Chapter 50

[Translator – Kshn]

CHAPTER 50

SSS-grade skill, ‘Nameless Divine Arts’, requires the condition, that is to have level 30 Martial Power. and to have that Martial Power stat, you needed to have Jihan’s F-rank Gift, ‘Wanderer’s Insight’.

[Your Martial Power has reached level 30.]

[The constellation ‘Wandering Martial God’ has detected you through its fragment.]

‘The ‘Fragment’ must refer to the Wanderer’s Insight.’

His gift, which had a vague description, had hidden descriptions as well, just like Seah’s.

[Gift – Wanderer’s Insight (Rank F)]

[Able to see the details of other players.]

[Contains a fragment of the constellation ‘Wandering Martial God’.]

[You can use Dongfang Shuo’s items.]

‘Wandering Martial God’ was his constellation in his previous life, so Jihan had good memories of him.

While other players with constellations had to go through countless trials to become stronger, the ‘Wandering Martial God’ hadn’t asked much from Seong Jihan.

Instead, when the time came, it had silently passed on the SSS-grade skill, Nameless Divine Arts, and even the final rank title, ‘Successor of the Martial God’.

The contract with the ‘Wandering Martial God’ was a one-sidedly favorable contract for Seong Jihan, where he only received without giving.

‘I need to form a contract with him again.’

[The ‘Wandering Martial God’ is observing you.]

Another line was added to the system message.

Seong Jihan felt a grey light emanating from his entire body.

The light seemed to be absorbed into his body.

[The ‘Wandering Martial God’ is in the process of recognizing ‘Player Seong Jihan’ as his successor.]

[The skill ‘Nameless Divine Arts’ is being passed down to you.]

It was the same as the previous life.

Seong Jihan smiled as he waited for Nameless Divine Arts to register in his Skill window.

He could still use Nameless Divine Arts, but having it registered in the Skill Tab would make it easier and more powerful.

[The basic martial arts, Triad of Martial Mastery, is being registered…]

[Footwork Technique: Flashing Sky Thunder Steps is being registered…]

Just like in his previous life, he was starting from these basics to fill in the first button of Nameless Divine Arts.

But….

.

.

“Hmm?”

Bzzt!

Suddenly, sparks flickered from Seong Jihan’s body, which had been absorbing the grey light.

[The ‘Wandering Martial God’ frowns.]

The system message started to show a different reaction compared to his previous life.

[‘Wandering Martial God’ has realized that player Seong Jihan already unlocked the three dantians.]

[‘Wandering Martial God’ is extremely cautious about player ‘Seong Jihan’.]

[‘Wandering Martial God’ has canceled passing on his martial arts.]

“What…?!”

Jihan was taken aback by the sudden messages.

‘An omnipotent being within BattleNet is wary of me having unlocked the three dantians?’

Wandering Martial God’s strange behavior didn’t stop there.

[‘Wandering Martial God’ has terminated the connection with player ‘Seong Jihan’.]

[‘Wandering Martial God’ has retrieved the ‘Wanderer’s Insight’ gift from player ‘Seong Jihan’.]

He even took back the ‘Wanderer’s Insight’, which was a fragment of the Martial God.

[The skill ‘Nameless Divine Arts’ has been passed on in an incomplete state.]

Incomplete state?

Seong Jihan opened the Skill window with a stiff expression.

[Nameless Divine Arts – Rank S]

[A skill containing only a fragment of Nameless Divine Arts.]

[Contains basic techniques of Triad of Martial Mastery and Flashing Sky Thunder Steps.]

[When reaching the level of mastery in the martial art, the incomplete Nameless Divine Arts can be restored to its true self.]

The grade of Nameless Divine Arts had dropped from SSS to S, and it only contained the basic techniques of Triad of Martial Mastery and Flashing Sky Thunder Steps.

“Huh?”

Seong Jihan had never been this stunned before in his second life.

To think that the constellation who’d been so generous during his previous life was acting like that…

That wasn’t the only bad news.

“Status Window.”

[Gift -]

His Gift had truly been retrieved.

‘Wanderer’s Insight’ wasn’t there anymore.

[You’ve reached Level 25 without a Gift.]

[You’ve cleared the special achievement ‘Graduating Bronze Without a Gift’.]

[You’ve earned 10,000 achievement points.]

[You’ve been selected for the ‘Top 100’ without a gift.]

[You’ve cleared the special achievement ‘Be Selected For Top 100 Without a Gift’.]

[You’ve earned 30,000 achievement points.]

As soon as the Gift disappeared, it was judged that he’d cleared some special achievements, which earned him a whopping 40,000 achievement points.

It was a sudden jackpot, but Jihan’s expression was stiff.

‘This will distort my plans.’

Didn’t that make waiting for level 25 meaningless?

“Haa.”

Jihan sighed and circulated the energy within the three dantians.

Why was ‘Wandering Martial God’ so scared of that?

Jihan was making his Force and Qi circulate throughout his body when…

‘What’s this…?’

Suddenly, he felt a subtle strangeness within himself.

It mixed seamlessly with his own energy but was clearly something different.

Seong Jihan carefully explored this foreign sensation.

‘Here it is.’

