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Chapter 61




<Chapter 61: The Warrior Who Regressed to Level 2>
* * *
Clang!
“Y-You damn brat!!!”
In the BattleNet Management Bureau Director's office.
Kim Nam-tae threw a glass cup.
‘How could the situation change so drastically in just one day…!’
He looked at the headlines on the main page of the portal site with trembling eyes.
[Shocking Confession of Seong Ji-han!
“Could go to the US or Japan…”
]
[The Vile Cartel Between the Korean Daily and the Management Bureau Director Revealed in the Transcripts!]
[Seong Ji-han, Offered “30 Billion” by American First, Will He Leave?]
[Seong Ji-han's Ultimatum: “I Want to Be a Korean!”]
[What is the World's First Growth-Type Gift Yun Se-ah Possesses?]
Due to Seong Ji-han revealing all the transcripts and videos.
Various media outlets were competing to write the most sensational headlines about yesterday's events.
“T-This brat… just a Silver…!!”
American First.
The world's top guild, offering 30 billion won just as a signing bonus.
The signing bonus is the most objective measure of a player's value.
The enormous amount made the entire nation realize just how valuable Seong Ji-han was.
Rattle!
Beep.
“I told you to stop calling!”
Kim Nam-tae, who had been suffering from the harassment of reporters, shouted in frustration.
But.
[Director, this is the Chief of the Civil Affairs Office.]
Soon, a cold voice settled in his ear.
The Blue House Civil Affairs Office.
A call from the most powerful office in the government.
“A. I’m… sorry!”
[VIP does not want this matter to become more noisy.]
“T-That….”
[Resolve things amicably with Seong Ji-han.]
“D-Do you mean I should bow to that Silver guy?”
Kim Nam-tae complained, feeling wronged.
[Or would you like to resign?]
The response was icy.
After the Sword King's naturalization in Japan.
With public opinion of the government already poor, a conflict between the Management Bureau Director and the nation's top prospect, Seong Ji-han, was unacceptable.
Kim Nam-tae, who had once been a politician, realized the implications and felt a chill down his spine.
“…I understand.”
[And don't set conditions for the award and commendation.]
“I will follow your instructions….”
[Thank you, Director.]
Click- Beep- Beep- Beep-
“…”
Kim Nam-tae stared at the phone with a blank look.
‘I… have to apologize?’
Yes.
Seong Ji-han is a top prospect, and that's acknowledged.
But he's still just a Silver, right?
For a Management Bureau Director to apologize to such a person in front of the entire nation.
‘If I had hit him, it wouldn’t feel so wrong…!’
I was the one who got hit when I tried to throw a drink, wasn't I?
Apart from boosting the Korean Daily's reputation… did I do anything wrong?
Kim Nam-tae felt so frustrated and wronged that he was about to go mad.
Similarly, the Korean Daily was also feeling frustrated and wronged.
* * *
In the chairman's office of the Korean Daily.
Kim Hee-su, who had been summoned, stood with his head bowed like a criminal.
“Kim Hee-su.”
“Yes, Grandfather….”
“Are you a journalist?”
“…No.”
“Then why did you unnecessarily meddle and create such a mess?”
The 70-year-old chairman of the Korean Daily glared at Kim Hee-su with a fierce look.
“We are the top media company in Korea. We should sway public opinion, not be swayed.”
“…”
“True, if the article had been published before Seong Ji-han became famous, it might have been overlooked. But to publish such an article while watching him being featured prominently in the media!”
Bang!
The chairman, with a red face, slammed his fist on the table.
“I, a 70-year-old, know that BattleNet players have become the center of the world!”
“T-That’s….”
“Sports have been integrated into BattleNet. They also play a significant role in national security. You, who attend the BattleNet Academy, should know how important players are, right?”
Kim Hee-su couldn't lift his head in response to his grandfather's reprimand.
Public opinion had completely turned against the Korean Daily and the Management Bureau Director in just one day.
Just to get a scoop, how much damage has been done to the Korean Daily?
‘I didn’t expect Seong Ji-han to react like this…!’
Seong Ji-han wasn't just a strong player.
He understood his position and knew how to sway public opinion.
On his channel, which now has over 500,000 subscribers, he openly incited public opinion.
‘…The threat of going to the US if things went wrong was too painful.’
Bullying.
That was a term that suited the Korean Daily's owner family and the Management Bureau Director.
They never imagined they would be on the receiving end from a mere Silver BattleNet player.
