* * *

One hour later.

The Korea-Japan match ended as Seong Jihan had predicted.

1:3

The MVPs for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th matches were all won by Sword King.

The GP settlement was promptly completed in true BattleNet fashion. Seong Jihan, who had hit the jackpot at 37 times the bet, flashed a grin and showed his mobile phone.

See? The money has been multiplied nicely, right?

My blood, sweat, and tears

Masied, who had bet on Japans 3:0 win and lost his salary, looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

Think of it as buying the Orb with that.

Seong Jihan opened the BattleNet market, brought the Arachnes Orb he had previously added to his cart, and just like that, 500,000 GP vanished, and the Arachnes Orb appeared in his inventory.

Here.

Seong Jihan took out the 500 million worth of relic and tossed it to Masied.

Uh what?!

Masied, catching the Orb, looked at it in disbelief. He then placed it carefully as if it was a precious relic. It was the Arachnes Orb. To Masied, the item, similar in size and feel to a soccer ball, was recognized by his SSS-grade gift, God of Soccer, as a soccer ball.

It recognizes it! It recognizes it as a soccer ball! My Gift accept it!

Thats good.

Did you really think this would work? Is it really okay for me to have this?

We made a deal, didnt we?

Right.

Wouldnt it be better to use it after youve lowered your level and changed your class?

Yeah, that makes sense.

Masied, who was about to try it immediately, nodded and carefully stored the Orb in his inventory.

I never thought it would really work

Tears filled Masieds eyes. Though he had hoped, he never truly believed it would become a reality. While others with the same SSS-grade gift showcased their skills in national matches, he was stuck in Bronze, simply kicking a soccer ball around.

But now its different!

Like in 2010, when he reigned as the legend of the soccer world, this time he would be the best in BattleNet. The will of a man who once stood at the pinnacle reignited with determination.

Thank you, truly.

Its nothing much.

Nothing much?

Masied had seen the amount of GP Seong Jihan had received from the bet.

Seong Jihan earned 4 million GP from this bet.

Considering the Orb cost 500,000 GP, Seong Jihan had given away 1/8 of his winnings for someone he had barely met twice.

And not just that. He had treated Masied with respect, believing he could be the best.

To Masied, who had lost his self-esteem, this meant a lot.

Jihan, I will repay this kindness a hundred, no, a thousand times over.

On that day, the gratitude Masied felt went far beyond Seong Jihans expectations.

After all, he had brought an end to a decade of wandering and hardships.

I will live up to your expectations and repay you in kind.

It was a moment when Seong Jihans goal of winning over the heart, rather than just binding through a contract, perfectly aligned.

At the main entrance of Sword Palace.

As Seong Jihan was about to part ways with Masied and enter, he narrowed his eyes. There were reporters stationed outside. Just then, flashlights went off all around as reporters swarmed a foreign car pulling up to the entrance.

Ms. Yoon Seah! Can you comment on todays match?

Did you happen to see Sword Kings interview?

Sword King said he doesnt have a daughter. What do you think about this statement?

What?

Seong Jihan quickly rushed to where the reporters were gathered.

These people This is not a place for these kinds of questions!!

The stern-looking chauffeur tried to fend off the reporters, but

Step aside, sir!

Ms. Yoon Seah! Just a quick statement!

Ms. Yoon Seah!

Its a universal truth: theres no resisting a horde.

The reporters quickly overpowered the chauffeurs defenses, and the cameramen swiftly focused on the backseat.

Seong Jihan hadnt caught Sword Kings interview since he turned off the TV after seeing the match results.

But seeing the reporters uproar, it was evident that Sword King had said something provocative.

These guys

Seong Jihan swiftly held the reporters back.

Even in the real world, where his power was limited, his Force had grown enough to control dozens of people.

Wha- What?! I cant move!

Thats Thats Seong Jihan!

The reporters, who were previously aggressive, went silent. Compared to Yoon Seah, who isnt a player, Seong Jihan was a more formidable entity.

Mr. Seong Jihan!

Did you see Sword Kings interview today?

Wed like your comment on the interview!

The reporters started their barrage of questions. Even if their bodies couldnt move, their mouths certainly could.

Seong Jihan chose to stay silent amidst the reporters onslaught.

Lets go, Seah.

Okay, uncle.

Seong Jihan, after bringing out Yoon Seah from the backseat, nodded to Kim Heesu.

Thank you, Ms. Heesu, for bringing Seah. Im sorry for the inconvenience.

No, its fine.

Yoon Seah also looked apologetic.

Im sorry, Heesu. And I apologize to the driver too for asking for a ride today.

Dont worry! These reporters are too much. Ill talk to the ones from our side later!

Kim Heesu, coming from a media family, had the authority to reprimand the reporters.

Thank you.

As Yoon Seah waved to Kim Heesu, her expression quickly turned cold when she faced the reporters.

