An increase of 500 in the Red stat…

‘This translates to 5000 in residual points.’

In the past, increasing the Red stat by just one point required investing over 20 residual points.

Although it had becslightly more efficient, needing only 10, the Red stat was still incredibly difficult to raise.

Offering a guarantee of at least 500…

‘I’m tempted for a moment.’

Even if the promise to raise the stat by 500 was true, allowing such a thing inside his body presented a significant risk.

Once inside, it wouldn’t simply sit idle; it would attempt to seize control of his body, just as initially intended.

– No way… has even the Red Administrator’s hand been subdued?

– Wow… that’s just insane…

– This seems unbelievable.

– Isn’t he just a constellation candidate? Wasn’t he the one who couldn’t even summon players?

– Is that really an administrator’s hand? Hard to believe.

– Would the Arena deceive us?

On the other hand, viewers who thought Seong Jihan had subdued the administrator’s hand were stunned.

It was known he was strong, but to subdue an administrator’s hand so easily was beyond imagination.

He had shown many amazing feats before, but this was beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.

– But that eye… is it an administrator’s remnant?

– Seong Jihan!! Bring that to me, and I’ll pay 100 trillion GP!

– You think 100 trillion is enough? You’ll have to spend more.

– You’re trying to get it for nothing.

When one of the viewers suggested 100 trillion GP for the eye, the others criticized the low offer.

[Dragon Lord has donated 1 billion GP.]

[Givethe eye. If you do, I will give you 1 quintillion GP and the authority to command the Dragon race for 100 years.]

[Sun King has donated 1 billion GP.]

[Offerthe eye. In return, I will turn both you and your plinto stars.]

Two Great Constellations associated with the Red Administrator donated 1 billion GP each, asking for the eye.

– Dragon Lord and Sun King…!

– 1 quintillion GP? Ok, maybe that’s fair.

– Even that seems cheap. But shouldn’t you take the offer when a Great Constellation demands it?

– The Sun King is revealing himself? Wasn’t he missing too??

– Wow, this channel is like a reunion of missing figures…

– Truly a channel worth the buzz.

– In my 300 years of watching BattleTube, I’ve never seen a channel with such explosive events.

– I’ve been here for a thousand years.

The appearance of the Great Constellations, especially the long-absent Sun King, caused an explosive reaction in Seong Jihan’s chat window.

‘What chaos…’

True, the emergence of the Red Administrator’s hand was expected to cause a stir, but Seong Jihan hadn’t anticipated the appearance of two Great Constellations.

He looked at the donation messages.

‘Commanding the Dragon race might be fine, but turninginto a star… isn’t that a death sentence?’

The Sun King must have sscrews loose.

As Seong Jihan thought this, he shifted his gaze downward.

Wriggle. Wriggle.

[Depending on talent, could offer up to 1000.]

Failing to devour, the eye now appealed to Seong Jihan, suggesting it could increase the Red stat by 1000.

However, hearing this only made Seong Jihan less inclined to consit.

‘First, letretrieve the remaining flames.’

Fwooooosh…

He moved to retrieve the flames that hadn’t been absorbed by the Eclipse, located behind him.

[Red stat increases by 1.]

[Red stat increases by 2.]

Gradually, the hard-to-increase Red stat began to rise rapidly.

After recovering all the flames, the final increased Red stat was 50.

‘…Feels like a waste of those invested points.’

Recalling the vanished residual points evoked a sense of regret, though he suppressed the feeling, knowing he couldn’t have increased any other stats except Red all that while.

Instead.

‘Even if I don’t completely absorb the eye, maybe the blood vessels will suffice.’

Ssssss…

The red veins expanding from the eye contained power within.

Absorbing the eye might risk control by another force, but the veins should be safe.

‘Let’s try this.’

Swoooosh.

Seong Jihan lifted his blade.

[What are you planning…]

“Let’s cut the veins.”

[Veins?..]

“Yeah.”

Fundamental Divine Art,

Triad of Martial Mastery:

Total Annihilation Horizontal Sweep

Slice!

Executing the ultimate horizontal slash, Total Annihilation Horizontal Sweep, Seong Jihan cut the veins.

Touching the severed veins,

Fwhoooosh…!

flames rose from his hand.

[Red stat increases by 1.]

Which immediately increased his Red stat by 1.

“Oh.”

A golden goose?

Swipe. Swipe.

Seong Jihan, employing Total Annihilation Horizontal Sweep, began to harvest the veins.

[What are you doing? Eat me. Eat me. Eat me.]

“It’s alright. Can’t cut open the goose that lays golden eggs.”

[I… am a goose?]

“Yes.”

Sizzle!

As Seong Jihan harvested the veins, his Red stat continued to rise.

When the Red stat reached 60,

‘Hmm… Now I can feel a distinctly different sensation.’

Seong Jihan felt the acquired power starting to exceed his control limits.

Before entering here, his Red stat was around 30.

Now, having risen to 60 through the Red Administrator’s hand.

The internal flames began resisting his commands.

‘It’s tto stop. Controlling the internal flames comes first.’

Ssss…

The veins continued to generate,

but Seong Jihan decided to stop cutting them further.

[What are you doing? Why not consmore?]

“Too full. Overindulging leads to trouble.”

[…You have talent. Certainly.]

The gleaming Red eye saw Seong Jihan maintaining restraint and did not seem disheartened despite failing to dominate him.

Seong Jihan, staring at the watchful eye asked,

“Can I store this in my inventory?”

Addressing the air, he requested confirmation.

Thereupon,

Sssss…

The space in front of him distorted,

“As expected, I thought you wouldn’t eat it.”

the Arena Master appeared.

