Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Nameless Divine Arts, Triad of Martial Mastery: Way of Immortals
The technique symbolized the immortals guiding the path. It was the essence of the third element of the triad: Heaven, Earth, and Man.
"Right now, speed is of the essence," Seong Jihan thought. Thus, choosing the 'Way of Immortals' was apt for the current situation.
Even though the Phoenix's Arrow hadn't left the bow, the golden horse was already engulfed in flames.
The sheer power of the heat was immeasurable.
The bow, which Seong Jihan aimed to target, was obscured by a curtain of flames.
"A half-hearted approach won't penetrate this barrier," he realized.
Unlike when he defeated the Flesh Golem, this situation required more precision and speed.
To achieve this, he opened his upper stance, drawing the trajectory of the sword.
The straight line pointed directly at the bowstring.
Opening his middle stance, he cleared a path.
A small gap appeared amidst the flames, allowing for the trajectory of the sword.
Finally, in his lower stance, he executed the move.
The 'Way of Immortals' technique, which is the essence of the "Man" of the Triad, was not an extravagant move.
To an outsider, it would appear as a mere flicker of the sword.
However, the energy emanating from that flicker was beyond what most could imagine.
In an instant, a blade of energy from Seong Jihan's sword pierced through the core of the flames and split the bowstring in two, rendering the Phoenix's Arrow useless.
A surprised exclamation escaped the Conqueror's Statue.
Seong Jihan's precise strike was the optimal counter to the arrow.
Without a bow, an arrow cannot be fired.
The overwhelming heat from the Phoenix's Arrow quickly subsided, and the Conqueror's statue gazed at Seong Jihan with admiration.
[What is your name, raider?]
"Seong Jihan."
[Seong Jihan... Splendid! You're a commendable swordsman.]
The Conqueror's arrow landed at Seong Jihan's feet.
[Having shown me the utmost respect, the Phoenix's Arrow is now yours.]
[You have received the recognition of the Conqueror.]
[You are exempted from the 7th floor's trial.]
Seong Ji-Han's eyes narrowed as he checked the message.
"Exempt?"
[You've already shown me true respect. Do not display the manners of a raider in the future.]
With that, the Conqueror's image slowly dispersed.
[Hopefully, we will meet on a battlefield next time, not somewhere like this.]
"...Alright."
There are numerous battlefields in BattleNet, and if they are fated, they might meet again.
Seong Ji-Han thought so as he watched the disappearing Conqueror's statue.
- What did he do?
- I can't tell, even after watching. Aren't fast movements automatically applied with slow motion?
- His momentum was incredible... but it was too fast.
Viewers were perplexed, unable to grasp what had just transpired.
This was understandable since the 'Way of Immortals' technique, while swift, is also a very discreet martial art.
Regardless of the courtesy provided by BattleNet, it was almost impossible for the average person to grasp what had transpired.
Meanwhile, Seong Jihan, who had bid farewell to the Conqueror's Statue, wore a satisfied smile.
'My control over the martial arts techniques has become more fluid,' he thought.
Compared to the past, he had made significant progress.
Initially, when he used martial arts techniques, he couldn't control the energy properly, leaving residual currents in the ground and even splitting the earth.
But now, with the 'Way of Immortals' technique, he displayed much refined skills.
'If I can master basic techniques like this, then I can surely use more advanced ones.'
As he pondered over his martial arts, chat messages began flooding in on his screen.
- Wow, if you clear a dungeon map like that...it wouldn't have mattered even if those guys did commit suicide.
- What can you do now Take-chan???
- Guys...Take-chan didn't do this! How could a regular salaryman like me have so much money?
- He was silent, but now he's finally speaking up!
- You're already exposed.
- If I had this kind of money, why would I be working? Why suffer like this? Please believe me!
The chats were mostly frivolous, but Takeda was vehemently denying any involvement in the suicide request allegations.
There was suspicion, but concrete evidence was lacking.
'There's no need to distance myself from Takeda right now,' Seong Jihan thought.
He needed Takeda for the growth of the channel.
However, it would be wise to gather solid evidence for future reference.
'...Let's do this,' he mused and pulled out the Phoenix's Arrow, swinging it to test its weight and balance.
'It's a bit heavy,' he noted, but other than that, it was a perfect spear. With some time and adaptation, he wouldn't need to worry about a primary weapon for a while.
'Let's test this out.'
He glanced around. Unlike Archer, who had succumbed to the Phoenix's Arrow's flames, Warrior was still alive, probably due to his professional resilience.
As Seong Jihan aimed his spear at the Warrior, a look of despair filled Warrior's eyes.
"No...No, please NO!"
He might have missed out on the 10 billion reward, but he thought he could get away scot-free.
But Seong Jihan was not one to let anyone take advantage of him.
"Join your friend," Seong Jihan whispered, and with a swift movement, the Phoenix's Arrow pierced through the Warrior.
* * * * *
At the BattleNet Academy's cafeteria, Seong Jihan reappeared, holding the massive Phoenix's Arrow in his right hand. The scouts present were wide-eyed.
"Whoa... Is that?!"
"It was an equipment?!"
