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8.02% Martial God Regressed to Level 2 / Chapter 45: Chapter 45

章節 45: Chapter 45

There was a week left until Sae-ah's birthday, and JiHan knew what her Gift was going to be.

'F-rank. There's no doubt.'

People had a terrible perception of F-rank Gifts.

'Some say it's better not to receive one at all.'

After all, if they didn't receive one, they were able to hold onto the hope of being able to receive a Gift later, but once they received an F-rank Gift, that player's fate was fixed.

'I know how impressive that Gift is, but most people don't and will treat it as trash.'

Although the backlash she would face would be incomparable to what she faced in her previous life, it was clear that the media and public would mock her on the internet.

'I need to lower her expectations.'

Sae-ah seemed to have high hopes for her Gift. She might have usually brushed it off when others spoke about it, saying it was random, but her high hopes were inevitable. The Sword King was her father, after all, and her uncle was a rising star.

'Once she receives her results, she'll become very disappointed.'

In their previous life, she'd given up on everything after that day, so he couldn't help but worry. Maybe that was why none of the houses they'd seen appealed to him.

"I'll contact you later."

"Yes. Take care on the way back!"

Sae-ah sighed after they returned from looking at potential houses.

"Uncle... we live in a very good house."

"They all looked small, right?"

"Yes. I believe my standards are too high."

Sae-ah could buy amazing houses, but the Sword Palace's penthouse was just that luxurious. It would be hard for her to lower her standards.

"We have no choice but to adapt, right?"

"Yes! I believe my standards will drop if we keep looking at houses!"

"Don't worry about that. I'm more concerned about something else."

"Hmm? Is there anything else to worry about?"

"Your Gift."

Sae-ah blinked in surprise after hearing JiHan's curveball. "My Gift? Why?"

"It seems like you're hoping for too much."

"Come on~ I'm not expecting anything. It's random, after all. I don't even know if I will get one or not..."

"You really don't have any expectations?" JiHan asked in a serious tone.

"Well..." Sae-ah hesitated a bit.

"You're not hoping to receive an SSS-rank Gift and punch Ito or change your current situation... right?"

"Th-that's just a pipe dream, right? I know how to differentiate between dreams and reality."

"Really? Then I'm glad."

Slide-

As the elevator door opened, JiHan entered the penthouse.

"The bigger the expectation, the greater the disappointment."

"..."

"People always talk about lineage... but there's no such thing. Sae-ah, do you know what rank my Gift is?"

"What is it? SS? SSS?"

"It's F-rank. You've seen it before, the 'Wanderer's Eye'."

"Oh, come on. Don't joke!" Sae-ah shook her head as if it didn't make sense.

She knew that it was JiHan's Gift in the past. After all, she'd seen him drink a ton of alcohol on his birthday after receiving the F-rank Gift. He'd even vomited before her.

'There's no way his Gift is still F-rank.'

He'd never missed 1st place even once on his way to level 22. He'd even broken the Colosseum's barrier and shown how much power he had.

How could a monster like that have an F-rank Gift?

"Status window." Sung JiHan showed her his Gift. "Take a look."

[Gift: Wanderer's Eye (Rank F)]

- Can analyze other players well.

"Huh...? You're telling the truth..." Sae-ah looked at the status window, her eyes trembling.

How could a player who'd performed so outstandingly only have an F-rank Gift?

Sae-ah narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "Uncle..."

"Yes?"

"Why are you only showing me the Gift section?"

"Because of my promise to my subscribers."

"Hehe, so there's something you're hiding."

"Well, I'm not sure about that…"

"Stingy! Come on, show me!" Sae-ah threw a tantrum.

JiHan deactivated his status window. "I'll show it to you when you receive your Gift. You can consider it a birthday present."

"Woah~ You're even stingier! What kind of uncle shows his status window as a birthday present?"

"Do you want something else instead?"

"Come on! Show me the status window and also give me a present!"

JiHan smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll do both, but…"

"But…?"

"Don't get your hopes too high for your Gift."

"Ugh, seriously!"

"If you get any media inquiries about your Gift, ignore them."

