Chapter 422

"Oh, you came so quickly."

"...Don't tell me you were proceeding with the training room breaking content just to call me?"

"That's right."

Seong Jihan nodded to the quick-witted arena owner and spoke to the viewers.

"Everyone, as soon as I turned on the broadcast he came, now there's no longer a need to continue the content. Let's end it here for today."

As he abruptly turned off Battle Tube, the arena owner remarked.

"Not proceeding with the original content just because you achieved your goal... your channel will fail at this rate."

"Then should I have broken the training room?"

"Excluding this case, I recommend diligently proceeding with it at other times."

"Seems like you don't like it being broken."

"Creating a training room that can withstand the Taiji Sword is no ordinary feat."

The arena owner then got to the main point.

"So, why did you call me?"

"This time, I used Total Annihilation against a constellation..."

"I saw that too. The authority of the Red Administrator showed itself again after a long time."

"That video aired just 10 minutes ago... I didn't expect the 4th in the Void to watch it."

"It's because you're a person of great interest."

If he watched the broadcast, there's no need for a long explanation.

"Since obtaining the Red Hand, the attention has increased even more after using Total Annihilation. At this rate, extraterrestrial beings will invade Earth."

"Normally, information about newcomers to the BattleNet league can't be obtained... but it's not entirely impossible."

There's no such thing as perfect security in the world.

As the arena owner said, if information leakage isn't impossible, they had to prepare for future events assuming it would happen.

"I want to avoid a situation where aliens invade Earth to seize the Administrator's hand. So, I need a stage to fight outside, not on Earth..."

"You want to receive a battlefield from me."

"Yeah."

"I can provide as many fighting locations as you want. However."

Swish.

Under the hat, the arena owner's eyes looked at Seong Jihan's right arm.

"To lure alien players to the battlefield, you need to put up that hand as a prize."

"I guess so."

"If you extract the arm in the current state, it will be quite a blow... Can you handle it? If you're unlucky, you might die."

The Administrator's Hand immediately gave a negative reaction to these words.

[Main body. Don't overdo it. Even great constellations can't invade Earth quickly. And if they invade, can't we just set Earth on fire? Before resources are taken away.]

The hand already classified humanity on Earth as a resource to become the Red Administrator.

Seong Jihan roughly went along with its perception.

'Sacred flame could reclaim resources, but what if we unfortunately suffer a strong preemptive strike? Great constellations should have the ability to deal a devastating blow to a planet.'

[That's true, but still, the penalty is too much.]

'To become the Permanent Administrator, we need to take risks. Until humanity evolves, I need to draw their attention.'

[...Understood. I will follow your will, main body.]

'Permanent Administrator', the true goal of the Red Administrator.

When this was mentioned, the Administrator's Hand obediently followed Seong Jihan's words.

"I'll participate in person, so provide the battlefield."

"Understood. Then, I will prepare the stage promptly."

As Seong Jihan's answer came out.

Ziiing...

The arena owner began setting up a special stage in Space Arena.

"The game type is a tournament. It would be best for the winner of the finals to fight against Seong Jihan..."

"For the map, proceed based on Space Arena... and participant players should be at least constellations. You're planning to have great constellations participate too, right? Seong Jihan."

"Yeah. Rather than great constellations invading here, it's better to fight there."

"Then if we have great constellations participate... Ah."

The screen flashed several times and disappeared. The arena owner, who was proceeding with stage setup, suddenly stopped at one point.

"Seong Jihan, we have a problem."

"What's the problem?"

"You're still in Challenger League -9. To invite great constellations, you need to reach at least Challenger -5."

"Ah, it's because I haven't played Challenger games yet."

After the battle with Taiji's Lost Soul, while organizing the power he gained then.

He hadn't been able to proceed with Challenger game matching even once.

"Raise it right away."

"Then only up to Level 8 constellations can participate in the 1st tournament."

"With Level 8, the participation rate would be low."

Even Pythia, who became a mess with one shot of Total Annihilation, was a Level 8 constellation.

Would constellations who saw this case really participate?

Even if they came out, they would only be pathetically broken.

However.

"Well... I'm confident it will be a big hit."

"Really?"

"They'll think Pythia was weak, but they're different."

Beep. Beep beep.

The arena owner finished the rough settings and started negotiating the details.

"The participation fee for the constellation tournament will be used primarily for battlefield construction."

"You're charging a participation fee too?"

"Of course. With the Red Hand as the prize, we need to receive a participation fee worthy of its value. Seong Jihan, you will also receive a fair share of the related profits. Of course, after first deducting the design cost of the battlefield."

"You'll be using an existing arena map, so the design cost won't be much."

"No. Maps where high-level constellations will fight need to be newly constructed each time."

Then the other party explained complicated stories about why it costs so much, what the profits will be like, fees, and so on.

For the 4th in the Void, why is he directly explaining even these things?