* * *

At the outskirts of Tuseong, On the star of marital god.

[…Huh.]

The Wandering Martial God let out a small sigh while watching Seong Jihan’s channel.

The Red Administrator’s hand.

He hadn’t expected to see it there.

‘…Bait. Yes, it’s bait.’

From the letters on the administrator’s hand.

It clearly referred to Seong Jihan as bait.

Bait.

Prepared to lure the Red Administrator.

It was clearly a trap.

Attempting to take it would give the two absolute administrators, the Black and the White, ample justification.

No matter how much power he had amassed, this would end in annihilation.

But.

‘If I retrieve that… the great task will be complete.’

The Martial God’s gaze grew deep.

Even knowing it’s bait, it was extremely tempting.

The hand severed by the Black Administrator.

It held a significant amount of the original power of the Red Administrator.

Retrieving that would immediately complete the great task the Martial God had pursued for so long.

‘The safe path is to turn the Golden Wheel…’

Using Ashoka’s Golden Wheel to turn back time.

Through it, the Wandering Martial God had steadily amassed power over extensive periods.

All for achieving the great task of surpassing the administrators.

The infinite treadmill perpetually turned.

The Martial God had endured within it.

But.

‘This time, circumstances have drastically changed.’

The absolute figures of BattleNet, the Black and White Administrators, had noticed something.

The Black Administrator had even pulled out the Red Hand he had kept in the void’s depths.

Though they hadn’t fully identified Tuseong yet, further evidence would prompt their intervention.

‘Using the Golden Wheel now risks failure even if it’s turned back.’

With the Black and White Administrators tightening their net,

if the Golden Wheel’s movement was intercepted, all plans would be ruined.

‘However, if I use the Golden Wheel now… the failure rate is less than 1%.’

Using the Golden Wheel before theirtightens means this ‘cycle’ becomes an experience,

allowing a fresh start.

Yes.

If you ignore the 1% failure rate, it could work.

But.

‘If Seong Jihan dies by the Abyss Owner, the failure rate is 0%.’

So if Seong Jihan is defeated and disappears,

the Black and White Administrators will lose many ways to intervene in this world.

This would make using the Golden Wheel entirely risk-free.

‘Moreover, I can take in his achievements…’

The previously straightforward pursuit of the great task,

now faced a significant butterfly effect caused by Seong Jihan.

Choosing whether to start anew with the Golden Wheel or let Seong Jihan die,

‘…I didn’t intend to take risks, but.’

Faced with two choices,

‘If he dies, the benefits toare too great.’

he chose to wait for Seong Jihan’s death.

* * *

The Arena Master in a fedora hat.

His head, appearing as a cosmic expanse with glowing stars serving as eyes, uttered,

“The Red Administrator was the most outstanding among term administrators.”

Watching the wriggling red eye on the ground, he continued,

“He advanced the Battlsystem and developed numerous codes. At one point, there were suggestions of making him a permanent administrator… but he didn’t meet the standards for a permanent role, so he retired after his term.”

[Nonsense. Meeting standards for full-timpossible. Black and White never relinquish authority.]

The Red Eye quickly countered the Arena Master’s words with letters.

Unfazed, the Arena Master ignored the message, continuing,

“But he had no intention of retiring quietly. The administrator who excelled beyond anyone else had prepared to smuggle out his authority. He disappeared, taking with him the Red’s administrative powers.”

[…]

“Of course, the pursuit team formed with the cooperation of the Black and White Administrators managed to reclaim much of it… but the most crucial part remained hidden…”

“The most crucial part?”

“It’s not the right tto discuss it…”

The Arena Master trailed off, changing the subject.

“You asked if you could store it in your inventory, right?”

“Yes.”

“He could escape the inventory easily. He’s the one who upgraded the inventory system. But.”

Snap.

With a snap of the Arena Master’s fingers, a black box appeared in midair.

“It’s a sealing box personally crafted by the Black Administrator. Put the eye inside, and it will be safe in your inventory.”

“Hmph.”

[Inventory safe. Just store it. Storing it there delays vein generation. Red replication slows.]

The eye tried to discourage him by rapidly generating messages.

Unperturbed, Seong Jihan floated it into the sealing box.

[You’ll regret…]

Snap!

Before the message could finish, the box sealed itself.

Seong Jihan checked the box’s description.

[Black’s Sealing Box]

Grade: EX

– Crafted personally by the Black Administrator.

– No being can escape before the box opens.

‘It’s an EX grade but seems like it’s just for storing the Red Hand.’

What a waste of the grade.

After putting it in his inventory, the Arena Master bid him farewell.

“May your wishes ctrue.”

“Achieve my wishes… you’re tellingto becenticing bait?”

“Hehe, no need for such a negative outlook. The Administrator merely wishes to give you and humanity a chance.”

“A chance?”

“Yes.”

The Arena Master’s form began to vanish.

“Make good use of this final opportunity…”

As he disappeared,

[Cleared Boss Rush.]

[Finished all General Quests.]

[Completed Epic Quest.]

Messages declaring the completion of all quests and Boss Rush appeared.

Looks like taking out the special boss cleared all mission quests.

[Level increases by 2.]

[Level increases by 2.]

…

The explosion in levels from clearing General Quests was significant, but.

‘Final opportunity….’

The Arena Master’s last words weighed on him more than the rewards.

However.

[You have been given a special reward for clearing Epic Quest.]

‘That’s different.’

Although there were no stated rewards for this Epic Quest, they hadn’t left him empty-handed.

The system mentioned a special reward.

‘Probably not as significant as acquiring the Red Hand…’

Thinking this, Seong Jihan examined the reward.

The background of the special reward message shone in a pure white light.