Chapter 2 of 100
Chapter 2
7 min read1,779 words
<The God of Martial Arts Who Regressed to Level 2 - Chapter 2>
* * *
One day in 2010.
- Inviting Earthlings to BattleNet.
An invitation from space completely transformed human life.
“Did you watch the game yesterday?”
“Yeah, Mexico won easily.”
“Lord Sword swept them all away. Their tankers were weak, so they couldn’t stand a chance against us.”
The BattleNet League spread worldwide.
Survival.
Invade.
Defense.
Dungeon.
Four types of combat games.
They made all professional sports, including the Olympics and the World Cup, disappear.
Children who used to play soccer in the alleys of Brazil started to wield swords.
Promising baseball players in the United States began throwing daggers instead of baseballs.
This strange shift in perception occurred in less than a year after Earth was invited to BattleNet.
Ten years later, in 2020.
[The tutorial season of BattleNet will end this year.]
[Starting from 2021, humanity will join the Space League - Bronze League.]
The time when humanity could remain in the cradle was about to end.
* * *
In a spacious and luxurious living room.
Seong Jihan, who had been lying on the sofa, opened his eyes.
‘This is...’
His head ached as if it were splitting, and his breath reeked of alcohol.
A typical hangover.
This was an experience Seong Jihan hadn't had in the past few years.
But he found this feeling incredibly welcome.
“Really, I’ve returned to the time when the league first started.”
A chance for a fresh start.
He didn't believe it would really happen when he saw the final system message.
But he had truly returned to the past.
He jumped up from the sofa and looked around.
A living room large enough to kick a ball around.
A place very familiar to him.
His sister's house.
And Yun Sejin's house.
Until this point, Seong Jihan had been living here.
‘And...’
The numerous bottles of liquor on the table in front of the sofa.
‘It’s really the same. That time.’
Back then.
It was a period of drastic change in his life, the time when he became level 2 and first participated in the Bronze League.
- Let's listen to the press conference of Sword King Yun Sejin again.
Meanwhile, a somber voice was echoing from the TV.
When Seong Jihan turned his gaze, a video of a man's press conference was playing on the TV that covered the entire wall.
- Fellow citizens.
Seong Jihan clenched his teeth as soon as he heard the voice.
That press conference video.
A scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.
July 31, 2020.
He remembered the date perfectly.
- This is Yun Sejin speaking.
Sword King Yun Sejin.
Seong Jihan's brother-in-law and the strongest player Korea had ever produced.
Ranked third among the world's top 11 players, he was known to be the most powerful Warrior class.
He was called the pride and national treasure of Korea.
In the video, he stood with a confident expression.
- I am here today to reveal the truth about the rumors circulating.
He continued confidently.
- First, I will address the rumor that I will transfer to Japan's New Self-Defense Force.
- That is true.
‘Of all times, I had to see this guy’s face right after returning to the past.’
Yun Sejin's press conference.
The turning point that shook and led to the downfall of Korea.
His transfer to Japan triggered a chain reaction, causing Korea's league ranking to plummet sharply.
‘And our country... perished.’
Seong Jihan's expression twisted as he thought about the future.
The journalists in the video, after a moment of shock, began to raise their hands one after another.
- Mr. Yun Sejin! Mr. Yun Sejin!
- You're transferring to the New Self-Defense Force? Is that true?
- It is true.
- The New Self-Defense Force is a direct guild of the Japanese government! It is known that only Japanese citizens are accepted there.
- Then, do you...?
- That's correct. The New Self-Defense Force only accepts Japanese citizens.
Click. Click. Click.
The press conference room was enveloped in silence.
Only the sound of camera flashes continued to ring out.
- Therefore, I, Yun Sejin, have decided to change my name to Ryūhei and naturalize as a Japanese citizen. Please call me Ito Ryūhei from now on.
Rustle. Rustle.
The sound of journalists stirring could be heard through the TV screen.
- What, what?! Mr. Yun Sejin!
- What is this... Lord Sword!
-You're naturalizing in Japan!
-Does this mean you're retiring from the national team?
-Yes. I, Ito Ryūhei, will now represent Japan in the World Champions League. I'll see you there. Thank you.
A cold smile played on Yun Sejin's lips as he declared he would become Japanese.
His expression was so cold that it made the numerous journalists flinch.
It was a complete contrast to his usual image as Korea's hero, known for his gentle demeanor and popularity.
- Wait, wait a moment!
- Mr. Yun Sejin! Was this discussed with the Korean government?
- Changing your name...?
As journalists tried to swarm around Yun Sejin.
Suddenly, a black shadow flickered around him and soon enveloped his body.
- What... what is this?
- Where did he go?!
The scene then changed.
Under the somber discussion room, a large headline was displayed.
