Chapter 12

‘Yoon Sejin…!’

Seong Jihan, who had been acting all along, truly became enraged upon hearing the call. A heartless bastard who even abandoned his own child for the sake of love. Hearing the notification he gave to Yoon Seah, his anger surged.

‘I didn’t know the content was like this before.’

At that time, Seong Jihan was too busy suppressing himself, so he couldn’t pay much attention to Yoon Seah. He didn’t know that this conversation was vividly recorded.

-Wow… Crazy bastard… Crazy bastard…

-Is the Sword King a complete bastard?

-He ran away to Japan just because of a woman?

Most people were outraged after hearing the content of the conversation. However,

-No, this is fake!

-The Sword King would never do that. No way.

-The Sword King Association guarantees it!

The fans of the Sword King, belonging to the Sword King Association, tried hard to deny the reality.

‘Sword King Association, those bastards.’

Seong Jihan pretended to be inexperienced with Battle Tube, but his eyes quickly scanned through all the messages appearing in the chat window.

Remembering the terrible events of the past for a moment, Seong Jihan then managed his expression, focusing on the situation in front of the camera again.

“Like this, the Sword King Yoon Sejin clearly expressed his intentions to us.”

“Yes… That’s right.”

Yoon Seah replied a beat late to Seong Jihan’s words. She managed to keep her expression steady, without a trace of hesitation. Her sorrowful expression, as if trying to forget her sadness, instead touched the hearts of the viewers.

-Daughter is innocent.

-What daughter? Anyway, Lady Seah is innocent.

-Crazy bastards…

-Is her appearance important right now?

The chat was divided due to Yoon Seah’s tearful appearance. Watching this confusion for a moment, Seong Jihan finally brought up the main purpose of today’s Battle Tube stream.

“Like this, we also received a unilateral notification from my father-in-law about this.”

“I take responsibility for my father’s impulsive actions. As his daughter, I must have behaved wrongly…”

Yoon Seah’s voice paused for a moment. Then, she turned her face away from the camera lens for a brief moment. Her face seemed to convey an attempt to forget her sadness, which paradoxically stirred the viewers’ emotions.

“Is it about the building?”

“The Sword King is surely just bluffing.”

People chatted about her momentary silence, blaming no one. Was that appearance acting, or was it genuine? Seong Jihan called her with mixed feelings.

“Seah.”

In response, Yoon Seah turned her face back to the camera lens. She opened her mouth again with reddened eyes.

“My father… He said he would hand over the Sword Palace to me, but I couldn’t accept it in any way.”

“That’s why we want to declare here.”

“Sword King Yoon Sejin will donate the Sword Palace, which he left to me, to the country.”

-Whoa…

-Donating the Sword Palace?

The chat buzzed with the news of donating Sword Palace to the country.

Sword Palace.

‘A 67-story luxury complex building located in Gangnam.’

Its value was enormous; it wasn’t a building that even ten generations of a family would struggle to afford. And they were donating it to the country?

-Have they gone crazy?

-Is that girl impersonating the Sword King’s daughter?

-Donating the Sword Palace…

-Isn’t that at the level of a national treasure?

-I’m speaking as a member of the Sword King Association. Seah, you’re being deceived. Be careful of the man beside you. He’s a fraud.

People’s reactions weren’t unreasonable. Sword Palace. The value of that building was exceptional, but donating it was practically a declaration that the Sword King would never return to Korea.

The fans of the Sword King, the Sword King Association, reacted even more vehemently, flooding the chat room with posts that criticized Seong Jihan. They couldn’t attack Yoon Seah, the Sword King’s daughter.

“They are a religious group.”

Not just any religious group, but one verging on fanaticism. Seong Jihan decided to ignore them. They wouldn’t change their minds, and he had no need to cater to their whims.

Right now, his priority was to preemptively quell the potential resentment that might arise against his niece Yoon Seah from those who would eventually emerge.

“The building will be taken away anyway. It’s better to donate it to the country.”

Even though it might feel wasteful now, if the Sword King Yoon Sejin succeeded in his endeavors in Japan, things would change.

Not only the Sword King but also Yoon Seah, who inherited his legacy, would face the anger of the entire nation. It was crucial to prevent such a situation from occurring.

