Chapter 82

In the guild's broadcasting channel,

After Seong Jihan's making video was uploaded, no notable videos were posted for a while.

Then, a new video appeared.

[Sudden coverage at the penthouse! What kind of training do guild members do?]

"Hello, everyone~!"

Lee Hayeon, holding a microphone, waved at the camera held by Joo Eunji.

Unlike other guild masters who seemed reserved, Lee Hayeon actively promoted herself whenever there was an opportunity to be on air.

And, of course, the reason for that was...

- Oh! I missed seeing Hayeon~~!

- Please broadcast more often ㅠㅠ

- Her beauty is killing it today ㄷㄷㄷ!

She did it to elicit passionate responses from the viewers who were subscribed to the guild channel.

"Oh, you're all giving me too much attention~ Hehe!"

Lee Hayeon said with a hand gesture, but her playful wink made her look sly like a fox.

'Hmm, she's quite something.'

Joo Eunji thought, holding the camera.

Every move of Hayeon was more than enough to melt men's hearts.

- I'm dying from Hayeon's beauty!! ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

- Why visit the penthouse? Just do a cam show with the guild master ㅠㅠ

- We see Seong Jihan every day on his channel, but it's hard to see you ㅠㅠㅠ

-Stop sucking up! You'll give the guild master the wrong idea!

- Remember Seong Jihan is the main character!

While watching the chaotic chatroom, Lee Hayeon thought,

'It's about time.'

Once she confirmed enough people were watching, she moved towards the elevator.

"Now, everyone, shall we head to Sword Palace's penthouse?"

Beep! Beep! Beep!

When she pressed the call button of Sword Palace's private elevator, Seong Jihan's voice flowed from the speaker next to it.

[Who is it?]

"Owner, it's Hayeon~!"

[Ah, yes, come up.]

As the elevator door opened, Lee Hayeon gazed at the sparkling private elevator leading to the penthouse.

"It's my first time visiting Sword Palace's penthouse."

- Oh come on Hayeon, you're from a chaebol family, don't you live in a place like that?

- For real, she's from the Lee family.

"Oh, if we're talking about the old house I used to live in, maybe... but the place I live now might be smaller than the guild office. I live on my own now."

- Oh.

- The guild office... it looked pretty big...

"Well, not exactly like that, but I live with my bodyguard, Gayeong, so we need a certain amount of space."

When Lee Hayeon pointed to Lim Gayeong behind the camera, Gayeong quickly made a "shush" gesture.

Being in a protective role, revealing too much information was uncomfortable for her.

"I guess our bodyguard doesn't want to talk about it anymore, everyone."

- That short-haired woman? Why isn't she on the broadcast!!!

- Show her!!! Show her!!!

- Aren't bodyguards supposed to... stay by your side...to protect...?

"Oh, right. Gayeong, want to join?"

Lee Hayeon gestured to Lim Gayeong after seeing the viewers' reactions, but,

"I'm good."

Lim Gayeong, perhaps not fond of the attention, refused decisively.

However, when Lee Hayeon moved slightly to the side, Gayeong's reflection could be seen in the mirror of the open elevator.

"My lady......"

- LOL, the guild master has a great sense of humor.

- The bodyguard looks surprisingly cute~~ㅎㅎ

- Hasn't she always been cute?

Lim Gayeong sighed deeply.

"Because of you, my lady, I feel like I've sold my face to everyone."

"As a player, it's a profession where you get attention from people. The more exposure, the better."

"It's true when you put it that way... but why always..."

"What? Why what?"

"Never mind. It's not appropriate to discuss on air."

"Hey, if you say that and end it, what becomes of me!"

During the elevator ride, Lee Hayeon and Lim Gayeong were chatting casually.

But that was only for a moment.

As soon as they reached the top floor, Lee Hayeon stopped the conversation and started their original broadcasting purpose, the 'training filming'.

"You are here."

Seong Jihan greeted them at the entrance of the penthouse.

Joo Eunji', who was holding the camera, lit up her eyes.

"I'll start with the mic setting~!"

Joo Eunji, who had proposed the training filming, quickly approached Seong Jihan.

As she was about to familiarly attach a small wireless microphone to him,

Bzzzt!

"Ah. Static again... I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay."

Static sparked again where they touched.

'It seems like it was like this before too.'

Is she prone to static?

Seong Jihan didn't think much of it, receiving the setting from her. However,

'...It's not working again.'

Joo Eunji could only suppress her dismayed feelings.

[Access Denied.]

[Attempting analysis for access.]

[The target system denies the analysis.]

[Access Denied.]

Her second attempt at access was completely thwarted.

'If the analysis doesn't work at all, there's no use in trying to contact multiple times...'

Capturing Seong Jihan.

She had anticipated it wouldn't be easy, but she hoped that increasing contact would reveal a way.

However, the system message she got on the second contact was even stricter than before.

"All set now~"

Despite her mixed feelings, Joo Eunji kept a cheerful face as she stepped away from Seong Jihan.

"Thank you, Eunji."

"My pleasure, Guild Master."

Joo Eunji received a camera and a diary she brought with her from Lee Hayeon.

