Chapter 246

***

***

=Everyone, you've waited a long time! The Northeast Asia Regional League starts today!

=From this week on, the Korean national team faces a tough race. After playing two matches against Taiwan and China in a week, they have to prepare for the Space League!

=Due to this tight schedule, there were talks that Seong Jihan wouldn't participate in the Taiwan match, but Seong Jihan is included in the lineup!

=Even a tiger does its best to catch a rabbit! The Korean national team has put forth its full strength against Taiwan!

At the end of March, the hellish race kicks off.

Fortunately for the Korean team, their first opponent is Taiwan, a relatively weaker country.

-Commentators are being too much. Treating Taiwan like a rabbit? 😂

-Well, they are relatively weaker, right?

-If Taiwan went to other leagues, they would be mid-tier or higher, but here, they're in the East Asian League...

-True 😂 East Asia League is really the worst. Isn't it worse than even the Western European League?

-Of course 😂 If Taiwan went to Western Europe, they'd be mid-tier or better, right? This place is real hell.

With Seong Jihan added to the Korean roster, unlike the previous match against Taiwan, spectators were already optimistic about victory.

Even the winning formula displayed by Japan in their victory against Korea—involving Golem Duel maps—wouldn't work for Taiwan. Their supporter power simply couldn't measure up to Korea's, so the game seemed decisively in Korea's favor regardless of what happened.

This perception wasn't isolated to Korean viewers.

-Seong Jihan is here... why participate in the national competition instead of focusing on the Space League?

-Going 3:0.

└ Even if Seong Jihan didn't play, it would've been 3:0, right?

└ That's true... who could stop Yoon Sejin and Yoon Seah?

-Instead of worrying about their ranking, Taiwan should be grateful if we keep them from dropping further in the Space League.

-They already are...

Taiwanese viewers shared this sentiment as well.

Meanwhile, in the Korean national team's waiting room.

Yoon Seah noticed Seong Jihan intently watching a screen and edged closer to ask,

"Uncle, what are you looking at?"

"Hu Wootaek's match footage."

"Ah... The elderly player? He was strong, for sure. I was shocked when he swept through our team."

That elderly player, Hu Wootaek, had indeed startled many during the previous match with his martial prowess.

However,

"It seemed too easy when he cut them down..."

Yoon Seah glanced around, then whispered to Seong Jihan,

"People were saying, how weak must our warriors be to get slashed so effortlessly by him."

Hu Wootaek's victories had come against a Korean team missing Seong Jihan and Sword King.

With these two out, the world's strongest lineup swiftly became the weakest.

The elder's abilities may be strong, but many felt he didn't measure up to Seong Jihan or Sword King level. He also failed to impress thereafter.

But,

"No, it wasn't because they were weak. Even American warriors would have been the same."

"Really...?"

"Yeah. His swordplay is overwhelming. I wish I had seen this earlier. It's a shame."

Seong Jihan couldn't take his eyes off Hu Wootaek swinging his sword.

Had he watched this match before acquiring the Martial soul, he might have shared Yoon Seah's assessment.

Yet, witnessing Hu Wootaek's swordplay while possessing the Martial soul, Seong Jihan could tell just how profound his level was.

"I hope I get to face him in this match."

"But Uncle, you'll be banned, won't you?"

"We'll see about that."

"Ah... Are you expecting a scenario like the previous ones with Russia and Japan?"

Common sense dictated that Seong Jihan would be banned.

However, as seen with Longinus and Pythia,

They somehow persuaded the coach to let Seong Jihan play.

'If Dongbang Sak wants to fight, he'll find a way to avoid banning me.'

Seong Jihan predicted,

=Oh, the Taiwanese team... hasn't banned Seong Jihan!

=Instead, they opted to randomly ban two top 10 players!

As he expected, the Taiwanese coach did not focus on banning Seong Jihan.

Instead, they played a wildcard: two random bans among the top ten players.

-Did they really leave Seong Jihan?

-What is Taiwan's confidence based on?

This choice, while unexpected, made sense on some levels.

-No, this seems like relying entirely on luck, lol.

-True. Even if they ban Seong Jihan, if the Sword King survives, they'll lose the match anyway.

-Are they just praying for the top 1 or 2 players out of 10 to be banned? 😂

-As expected, in the end, it's all about luck, right?

Even if they tried to ban Seong Jihan, it would have been difficult for Taiwan to beat the Korean national team with Yoon Sejin and Yoon Seah.

The Taiwan coach, while hoping for one of the top 1 or 2 players out of 10 to be banned, threw the ban cards.

'Good. I can fight Dongbang Sak.'

Seong Jihan got up from his seat to prepare for the match.

The probability of such ban cards actually working was very low.

He should be able to participate in this match.

But...

=Oh... Huh...

=The top 1 and 2 are both banned!?

=What's going on? This card actually worked...!

"Huh? Really?"

Yoon Seah blinked as she saw the ban results.

Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin were both banned in the same match.

[Oh...]

Even after the Taiwanese coach had thrown out the ban cards, he looked bewildered at the result.

"...They really did it?"

"Luck's on their side."

"It's a good thing it's just the Taiwan match."

The national representatives were surprised by the ban results,

But since it was against the weakest team, they weren't too unsettled.

"Does this mean we play the first game without warriors?"

"Hey! We have warriors too...!"

"Who was it that got wrecked by Taiwan last time?"

"Uh..."

Rather than worry, the players, without Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin, made light of the situation,

Casually getting ready for the upcoming match.

"Haha. Perfect. I'll take the MVP of this series~"

Yoon Seah declared she'd claim the MVP as she walked into the first game,

=The Korean team... dominates the first match, even with Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin banned!