"I got it, I got it!" Sae-ah threw her shoes off and entered the house with rougher movements than usual.

JiHan narrowed his eyes. 'It seems like she still hasn't lost her expectations.'

Him revealing his Gift hadn't helped.

'Well, I didn't think she'd back off after a few words... I have no choice.'

There were six days left before her birthday…

He'd have to keep trying to convince her.

August 17th…

"Sae-ah, Gifts are random. You know that, right?"

"I know."

"Don't trust Gift gems too much. HaYeon was complaining about those the other day. She said she contributed so much to the Academy as the Student Council President but only got a supporting Gift."

"She has a supporting Gift?"

"Yes. Gifts are pure luck. Just as the word indicates, they're Gifts."

"Got it. I won't have high expectations," Sae-ah replied with a bitter smile.

Why was he talking about her Gift so much?

'It's like he thinks I won't receive a good Gift.'

Of course, it wasn't that she couldn't understand her uncle. People around her who knew her birthday was coming always said, 'Since your parents received great Gifts, you'll probably get a good one as well.'

'It seems like he's saying these things so that I won't get disappointed if the result isn't good.'

Sae-ah thought that her uncle was just trying to encourage her during their morning walk to school, but…

The encouragement continued even after she returned home.

"Are you back?"

"Yes, Uncle."

"As you know, Gifts are random, so it's better to have lower expectations."

"I heard that this morning... you know?"

"You didn't hear it at lunch, did you? That's why you must hear it in the evening."

"Okay... I got it."

The next morning.

"Sae-ah? Gifts—"

"Stop! I understand!"

"They're random. You know that, right?"

At night…

"Sae-ah, even an F-rank Gift can be useful, as you can see. I'm proof of that."

"Say that after showing me your full status window."

"That's your birthday present. Remember?"

"Ah, stop! If you're going to keep saying random things, I'll go back to my room!"

"Uhm... Gifts are random."

"Come on!"

Again the next morning…

"Sae-ah?"

"What are you going to say? 'Gifts are random'?"

"Oh! So repetition does work."

"Yes. So please, stop."

"No. We have to ensure that it gets engraved in your head. Should I repeat it? Gifts are random and they have nothing to do with lineage."

"It'll end up in my head forever at this rate.'

"That's why I'm repeating myself."

Even while they were going to school, Sae-ah's head was continuously engraved with JiHan's 'Gift = random'.

"Sigh..."

"Sae-ah, why are you sighing?" Hee-soo, her desk neighbor, tilted her head and asked as Sae-ah entered the classroom and sat down.

"It's about my Gift."

"Come on~ Why are you worried? I'm sure you'll get one that's at least S-rank."

"No. Gifts are random and have nothing to do with lineage." She was startled by her automatic answer. She'd repeated what her uncle had been saying all week.

The effect of continuous repetition was no joke.

"That doesn't seem to be the case. They say that, among 1st-generation players, many children show incredible prowess."

"Really...?"

"Yes. As you know, my family's in the media business."

Sae-ah nodded.

Hee-soo was the granddaughter of a major media conglomerate, so she was well-informed about many issues and stories that hadn't yet been revealed to the public.

"It hasn't been statistically proven yet... but I heard that lineage does seem to play a role when you also take foreign rankers into account."

"My uncle has been saying not to expect much since it's random, so I think that it might be better to have no expectations."

"Your uncle? Isn't his Gift at least SS-rank? He keeps finishing 1st."

"I don't know. He hasn't shown me yet."

In reality, she knew that JiHan's Gift was F-rank, but she wasn't sure what would happen if she revealed that to Hee-soo.

She decided acting dumb would be the best course of action.

"Sae-ah, now that I think about it, you're going to receive your Gift on the 22nd, right?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to be in the Gift Hall at midnight?"

That place, which was filled with Gift gems, was known to bless students who hadn't yet received their Gifts, ensuring they would get good ones.

Those students who were about to turn 18 were given the benefit of staying there all day.

"Obviously."

"Then... do you want to interview with our reporter?"

"An interview?"

