Chapter 115

Beep! Beep beep!

Exiting the elevator, the two of them entered the house.

An oppressive atmosphere enveloped them.

"The rise in Gift rank happened when uncle was receiving an award at the venue," Yoon Seah slowly began, looking intently at Seong Jihan's back.

"Really?"

"Yes. That was also when Ariel, who used to protect me, wasn't around. And... it was when the Chinese woman died at the venue."

Seong Jihan turned to look at Yoon Seah.

Even with just these scant clues, could she have had a hunch?

She seemed oddly sure of herself.

'No need to hide it, I suppose.'

If she hadn't noticed, it would have been a different matter.

But since she had, Seong Jihan didn't feel the need to deny it.

"Yes. I did it."

"...Really?"

"There were people from the Chinese embassy following you."

"...The person from yesterday?"

Seong Jihan gave a slight nod.

"I confirmed he was carrying a gun specially designed for Awakeners. I simply acted preemptively before anything happened. I just didn't expect your Gift's Rank to increase."

Knowing the truth about Xin Youhwa, Seong Jihan explained the situation as such.

After hearing his story, Yoon Seah slowly nodded.

"So, you killed her."

"Yes."

Looking at Seong Jihan's affirmation, Yoon Seah regarded him with worried eyes.

"Is uncle alright?"

"What do you mean?"

"You killed someone."

"I'm fine."

In truth, Seong Jihan wasn't affected at all.

The world before his regression was no different from hell, where he had killed countless times.

Considering the path he had walked, the mental shock of killing wasn't something he felt, especially not when he hadn't killed an innocent, but rather someone trying to harm his niece.

He was just relieved, feeling no guilt.

But Yoon Seah seemed to feel differently, embracing Seong Jihan with a somber expression.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because blood is on your hands because of me..."

Even though he had changed lately,

The Seong Jihan that Yoon Seah knew was a good person who hadn't been involved in violent incidents, let alone killing someone.

And now, because of her, he had killed.

She felt overwhelmingly guilty and couldn't face Seong Jihan.

'She's blaming herself even though I'm fine.'

Seeing the downcast Yoon Seah, Seong Jihan thought this.

He believed he had fully adapted since his regression, but clearly, there were moral standards where they differed.

Just then,

Swoosh!

Ariel emerged from Seong Jihan's left arm.

"The master gave the command, but the blood is on my hands."

"I'm sorry to you too, Ariel. Because of me..."

"Stop feeling bad about taking down just one human. You do kill people in the BattleNet, don't you?"

"That's just a game."

"Hmm. How long do you think it will stay that way?"

Ariel spoke with a meaningful tone.

"The tutorial will end soon. And once it does, the game will no longer be just a game."

"...Then what happens?"

"The game itself operates similarly as now. But if a player runs out of GP, they die."

"Die... for real?"

Yoon Seah exclaimed in shock.

People dying in BattleNet?

She couldn't have even imagined it.

"Yes. The players you kill in the game... After the tutorial ends in three months, they might actually die if they don't have enough GP."

"Die for real? So, you need a lot of GP to avoid that?"

"At first, it doesn't cost that much. But the cost of revival fluctuates depending on your rank in the Space League."

"So, GP is basically a lifeline... But we can just exchange it for dollars. 1GP equals 1 dollar, right?"

"That will change after the tutorial. It's better to exchange what you earn now."

"So, does the GP rate fluctuate? Like an exchange rate?"

"Exchange rate? The fluctuation will be much bigger than that."

"Wow..."

Seong Jihan silently listened to their conversation, reminiscing about the past.

The influence of the Space League rankings on Earth wasn't just related to the number of dungeons.

The exchange rate of GP skyrocketed.

Eventually, it was hard to get 1GP even with 10 or 50 dollars.

The cost of revival after dying in the game soared.

'Many died in BattleNet back then.'

But players couldn't just quit BattleNet out of fear of death.

Back then, there was no freedom of choice like now.

Now, BattleNet might be more entertaining.

'After the tutorial, BattleNet becomes a real battlefield.'

While Seong Jihan briefly recalled the hellish past, Ariel whispered advice to Yoon Seah.

"It's okay during the tutorial. But later on, with a weak heart, you can't survive in BattleNet. If you're thinking of quitting, better do it now. It's easier."

"I won't quit."

"Then don't look so sad. Be happy. Your enemy died, and your Gift has grown."

She glanced at Seong Jihan.

"Also, Master is more of a monster than you think. You don't have to feel sorry at all. Use him as much as you want."

"What do you mean my uncle is a monster?"

"As his sword, I've felt a lot in his hands. He's not someone for you to worry about that much."

Seong Jihan smirked.

"That's right, Seah. Ariel is correct."

"Still..."

"If you feel sorry for me, climb up to world ranking 2. Even if it means using me fully."

"Second place?"

"Yes. I will obviously be first."

Yoon Seah relaxed, seeing Seong Jihan's unchanging demeanor.

She felt guilty for what had happened, but she decided not to be too down in front of the composed Seong Jihan.

