Chapter 47: Press Conference (2)

*’…From the back!’*

It was a long-range attack!

Jinhyuk reflexively moved his body just as a red flash sparked.

*Kwaang!*

Where he had stood just a second ago, a huge crater had formed.

“How dare… turn Dohyun into a rag? Do you have any idea how much effort I’ve put in for this day?”

The roar came from the audience stands, where Hong Deokpyo was seated. His beloved brother, the hidden card meant to be today’s hero, had been wrecked, and he felt like his world was crumbling down. Hong Deokpyo’s face went from flushed red to pale white as he ground his molars in rage.

At the same time, a fearful aura burst forth from his body.

*Kukukukuku!*

A power that shook the entire floor — mana.

*Hooh.*

So this is what an S-rank is like, huh? However, unlike the others, his mana control is quite good. Definitely less wasteful.

Although he still lacked finesse, with about three years of sharpening and training, he seemed capable of growing into a reasonably useful level.

Once more, Jinhyuk activated his ‘Eye of True Sight.’

Name: Hong Deokpyo

Gender: Male

Age: 41

Level: 34

Strength: 38, Agility: 33, Vitality: 20, Mana: 15

Available stat points: 1

Coins: 25,850

Class: Berserker

Unique Ability: Blood Demon Qi (血魔氣)

Skills: Lv5 ‘Berserk’, Lv5 ‘Blood Clotting’, Lv4 ‘Full Body Strengthening’, Lv4 ‘Foe Identification’, Lv4 ‘Decapitation’ (斬首)

[Copy condition: You must take away that which Hong Deokpyo values most. By doing so, you may copy the target’s unique ability.]

Upon reading the copy condition, Jinhyuk could feel his heart pounding.

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Yes, this is what he had obtained fusion for.

To be able to use abilities that others had worked so hard to achieve as if they were his own.

*’The most precious thing to him…’*

It was obvious what that was.

He already knew the answer.

Jinhyuk spoke up once more.

“I can understand you’re upset, but can we hold off on fighting for a bit?”

“Why. Getting cold feet now?”

“No, it’s just a shame to watch a guild master get smashed in front of so many people.”

“You, you damn son of a bitch! I’ll chew you into pieces!”

Hong Deokpyo stomped out of the stands.

*Kwaang!*

The chairs shattered as he quickly closed the distance with Jinhyuk.

The red aura shimmering around his two-meter-long greatsword was evident.

Different from sword qi.

It was what they call Blood Demon Qi (血魔氣), an otherworldly strength made from blood bursting forth.

[Your unique ability ‘Grave of Swords’ is activated!]

Jinhyuk also infused his sword with mana.

*Patsutsu!*

Black sword qi surged upwards.

He lowered his center of gravity and braced his feet.

Then, at that moment.

*Kwaaaaang!*

The two energies collided.

Crimson sparks scattered in all directions.

*Kwakwakwakwakwakwa!*

The rampaging mana fractured the ground like a turtle shell cracking.

“Oooo!”

“Indeed. That’s Hong Representative’s power. Even the mana feels chilling from afar.”

“Look at that energy swirling around his sword. I’ve only seen it in videos. Never thought I’d see it in real life.”

Journalists exclaimed in unison.

However, as the battle continued, a strange discomfort began to dawn on them.

Something was off.

One female journalist realized the anomaly.

“Mr. Hong used his Blood Demon Qi, so he’s definitely not taking it easy…. But how is that man managing to hold on?”

Her short inquiry snapped the other journalists back to reality.

Indeed.

Despite Hong Deokpyo using his trademark skill, here was someone fighting on equal terms.

“That’s… how?”

“I was so distracted I forgot, but it’s actually true?”

“Good heavens. We knew he was impressive, but to think he’s equal with an S-rank?”

To them, it appeared Jinhyuk had skills comparable to Hong Deokpyo.

Of course.

The reality was far from being just ‘comparable.’

At least, for the two who had crossed swords, this one clash made it clear who had the upper hand.

