The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2 Novel

* * *

One hour later.

As Sung JiHan predicted, the Korea-Japan match ended.

1:3.

The MVPs of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th games were all taken by Geomwang, and the match ended.

The GP calculation was done immediately, just like Battle.net.

Sung JiHan smiled and showed his phone, which had caused a 37-fold jackpot in an instant.

"Well, the money was copied well, right?"

"Hoo... 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.

"I thought I bought it with that."

Sung JiHan opened the Battle.net market and ordered the Orb of Arachne that he had put in his shopping cart.

Then, 500,000 GP disappeared like smoke, and the Orb of Arachne entered his inventory.

"Here."

Sung JiHan took out a 500 million won item and threw it to Masid.

"Uh... uh!"

Masid received the Orb and had an unbelieving expression on his face.

Then, he carefully put it down as if it were a precious object and opened his eyes wide.

The Orb of Arachne.

A gift of SSS grade, recognized as a soccer ball.

"It's recognized! It's recognized as a soccer ball! The gift accepts it!"

"That's good."

"I, I can really... I mean, can I accept this? Can... can I?"

"I won't take it back. We made a contract."

"Oh."

"And wouldn't it be better to use it after lowering your level and changing your class?"

"Y-yeah, that's a good idea."

Masid, who was about to try trapping right away, nodded his head in confusion and carefully stored the Orb in his inventory.

"It really works..."

Masid's eyes were filled with tears.

He had secretly hoped for it, but he never thought it would actually come true.

Some people receive the same SSS grade gift and play an active role in national team matches.

But he was struggling in the Bronze league while kicking a soccer ball.

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

Just like when he dominated the soccer world in 2010.

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

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

"Thank you... really."

"What's this for?"

For this much.

Masid checked Sung JiHan's smartphone and could see the GP he had received as a dividend.

"He received 4 million GP from this bet."

Since the Orb of Arachne was 500,000 GP, Sung JiHan had given him 1/8 of the huge amount he had won from the bet.

For himself, who had only seen him twice.

And that's not all.

He was confident that he would become the best, and he treated him well.

For Masid, who had low self-esteem from working in a soccer school and doing hard labor.

His respect greatly touched him.

"...JiHan. I will repay this favor a hundred times, a thousand times."

On that day, the gratitude that Diego Masid felt far exceeded Sung JiHan's expectations.

After 10 years of wandering and hardship, he had finally put an end to it.

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

It was the perfect moment that perfectly aligned with Sung JiHan's purpose of winning over her heart, rather than just a mere contract.

---

In front of the main entrance of Sword Palace.

Sung JiHan's eyes narrowed as she was about to enter after saying goodbye to Masid.

There were reporters setting up their cameras.

And then.

Click, click!

The sound of flashes erupted from all directions as reporters crowded around a foreign car entering the front gate.

"Ms. Yoon SaeA! Please say something about today's match!"

"Did you happen to see the interview with Geomwang?"

"Geomwang said he doesn't have a daughter, what are your thoughts on that statement?"

"What?"

Sung JiHan quickly ran towards where the reporters had gathered.

"These, these people. They can't do this here!"

The gruff driver tried to block the reporters by any means necessary.

"Move aside, sir!"

"Ms. Yoon SaeA! Just say a word!"

"Ms. Yoon SaeA!"

The onslaught of reporters was unstoppable.

The wave of reporters quickly broke through the driver's feeble guard, and the cameramen all focused their lenses on the backseat.

Although Sung JiHan had turned off the TV after seeing the match results and didn't hear what kind of blunder Geomwang made in the interview, it seemed like she had something to say judging by the reporters going crazy.

"These people...!"

Sung JiHan reached out and pushed the reporters back.

Even though her power was limited in the real world, her level 21 power had grown to the point where she could control dozens of people with level 26 force.

"Uh, uh?! I can't move!"

"This... this is... Sung JiHan!"

The mouths of the reporters, who had been running wild like thunder monkeys, were shut.

Compared to Yoon SaeA, who was not a player, Sung JiHan was a difficult existence to touch.

The reporters looked at Sung JiHan for a moment, as if gauging the situation.

"With this many reporters... I should manage my image, right?"

"Hehe... What can they do to me?"

"Mr. Sung JiHan!"

"Did you see Geomwang's interview today?"

"We would like to hear your thoughts on the interview!"

Boldly, they began bombarding Sung JiHan with questions.

Even though her body didn't move, her mouth did.

"...."

Despite the reporters' onslaught of questions, Sung JiHan remained steadfast and ignored them.

"Let's go, SaeA."

"...Okay, Uncle."

Sung JiHan, who had come out with Yoon SaeA from the backseat, bowed her head to Kim HeeSoo.

"Thank you for taking SaeA. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Oh, no."

HeeSoo, who clapped her hands, also seemed apologetic.

"It's okay! Those reporters are really something. I'll have a word with our reporters later!"

HeeSoo, who came from a family of journalists, had every right to say a word to the reporters.

"...Alright. Thank you."

Yoon SaeA listened to HeeSoo's words and smiled, waving her hand.

And when she turned to look at the reporters...

Her face had instantly turned cold.

"Excuse me, reporter... I'm sorry, but... I have nothing to say in response."

"Yoon Sae-ah! Yoon Sae-ah! Ooof..."