"Yes. You know how important self-PR is these days, right? It's about letting the world know of your exceptional Gift!"

"Through your newspaper?"

"Yes. Hehe." Hee-soo said while smiling brightly.

An exclusive interview with Sae-ah, the daughter of the Sword King, about her Gift…

It would be something that would cause a huge stir in society. Perhaps her eagerness for an interview was understandable.

"Come on~ An interview? There's no need for that."

Maybe it was due to JiHan's repeated efforts, but Sae-ah rejected Hee-soo's proposal immediately.

"It will be a disgrace if something bad happens."

"Come on. There's no way that will happen. Although it's not been proven... there's definitely a correlation between parent-child Gifts."

"I'll do an interview if I get a good one, okay? That should be alright."

"Sae-ah, come on…" Hee-soo wasn't listening to Sae-ah's words. Instead, she was just smiling like Sae-ah's opinion wasn't important. Her attitude was far from normal.

"No." Sae-ah, noticing something strange, made it clear.

"Guys!"

Slide-

As the classroom door opened and the homeroom teacher entered, their conversation abruptly ended.

"Ah, the teacher's here."

"You're right. Let's talk about this later." Sae-ah turned to look forward.

Hee-soo also nodded with a smiling face and shifted her posture, but her eyes were cold.

'The thread has already been cut. I don't know why she's still holding onto it.'

She'd only been close to Sae-ah because of her relationship with the Sword King. Even when he left for Japan, she kept the relationship with her mainly because she wasn't sure if she'd really been abandoned.

'I'm acting like her friend despite having no need to do so anymore... Doesn't she know her place?'

She really had no clue. She should've taken the interview to prove her worth.

Hee-soo clicked her tongue while thinking, 'Well, in reality, I don't need her permission.'

What could Sae-ah do if she did it anyway?

Hee-soo smirked. Which would be more newsworthy, Sae-ah getting a good Gift or her getting the worst one?

'As long as it isn't in the middle, it will be okay. It has to be the best or the worst.'

She thought that, if possible, it would be great if Sae-ah got an F-rank Gift.

Hee-soo looked forward to Sae-ah's birthday.


章節 46: Chapter 46

It was August 21st and, as usual, JiHan escorted Sae-ah to school.

That morning, they left at 6 am, much earlier than usual. The next day was Sae-ah's 18th birthday, after all.

"You're going to stay at the Gift Hall until midnight, right?"

"Yes! Of course. I want to receive the best possible Gift."

"Okay, then I'll pick you up at that hour."

"Okay, Uncle."

After declining Hee-soo's offer, Sae-ah decided to stop getting rides home from her.

Hee-soo said it was okay, but it felt like an unnecessary debt for Sae-ah.

"I'll be a bit late today. Is that okay?"

"Even if it's just for curiosity, I have to go."

"Heh~ You told me not to get my hopes up. It seems like, despite saying that, you're curious."

"Of course I am. I just said that because too much hope tends to bring disappointment."

"Yes… I think I know what you mean." Sae-ah went silent for a moment. Her complex thoughts were evident from the expression on her face.

Seeing that, JiHan began to think. 'She seems to have lost a lot of her anticipation compared to before…'

Sae-ah seemed to have believed she would receive a great Gift until not long before. Her dad had gotten an SSS-rank Gift and her Mom an SS-rank Gift, after all.

If they added the sum of her parents' Gifts, Sae-ah would be at the top of the world.

Even if Gifts were random, it was strange not to have any expectations, but those expectations seem to have dampened a bit thanks to JiHan's continuous brainwashing.

"But still… I want a good Gift…"

Instead, Sae-ah developed a craving.

Expectations and cravings were similar, but they were also fundamentally different.

If Sae-ah's expectation was, 'I'll obviously get a good Gift!' her craving carried an undertone of, 'I must get a good Gift!'

'Things have changed a lot from my previous life…'

The situation was much better than before due to JiHan's efforts. Rather than being treated as the daughter of a traitor, she was perceived as the biggest victim.

Even if the situation was better than before, it still wasn't great for Sae-ah. The simple fact was that her father had abandoned her.