“Kugh!”

Hong Deokpyo’s brows furrowed.

He had been pushed back during their first exchange, and it was one-sided.

‘Can it be… stronger than me?’

Such a ridiculous idea.

Hong Deokpyo had proudly served as the right wing of the first team during the raid that intercepted the ‘Colossus Soldier’ on the second floor of the Tower of Trials.

Could it be that he, of such renown, was now being overwhelmed by a nobody who was assessed as an F-rank?

Impossible.

Yet, the aching pain in his shoulders and wrists attested to who was stronger and who was weaker.

“Already tired, are we? If it’s hard on you, feel free to slap on a patch or something?”

Jinhyuk lightly adjusted his sword with a flick of his wrist.

“Don’t… laugh. I haven’t even shown my real strength yet.”

“Really? Because to me, it sounds like you’re shaking in your voice?”

“…”

Hong Deokpyo pressed his lips shut.

No matter how boldly he pretended, he knew better than anyone what result he would face if this fight continued.

Yet, if he backed down now, in front of everyone, it would be a complete and utter disgrace.

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

That’s when it happened.

*Creeeak!*

The doors separating the arena and the outside world opened.

＊＊＊

[Han Sangjin has activated Lv4 ‘Mediation’!]

A power to soothe excitement and refresh the atmosphere.

It was a skill possessed by Han Sangjin, the chairman of the Korean Awakened Association.

“It’s the chairman!”

“What? That man seldom attends external events, doesn’t he?”

“It’s true! Look over there!”

A middle-aged man followed by employees in black suits appeared at the entrance.

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

*So this is the man leading the Awakened of Korea.*

The middle-aged man with a sharp beard — this was no fake crafted by the Ma’in.

There was a sense of responsibility in his aura that was incomparable.

“Chairman Han Sangjin! Perfect timing. This man has turned our guild’s player into a rag! An AAA-rated prospect!”

Hong Deokpyo yelled as if he had been waiting for this moment.

However, Han Sangjin responded to Hong Deokpyo’s complaint with a guffaw.

“Ha ha. Well, injuries can happen during a match. Please understand, Mr. Hong.”

“Eh?”

“It’s not a neighborhood kid’s tournament. Injuries are natural, right? Ah, but I have some urgent matters, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Just a minute…!”

Hong Deokpyo tried to say something, but Han Sangjin ignored him and approached Jinhyuk directly.

“Nice to meet you, Player Kang Jinhyuk. I’m Han Sangjin, heading the Korean Awakened Association.”

“Do you know me?”

“Truthfully, 20 minutes ago, I didn’t know anything about Player Kang Jinhyuk. But, I received an urgent call from Director Park, in charge of the banquet. He insisted that I should come see you personally.”

Given the commotion that had unfolded, it made sense that the news reached Han Sangjin.

After all, one unsettling event after another had occurred without warning.

“So, our team did some digging and… we managed to find some information about your past, Player Kang Jinhyuk. There was a particular detail that caught our attention.”

Han Sangjin continued to speak.

This caused every journalist around to gulp.

Finally, the reason behind Jinhyuk’s immense strength, despite being F-rank, was about to be revealed.

“Congratulations on receiving the 16th S-rank evaluation in Korea. I would also like to apologize for our mistake that led to your incorrect assessment.”

A brief statement, yet its content was shocking.

“*Gasp!* S… S-rank?”

“That man was S-rank?”

“Incredible… We’re witnessing a new S-rank emerge?”

“With an A-ranked player, it’s no wonder they couldn’t even make a sound. It’s impossible to compete with this.”

The journalists almost dropped their cameras and shrieked in disbelief.

Not surprising, considering the statistics. Over 7 million people have taken the Awakening Test in Korea. More than 32 branches nationally and the headquarters of the Awakened Association worked tirelessly to manage these figures.

Of all those tested, only 15 individuals received an S-rank.