“Buildings like this can be repurchased easily if you succeed as a player.”

Even Seong Jihan, who had lived like a scavenger, living in a larger building in New York during the last stages of Battle Net, knew that he had no need to worry about material benefits.

And…

“The Sword King Association… Their enmity should be directed solely at me.”

The Sword King’s fan club, the Sword King Association. When the Sword King emerged as Japan’s national representative and caused Korea to falter, most people withdrew. A few remained, becoming even more fervent fanatics.

At first, they seemed to support Yoon Seah, who was the Sword King’s blood, but later they completely turned against her.

“She tarnished the Sword King’s reputation with her actions, causing him to abandon the country.”

‘Sword King will only return if Yoon Seah dies!’

It was to the extent that they were willing to inflict brutal events on Yoon Seah. In his previous life, Seong Jihan could only watch these events unfold, but now it was different.

‘Right. It’s time to redirect the Sword King Association’s enmity towards me.’

Steadily, step by step, Seong Jihan walked towards the camera he had set up.

“Uncle…?”

Suddenly, Yoon Seah’s tone shifted as Seong Jihan made an unexpected move to adjust the camera’s position.

“Where are you going?”

Viewers also became curious about where he was heading.

Without answering their questions, Seong Jihan continued his steady approach. His steps came to a halt in the penthouse garden, which was also the rooftop of Sword Palace.

There, a giant golden figure with two swords crossed over each other was placed.

“Uncle? Why are you doing…?”

“Seah, and everyone else, do you know what this structure is?”

“Well… It’s a statue with two swords. The symbol of the Sword Palace.”

“Gee… It’s always awe-inspiring.”

-Wow! You know about the Twin Sword Statue! According to the Sword King Association, this Twin Sword Statue is a memorial designed by our victorious Sword King himself when he built the Sword Palace! The main material is stainless steel, but some parts are even made of 18K gold to give it highlights, and some claim it’s made of Nordic gold, but it’s actually certified by the World Gold Council…

-Boring.

-It’s still radiant when those Sword freaks talk about it.

-Anyway, why the Twin Sword Statue?

A symbol of Sword Palace, personally designed by the Sword King himself. Seong Jihan gazed at the Twin Sword Statue with a nostalgic look.

“This… was a source of pride for our family and a symbol of Gangnam, Seoul.

-No, it’s a symbol of South Korea!

-As a member of the Sword King Association, I warn you not to use the past tense.

-Don’t talk nonsense. Since that Ito bastard went to Japan, that thing is now ominous.

-Ugh, he’s starting to get sentimental.

-But, there’s a reason.

Seong Jihan passed the camera to Yoon Seah.

“Uncle…?”

Then, he took a stance. An unmistakable pose for a coup.

“Huh?”

-What’s he doing? What’s going on?

-Is he trying to incite something?

-Stop using disrespectful terms. Don’t you dare!

Seong Jihan looked at the camera in Yoon Seah’s hand. And, as if making a declaration to the entire nation, he spoke.

“Not anymore!”

Crash!

Seong Jihan’s fist, full of power, struck the massive Twin Sword Statue.

Crash!

-What… what…!

-This… What audacity!

-$%^&/ What is this behavior! Stop right now!

-Do you dare to damage the protector of the Twin Swords?

The stream chat erupted in chaos. Especially the fans belonging to the Sword King’s fan club, the Sword King Association, went wild.

And this fanatical resentment was exactly what Seong Jihan wanted.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Despite the cries mixed in the comments from the Sword King Association, Seong Jihan’s fist didn’t stop.

Furthermore, even though the Twin Sword Statue was made of metal, Seong Jihan’s punch, achieving the Martial power of Level 12, became so powerful that it instantly crushed it.

Not long after, the symbol of Sword Palace, the massive Twin Sword Statue on the rooftop, quickly transformed into a deformed mess.

And…

*Squeak*

The supporting end of one of the swords crumbled, causing the Twin Swords to lean toward Seong Jihan.

A situation where the massive structure was about to collapse on him.

“Uncle!”

Yoon Seah, startled, rushed to save Seong Jihan. But…

*Thud.*

Seong Jihan’s hand extended casually, effortlessly supporting the massive debris.