Im sorry, but I have nothing to say in response to your questions.

Ms. Yoon Seah! Ms. Yoon Seah! Uh

Sword King clearly mentioned in the interview that Uh

The reporters, ignoring Yoon Seahs words continued to ask questions but were shut down by Seong Jihan.

Enough.

Seong Jihans Force made sure they couldnt utter another word.

Seeing that, Kim Heesus driver unknowingly shrank.

He had also experienced this terrible terrible experience once.

It was as if your whole body had given up on you and wouldnt listen to any of your commands.

We wont be giving an interview today. The paralysis will be released once we enter the building, so wait patiently.

Reporters, with their mouths shut, could only nod in response.

Lets go.

Okay, uncle.

Leaving the reporters in a state of paralysis, Seong Jihan and Yoon Seah entered the Sword Palace together.

Kim Heesu, who had watched Sword Kings interview on her smartphone, murmured,

Sword King gave such an interview

She glanced at Yoon Seahs retreating figure.

He really abandoned his daughter.

Its truly over for Seah, isnt it?

One corner of Kim Heesus mouth curled up in a faint smile.

* * * * *

Uncle, did you hear what my father no, what Sword King said?

Was she trying to completely come to terms with the situation? Yoon Seah referred to Ito Ryuhei as Sword King.

Honestly, Im not sure.

Seong Jihan pretended not to know and entered the penthouse of the Sword Palace.

He thought everything had gone smoothly after obtaining the GP and signing the contract with Masied.

He wondered why the reporters made such a fuss about Sword Kings interview.

We can watch it on TV, right? Uncle, lets watch it together.

Do we really need to watch that interview?

Maybe it will be better if we watch it together?

Yoon Seah gripped Seong Jihans clothes tighter. She had always been resilient, dealing bravely with her fathers decision to become a Japanese citizen.

But today, she seemed a bit vulnerable.

Alright, lets watch it.

Seong Jihan walked into the living room and sat on the sofa.

Behind the sofa, there was a display of Sword Kings shattered face.

He turned on the TV and flipped through the channels.

As expected, many channels were highlighting Sword Kings recent interview.

He settled on a channel showing the interview from the beginning.

Reporter: Why did you behave that way during the first match?

Referring to the first match where Sword King committed suicide.

Sword King Ito Ryuhei responded fluently in Japanese: It was my first time coordinating with the Japanese national team, and there were many awkward moments. In order to align properly with them, I had to face numerous trials and errors. Hence, I took a drastic measure.

Reporter: So you committed suicide

Sword King: It was more of a tactical showmanship than suicide. Now that I have joined the Japanese national team, we have become a prominent force in Northeast Asia. But the tactics were still old. It was time to break the defensive and passive tactics, so I had to resort to this strategy.

Seong Jihan chuckled. Sword King tried to justify his suicide as a tactical move.

The interview continued to review the subsequent matches, all of which Sword King dominated. He was seen beaming throughout.

Sword King: As expected, Korea was weak.

Reporter: Really?

Sword King: Yes. Now that we have completely united in the Japanese spirit, the Korean national team was no match for us. Korea seemed to be the weakest in the Northeast Asia league.

Reporter: So, youre saying Korea will end up at the bottom of the league?

Sword King: Absolutely.

Sword King, Yoon Sejin, who was once the hope of Korea, now went by the name Ito Ryuhei and was declaring his former homeland would end up last in the league.

Finally, the interviewer touched on the personal topic.

Reporter: There have been several issues regarding the daughter you left behind in Korea. What are your thoughts on this?

To this, Sword King Ito Ryuhei clearly answered: Im not sure what youre talking about.

Reporter: What?

Sword King: I dont have a daughter. I gave up everything to become a citizen of Japan. So, I dont have a daughter.

Watching this, Seong Jihan muttered, So that was it. Yoon Seah, having seen the interview, had a smile on her face, as cold as Sword Kings.

So, thats why the reporters swarmed.

Why would they cling to such a distasteful interview? Truly disgusting, right?

Yes. Dont bother about them. Theyre just filthy beings.

At his words, Yoon Seah, who let out a faint chuckle, gripped Seong Jihans collar tightly.

Uncle, can I ask you for a favor?

What favor?

You promised that if I found a clue to that quest, youd grant me one wish.

The Colosseum Map quest was the last quest remaining for Seong Jihan after completing all the Bronze quests.

[Epic Quest]

[Find the Shadow Queen located near the spectators in the Colosseum Map and provoke her.]

[Reward: 50,000 achievement points.

The Constellation, Shadow Queens interest.]

A quest of the hardest difficulty within the Bronze tier, where you can earn a constellations interest.

Yoon Seah mentioned it with confidence in her voice.

Seah, Ill gladly fulfill all your wishes even if you didnt find a clue.

Aww, thats no fun!

Yoon Seah smiled weakly and spoke.

I think Ive found her. The Shadow Queen.