Additionally, considering the majority of those tested are in the 20-40 age group, it essentially meant that almost all of the potential big-name rookies in Korea had already been discovered.

*Click click click click!*

Camera flashes went crazy.

“Quick, take the shot!”

“Kang Jinhyuk. Exactly, Kang Jinhyuk. I heard it from the chairman himself!”

“Get articles out as soon as possible. We’ll fill in the details later, just publish the news now!”

“Call everyone from the press conference room upstairs too. What? Black Cloud Guild’s rookie interview? Hey, you idiot! Is that what’s important right now? An S-rank has appeared! Drop everything and come down this instant!”

All attention suddenly poured onto Jinhyuk.

Amidst cheers and applause, everyone in the ballroom celebrated the birth of a new S-rank.

“This, this is some crazy shit…”

While the sour-faced Hong Deokpyo and…

“*Cough*… *cough* *wheeze*!”

Dohyun continued to retch up his insides, everyone else…

*’Dammit. I need to find a way to salvage this situation.’*

Hong Deokpyo wiped the sweat from his brow.

It felt like he was pouring molten metal down his throat, but he needed to grasp at straws.

“Just a moment! Reporters! In fact, our Black Cloud Guild has prepared something special for tackling the Tower, and I can give you all a sneak peek…”

“Ah. I am sorry. I’ll come back for another interview later. We’ll talk then.”

“We always support you, Mr. Hong. And oh, the promising player? Whatever his name. AAA-rank sounds great.”

“That… ha-ha. Let’s try to clean up the vomit next time. I have a weak stomach.”

As soon as the last few journalists hurried towards Jinhyuk.

＊＊＊

Three hours later, quite a lot had changed.

[The 16th S-Rank appears in Korea]

[A colossal rookie, the chairman personally delivers the test result]

[Major guilds flood with love calls. What will Player Kang Jinhyuk do next?]

Despite the cascade of bad news, it was like a refreshing breeze had finally blown.

The media was plastered with stories about Jinhyuk.

Well, not a bad feeling.

What he liked the most was that the announcement of his S-rank came at precisely the right moment.

*’Who posted this now?’*

Jinhyuk chuckled as he watched a video posted by someone he didn’t recognize.

[Scene of a notorious prospect getting schooled by an S-rank]

The very video where Dohyun, after talking big, got completely wrecked.

Ironically, the video’s views were almost the same as the one announcing the S-rank.

-Illumination: No, but seriously, throwing up after just one punch is a bit much, right? Even his job is supposed to be a Psychic Warrior.

-pplmost124: Yeah, I agree. Frankly, any Korean man who’s served in the military could at least handle one punch to the stomach. That’s just exaggerated.

-Wasabi-flavored toothpaste: No, no. After watching that, I made my little sister punch me in the stomach, and when I woke up, it was the next day.

-YasuoCarryPlease NoobAccount: Maybe your sister’s an S-rank ranker lolololololol.

-Turtle Ship Helmsman: Agreed. Make her take the Awakening Test today.

The reactions were hot.

The Black Cloud Guild may have already suffered a devastating blow to its image due to this incident.

*’Reap what you sow, not my problem.’*

With both their unique abilities and skills copied, whatever happened to the guild didn’t concern him anymore.

Puuuk…!

Jinhyuk leaned back in the plush chair.

The soft fabric enveloped his body, and the corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily.

Yeah.

First-class really was something else.

*’No wonder everyone’s always chasing a higher rank.’*

Thanks to the special attention from Chairman Han Sangjin, Jinhyuk was now able to use the flight to Las Vegas, USA for free.

And not just any seat, but the first-class section that cost over ten million won one-way.

Not only had he obtained an invitation to the Black Market from Chun Yuseong, but Itaemin and Yoo Yeonhwa agreed to handle all the minor matters back in Korea for him.

All that was left was for him to focus on the matters in the US.

However, that’s when it happened.

[Be careful of the man up front.]

Elis, who had been silent inside the ring, spoke up for the first time.