"The Sword King clearly stated in the interview... Ugh..."

The reporter, who had been ignoring Yoon Sae-ah's words and asking questions, couldn't open his mouth until the end.

"Stop it."

His mouth was completely shut by Sung JiHan's force.

"Hehehe..."

Seeing that, Kim Hee-su's driver unconsciously flinched.

Hadn't he experienced the same thing in the parking lot?

It was a terrible experience that felt like his whole body would be paralyzed if it continued like this.

"I won't be doing the interview. I'll release the paralysis once I enter the building, so please wait a moment."

"..."

The reporters couldn't respond. They just nodded their heads.

"Let's go."

"Yeah, Uncle."

With that, blocking the mouths and feet of the reporters.

Sung JiHan and Yoon Sae-ah entered the Sword Palace together.

And in the car, Kim Hee-su, who had watched the Sword King's interview on his smartphone, muttered while glancing at Yoon Sae-ah's back.

The Sword King really abandoned his daughter.

"Our Sae-ah. It's really over, isn't it?"

One corner of Kim Hee-su's mouth slightly lifted.

* * *

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

Was she trying to completely organize her thoughts now?

Yoon Sae-ah referred to Ito Ryuhei as the Sword King.

"Well, I don't know either."

Sung JiHan pretended not to hear and entered the penthouse of the Sword Palace.

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

But because of that damn Sword King, the reporters were going crazy.

"It'll probably be on TV, right? Uncle, let's watch it together."

"Do we have to watch that damn interview?"

"...Still. Wouldn't it be better if we watched it together, Uncle?"

Tug-

Yoon Sae-ah's grip on Sung JiHan's clothes tightened.

Until now, she had been strong, overcoming her father's naturalization issue in Japan.

But today.

Today, unlike usual, she seemed a little weak.

"...Fine. Let's watch it."

Sung JiHan walked to the living room and plopped down on the sofa.

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

Click!

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

Indeed, on numerous channels, they were highlighting the Sword King's interview that took place today.

Among them, when he entered the channel where the Sword King started the interview from the beginning, the interview content was revealed with Korean subtitles.

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

The first match where the Sword King committed suicide.

This question was asked the most.

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

-As it was the first time I joined hands with the Japanese national team, there were many awkward points. In order to properly synchronize with them, I believed there would be many trials and errors.

=So that's why you committed suicide...

-It was more of a tactical showmanship than suicide, I would appreciate it if you saw it that way.

-I have now joined the Japanese national team. I have become a powerful force as the proud champion of Northeast Asia. However, the tactics were still following the previous ones.

-...Because it was time to break through the defense-oriented passive tactics and use tactics befitting the strongest team, I had no choice but to resort to desperate measures.

A hollow laugh escaped.

To the subject who committed suicide due to match-fixing, Sung JiHan had truly spoken well.

-Oh, so that's what happened. Shall we talk about the second match then? The second match...

The flow of the interview highlighted the three subsequent matches.

The three matches that the Sword King completely dominated.

In the interview recapping the game where the Korean national team was completely trampled.

Sword King Ito Ryuhei was smiling with great joy.

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

-Oh, is that so?

-Yes. Just like the unity of our Japanese team, the Korean national team did not become our opponent. Korea seemed to have the lowest competitiveness in the Northeast Asia League.

-So... do you predict that Korea will become the bottom-ranked country in the league?

-Absolutely not.

Once the hope of Korea, Sword King Yoon Se-jin.

Now, under the name Ito Ryuhei.

He was laughing and giving an interview, saying that his former home country would become the last place in the league.

Seeing this, how many Koreans could remain calm?

Sung JiHan didn't need to search the internet to know the public's reaction.

And finally.

-There have been various issues regarding your remaining daughter in Korea. What do you think about that?

In response to the Japanese reporter's question, Sword King Ito Ryuhei answered clearly.

-I don't know what you're talking about.

-What?

-I don't have a daughter.

-Uh... that's...

-I, Ito Ryuhei, gave up everything and naturalized in Japan. So, I don't have a daughter.

Sword King Ito Ryuhei smiled brightly and answered like that.

I don't have a daughter.

He gave up his former wife, daughter, and everything.

"So that's what it was."

And Yoon Se-ah, who saw that interview.

She was smiling just like the Sword King.

"That's why the reporters were clinging to him."

"..."

"Why do they expect any answer from that kind of interview? It's disgusting. Right?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. They're dirty bastards."

In response to his words, Yoon Se-ah grabbed Sung JiHan's collar tightly.

"Uncle, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What favor?"

"When I find the clue to the Survival Map quest. You said you would grant me one favor."

The Survival Map quest.

For Sung JiHan, who had cleared all the Bronze-level quests, it was the last remaining homework.

[Epic Quest]

-Find and provoke the Shadow Queen located in the Colosseum map's spectator seats.

-Reward: Achievement Points 50,000.

-The interest of the Seat of Power, 'Shadow Queen.'

A quest of the highest difficulty in Bronze that could obtain the interest of the Seat of Power.

Yoon Se-ah debated confidently with her own voice.

"Se-ah, I'll grant your wish even if you don't find the clue."

"Aww, that's no fun."

Yoon Se-ah weakly smiled and spoke.

"I... I think I found it. The... 'Shadow Queen'."