<Chapter 82: The God of Martial Arts Regresses to Level 2>
* * *
The guild channel.
After the promotional video for Seong Jihan was uploaded, there hadn't been any particularly noteworthy videos on the channel. But now, a new video appeared.
[Exclusive Report on the Penthouse! What kind of training do the guild members do?]
"Hello everyone~!"
Lee Hyeon, holding a microphone, waved at the camera held by Joo Eunji.
While other guild masters were slow to act, Lee Hyeon actively used such broadcasting opportunities to promote herself.
The reason was, of course...
- Ouya! Yoonna~~ I missed you!!
- Please turn on the broadcast more often γ γ
- You're crazy today γ·γ·γ· Your beauty is on fire!!!
To elicit such enthusiastic responses from the viewers who subscribed to the guild channel.
"Oh, you're too kind~ Hehe!"
Lee Hyeon waved her hand, but her gentle eye smile and wink made her look like a fox.
'Hmm~ This kid is really good at this.'
Joo Eunji, holding the camera, thought that Lee Hyeon's every move was enough to melt hearts.
- Yoonna, I'm dying!! γ γ γ γ
- Why are you going to the penthouse? Just do a guild master stream γ γ
- I see Seong Jihan on his channel every day, but it's hard to see you γ γ γ - Stop being so dramatic!! You might be mistaken for the guild master;;
- If you keep this up, you really won't go!! Jihan is the protagonist!
Watching the chat go wild, Lee Hyeon thought:
'They've gathered.'
After confirming that enough people had gathered, she moved towards the elevator.
"Alright, everyone. Let's go to the Sword Palace penthouse, shall we?"
Beep beep. Beep.
When she pressed the call button for the Sword Palace's private elevator, Seong Jihan's voice came from the speaker next to the elevator.
[Who is it?]
"It's me, Hyeon~!"
[Oh, yes. Come up.]
Ding dingβ
As the elevator doors opened, Lee Hyeon looked at the sparkling penthouse elevator.
"I've never been to the Sword Palace penthouse before."
- Oh, Hyeon, Yoonna too? Haha, you're a rich girl, but you don't live in a place like this?
- Seriously, you're from the Lee family, right?
"Oh~ Unless it's the house I used to live in... The house I live in now is smaller than the guild office. I live independently."
- Oh.
- The guild office... It looked really big...
"Ah, not necessarily. I live with my bodyguard, Kim Young, so we need some space."
Lee Hyeon pointed to Kim Young, who was standing behind the camera. Kim Young quickly made a shushing gesture.
Since she was in charge of security, she felt uncomfortable revealing detailed information.
"This story is something my bodyguard doesn't want to talk about. Everyone."
- That short-haired sister? Why isn't she on the broadcast!!!
- Show us your sister!!! Show us, show us!!!
- As a bodyguard, shouldn't she be standing right next to you, , , , ?
"Oh, that's true. Young, do you want to?"
Lee Hyeon, seeing the viewers' reactions, gestured to Kim Young, but...
"It's fine."
Kim Young, not liking the attention, firmly refused.
However, when Lee Hyeon moved to the side with a smile, the mirror in the open elevator reflected Kim Young's refusal.
"Miss..."
- Oh, the guild master has good sense of humor, huh? Haha
- The bodyguard sister is secretly cute~~ Haha
- She was originally cute, right?
Kim Young sighed deeply.
"Really, I'm losing my face because of you, Miss."
"Players thrive on attention. The more you show, the better."
"When you say that, it's so true... but why now?"
"What? Why now what?"
"It's nothing. It's not appropriate to talk about in the broadcast."
"Hey, if you end it like that, what am I supposed to be?"
While the elevator was going up, Lee Hyeon and Kim Young chatted like this.
But it was only for a moment.
When they arrived at the top floor, Lee Hyeon stopped talking and began the main purpose of the broadcast, the 'training shoot.'
"Are you here?"
Seong Jihan, who had come to greet them at the penthouse entrance, made Joo Eunji's eyes light up.
"I'll set up the microphone first~!"
Joo Eunji, who had suggested the training shoot, quickly approached Seong Jihan.
As she was about to attach a small wireless microphone to him with a familiar motion,
Zapβ
"Ah, static electricity again... I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
Static electricity sparked again where they touched.
'I remember this happening before.'
Maybe he's just a person with a lot of static electricity.
Seong Jihan thought it was no big deal and let her set it up, but...
'It's not working again.'
Joo Eunji could barely suppress her confusion.
[You do not have access to this individual.]
[Attempting to analyze for access.]
[The individual's system does not allow analysis.]
[Access is denied.]
The second attempt at access was completely blocked.
'If analysis is impossible, no amount of contact will make a difference...'