“Kim Hee-su, since this is a problem you caused, you should resolve it.”
“I, I tried, but he’s not answering my calls….”
“If he doesn’t answer, go to him and beg on your knees!”
The chairman crumpled the newspaper on his desk while growling.
“Make Kim In-sik apologize properly as well.”
“But, my brother is still in a cast…?”
“That’s good. Then he might be pitied.”
“…”
Kim Hee-su was at a loss for words.
Even to his grandson with a broken leg, the chairman was cold.
“Resolve this within a week. If the company suffers more damage, I won’t stand idly by.”
Kim Hee-su felt the world go dark.
* * *
In the penthouse of Sword Palace.
“Mr. Seong Ji-han… The Director said he deeply regrets the conflict that occurred last time… and asked me to convey that.”
Park Yun-sik, who had come again, relayed the Director's apology.
“And the commendation ceremony will proceed as scheduled. We would be honored if you could attend and grace the event….”
As Park Yun-sik spoke cautiously, Seong Ji-han smiled.
‘As expected.’
That man wouldn't come to apologize in person for something like this.
He's probably fuming inside, even as he sends his subordinate to make this insincere apology.
“I want a formal apology. The person involved should come, bow, and apologize, and also make a public statement to the media.”
“T-That….”
“If that doesn’t happen, I won’t accept the commendation. I don’t particularly want it from the Management Bureau.”
“Ah….”
“Also, I need to start a guild now.”
“G-Guild creation! Our Management Bureau can help. Resolving this amicably and creating the guild through the Management Bureau…!”
“It’s fine. I can do it from home. I’m sorry, but I’d like you to leave now, Section Chief.”
“…”
Seong Ji-han sent out Park Yun-sik, whose face had turned ashen.
In fact, after yesterday, he didn’t have much feeling left towards the Management Bureau Director or the Korean Daily.
Under normal circumstances, he might have accepted such an apology.
‘But I need to show them that messing with me will be troublesome this time.’
They were examples.
Examples to show what happens if you mess with him.
Even if Kim Nam-tae had come to apologize in person today, he wouldn’t have accepted it immediately.
A few days of public scrutiny would make them realize their mistake.
‘Putting that aside, what’s important now is creating the guild.’
Seong Ji-han clicked on the ‘Guild Creation’ option, which had become available after he became a Silver.
[Do you want to create a guild?]
[To create a guild, 10 million GP is required.]
The cost to create a guild was 100 billion won.
It was an enormous amount, requiring all the money Seong Ji-han had earned from betting.
‘If I get help from the Management Bureau, I could receive funding here….’
But government support isn’t free.
If you receive GP support for guild creation, the government demands a certain percentage of the guild’s shares.
Rather than give up shares to save some money, it was better to create it with his own money.
Seong Ji-han boldly paid the GP and proceeded to the next step.
[Please name your guild.]
“Guild name, huh.”
Seong Ji-han recalled the reasons for creating the guild.
The purpose of creating the guild this time was, first, to complete the guild-related achievement quest and earn achievement points.
Second, to create a ‘growth-type guild,’ a concept not yet established in the tutorial phase.
‘Like the American First 2nd Division guild.’
This type of growth guild would become less necessary as Seong Ji-han and Yun Se-ah’s growth reached a certain limit.
And when the guild’s utility was exhausted, it would be the moment when Yun Se-ah’s ‘great potential’ was fully realized.
“Great potential. The guild name will be ‘Great Potential’.”
So, Seong Ji-han named the guild ‘Great Potential’ (大器), the completion of ‘great potential’.
[Your guild has been created. The guild rank is Silver.]
[Your guild has been created.]
[Special achievement, ‘Guild Creation’ completed.]
[You have earned 10,000 achievement points as a reward.]
Indeed.
As soon as the guild was created, achievement points came in, meeting the first goal.
Although 10,000 points seemed small compared to the 50,000 points he had earned recently, they were still hard to come by.
If he completes a few more guild-related achievements, he could expect additional achievement points.
[Please allocate guild points.]
[10 points are available for allocation.]
And the second goal.
The allocation of guild points to make it a ‘growth-type guild’ remained.
Guild member expansion (1/10) - LV.1
Stat increase (All stats +1) - LV.1
Growth rate increase (+10%) - LV.1
The first item that existing guilds typically invest points in is ‘guild member expansion’.
Once the number of members increases, the guild can expand and grow.
‘This isn’t necessary.’
But since Seong Ji-han intended to create a guild focused on ‘elite few