* * *

There was one week left until Yoon Seahs birthday and Seong Jihan knew the rank of the Gift she would receive on her birthday.

Itll definitely be F-rank.

The publics perception of an F-grade Gift was pitiful.

They say its better not to receive it at all.

If one hadnt received it, theres hope of getting a better Gift in the future. But once you receive an F-rank Gift, your fate as a player is sealed with that rank.

I know its a Gift is very valuable, but the public doesnt see it that way. They probably see it as trash.

Although the backlash and ridicule towards Yoon Seah wont be as harsh as previous life, its clear that she will still face some mockery from the media and netizens.

I need to lower her expectations.

Seahs anticipation for her Gift seemed quite high. On the surface, she dismisses the importance of the Gift, saying, Its all random anyway, but having witnessed the abilities of her mother, uncle, and her detestable father, she undoubtedly has expectations.

The disappointment will be immense once she receives her Gift.

Especially considering how she almost gave up on life in their previous life, he couldnt help but worry.

For some reason, none of the houses introduced by the real estate agent in Gangnam seemed appealing.

So, Ill contact you again later.

Yes, take your time!

In the end, Seong Jihan and Yoon Seah returned to the Sword Palace without any fruitful results, letting out a heavy sigh.

Uncle we really live in a great house.

They all seemed so small, didnt they?

Yeah. I guess my standards are too high.

While the houses they could afford were impressive, the penthouse in Sword Palace was on another level.

Having lived there for so long, adjusting her standards in just a day wasnt easy for Seah.

We have no choice but to adapt, right?

Right. The more houses we see, the more realistic our standards will become!

Im actually more worried about something else.

Huh? What else is there to worry about?

Your Gift.

When Seong Jihan bluntly brought up the topic, Seah blinked in surprise.

My Gift? Why?

You seem to have high hopes for it.

Come on~ Im not expecting much. Its all random, right? I might not even get one

Are you really not hoping for something great?

When Seong Jihan asked seriously,

Well.

After a brief pause, Seah replied,

Of course, I dream of an SSS-rank Gift to get back at Ito, or to change our current situation but those are just dreams, right?

Good to know. But remember, the higher the hopes, the bigger the disappointment.

And people keep talking about lineage but theres no such thing Seah, do you know the rank of my Gift?

What is it? SS? SSS?

Its F-rank. Remember The Wanderers Insight?

No way!! Stop joking!

Seah vehemently shook her head.

She knew that it was Seong Jihans Gift in the past, F-rank The Wanderers Insight. She had seen him drown his sorrows in alcohol after receiving it.

But theres no way his Gift is still a F-rank.

Considering he had reached Level 22 without ever losing first place and even shattered the Colosseum barrier, how could he have an F-grade Gift?

Yet,

Status window.

Seong Jihan showed her his status window directly.

Look here.

[Gift Wanderers Insight (F-rank)]

[Able to see the details of other players.]

Really?

Yoon Seah stared at the status window with trembling eyes.

It was unbelievable that the Gift of a player, who had shown such outstanding performance, was truly an F-rank!

Seah, who seemed to be in disbelief while staring at the status window, finally responded.

Uncle.

Yes?

Why are you only showing me the Gift section?

Its because of a promise I made to my subscribers.

Hehe, are you hiding something?

Who knows?

Wow, youre stingy. Show me! Show me!

As Seah started to whine, Seong Jihan deactivated the status window.

Then Ill show you on the day you receive your Gift. As a birthday present.

Wow~ How stingy can you be? Who gives a Status Window viewing as a birthday Gift?

Should I Gift you something else then?

Ugh! You should give a Gift and also show the status window!

Seong Jihan chuckled and nodded.

Okay. Ill do both. But,

But?

About your Gift, dont get your hopes up too high.

Ugh, seriously!

If theres any media coverage about your Gift, just ignore it.

I got it, I got it!

Seah took off her shoes with a flourish and entered the house. Her actions seemed a bit rougher than usual.

Watching her, Seong Jihan narrowed his eyes.

She still hasnt let go of her expectations.

Even after showing her his own Gift.

Well, I didnt expect her to be completely convinced with just a few words Nothing to be done.

There were still six days until her birthday.

Hed need to continue the conversation and convince her.

On the way to school on August 17th,

Seah, Gifts are random. You know that, right?

I know.

Dont rely too much on the Gift gem either. I heard that Lim Hayeon, while being the Student Council President and contributing a lot to the school, got a supporting Gift.

She have a supporting Gift? Really?

Yes. Gifts are just a matter of luck. Theyre literally just Gifts.

I get it. I wont expect too much.

Seah replied with a bitter smile.

Why was he only talking about Gifts so much since yesterday?

Its like he knows that my Gift will be a failure.

Of course, she could understand her uncles concerns. Whenever the topic of her upcoming Gift was brought up by those around her, they would often say, Your parents got good ones, so youll get a good one too, which was becoming a repetitive and annoying sentiment.