Inside the diary, sparsely filled with appointments,

She had prepared a secret tool for this penthouse visit.

It was a valuable item to just use for luring Seong Jihan, but...

'If he's the type to block access, I have to try everything.'

Joo Eunji decided coldly, but with a smile.

* * * * *

* * * * *

At the heart of the penthouse.

Lee Hayeon was amazed at the training facility, which was incomparable to most gyms.

"Wow. The training room is huge. You could open a gym with this."

"That's why I haven't moved yet."

"But, Owner. Haven't they stopped telling you to leave the penthouse since the BattleNet Administration Director changed? When I met the new director, he pleaded for you to stay..."

The previous director, though it was in the form of a voluntary resignation, was essentially driven out.

The new director who replaced him had a very conciliatory stance toward Seong Jihan.

Seeing the previous one get fired like that, of course he had to be.

"But I can't stay here forever, especially after donating to Sword Palace. I'm thinking of looking for a house once Seah's training shows results."

"I see..."

- Leaving this nice house, where will you go ㅠㅠ

- Maybe New York City?

- Stop talking about New York ㅡㅡ Jihan won't go!

- But it would be unsettling if he leaves Sword Palace...ㅜㅜ

- Right after leaving, Gates might pop up. I'm nervous lol.

- Really, every time a Gates message pops up in the sponsorship, my heart sinks lol.

Viewers who felt PTSD from Robert Gates' sponsorship messages.

Because they indirectly experienced his financial bombing.

They felt that Gates could easily provide Seong Jihan with a house even grander than the Sword Palace's penthouse.

"Owner, you won't leave Korea, right?"

"I have no such plans yet."

"I caught the 'yet'... Alright! Shall we start the training, which is our main purpose?"

Lee Hayeon changed the topic and entered deeper into the training room.

There, drenched in sweat, Yoon Seah was sitting exhaustedly on a bench, wiping her head with a towel.

"Hah! Hah!... Have you arrived, sister?"

"Yes, Seah."

- Oh... Sweat...

- Whoa...

- I really like the Atmosphere Guild... The trio is the best...

- You're not a minor anymore, right? It's okay to look and admire without getting arrested, right?

- That means I'll not be arrested!

Yoon Seah, who was already famous for her beauty, was here.

As her exhausted figure drenched in sweat was shown, a sight not usually seen, the viewers cheered at this unique sight. However...

"Uncle, can I get some healing?"

"Alright. Regeneration. Heal. Great Heal."

"Ah, I think I'll live."

"Alright, ready to strain those muscles again?"

" ...Yes."

"Your answer sounds weak."

"Yes, sir!"

Seong Jihan's three-part healing set was activated, and Yoon Seah went back to her workout.

The viewers started to sense that this wasn't just some light exercise.

- Seong Jihan is really playing the Support role. How many times is he using heal? Is he just trying to exhaust her?

- Is that how her stamina stat increases so fast?

Step by step.

Walking towards the barbell placed on the ground like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, Yoon Seah heard Seong Jihan's sharp words.

"I'll add a bit more weight."

"Eek..."

At Seong Jihan's gesture, multiple weight plates floated in the air and then thudded onto the barbell.

Then, Yoon Seah gripped the barbell with both hands.

"Heugh...!"

As she took a deep breath and began the deadlift, the muscles in her back bulged out prominently.

- Whoa... This isn't just 'wow', this is insane."

- My god!

- How much weight is she lifting? Look at the thickness of those plates. Insane.

"Eughhh...!"

Boom!

When Yoon Seah placed the barbell down, a tremendous sound echoed.

"Let's do a bit more."

"Yes... I understand..."

Watching Yoon Seah exerting herself to the utmost, even using the strength she'd have as a baby, Lee Hayeon's mouth fell open in surprise.

It wasn't surprising that she was working out.

While in the Divergent Guild, many players had been training their bodies just like that.

But,

"Let's rest for 5 minutes, and then I'll apply the three-part heal again. Let's do it again."

"Yes... Understood... Uh..."

She had never seen someone push their body to such extreme limits.

So that's why her stamina and strength stats grew at such a rapid pace.

Was it due to this kind of insane training?

- This is really brutal...

- This might hinder muscle growth, though. How can muscles grow if you just exhaust them like this?

- Players have healing magic...

- Not just stimulation, but ample rest and nutrition are essential for muscle growth. This is abuse!

- But doing that makes the stats increase the most, lol.

While the chat window was buzzing with debates about whether this was torture or not, Lim Gayeong, who had been watching Yoon Seah's training, sparkled with curiosity.

"Excuse me, Mr. Seong Jihan. Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, go ahead."

"Regeneration. Heal. Great Heal. Is there a specific reason for this order?"

'Ah, she doesn't know the optimal combination yet.'

The optimal healing magic combination for muscle growth.

The one who found out about this sequence was the future saint, Sophia.

'Well, revealing this piece of information a bit early should be fine.'

Sophia had discovered this combination to help Seong Jihan in her past life.

Back then, she had freely shared the information she found with the world.

"Well..."

Seong Jihan began to speak.