'I miss Hayeon. If this were guild work, she would have handled it for me.'

Seong Jihan, who had left complicated contracts to Lee Hayeon, missed her more and more as the arena owner's explanation lengthened.

Listening with one ear and letting it go with the other ear for unimportant things, he proceeded with the negotiation.

"...Ah, and the tournament reward can be replaced with an evolution bonus."

"You can give the reward as a species evolution bonus?"

"Yes."

At the end, the arena owner said something he couldn't ignore.

[Main body, it's an opportunity. Win the tournament and quickly evolve to the intermediate stage!]

When they said they would give an evolution bonus, the Red Hand, which had been negative about the tournament, became excited.

If humanity evolves to the intermediate stage, burn them all with sacred flame and become the Permanent Administrator.

Seong Jihan looked at the arena owner with calm eyes.

"Well... it seems like you're giving out a lot. Species evolution bonus."

"Giving out? You're putting up the treasure of the Administrator's hand, you're just receiving a proper reward. Moreover, Seong Jihan, aren't you even risking your life?"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, think of it as a proper reward."

Proper, he said.

From his perspective, it seemed like he was desperate to evolve humanity somehow.

'Come to think of it, this hand was also given at the arena...'

What was the real purpose of the Void side?

Seong Jihan pondered for a moment, but this wasn't a question that could be answered right away.

For now, the negotiation had to proceed.

"...Okay. I'll choose the reward when the time comes."

"Understood."

Like that, he proceeded with the tournament with his hand at stake.

* * *

The next day.

-Did you see the constellation tournament being held at the arena this time? The prize is the Red Hand.

-The hand that used Total Annihilation?

-Then is Seong Jihan the organizer?

-That's right, he put up his hand.

-Huh. What kind of connection does he have with the arena owner? Even the last broadcast...

When the notice for 'Seong Jihan's 1st Constellation Tournament' went up on Space Arena.

The Battle Net community was abuzz.

-Is he making a move before the planet's location is discovered?

-But will they stop searching for the location just because of that? They can ignore the tournament and just invade.

-Finding the location of humanity's planet might take longer than the tournament results. It's not easy to find a beginner's planet.

Since they were all players who had rolled around Battle Net to their hearts' content, they quickly grasped Seong Jihan's intentions.

-Even if you find the planet, if it's far from your home planet, getting there is also a problem. The tournament is much better.

-That's right. Before reaching humanity's planet, the hand's owner will have changed.

-But the 1st tournament has a Level 8 limit... Wasn't the constellation swept away by Total Annihilation also Level 8?

-Then who would participate? They'd just get beaten up for nothing if they go out.

-Registration is already closed, lol. They say the 256-player bracket will be out soon.

'Already?'

Seong Jihan blinked his eyes after browsing the posts written by alien players on the BattleNet community.

It hasn't been long since the notice went up, and registration is closed?

-Isn't the human race just a lower-grade species anyway? Level 8 of such guys and Level 8 of higher-grade species constellations are different.

-That's right. And it seems easy if you just avoid one shot of Total Annihilation?

-That sword he pulled out didn't seem very powerful either.

-With just that tiny thing, what can he do?

-In the first place, would Level 8s be scared of Seong Jihan, who's still just a constellation candidate? Lol.

'Even with the same constellation level, there's a considerable difference in standards depending on the species' grade.'

Seong Jihan could understand the reason why registration closed quickly by looking at the additional posts coming up on the community.

Pythia being defeated was because of the surprise Total Annihilation and because she was from a lower-grade species, humanity.

They think it will be different for them.

That's how they see it.

'Well, I'll have to judge how much the difference is by watching the matches.'

While Seong Jihan was thinking that.

"You there. The arena tournament bracket is out!"

A shadow rose from a corner of the living room, and the Shadow Queen displayed a screen to Seong Jihan.

"Even if the bracket is out, I'm facing the winner anyway. Do I need to look?"

"Among the Level 8 constellations, it seems all the famous ones participated? Shouldn't you prepare in advance?"

"Even if I look, there won't be any names I know anyway."

In the first place, there weren't many he knew among the alien constellations.

Seong Jihan thought he just needed to see who would reach the finals, but.

"A name you know..."

Swish.

The Shadow Queen scanned through the tournament names.

Then pointed to one slot with her finger.

"This one, wasn't he originally from humanity?"

"Huh? Who?"

"Ashoka."

"...He appeared?"

Seong Jihan opened his eyes slightly wide.

Ashoka was participating in a tournament with the Red Hand at stake.

Of course, he was a Level 8 constellation, but this was completely unexpected.

At that moment.

Brrrr...

Seong Jihan's cell phone vibrated.

He usually didn't answer unknown numbers, but.

'...This is the first time I've seen one starting with 777 in the front.'

The unusual number that came in now seemed like one he should answer.

Tap.

As he pressed the call button.

[Seong Jihan. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you.]

From inside, Ashoka's voice flowed out.