JiHan might have been able to lower her expectations, but her surging desperation was something he couldn't do anything about.

"Sae-ah?"

"Yes?"

"You've seen that even an F-rank Gift is useful, right? Anything's okay," JiHan said to lighten the mood.

Sae-ah's expression brightened. "Really? You haven't even shown me the rest of your status window."

"Curious? Should I show you? It's the day before your birthday, after all."

"Not now… I just want to empty my thoughts and focus on the Gift Hall."

"Okay, I'll show you once it's over."

"Okay."

Click-

As soon as they arrived at the underground parking lot, Sae-ah got out of the car with a smiling face.

"Thanks, Uncle. I'll be going." Her expression was as bright as ever.

JiHan, on the other hand, couldn't help but let out a silent sigh. That smiling face would be nowhere to be seen when midnight came.

'I should be here earlier.'

JiHan began driving away while thinking that he should be there sooner to clear up any unnecessary disturbances.

* * *

The Gift Hall was full of red gemstones called Gift gems.

Sae-ah was guided to a private room only permitted to students on the day before their 18th birthday.

Twinkle- Twinkle-

As Sae-ah entered the room, the Gift gems embedded around her blinked in unison, a sign that they were active. Sae-ah sat and recalled something that happened the day before.

- You were still pretending to be close to her?

A voice echoed through the restroom, a familiar voice to Sae-ah…

The voice of a friend whom she'd known since her first year there.

- I'm just pretending so I can score an interview.

- Are you a journalist? Haha. Sae-ah is still acting high and mighty.

- Yes. She should just accept the interview.

Her longtime and close friend, Kim Hee-soo, was gossiping about her.

- Anyways, she still thinks she's on top. How annoying. That damn, poor bitch.

- Hey, what will you do if she gets an SSS-rank Gift?

- I'll just latch on to her again. That's why I've been holding back on burning my bridges.

- You really hate her.

- I never liked her from the beginning. She's from a lowly family, after all. If it weren't for Battle Net, she wouldn't even be breathing the same air as us.

Sae-ah, unable to leave the restroom, listened to the harsh words of someone she thought of as her best friend.

'I had a hunch, but…'

After returning to school, she'd felt that her friends' attitudes had become colder and more distant.

At first, she thought they were being considerate, but…

'I became sure of it after the Korea-Japan match.'

Their behavior became even more pronounced after the match where the Sword King trampled over Korea.

When it became clear that the Sword King wouldn't return to Korea, other students there especially started looking down on her.

Hee-soo was a prime example of that. No matter how many times she refused the interview, she kept persisting. It was something she wouldn't even dream of doing back when the Sword King was still in Korea.

'I said I wouldn't do it, but…'

Hee-soo had pretended not to hear it. She knew she'd see reporters from the media outlet that belonged to Hee-soo's family by the time she left the Gift Hall after midnight

Sae-ah was nothing in her eyes, so she wouldn't change things just because she asked.

"Gifts are random…" Sae-ah whispered the words that JiHan had been saying.

She knew why he insisted on that. The higher your expectations, the greater your disappointment if things went wrong.

He was probably worried about his niece.

"But… I really need a good Gift."

It wasn't because she wanted to see her backstabbing friends pretend to be close again, and it wasn't due to fear of the ridicule and criticism she'd get if she didn't receive a good Gift.

All of that was insignificant compared to the pain of being abandoned by her dad, whom she admired so much.

Sae-ah thought she'd lived diligently. She'd worked as the Student Council President, maintained top scores, and also had a good relationship with her peers, but after her dad left the country, all those efforts became useless.

Her entire life was dependent on the Sword King, regardless of whether she was the top student or whatever.

'I want to stand on my own…'

She could already live comfortably on her own if she wanted. After all, she'd received a lot of money from the Sword King. It was an amount of money most people wouldn't even be able to gather in an entire lifetime.

However, for her, standing on her own and gaining true independence started with shedding the label of 'Sword King's daughter and victim'.

'To do that…'

She needed to be able to show incredible prowess in the League, just like her uncle.

