Chapter 20

“50 billion.”

With those words, the excitement in the auction hall cooled down as if cold water had been poured over it.

“That Battle Net Connector might go for around 20 billion if it’s brand new.”

“If he were the former Sword King, there would probably be a premium on the item. But now, it’s basically just secondhand.”

“Even though the data is somewhat tempting… Is it really worth 500 million? Huh… This is unbelievable.”

“The auction seems pointless.”

The moment Takeda Kazuo of Japan’s Neo Self-Defense Force mentioned 500 million, the auction might as well have already ended.

“How will you proceed?”

When the auctioneer asked Seong Jihan, he stood up and walked forward with determined steps.

“If there’s something you want to discuss, let’s do it here.”

“I’m sorry, but the conditions for 50 billion yen include exclusive rights…”

Takeda Kazuo lowered his head excessively and folded his hands, but his demeanor contradicted his words.

Despite his attitude, the underlying meaning was clear…‘If you want the 500 million, a private conversation is a must.’

The slight lift of the corner of his mouth seemed to say, ‘You won’t back down from this proposal, will you?’

Watching this, Seong Jihan smirked.

“Then I’ll have to decline.”

“Haha, yes, Of course, Let’s go and have a private meeting … Wait?”

Takeda Kazuo, who was rubbing his hands, stopped in surprise and straightened up.

He seemed confused, wondering if he had misheard, then asked hesitantly while bowing his head.

“Um… I’m sorry, could you please repeat that? I’m not very familiar with Korean, so I might have misheard…”

Bowing again, he asked for an answer.

“If a private conversation is among the conditions, we won’t take that money.”

“Mr. Seong Jihan, I’m sorry, but this money isn’t for you. It’s an amount that will be given to Yoon Seah, the daughter of the Sword King.”

‘Why are you stepping in when this 500 billion isn’t yours in the first place?’

The smile disappeared from Takeda’s face.

“Isn’t that right, Ms. Yoon Seah?”

“…”

“50 billion yen… For someone like me, a mere salaryman, it’s an amount that I couldn’t earn even if I saved every penny for a lifetime. I don’t know what your uncle is thinking, but please judge it rationally as the one who will actually receive the money. Can you really give up on this money just based on your uncle’s words?”

50 billion is an astronomical amount, as Takeda said.

Even the viewers watching the auction progress on Seong Jihan’s channel could somewhat empathize with his words.

– It’s too much money to refuse…

– Is today’s broadcast already about to end?

– That seems to be the case. After all, it’s his niece who will receive the money. Would she really just stand by and watch his uncle squirm?

– Yoon Seah will still live well even after donating to Sword Palace.

-The donation hasn’t been confirmed yet! The Sword King will come back!

-Are you crazy? How could you say that after he sent that bald Japanese guy?

“I…”

Yoon Seah glanced at Seong Jihan for a moment. Although she couldn’t guess why he was refusing to have a private conversation, the answer to Takeda was already clear.

“I trust Uncle. So please talk to him.”

“Huuh… Is that so?”

Takeda sighed and then straightened his previously hunched back.

He had attempted to shake things up through Yoon Seah, but it only solidified their already pronounced connection.

– Did the manipulation fail?

– Tsk tsk, she’s young. Once she experiences social life, she would haggle even if it were 100 million, not 50 billion.

– She’s the Sword King’s daughter.

– Ms. Yoon! You Trust Jihan?! The Sword King Fan Club is warning you! If you keep being bewitched by Jihan, we won’t recognize you as the Sword King’s daughter!

-The Sword King’s fans have gone mad.

Unaware of the chaotic chat messages, Seong Jihan nodded approvingly at Yoon Seah and then turned his gaze back to Takeda.

“Since Seah is also saying this, if you have something to say, please say it here instead of having a private conversation”

“Well, well… Why are you so insistent on refusing a private conversation? I’m saying this because I’m being considerate of your position.”

“It’s fine.”

Talking privately with the Neo Self-Defense Force recruitment manager for 500 million? That wasn’t a good image. He had no idea what people might say. They might criticize the fact that the father sold out for a woman and the daughter for money.

Of course, the criticism could be endured to some extent considering the astronomical amount of 500 million.

‘But there will come a time when money isn’t scarce anymore.’

If Seong Jihan continued to grow as a player, the money would naturally follow.

Such a moment had come in his previous life, and it would arrive even sooner this time.

And…

‘That Takeda guy… He gives me an uneasy feeling.’

More precisely, he was uneasy about the position of the Neo Self-Defense Force recruitment manager.

‘I heard about him during the time of my asylum in the U.S. The U.S. government banned the entry of the Neo Self-Defense Force recruitment manager.’

There was a recruitment manager in the Neo Self-Defense Force who was skilled at luring promising individuals from the U.S., so the U.S. government had prohibited his entry.

It was said that there was something strange with him.

Regardless of race or gender, when that bald recruitment manager got involved, people seemed to be irresistibly drawn to Japan which Clearly means that he had some peculiar gift.

It was best to be cautious.

“Um… It seems like your mind won’t change.”

Takeda, who had been hesitating for a moment, rubbed his palms together again.

“Phew, I understand. Mr. Seong and Ms. Yoon. I’ve lost. I’ll proceed with the purchase of those items for 50 billion yen…”

– Whoa.

– What is this?

– He’s just giving 50 billion yen away??

“In fact, The money is something the Sword King wanted to give, regardless of the private talk, so what needs to be given should be given.”

With those words, the chat exploded.

– Woah. The private talk was never among the conditions in the first place!

