Chapter 41

<Chapter 41: The Martial God Who Regressed to Level 2>

* * *

An hour later.

The match between Korea and Japan ended as Han Sung-jin had predicted.

1:3.

The MVP of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th matches was also claimed by the Sword King, bringing the match to a close.

The GP settlement was promptly carried out on Battle.net.

Han Sung-jin, who had achieved a 37-fold windfall in an instant, showed his phone with a grin.

"Here. The money has been copied well, hasn't it?"

"Huuu... My blood, sweat, and tears..."

Masid, who had bet on Japan's 3:0 victory and lost his salary, had a face that looked like he was about to cry.

"Think of it as buying an orb."

Han Sung-jin opened the Battle.net market and ordered the Arachne Orb he had added to his cart.

Then, 500,000 GP disappeared like smoke, and the Arachne Orb appeared in his inventory.

"Here."

Han Sung-jin took out the 500 million won item and threw it to Masid.

"Wh... What!"

Masid caught the orb and had a look of disbelief.

He then placed it at his feet as if it were a sacred object and opened his eyes wide.

The Arachne Orb.

This item, about the size of a soccer ball and with a similar texture, was recognized as a soccer ball by the SSS-grade Gift, 'God of Soccer.'

"It's recognized! It's recognized as a soccer ball! The Gift, it accepts this!"

"That's good."

"R... Really? I can really accept this? Can... Can I?"

"I won't take it back. We made a contract, didn't we?"

"Oh."

"And wouldn't it be better to use it after you regress your level and change your class?"

"Y... Yes, that would be better."

Masid, who had been about to try trapping it immediately, nodded awkwardly and carefully stored the orb in his inventory.

"Really... I can't believe it..."

Masid's eyes were brimming with tears.

He had secretly hoped for it, but he didn't think it would really happen.

Some people received the same SSS-grade Gift and shone in national team matches.

He, on the other hand, had been playing with soccer balls and struggling in the Bronze league.

'But now... it's different!'

Just like when he was a superstar in the soccer world in 2010.

This time, he would be the best in this Battle.net.

The determination of a man who had once reached the top burned fiercely once again.

"Really... thank you."

"For this much? Don't mention it."

For this much.

Masid checked Han Sung-jin's smartphone and could see the GP he had received.

'He got 4 million GP from this bet.'

Since the Arachne Orb cost 500,000 GP, Han Sung-jin had given him 1/8 of the large sum he had won from the bet.

For someone he had only met a couple of times.

That's not all.

He treated him with high regard, believing that he would become the best.

While Masid's self-esteem had plummeted as he worked odd jobs and soccer classes,

Han Sung-jin's respect deeply resonated with him.

'...Jihan. I will repay this favor a hundred, a thousand times over.'

That day, the gratitude Diego Masid felt far exceeded Han Sung-jin's expectations.

It put a period to his 10 years of wandering and hardship.

'I will meet your expectations. So... I will definitely repay you.'

It was a moment that perfectly aligned with Han Sung-jin's goal of winning his heart rather than binding him by contract.

* * *

In front of the main gate of Sword Palace.

Han Sung-jin's eyes narrowed as he was about to enter after parting ways with Masid.

There were reporters gathered there.

Then,

Click! Click!

Flashes went off from all directions as reporters swarmed around a foreign car entering the main gate.

"Ms. Yoon Se-a! Please give us a comment on today's match!"

"Did you see the Sword King's interview?"

"The Sword King said, 'I don't have a daughter.' What do you think about that?"

'What?' Han Sung-jin quickly ran to where the reporters had gathered.

"These people. You can't do this here!"

A gruff driver tried to block the reporters.

"Move, sir!"

"Ms. Yoon Se-a! Please give us a comment!"

"Ms. Yoon Se-a!"

There's no business without customers.

The wave of reporters quickly broke through the driver's guard, and the cameramen focused on the back seat.

Although he had only seen the match result and turned off the TV, the reporters' commotion suggested that the Sword King had said something in the interview.

'These people...!'

Han Sung-jin extended his hand, and the reporters were pushed back.

Even though his power was restricted in the real world, his 26th level Force was strong enough to control dozens of men.

"Wh... What?! I can't move!"

"T... This... This is... Han Sung-jin!"

The reporters, who had been raging like thunder, fell silent.

Compared to Yoon Se-a, who was not a player, Han Sung-jin was a more difficult target to touch.

The reporters looked at Han Sung-jin, gauging the situation for a moment.

'With so many reporters here. I need to manage my image, right?'

'Haha... What can I do?'

"Han Sung-jin!"

"Did you see the Sword King's interview today?"

"Please give us your thoughts on the interview!"

They started bombarding Han Sung-jin with questions.

Even though their bodies couldn't move, their mouths could.

"..."