[The Departure of the Sword King. What will happen to Korea's league ranking?]
- Hmm, even when I watch it again, it's a truly... perplexing scene. The government said it was not discussed beforehand.
- Yes. The government is trying to find and calmly persuade Mr. Yun Sejin, but his whereabouts are unknown.
- For the Sword King to go to Japan...
The panel of BattleNet experts began to discuss the future.
- The best scenario would be for the Sword King to return to Korea...
- Even if he doesn't return, our league ranking is expected to remain stable.
- The Northeast Asia League is very competitive, so our ranking will drop temporarily... but we will still be in the top tier globally.
- That's right. 'Dungeons' only appear in the bottom 10% of countries.
“Hmph.”
Seong Jihan snorted at the mention of the 'bottom 10%'.
‘Still living in their happy delusions.’
The reason the BattleNet league ranking is important.
It's because the ranking directly affects the safety of the country.
‘If dungeons appear, it's the end. Look at North Korea.’
Specifically, it's because the dungeons that only appeared in the BattleNet game began to manifest in reality.
The country that was hit hardest by the dungeon phenomenon was North Korea.
Fearing it would be fatal to their regime, North Korea banned the cultivation of players and boycotted BattleNet entirely.
As a result, North Korea, which had been at the bottom of the league rankings, became a wasteland due to the dungeons that appeared across the country.
- Still, our Korea is maintaining a ranking in the top 20.
- That's right! Even without the Sword King, we won't drop below 30th place.
- On the contrary, Japan probably paid an absurd price to persuade the Sword King. This will ultimately be a loss for them.
It's okay. We can survive.
Japan will suffer the loss.
Click.
Seong Jihan turned off the TV, annoyed by the panelists' self-satisfaction.
‘Japan suffering a loss? Ridiculous.’
Seong Jihan recalled the future.
‘Japan, thanks to his joining, managed to remain as one of the final ten countries.’
Sword King Yun Sejin.
Putting aside personal morality, his talent was unparalleled.
Of course, the price Japan paid was not trivial.
At the time, there was much criticism about why they would bear such a burden to recruit one player.
‘But in less than three years, the evaluation was completely reversed.’
When Earth's 'tutorial' ended and the world plunged into hell, the recruitment of the Sword King was hailed as a stroke of genius.
‘But...’
Seong Jihan got up from the sofa and walked steadily towards the family photo of Yun Sejin hanging on the wall.
His sister and young nephew.
And Yun Sejin, smiling brightly in the family photo.
Bang!
With a punch, Yun Sejin's face was crushed.
‘This time, it won't end that way.’
Because he, who had seen the end of the game, had returned.
* * *
After Earth was invited to BattleNet.
All humans over 18 years old awakened as 'players' with the right to play BattleNet.
- Players...!
- I can see a status window!
The appearance of a status window, similar to those seen in games and novels, caused chaos on Earth for a while.
The changes didn't stop there.
- What? Channel 0... is this even a thing?
- I never installed such a program.
On channel 0 of the TV, BattleNet broadcasts aired.
Regardless of internet connection, BattleNet-related programs were installed on all computers and phones.
- We were invited by an alien civilization...
- Is this real?
People were amazed by the strange events that unfolded overnight.
Naturally, there were those who were curious about this strange phenomenon.
- BattleNet... should I give it a try?
One peculiar point was that almost everyone accessed the BattleNet system.
While it would be typical to be cautious about the sudden appearance of BattleNet...
People in 2010 were different.
That's how it was.
‘Those who joined BattleNet were made to accept the game without questioning it.’
Seong Jihan recalled the fact revealed in the future and murmured in a calm voice.
“Status window.”
Name: Seong Jihan
Level: 2
Affiliation: Bronze League - Gangnam 1 Area
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Health: 5
Mana: 5
Class: Unassigned
Gift: Wanderer's Eye (Grade F)
- Accurately assesses other players.
Title: None
Achievement Points: 100,000
Seong Jihan sighed softly.
‘It’s pitiful.’
His stats were at the lowest value of 5, and his class was unassigned.
Although he had a gift, a talent given to a select few.
‘Back then, I thought this gift was useless and got addicted to gambling.’
The ambiguous ability to 'assess others'.
However, it was effective even beyond the screen, so Seong Jihan took full advantage of the gambling system in BattleNet.
‘But the true value of this gift was not that.’
Seong Jihan, who thought it was just a useful gift for gambling, experienced a drastic change in his life due to a certain 'incident'.
The F-grade gift underwent a complete transformation.
‘But now, the conditions for awakening the gift are not met.’
For now, he decided to leave the gift alone.
Seong Jihan decided to look at something else.
And one statistic caught his eye.
At the bottom of the status window, 100,000 achievement points.