Seong Jihan's strategy.
She had expected it wouldn't be easy, but she thought that increasing contact would eventually lead to a breakthrough.
The system message from the second contact was even more stringent than before.
"Alright, it's all set~"
Despite her complex feelings, Joo Eunji maintained a smile and moved away from Seong Jihan.
"Thank you. Eunji."
"No problem, Master."
Joo Eunji handed the camera and the diary she had brought to Lee Hyeon.
Inside the diary, which had a few dates marked, was a secret weapon she had prepared for this penthouse visit.
It was a tool that would be a waste to use on anyone but Seong Jihan...
'He's a target that blocks access. I have to do everything I can.'
Joo Eunji, with a smile, made a cold calculation.
* * *
In the center of the penthouse.
Lee Hyeon marveled at the training facilities, which were far superior to any regular gym.
"Wow, the training room is huge? You could open a gym here."
"This is why I haven't moved yet."
"But, Owner, didn't the new BattleNet management director revoke the order to leave the penthouse after the previous director was replaced? When I met the new director, he was begging you to stay..."
While it was technically a resignation, the previous management director was essentially forced out.
The new director, who replaced him, was very accommodating towards Seong Jihan.
Given what happened to the previous director, it was natural for the new one to be so.
"Still, with the donation to Sword Palace, I can't stay forever. Once Seo A's training shows some results, I might start looking for a new place."
"I see..."
- Why are you leaving such a nice place? γ γ
- Are you moving to New York City?
- Stop talking about New York! Seong Jihan isn't going!
- But it might be a bit unsettling to leave Sword Palace... γ γ - I'm worried about GatesUp appearing right after you leave your house γ γ γ - Seriously, every time Gates' message appears in the sponsor messages, my heart drops γ γ γ γ
The viewers, who had experienced the financial attacks of Robert Gates indirectly, felt PTSD from his sponsor messages.
They thought that Robert Gates, if he wanted to, could easily provide Seong Jihan with a house even better than the Sword Palace penthouse.
"Owner, you're not leaving Korea, right?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet... I'll take that as a meaningful answer. Alright! Let's get to the training, our main purpose."
Lee Hyeon changed the topic and entered the training room.
There, she saw Yoon Seo A, drenched in sweat, sitting on a bench and wiping her head with a towel.
"Huff, huff... You're here, sister?"
"Yep, Seo A."
- Oh... sweat...
- γ γ γ ...
- I love the waiting guild... The three of them are the best...
- She's not a minor anymore, right? It's not illegal to admire her, right?
- Even if you say that, it's not illegal;
Yoon Seo A, already known for her beauty, looked even more appealing with her tired, sweaty appearance. The viewers cheered for her unique look.
However...
"Uncle, heal me a bit."
"Sure. Regeneration, Heal, Great Heal."
"Ah, I feel alive."
"Alright, let's tear those muscles again?"
"...Yes."
"Your answer is weak."
"Okay!"
After Seong Jihan's three healing spells, Yoon Seo A started her workout again.
The viewers gradually realized that the atmosphere was not a joke.
- Seong Jihan is a real supporter. How many heals does he use? γ·γ·- Is he just being cruel?;;
- Does this really help increase stamina?
Thud. Thud.
As Yoon Seo A walked towards the barbell on the floor like a cow being led to slaughter, Seong Jihan's sharp words cut through the air.
"Want to increase the weight a bit?"
"Ah..."
At Seong Jihan's gesture, several plates floated in the air and clinked onto the barbell.
Then, Yoon Seo A, gripping the barbell with both hands,
"Ah..."
As she started the deadlift, her back muscles bulged.
- γ γ γ ... This is more like a mother than a sister;
- γ γ girlcrush
- What weight is she lifting... Look at the thickness of those plates, it's insane?
"Ugh!"
Thud!
When Yoon Seo A dropped the barbell, a tremendous sound echoed through the room.
"Alright, let's do a bit more."
"Ah, I'll try...!"
With a red face, Yoon Seo A summoned all her strength, and Lee Hyeon's mouth dropped open.
Working out itself wasn't surprising.
When she was in the Lee guild, many players had trained their bodies like this.
But...
"Alright, rest for 5 minutes, then we'll do the three healing spells again. Let's go."
"Ah, I understand... Ah..."
She had never seen anyone push their body so hard for so long.
She had wondered how Seo A's stamina and strength had grown so rapidly.
It turned out she had been doing this crazy training all along.
- She's really pushing it...
- This could hinder muscle growth. How can muscles grow if they're overworked like this?
- Players have heals, though...
- Muscle growth requires not just stimulation, but also sufficient rest and nutrition. This is abuse!
- But this is how she gets the most stat increases, lol