She didn't want to live as 'The abandoned daughter of the Sword King', but as a 'Promising star of Battle Net'.

'I need a good Gift if I want to do that…!'

Sae-ah desperately wished for a great Gift. She wanted to be like her uncle!

Then, it happened…

Flash-!

The Gift gems started to shine brighter. It was completely different from when people usually received blessings.

'This is…!'

She'd heard a few things from her peers. Namely, the stronger the light from the Gift gems, the higher the chance of getting a good Gift.

'Not even my senior, who received an S-rank Gift, said it shone so much.'

According to that senior, about half of the Gift gems in the room started emitting a bright light.

As for Sae-ah's situation…

Almost every Gift gem was shining.

'Could I hope…?' She felt her hopes rising again.

* * *

In a coffee shop in Gangnam, Hee-soo checked the time while talking with her cousin, whom she hadn't seen in a while.

Nine in the afternoon…

It was time to get ready.

"I'm going to make a call~"

"Okay."

Hee-soo took out her phone. "Mr. Kim? It's me."

[Yes, Miss?]

"Is everything ready for the Sae-ah interview?"

[Ms. Yoon's interview? It's ready, but… did she really agree? We don't even know what her Gift will be.]

"I'm close to her. She gave me permission," Hee-soo said, despite the numerous refusals from Sae-ah.

[But… aren't outsiders forbidden right now?]

"You'll have to go with me, of course."

[Ah, then… where should I meet you?]

As Hee-soo mentioned the name of the coffee shop, Mr. Kim said he understood and added one more thing.

[I'm worried about Sung JiHan interfering.]

"JiHan? Why?"

[When we sent reporters to the Sword Palace on Independence Day, he overwhelmed them. Nobody's sure what happened, but he stopped them from moving.]

"Hmm…"

[For now, I'll go there, Miss.]

"Yes, Mr. Kim."

As the conversation ended, Hee-soo's cousin, Kim In-sik, spoke with an intrigued expression. "An interview at this hour?"

"Do you know who Yoon Sae-ah is?"

"Yoon Sae-ah? Ah, the Sword King's daughter? I asked you to set us up on a date, but you said she was out of my league."

"Yes, her."

"Really…?"

Hee-soo's attitude was indifferent compared to before, so In-sik became curious. "Does she have a boyfriend?"

"I bet she's never dated before."

"Really? With such a face?"

"She's too perfect, you see? Maybe she hasn't found a guy who meets her standards."

"Really? What about me?"

Hee-soo giggled at In-sik.

It seemed like he'd become interested in her after she posted a photo on her social media with her friends.

"When Sae-ah was the Sword King's daughter, you weren't on the same level… but now, it would be a waste for you. You've been doing well recently, after all."

In-sik had received an A-rank Gift and had grown a lot. He was a level 50 semi-pro and was preparing for his Silver promotion match.

"When it comes to dating, looks are everything."

"Ugh, don't end up falling for her and proposing. Don't forget she's almost an orphan."

"Huh? Doesn't she have an uncle?"

"That's why I said she's 'almost' an orphan."

"Don't be like that to my girlfriend."

"Do you like her that much?"

"She's pretty."

Did guys only care about the face?

Hee-soo shook her head in disbelief and said, "So, do you want to come to the interview?"

"Woah, really?"

"Yes. There's a chance JiHan might interfere with the interview, so help me out if something happens."

In-sik narrowed his eyes. "So that's why you called me out of the blue, isn't it?"

"No way. I just found out about JiHan from that call."

"Hmm. Suspicious…"

"Don't tell me you're scared of a Bronze."

"Ha… are you crazy? A Bronze? Pff. Ah, show me a photo of Sae-ah again."

Hee-soo showed him a photo, and In-sik scratched his head and said, "Woah… she's really pretty. I'll go with one condition: give me her number."

"Her number? Fine. I'll give it to you after the interview."

"Great. Then I'll go get my hair done."

After saying that, In-sik left.

Hee-soo smirked. 'Yes.'

No matter how strong JiHan was, there was no way he'd be able to defeat a level 50 Warrior.


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