“Yoon Sejin… no, Ito Ryuhei.”

Seong Jihan looked at the camera.

The image on the screen displayed a stark contrast to his previous demeanor. Instead of looking defeated, the Seong Jihan on screen exuded a sense of calm confidence.

“Personally, I never liked this thing. It’s cringe. But now, it seems to have become rather interesting.”

*Snickering.*

A deeper smile formed on the corners of Seong Jihan’s lips. Simultaneously, the hand holding the Twin Sword debris glowed with a radiant white light.

-What’s that…?

-Could it be… Ki?

-No, it’s white. Is it Divine Power?

-What?! No way. How could a Bronze use that?

Ki Manifestation was a technique that only Warriors that were in Gold or above could use, and that technique was being used in front of the camera by a Bronze who had just finished the tutorial.

Moreover, he was using that technique with Divine Power.

“Only the starting points of Divine Power and Ki are different. They’re used in a similar way.”

*Thud!*

And then, that white-glowing hand extended towards the debris that was once the Twin Sword Statue.

In an instant, the golden material rapidly spread through the structure, turning it into a cascade of fragments.

*Whirrrrrr.*

It transformed into countless pieces and collapsed.

“If you’re angry, come at me.”

Seong Jihan completely shattered the symbol of the Sword King and looked at the camera, snapping his fingers playfully.

The reactions varied greatly.

-He’s amazing.

-That’s the power of a Bronze…?

-Hahaha, good riddance! Well done!

Some were surprised and cheered.

-This is insane…

-That damn $%^&! The Sword King Association won’t forgive… you!

Others expressed vehement disapproval.

‘Great.’

And all these reactions were exactly what Seong Jihan had intended.

The attention of the world. Cheers and curses, astonishment and scorn. He willingly embraced the mixture of emotions.

As if responding to his intention, a plethora of messages popped up before Seong Jihan’s eyes.

[Currently, 50,000 viewers are present.]

[Completed general achievement ‘Recruit Viewers (3)’.]

[Reward: 5,000 achievement points.]

[Currently, 100,000 viewers are present.]

[Completed general achievement ‘Recruit Viewers (4)’.]

[Reward: 10,000 achievement points.]

[Gained 30,000 dislikes.]

[Completed general achievement ‘Though the World Hates You (2)’.]

[Reward: 3,000 achievement points.]

[Gained 10,000 likes.]

[General Achievement: ‘I… Love You (1)’ cleared.]

[Reward: 1,000 achievement points.]

[Gained 30,000 likes.]

[General Achievement: ‘I… Love You (2)’ cleared.]

[Reward: 3,000 achievement points.]

At his current level, there were achievements he couldn’t possibly complete. But Seong Jihan’s current focus was elsewhere.

What interested him was the public’s reaction which took the bait in this stream. That was what truly mattered.

“Passion? Good comment, eat it up.”

“How dare you destroy the Twin Sword of the Sword Palace. Seong Jihan…!”

As expected, the chat room was flooded with his name as the topic of conversation. Seong Jihan couldn’t help but smile. It was a favorable situation.

‘Pour all of your hatred on me.’

Memories of the past he wanted to forget resurfaced. The time when he received public backlash and mumbled such words with a crestfallen face in front of Yoon Sejin.

When his 9-year-old niece, who endured more curses than himself, comforted him, saying she would protect him.

Despite her youthful appearance and cheerful demeanor, she must have been so hurt, corroded, and broken inside. He had been completely unaware of that back then.

‘But not anymore.’

That’s right. This life was different.

Seong Jihan looked at the camera.

“As you can see, we’ll have to exclude this Twin Sword statue from the donation items for the Sword Palace Building.”

-Ah-ah-aaah! The Twin Sword, the Twin Sword!

-The symbol of the Sword King…!

-What on earth are you doing? What kind of… mess… is this?

-What if the Sword King gets angry and never returns?

The chat room was in chaos due to the power of the Sword King Association. Seong Jihan chuckled at their reactions. Their enmity, not towards Yoon Sejin but entirely directed at himself, pleased him.

He lowered his head deeply in front of the camera.

“Well then, this will be the end of today’s stream.”

And as the stream ended, the entire nation stirred once again.