Hes probably just trying to prevent me from being disappointed if the result isnt good.

So Seah thought of her uncles words as encouragement meant to make her feel better.

But,

Even after returning from school, the encouragement continued.

Back home?

Yeah, uncle.

As you know, Gifts are random. So, excessive expectations are harmful.

I heard that in the morning, you know?

But you didnt hear it at lunch, right? You will hear it in the evening too.

Okay, I got it.

The next morning,

Seah? About the Gift

Enough! I got it!

Its random, you know that right?

And in the evening,

Seah, even a F-rank Gift can be useful, as you can see. Im proof of that.

Say that after showing me your status window without hiding anything.

That was supposed to be a birthday present. Remember?

Ugh, forget it! If youre going to keep repeating that, Im going to my room!

Hmm Gifts are random.

Ugh, seriously!

And again, the next morning.

Seah?

What are you going to say? The Gift is random, right?

Oh, repetition really does work.

Yes, so stop it

No. Its important to drill it into your mind now. So, shall we go over it again? The Gift is random and it has nothing to do with lineage.

Ill memorise it, really.

Thats why Im saying it.

Even during the drive to school Seah kept getting lectured by Jihan about the Gift=random theory.

Sigh

Seah, why are you sighing?

As Yoon Seah entered the classroom and took her seat, Kim Heesu, who sat next to her, tilted her head and asked.

Oh, its about my Gift.

Why are you worried? Youll surely get at least an S-rank.

No, the Gift is random and has nothing to do with lineage.

Yoon Seah replied and then realised something.

The narrative she had been subjected to by her uncle over the past few days had come out naturally.

Repetition really was effective.

Not always. Among the first-generation players, I heard many of the top rankers children have been outstanding.

Really?

Yeah. You know my family is in the media business, right?

Yoon Seah nodded.

Kim Heesu, being the granddaughter of a major media company, knew many inside stories, including news not yet revealed to the public.

Ive heard that, while its not statistically proven when considering cases from foreign rankers as well, lineage seems to play a role.

Even so, my uncle keeps telling me not to expect too much because its random. I think Id feel better not expecting too much.

Your uncle? Isnt his Gift at least SS-rank? He always the ranks first.

I dont know. He wont tell me.

Though she knew Seong Jihans Gift was an F-rank, she couldnt tell Kim Heesu. Who knows what would happen if she did.

It was best to play dumb.

Seah, youre receiving your Gift on the 22nd, right?

Yeah.

So, youll be in the Gift Hall before midnight?

The Gift Hall.

A place packed with Gift gems, it was believed to bestow blessings upon students yet to receive their Gifts.

Especially for academy students turning 18, they were given the privilege of receiving blessings there all day.

Of course.

So would you like to do an interview with our reporter that day?

Interview?

Yeah. Its an era where self promotion is important. Its about publicising your amazing Gift to the world!

Through your newspaper?

Yes. Hehe.

Kim Heesu grinned brightly.

An exclusive interview about the Gift of the Sword Kings daughter, Yoon Seah, would be a massive topic of discussion.

It was natural for her to be eager about the interview.

Nah, Theres no need for that.

Perhaps Seong Jihans repeated teachings had had an effect and Yoon Seah immediately declined Kim Heesus offer

Itll be embarrassing if its not a good one.

Come on, Theres no way that will happen. Its not yet proven but there seems to be a correlation between parents and their childrens Gift ranks.

Ill do the interview if I get a good one, okay. That should work.

Come on, Seah

But Kim Heesu, with a bright smile, seemed to ignore Seahs words.

The smile seemed to say, Yoon Seah, you opinion does not matter.

The atmosphere was slightly different from usual.

No

Yoon Seah felt something was off and was about to firmly express her refusal.

Everyone!

But the classroom door opened and the homeroom teacher walked in, ending their conversation.

Ah, the teachers here.

Right. Lets talk again later.

As Yoon Seah turned to face forward,

Kim Heesu nodded with a smile and adjusted her posture. However, the look in Kim Heesus eyes, as she faced forward, had turned cold.

The thread has already been cut. I dont know why shes still holding onto it.

Although she had been friendly with Yoon Seah up to now, it was only because of her relationship with the Sword King.

When the Sword King went to Japan, she continued to maintain her relationship with Yoon Seah because she wasnt sure if he had genuinely abandoned her

Im acting like her friend despite having no need to do so anymore Doesnt she know her place?

She doesnt understand that an interview will be useful to prove her worth.

She clicked her tongue thinking, Well, theres no need to get her permission anyway.

What could she do if I decide to go ahead?

Kim Hee-su smirked.

Which would be the bigger scoop? If Yoon Seah gets a good Gift? Or if she gets the worst Gift?

It just shouldnt be a mediocre rank. Either it should be the best or the absolute worst.

It would be great if she got something like an F-rank.

With that thought, Kim Heesu eagerly looked forward to Seahs birthday.