Chapter 37

<Chapter 37: The Nameless God Returning to Level 2>

Nameless Divine Art 無名神功.

Three Talents Supreme Art 三才武極.

Hermit's Guiding Finger 仙人指路.

Hermit's Guiding Finger.

It means a hermit pointing the way, and it was the basic technique corresponding to the "person" 人 in the Three Talents' Heaven, Earth, and Person.

‘What is most important now is speed.’

Thus, choosing Hermit's Guiding Finger among the basic techniques was a judgment perfectly suited to this situation.

Whoosh!

Even before the Phoenix Arrow left the bowstring, the golden horse statue was already engulfed in flames.

An unimaginable and immeasurable firepower.

The bow, which was the target of the sword, was hidden behind a wall of fire and could not be seen.

‘A half-hearted attempt won’t pierce this barrier.’

Unlike when he cut the Flash Golem, he needed to be more precise and faster.

Indeed, it was a single-point penetration 一點貫通.

‘For that...’

He opened the upper dantian and drew the trajectory of the sword.

A straight line of the sword path.

Its end aimed at the bow that supported the arrow.

He opened the middle dantian and cleared the path.

A small point appeared amidst the flames that obstructed his vision.

It was the space for the sword path he had drawn to unfold.

And finally.

He opened the lower dantian and extended the sword.

The sword, Hermit's Guiding Finger, moved along the opened path.

This technique, corresponding to the "person" 人 in the Three Talents, had no grand movements.

To a third party, it would only appear as a slight tremor of the sword tip.

However.

The sword qi emitted from that single tremor possessed a power that ordinary people could not even imagine.

In an instant.

A single beam of sword qi shot from Seong Jihan's sword pierced the center of the flames the Phoenix Arrow had ignited.

Crack!

It shattered the massive bow that held the arrow and cleanly split the bowstring in half.

[Oh...!]

An exclamation of surprise came from the Conqueror's statue.

Seong Jihan's ultimate thrust.

Its target was the optimal one to block the archer.

Without a bow, there was no way to shoot an arrow.

Whoosh...

The heat from the Phoenix Arrow quickly subsided, and the temperature inside the chamber gradually cooled.

The Conqueror's statue, which had been watching the arrow emitting white smoke, looked at Seong Jihan with a pleased expression.

[Plunderer. What is your name?]

“Seong Jihan.”

[Seong Jihan... Seong Jihan. Excellent. You are a noble swordsman.]

Snap!

An arrow flew from his hand and embedded itself in front of Seong Jihan's feet.

[You have shown me the highest form of respect. Now, the Phoenix Arrow is yours.]

[You have earned the Conqueror's recognition.]

[The test on the 7th underground floor is waived.]

Seong Jihan's eyes narrowed as he read the message.

“Waived?”

[You have already shown me true respect. From now on, do not show me the form of a tomb raider.]

With those words, the Conqueror's statue slowly dispersed.

[I hope to meet you in a better battlefield, not a place like this.]

“...Sure.”

There are many battlefields in the BattleNet map, so if fate allows, they might meet again.

Seong Jihan thought this as he watched the Conqueror's statue gradually disappear.

* * *

-What... What did he do?

-I can't even tell from the video. Isn't fast motion automatically slowed down??

-The momentum was incredible... but suddenly???

The viewers couldn't grasp what had happened.

This was because Hermit's Guiding Finger, while fast, was also a very secretive martial art due to its characteristic of targeting a single point.

Even with the consideration given by BattleNet, it was difficult for ordinary people to understand.

Meanwhile.

Seong Jihan, who had bid farewell to the Conqueror's statue, wore a satisfied smile.

‘This time, the control of power was more free.’

Compared to when he used the martial art in the past, it was a significant improvement.

When he first used the martial art, the power emission was not free, leaving residual current on the ground with Heaven's Thunder Step and even splitting the ground with Mount Tai's Pressure.

This time, the Hermit's Guiding Finger he performed was a more advanced achievement.

‘If I can freely handle basic techniques like this, I can use higher-level martial art techniques as well.’

Just as Seong Jihan finished his thoughts on the martial art.

Chat messages started flooding in from one side of his vision.

-Whoa. If you clear the dungeon map like that, even a suicide show won't work -What do you mean, Takeda??

-Everyone... This wasn't done by Takeda! (???????) Where would a salaryman like me get the money...?

-You were quiet, but now you're showing up!!!

-You're already exposed

-If you have 300 million yen, why work? Why come all the way here and suffer? Seong... Please believe me!!! ( ? ^ ? )

-For a Japanese person to come all the way here lol

The chat content itself was silly, but Takeda was firmly denying the suspicion of being the one who requested the suicide.

There were suspicions, but no concrete evidence.