"Uncle. No. I'll be the first. I'll pay back all the favors you've done for me tenfold and be filial."

"...Filial piety? What kind of filial piety? People might think we have a 20-year age difference."

"Hehe. That's how much I respect you as an elder in the house."

Seong Jihan shrugged, looking at the relaxed Yoon Seah.

"If you're talking about surpassing me, I guess the Gift's effect is pretty good? How's the upgrade?"

"Ah, that? Look at this."

Yoon Seah showed her Gift.

— — —

[Gift - Late Bloomer (Grade: E - Upgrade condition not met)]

[Upgrades the basic BattleNet system by one level.]

[F rank effect: Increase game participation by 1 per day

Natural stat growth rate increased by 100%]

[E rank effect: Additional stat effect changed to +2]

[D rank effect: Upon league promotion, upgrades the rank of an existing stat by one level.]

[Specific conditions must be met to upgrade the Gift to the next rank.]

— — —

The effect of Late Bloomer Rank D upgrades the rank of a stat.

'It's truly overpowered.'

How can a Gift with such an effect be only D-rank?

A D-rank agility only increases agility stats by 10.

With such a Gift, Jin Yoo-hwa must have risen to world ranking 2.

Seong Jihan asked Yoon Seah.

"Did any of your stats increase in rank? Or will they start to from now on?"

"Ah, when I was promoted from Bronze to Silver, one of my stats changed retroactively."

"Which one?"

"'Agility' changed to 'Precision'. I'm not sure about its effect though."

"As for precision... it's an upgraded version of agility. It's a stat that elf archers typically possess. It's the optimal ability for the Archer class."

Hearing this, Ariel, who was next to him, shared her knowledge about precision.

"Precision adds to the effect of agility, adjusting the accuracy of projectiles and extending their range. If you try using a bow, you'll feel the difference."

"Oh, really? Ariel, is there anything you don't know?"

"I've also used Precision in the past. I was quite a marksman for a while."

"Really?!"

At that, Yoon Seah looked at Ariel with sparkling eyes, making Ariel uncomfortable.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Teach me some archery! Elf archery!"

"I'm not an elf. I'm a shadow elf."

"Still! The archery of a marksman!"

"Hmm... Humans and we are very different in perception."

Shadow elves and humans.

The difference between the two species was so great that Ariel seemed reluctant, thinking it wouldn't work anyway.

"Just teach me once. You had nothing to do while you were summoned in reality anyway, right?"

"...Fine, if you don't mind despairing over our species difference, I'll teach you."

Convinced by Seong Jihan's persuasion, she reluctantly agreed to teach her archery.

"Great!"

"Seah, what's the upgrade condition this time?"

"C-rank? The condition seems better than last time."

Yoon Seah then showed the C rank upgrade condition.

— — —

[Conditions for Upgrade to C rank]

[Win in the Top 100 promotion match]

[Maintain a win rate of over 60% and play the game more than 500 times.]

[You must satisfy one of the conditions.]

— — —

'Winning Top 100 seems tough.'

Having won twice in the Top 100, Seong Jihan thought so upon seeing the conditions.

He had gained various benefits since advancing to D-class, but compared to the inherently superior SSS-class or SS-class gifts, his current ability still had flaws.

Thus, he naturally considered the latter condition.

'It's not an easy condition, but if I keep playing, it's achievable. Playing 500 games means...'

It would take 250 days for Yoon Seah, who can play two games a day, so reaching the C-class upgrade will take some time.

"Um, Seah, let's not rush this condition, let's take our time."

"Take our time? I'm going to get promoted soon."

"...Top 100 is not easy. It's not about participating, but winning."

"No, no. I feel like I can do it. I've gained confidence. Once I enter Top 100, I can bet all my assets on myself, just like you."

"Seah... that's something only I can do."

"I think I can do it too!"

Where did she get such baseless confidence from?

Maybe he had been too boastful in front of her.

Seong Jihan felt like he had set a bad example for Yoon Seah.

"When the time comes, bet on me~ I doubt you'll get good returns from your bets anymore, but betting on me guarantees a jackpot!"

"...We'll see."

He sidestepped her gaze and responded vaguely.

No matter how precious his niece was, betting was a different story.

He had no hobby of throwing money at obvious losses.

"Ah! That's too much~! You don't trust me! Not even a penny. Uncle."

"I'm sorry, but when it comes to betting, I prioritize ability."

"Ariel! The archery of the shadow elf tribe is being belittled!"

"...You haven't even learned anything yet."

"Come on. Let's go. Teach me quickly!"

Yoon Seah grabbed Ariel's hand and hurriedly ran inside the house.

'Is she really thinking of winning first place?'

While it seems unlikely, her enthusiasm is commendable.

Seong Jihan entered the house with a slight smile.

* * * * *

October 1st.

The first game that Seong Jihan played upon reaching the Gold League was:

[You are assigned to the defense game, 'Lone Bridge'.]

It was the 'Lone Bridge' map, where progress had been stalled after a certain point.