Han Sung-jin ignored their questions.

"Let's go, Se-a."

"Okay, Uncle."

Han Sung-jin led Yoon Se-a out of the back seat and bowed to Kim Hee-soo.

"Thank you, Hee-soo. I appreciate you bringing Se-a. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"No, no."

Kim Hee-soo waved it off, and Yoon Se-a also looked apologetic.

"Hee-soo... I'm really sorry. I'm sorry to the driver for asking him to drive us today."

"Ah, it's fine! The reporters are really over the top. I'll have a word with our side's reporters later!"

Kim Hee-soo, from a family of journalists, had the authority to speak to the reporters.

"Thanks. I appreciate it."

Yoon Se-a smiled slightly and waved at Kim Hee-soo.

When she turned to face the reporters,

Her expression instantly turned cold.

"Reporters. I'm sorry for gathering here, but I have nothing to say."

"Ms. Yoon Se-a! Ms. Yoon Se-a! Ugh..."

"The Sword King clearly said... Ugh..."

The reporter who ignored Yoon Se-a and continued to ask questions couldn't open his mouth.

"Stop it."

His mouth was completely sealed by Han Sung-jin's Force.

"Ah..."

The driver, who had seen this, involuntarily shuddered.

He had experienced this at the parking lot.

It was a terrifying experience, feeling his whole body go numb.

"I won't give interviews. I'll release the paralysis when I enter the building, so please wait a moment."

"..."

The reporters couldn't respond. They just nodded.

"Let's go."

"Okay, Uncle."

With the reporters' mouths and feet sealed,

Han Sung-jin and Yoon Se-a entered Sword Palace together.

Kim Hee-soo, who had seen the Sword King's interview on her smartphone in the car, muttered,

"The Sword King said such things in the interview..."

She glanced at Yoon Se-a's back.

The Sword King really abandoned his daughter.

"Our Se-a. It's really over...?"

One corner of Kim Hee-soo's mouth curled up slightly.

* * *

"Uncle. Dad... No, the Sword King. What did he say?"

Was she finally ready to fully accept it?

Yoon Se-a referred to Itou Ryuhei as the Sword King.

"I don't know. I'm not sure."

Han Sung-jin pretended not to hear and entered the penthouse of Sword Palace.

He had obtained the GP as planned and successfully signed a contract with Masid, so he thought everything would go smoothly.

But what did the Sword King say in the interview to cause such a commotion among the reporters?

"Will it be on TV? Uncle. Let's watch it together."

"Why bother with that guy's interview?"

"Still... Wouldn't it be better to watch it with Uncle?"

Yoon Se-a's grip on Han Sung-jin's shirt tightened.

Until now, she had been strong, dealing with her father's naturalization in Japan.

But today,

Today, she was a bit weaker than usual.

"...Okay. Let's watch it."

Han Sung-jin walked to the living room and plopped down on the sofa.

Behind the sofa, the broken face of the Sword King was still displayed.

Beep!

He turned on the living room TV and changed the channels.

Sure enough, many channels were covering the Sword King's interview from today.

When he found a channel where the Sword King was being interviewed from the beginning, the interview content appeared with Korean subtitles.

=Why did you act that way in the first match?

The first match where the Sword King committed suicide.

This was the most common question.

Itou Ryuhei, the Sword King, answered fluently in Japanese.

-Due to the first coordination with the Japanese national team, there were many awkward points. I thought there would be many trials and errors to properly synchronize with them, so I took drastic measures.

=So you committed suicide...

-Rather than suicide, I would appreciate it if you saw it as a tactical showmanship.

-I have now joined the Japanese national team. We have become a team capable of stepping up as the dominant force in Northeast Asia. However, the tactics were still following the old ones.

-...To break the defensive and passive tactics and adopt tactics befitting the strongest team, I had to take drastic measures.

A hollow laugh escaped his lips.

He talks well, considering he committed suicide due to match-fixing.

=Ah, I see. Then let's talk about the second match. The second match...

The interview then focused on the subsequent three matches.

The three matches where the Sword King dominated completely.

In the interview reviewing the match where the Korean national team was completely crushed,

The Sword King, Itou Ryuhei, was smiling happily.

-Oh, oh... Korea was indeed weak.

=Oh, really?

-Yes. When we, the Japanese, completely united in spirit, the Korean national team was no match for us. Korea seemed to be the least competitive in the Northeast Asia League.

=Then... Do you predict that Korea will be the last in the league?

-Absolutely.

The Sword King, once the hope of Korea, now named Itou Ryuhei,

Was smiling as he predicted that his former homeland would be the last in the league.

How many Koreans could watch this without boiling with anger?

Han Sung-jin didn't need to search the internet to guess the public's reaction.

And finally,

=There are many issues regarding the daughter you left behind in Korea. What do you