=Yoon Seah's arrows, more powerful than ever! No one can stop them! Oh, but Hu Wootaek... dodged?

=This is the first time someone has avoided a Void Arrow! Yoon Seah keeps aiming at Hu Wootaek... but he dodged ten shots!

=Oh... but still, he dies after taking the last shot!

=Yoon Seah. She dominates the first game!

Aside from Hu Wootaek barely getting hit by her arrows,

She pierced all the other players, claiming the MVP of the first game.

"Snagged the MVP."

"Congratulations, Seah."

Seong Jihan and Yoon Sejin congratulated Yoon Seah who took the MVP for the first game,

"But... something's not right."

The MVP winner, Yoon Seah, didn't look too pleased.

"Ah. That Hu Wootaek. He's kind of unsettling."

"Because he dodged the arrows?"

"Yes. And it felt like he could have dodged the 11th arrow too, but chose to get hit..."

"I saw it the same way. Definitely someone to watch out for."

Yoon Sejin agreed with her and stood up.

"I need to talk to the coach. We shouldn't ban players like Taiwan, ranked 1-10; we should ban that player instead."

"Ah. Brother-in-law, Please don't mention banning him."

"Eh? Why?"

"I kinda made a deal to face that player."

"Ah... got it..."

After pondering, Yoon Sejin nodded.

"Then, I'll ask the coach not to ban him. He might try to ban Hu Wootaek in advance."

"Yes, I'll request the same thing."

Together, they went to ask Coach Noh Youngjun.

"Alright. I'll make sure not to ban Hu Wootaek."

The coach complied with their request right away.

'Hu Wootaek is strong but... there's no need to refuse Jihan's request just because of a player like him.'

Now, Seong Jihan has become a player greater than the team.

There was no need to deny his request over an ambiguous player like Hu Wootaek.

Noh Youngjun wrote down another Taiwanese player onto the ban card,

=The Taiwan coach... This time... They're banning the Sword King?

=Not leaving it to luck this time... and they keep Seong Jihan in the game too!

Taiwan's coach also refrained from banning Seong Jihan in the second game.

* * *

-They left Seong Jihan...

-Did the Taiwan coach lose his mind?

-Even with Seong Jihan and Sword King banned, we won. Don't even need to watch this game.

-This is what it feels like to support a strong team... No thrills at all.

-No need for suspense; wanna root for the powerhouse LOL

After a dominating first game,

Seeing Seong Jihan freed for the second game, Korean viewers had already predicted the outcome as a victory.

=The map for the second game is Train!

=On this map where two trains run side by side... Typically, teams with strong long-range firepower dominate!

=Of course, since our Seong Jihan can cover that long distance perfectly, it doesn't apply to us!

=Moreover, even if Seong Jihan just rests on the train, our team itself is strong in long-range firepower. With the already powerful Korean archers and Yoon Seah joining us!

=This game is simply unwinnable for Taiwan!

With Seong Jihan unleashed and a map that favors Korea, even the Korean commentators were optimistic about the second game, commenting that there was no way to lose.

Koong! Koong!

Two trains running side by side with distances spread apart.

Watching the Taiwan train, Yoon Seah gauged the distance.

"Uncle. Can't you wait a little longer to fly to the Taiwan train? I want to win the MVP for the second game too."

She smiled and asked Seong Jihan.

With victory already assured, they were focusing on the MVP.

But Seong Jihan shook his head.

"No. It's too late for that."

"Huh? Why too late?"

"Look over there."

Pointing to the sky with his finger.

The old Taiwanese player, Hu Wootaek, was floating there.

"Huh... Can he fly too? When did he get up there?"

"He just did."

Swoosh!

As Seong Jihan soared forward using his sword technique, Hu Wootaek, or rather Dongbang Sak, casually stroked his beard.

"Here you are, successor."

"Successor? I have no intention of becoming anyone's disciple."

"That may be the only path you have to survive. Eventually, you'll have to submit."

"I'd rather die than become a disciple."

"Hmm... You're clearly in need of education."

Suuuu...

Behind Dongbang Sak, a Taiji symbol emerged.

With its black and white patterns intertwining, it slowly rotated clockwise.

The world...

Began to be sucked into it.

"Ugh...!"

Everything, including the world, was drawn towards the absorbing force of the Taiji.

Could this be the power of Myriad Ghost Sealing Gods enhanced hundreds of times?

Kurururu...!

Even the trains from Korea and Taiwan, which were far away, couldn't resist the power of the Taiji and were flying towards it together.

Seong Jihan immediately invoked the void and exerted all his strength.

"Void. A dangerous force you harness."

As the energies of the void spread through Seong Jihan and he resisted the movement of Taiji,

Dongbang Sak's brows furrowed.

"If you become my successor, you'll have to release all that power. You'll have to work with me forever. What use is it if you die quickly?"

"That won't happen."

"Tsk. Clearly, you need focused education."

Swoosh!

Dongbang Sak reached towards the Taiji he had summoned.

And just before his hand touched it,

The clockwise-rotating Taiji came to a halt and started turning in reverse.

"I'll draw the Taiji Sword. If you can't withstand it... you'll be defeated and eventually get killed by the Martial God."

As he reached into the Taiji,

The world twisted and distorted like crumpled paper.

And then...

From the distorted world, a white sword emerged from the Taiji.

Unleashing darkness.

"This is...!"

Darkness that surpassed even the realm of the Martial soul in an instant.

Seong Jihan's entire body was engulfed by the demonic power of the Taiji.

[The second game is concluded.]

The national team match ended in the shortest time on record.

***

***