– That’s why you mustn’t negotiate with a Japanese person!

– As expected, this is why one must be careful of bald people!

– You might insult Japan, but stop insulting bald people!!!!!!

– Everyone, you might also lose your hair at any point in your lives!

Takeda pulled out a paper from his pocket.

“I was originally going to read this in private, but since you refuse, I will convey Sword King Ito’s message here.”

– The Sword King’s message?

– There was such a thing?

Everyone looked at him.

“Saeah, I’ve heard you will donate the Sword Palace. I’m not sure why you made such a decision. Consider this your last bit of inheritance from me. You should be able to live comfortably with this money.”

Takeda cleared his throat before he continued reading the last sentence with particular emphasis.

“And with this, our relationship as father and daughter is over, so don’t expect a ‘next time’…”

At those words Jihan’s expression went cold.

‘The sword king was basically telling her to take it and never bother him again.’

“Yes, if you look here…”

Takeda gave them the paper.

Saeah, who was standing next to Jihan, spoke in a toneless voice.

“It’s Dad’s handwriting.”

“…Yes.”

500 million.

To most people, it’s an astronomical amount of money.

However, for the Sword King, who ranked 3rd in the world rankings and 1st in the Warrior rankings, it wasn’t actually a large sum.

In fact, he probably earned more money than that in a month.

‘But he’s cutting the parent-child bond with this?’

At least he said ‘sorry’ to his daughter before he left Korea, but that had changed to him proudly saying he would sever their bond.

Despite everything, Jihan’s brother-in-law had seemed like someone who cherished his daughter a lot—he wasn’t such a piece of trash.

Jihan, rather than being angry…

‘Are the rumors about the Beauty Gift true?’

He began to suspect the rumor Park Yoonsik had mentioned about an SSS-rank Gift called Beauty was real.

“Haha…”

Meanwhile, Saeah let out a dry laugh as she looked at the letter.

“Mr. Kazuo…”

“Yes, yes?”

“Please tell Mr. Ryuhei that I’ll make good use of this final inheritance and that I’ll gladly cut the parent-child bond, just as he wishes.”

She took the paper from Jihan’s hand and tore it into pieces.

“Uncle, should we go back?” Sae-ah was smiling brightly, with no changes showing in her expression, but nobody believed the smile to be genuine.

“Ah, that’s right. Trash shouldn’t be thrown on the ground…” Sae-ah prepared to pick up the pieces, but her hands were trembling.

Her body was resisting the very act of picking up the pieces of paper with her dad’s handwriting.

“….”

Seeing this, Seong Jihan reached out to the ground.

“Leave it. I’ll take care of it.”

The pieces of paper began floating into the air.

Force was a supreme power that ruled over space, and it was a product of combining Divine Power and Magic Power.

Instead of being used inside a game, it was used for the first time in real life to levitate pieces of paper.

– What’s that? What’s he doing?

– What is Seong Jihan doing right now?

– Isn’t he a warrior?

– Is he a magician…? He didn’t even chant the spell.

The viewers were confused.

From what Jihan had shown them, they thought he was a Warrior, so the spectacle they were seeing was completely unexpected.

– Is his Gift related to Telekinesis?

The debate regarding the source of Jihan’s power continued.

“Fire,”

Jihan spouted, and the pieces of paper burned and turned into ash.

Those watching reached a conclusion:

– Fire? He’s a Mage!

– He’s a Mage?

– To think that the person who reached 10 kills in a Survival is a Mage class…!

Jihan hadn’t revealed his status window, so those who hadn’t seen him participate in the defense game as a Support naturally thought he was a Warrior, but as he used ‘Fire’ and it was revealed he was a Mage, the chat window fell into chaos.

“Now you don’t have to worry about trash.”

“Uncle…” Saeah stared blankly at the fire.

She had a brighter expression than before.

“Were you a Mage?”

“That’s a secret for the moment.”

“To me, too…?”

Jihan smiled and looked at the camera.

“I’ll reveal it once I reach 200,000 subscribers.”

Jihan’s channel had high views but not many subscribers. After all, the number of views had increased because of Sword King related news, so it was a good opportunity to finish the subscriber-related achievements.

While thinking that, Jihan took his gaze away from the camera.

“Oh… What’s going on? Mr. Seong… Weren’t you a Warrior class? On top of that, what’s this strength…?”

Takeda, who was watching everything unfold before him, had his face red with excitement.

Takeda Kazuo, the Recruitment Manager of the Neo Self-Defense Force…

As expected of someone who’d reached the position of Recruitment Director of Japan’s top guild, he noticed something from what Jihan showed that other people couldn’t.

“Mr. Seong!”

Takeda quickly handed him a business card.

“Please contact us. We’ll give you the best treatment we can offer! I promise, as the Recruitment manager of the Neo Self-Defense Force!”

“…”

Jihan stared at the business card, and then he raised his index finger, and Takeda’s business card began floating and then spun around Jihan’s finger.

Soon after…

Riiiiipppp!

They heard the card being torn apart.

Rip! Rip! Rip!

“Ah…”

The business card was torn into pieces and then into even smaller pieces that soon turned to dust and vanished.

It only took 10 seconds.

“…”

The auction house, which had been quiet until a moment before, was filled with a buzzing sound.

Rather than using Magic Power, Jihan had torn the card to pieces with Force.

Since the real world had many more restrictions than the game, it was a strength beyond a Bronze league player.

“This is my answer.”

Jihan turned away.

Takeda trembled, and the camera caught Jihan’s back.