced at each other and left. The others around them glared at them, so they must have heard their whispers.

They fled before becoming the subject of ridicule.

They probably wouldn’t come here for a while.

“Phew.”

Lee Kyung-bok, drenched in sweat, stopped the violently swaying punching bag.

A faint smile appeared on his face. The fatigue of the real world, which he hadn’t felt in a long time, felt refreshing. It was a different experience from the daily exercises he did at home.

However, it was only for a moment.

‘Kyung-bok, the supernatural power inside you is not something a human body can handle.’

He recalled his grandmother’s warning as he thought of her.

He thought the backlash wouldn’t occur in virtual reality, but it wasn’t a perfect solution.

‘Is this okay as it is?’

The capsule had also shown a warning message. While he had temporarily resolved the crisis with a custom model, there was no guarantee it would be fine in the future.

‘If my grandmother were here, I could at least ask her…’

Even if there was no solution, she could have given him helpful advice. But now, there was no one to ask about his supernatural power.

“Sigh…”

Just as Lee Kyung-bok sighed, his smart link vibrated with a call notification.

“Huh?”

Lee Kyung-bok’s eyes widened as he recognized the caller. He quickly took off his gloves and went outside the gym.

“Hello?”

<Hey, Kyung-bok? It’s me.>

“Ah, Aunt Yang. How are you?”

As soon as he answered, Lee Kyung-bok felt awkward. His caller was Aunt Yang Gwiri.

<Nothing much, I’m fine. But is something wrong with you?>

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Lee Kyung-bok shook his head, even though it wasn’t a video call.

“No, nothing in particular.”

<Really? You’re lying, aren’t you? Anyway, let’s meet today.>

“Huh? Today?”

<Why? Are you busy? I’m busy too, but I need to see you.>

Lee Kyung-bok was taken aback by the sudden request.

‘Why is she doing this all of a sudden?’

They weren’t that close, so he planned to defuse the situation with a good excuse.

However, her next words made him change his mind.

<Your grandmother appeared in my dream and said she must see you today.>

“…My grandmother?”

To be called out because a deceased family member appeared in a dream? If someone else had said it, he would have dismissed it, but this was different.

Because she was.

<That’s why I closed the shrine today. I can’t ignore what the divine mother said. So, let’s meet. I’ll send you the location via chat, so come right away. Got it?>

“Okay, I understand.”

His grandmother, who had performed a divine descent ritual for him and was a direct descendant of the divine lineage, was the ‘Yang Hwabo’.

She was a shaman who continued the divine lineage.