In BattleNet's four game modes, dungeons allowed players to acquire everything from useful auxiliary items to various equipment items. While it wasn't unusual for Seong Jihan to appear with an item, the scouts were amazed for a different reason.
"Equipment from a Bronze Dungeon? I've never heard of that!"
"Wasn't the Conqueror's Mausoleum supposed to give at most one or two gold bars convertible to GP?"
The dungeon, often referred to as the "Loser's Tomb," hardly provided any valuable loot.
But now, the Phoenix's Arrow Seong Jihan held was a game-changer.
"It's at least A-rank!"
One scout whispered, referring to the gleaming golden and silver tip of the spear.
The aura it radiated sent chills down the spines of the watching scouts.
"Inventory,"
Seong Jihan murmured, placing the Phoenix's Arrow inside his virtual storage and sitting back down.
He playfully shook the ice in his plastic cup, which was half-melted but still intact, in front of Lee Hayeon, signaling that not much time had passed in the real world.
Lee Hayeon gazed at him with a forlorn expression.
"...You really made it back before the ice melted," Lee Hayeon remarked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.
"Yes, I always keep my promises," Seong Jihan replied, sipping his coffee and grinning at her.
"But I wonder about you, Director Lee Hayeon. Do you keep yours? Or do you say one thing and mean another?"
Until now, Lee Hayeon had always greeted Seong Jihan with a radiant smile.
But this time, her smile seemed forced. "Oh, what a coincidence. I'm also the type to... strictly... keep promises."
"Status window"
She summoned her status window, looking at it for a brief moment before pressing the 'public' button.
"Go ahead! Look!"
She said, showing off her respectable average stats of 9.5.
"Just so you don't misunderstand, I haven't lied. Having a supporting gift is almost like not having one."
The gift displayed read:
[Gift - Nurturing (Rank A)]
[A supporting gift. Helps other players grow quickly.]
Seong Jihan's gaze deepened. Now he was sure.
'Lee Hayeon... You're really Zero.'
Zero, known for her brilliant talents, ruled as the Deputy Guild Leader of the American First Guild, despite being an immigrant. Now, Seong Jihan had visual confirmation.
A smirk spread across his face.
"How mean...laughing right in front of me..."
"No, I'm smiling 'cause I'm impressed," he replied, extending his phone.
"May I have your number, Ms. Lee Hayeon?"
She stared at his phone, taken aback. She had been hit on countless times in her life, but she had never encountered a man who asked so boldly.
"Isn't it written on the business card I gave you last time?"
His answer was shocking. "Ah, I lost it."
She was taken aback, struggling to comprehend.
'You lost my card as if it wasn't worth anything, yet you suddenly ask for my number?'
His attitude had changed completely after seeing her gift.
Did this seemingly useless gift intrigue Seong Jihan?
Regardless, she took his phone, entered her number, and even saved her contact with a name that could be misunderstood by others: [Director Lee Hayeon♡].
She then made sure to call her own phone to confirm Seong Jihan's number.
'When opportunity knocks, you have to seize it,' she thought.
Seong Jihan had proven that he wasn't just a promising player, but a definite ace.
With the situation as it was, she had to secure her position, whether it was a genuine courtship or something else.
"But... are you really not going to make a contract with Twin Star?"
"As promised, I'll do it if I lose 1st rank." he replied, standing up.
"Well, I'll be in touch. You should visit your teacher as well."
"Yes, yes! It's already that time... Please take care!"
As Seong Jihan exited the cafeteria, he promptly changed her saved name from [Director Lee Hayeon♡] to [Lee Hayeon=0].
Meanwhile...
As Seong Jihan stepped out of the cafeteria, a chorus of voices called out to him.
"Mr. Seong Jihan! Do you have a moment?"
"Just a second! We'd like to speak with you..."
But the scouts, who had been waiting for him, were too late.
'I guess that's it for today,'
Seong Jihan stomped the ground and, as if he was never there to begin with, vanished entirely.
The scouts were left in a state of panic.
Watching their flustered state, Lee Hayeon sighed in relief.
'Thank God I secured his number,' she thought, glad she wasn't left chasing after him like a desperate hen after a worm.
'Should I be the one to reach out first? Is this what it feels like to be on the receiving end? How did I end up in this situation?'
She smiled bitterly and then spoke to Lim Gayeong. "Gayeong, let's head home."
"But, your teacher... Shouldn't we greet him?"
"Do you think he'll be receptive?"
In the parking lot, a tired Lee Hayeon felt her phone vibrate. She quickly pulled it out, and her eyes widened in surprise.
The messenger's ID read: [Seong Jihan]
The message contents were also shocking:
[You said you've been my subscriber for a while, right?]
[I'll give you a match prediction after a long time.]
[8.15 Korea-Japan match results]
[1st Match: Korea wins / MVP Lee Jinwook]
[2nd, 3rd, 4th Matches: Japan wins / MVP Ito Ryuhei]
[Enjoy.]
"...What is this?" Lee Hayeon whispered to herself.
Seong Jihan's first text to her was a prediction for the Korea-Japan match that was scheduled a week later.