‘However... there's no need to avoid Takeda.’

He needed a catalyst for the channel's development right now.

But, to prepare for the future, he needed to gather solid evidence.

‘Fortunately, I have a task in mind.’

Seong Jihan pulled out the Phoenix Arrow embedded in front of him and swung it.

Whoosh- Whoosh-

‘It’s quite heavy.’

Apart from its slight weight, it was a perfect spear.

With some time to adapt, it seemed he wouldn't need to worry about a main weapon for a while.

‘Should I try it out now?’

Seong Jihan looked around.

Unlike the archer, who had already fallen to the flames of the Phoenix Arrow, the warrior, due to his professional characteristics, was still alive.

Swoosh-

As Seong Jihan aimed the spear at the warrior, the warrior's eyes were filled with despair.

‘No, not this...!’

Although he had lost the 1 billion, he thought he could get away with a free ride.

But the man in front of him didn't allow even a small gain.

“Follow your comrade.”

Thud!

Seong Jihan's new weapon, the Phoenix Arrow, mercilessly pierced the warrior's body.

* * *

In the BattleNet Academy cafeteria.

Flash!

Seong Jihan appeared after finishing the game.

In his right hand, he held a large arrow, the Phoenix Arrow.

The scouts' eyes widened at the sight.

“Wow... That, that!”

“It’s not a loot but equipment?!”

Among the four modes of the BattleNet game, the dungeon mode allows players to obtain various items, from useful auxiliary items to all kinds of equipment.

So it wasn't strange for Seong Jihan to come out with an item, but what surprised the scouts was something else.

‘Equipment drops in a Bronze dungeon... I've never heard of it!’

‘The Conqueror's Mausoleum only yields a few gold pieces, right?’

Since even common auxiliary items didn't drop, it was no wonder the dungeon was called the "wimp's" mausoleum.

But what about the Phoenix Arrow that Seong Jihan brought out this time?

‘At least... it’s A-grade!’

It was clear just by looking at it.

The spear tip, shining with alternating gold and silver.

The aura it emitted was so powerful that it made the scouts watching from a distance shiver.

“Inventory.”

Seong Jihan put the Phoenix Arrow into his inventory and sat down again.

Clank. Clank.

Seong Jihan, showing off the ice in his plastic cup to Lee Hyeon, who was watching.

Despite the eventful game, it didn't take long, so the ice was still half-melted.

Lee Hyeon looked at Seong Jihan with a defeated expression.

“...Really, you came before the ice melted.”

“Yes. I'm the type who keeps promises.”

Sip-

Seong Jihan took a sip of coffee and smiled at Lee Hyeon.

“But I'm curious about what type our manager is. Does she keep promises? Or does she say one thing and do another?”

Until now, Lee Hyeon had only shown a bright smile in front of Seong Jihan.

“...Oh my. What a coincidence. I... am the same. I thoroughly... keep my promises.”

This time, she forced a smile.

“Status window.”

Lee Hyeon summoned her status window.

Her expression stiffened for a moment as she looked at it...

‘Ugh...’

She pressed the public button at the bottom right of the status window.

“Here! Look, look!”

Lee Hyeon, with an average ability of 9.5, had excellent talent.

“Just in case there's any misunderstanding.”

She held up her status window with a puffed-up face.

“I didn’t lie. The supporting gift... is practically non-existent.”

[Gift - Development (Grade A)]

-Supporting gift. Helps other players grow quickly.

“...”

Seong Jihan's eyes deepened.

He was finally certain.

‘Lee Hyeon... you are Zero, indeed.’

Zero, who, thanks to her brilliant talent, reigned as the second-in-command of the American First guild despite being an immigrant.

He had confirmed with his own eyes that she was Lee Hyeon.

A smile naturally formed on Seong Jihan's lips.

Grin-

“...You’re really too much. To mock me like that in person.”

“No. I’m just happy.”

Swoosh-

Seong Jihan extended his phone.

“Can you give me your number, Lee Hyeon?”

“Eh... Um.”

Lee Hyeon stared at Seong Jihan's phone.

She had experienced countless advances in her life, but this was the first time a man had asked for her number so confidently, as if he had left it somewhere.

“...Didn’t you give me a business card last time?”

She tried to brush him off, but his response was remarkable.

“Oh, that one. I lost it.”

“Huh...”

A single word that shattered Lee Hyeon's ironclad expression management.

‘How can you ask for my number when you don’t even know where my business card is?’

The completely changed attitude after seeing the gift.

Was this useless gift something that could attract Seong Jihan's attention?

Lee Hyeon couldn't understand at all.

‘...I have to do what I have to do.’

Swish!

Lee Hyeon took Seong Jihan's phone and entered her number.

[Manager Lee Hyeon