The ‘something’ was hidden inside the upper dantian at the top of the eyes, very subtly.

If Seong Jihan hadn’t handled both Force and Martial Power at the same time and if he didn’t have his previous life memories, he would have never discovered this strange presence.

‘Why did I start feeling this now, and how is it related to what just happened?’

Seong Jihan had a feeling that the recent events were somehow connected.

After pinpointing where this foreign presence was located, Seong Jihan cautiously explored it with his Flow.

“Heh.”

Seong Jihan smiled as he recognized what this ‘something’ was.

Although it was intertwined with his energy, it was unmistakably something else.

Satisfied with his investigation, Seong Jihan used his Force to clean up this foreign presence.

“Ouch.”

Then, he felt intense pain in his left eye.

Fizz!

Gray smoke began to emanate from his left eye.

“What’s this?”

It was the same color as the light when ‘Wandering Martial God’ tried to make him his successor. Jihan instinctively felt that the light and the smoke were the same energy.

‘Maybe it’s a fragment that the constellation couldn’t retrieve?’

Maybe the constellation hadn’t been able to fully retrieve all of his energy.

As he thought about that, more system messages appeared.

[You’ve fully removed the remnants of ‘Wandering Martial God’.]

[Player Seong Jihan is completely free from the constellation’s control.]

[From now on, you can be sponsored by other constellations.]

“Free from control?” Jihan’s expression stiffened.

If the system message was true, did that mean he’d been under the control of the Wandering Martial God all that time?

‘I never felt that during my previous life.’

However, the system messages didn’t lie. According to what it said, the Gift must have been controlling him to some extent.

“To think I didn’t realize this yet…”

He’d praised ‘Wandering Martial God’ as someone who gave without taking anything in return.

[Translator – Kshn]

[‘Wandering Martial God’ has become even warier of player ‘Seong Jihan’.]

[‘Wandering Martial God’ has hurriedly hidden his traces.]

“Why is a constellation acting like this?”

When you only read the messages popping up, it seems as though the constellation is fleeing while being cautious of the Bronze league player.

Even if he was a wanderer, wasn’t he a martial god? Why would someone of such caliber act like that?

Everything was only getting more confusing.

“The good thing is that there’s another way.”

Maybe the ‘Shadow Queen’ constellation knew something.

Jihan was looking forward to the 25th. He needed to successfully clear both the promotion match and the epic quest.

* * * * *

“Ahh! I failed again!”

In the Divergent Guild office, Hayeon was grabbing her hair in frustration.

“I could have won! Ugh.”

“Miss, please stop the gambling. This is my 183rd time saying it this year”

“No. I can’t give up when I think about what I’ve lost…I’ll win here and retire..”

Behind Hayeon, Lim Gayeong’s face darkened.

‘She really is a lost cause’

“Moreover, your recent win rate seems to have worsened.”

“Haa… could you be quiet?”

“Excluding the hint Jihan gave you, you’ve lost everything.”

“Ugh! I should’ve put in more money! I only used a little… To think it would multiply 37 times…”

“Oh, 37 times? Then you must have made a lot of money.”

“No. I put more money on Japan’s victory…” Hayeon mumbled with a sulky look.

It would have been her chance to hit the jackpot. Having missed that chance when it was right in front of her made her heart ache.

Every time she communicated with Jihan, she remembered that missed chance, which irritated her.

“Haa… Can’t I get a huge one?”

“Miss, your family is well off, so why are you like this? You’re from the Divergent family.”

“I want to become independent. Gayeong, have you seen my fiance candidates?”

“…”

Gayeong was lost for words.

Matching Lee Hayeon’s social standing, people from other rich families put forward as possible partners were terrible. Most men from those wealthy families looked good by average people’s standards, but that wasn’t the case with the people who were Hayeon’s potential fiances.

“Well… In a capitalist society, isn’t having a lot of money the best?”

“Right?! Even if your husband weighs 0.15 tons or even if he cheats on you with not one but seven other women, as long as he’s rich, isn’t that great?”

“Th-that’s not what I meant, but…”

“Well, it isn’t just because of the engagement. It’s my situation overall. I want to become independent.”

Slide~

Hayeon brushed her hair back and sighed.

“To do that, I need money.”

“But is the only way to get that money through gambling?”

“It isn’t gambling. It’s a BattleNet match prediction analysis!”

“Why don’t you just accept that it’s gambling?”

“Anyway…” Hayeon anxiously bit her nails.

“It’s already too late. I’ve lost too much… I need to make up for this, somehow.”

“Ahh…”

They were the words of a typical gambling addict.

Lim Gayeong looked at Hayeon with a concerned expression.

How could she help? Although she was working for her, they had grown together since childhood, so they were like sisters.

Gayeong wanted to help Hayeon find her path.

Ding!

At that moment, a message appeared on Hayeon’s phone.

“Oh, it’s Seong Jihan!”

“To think he’d contact you first. What a surprise.”

“No! This is how it should be. Everything until now was abnormal. Acting so mighty… Hmph~.”

Hayeon unlocked her phone with a triumphant smile.

At that moment

[I heard you lost a lot last time, but are you doing well now?]

[As a means of redemption, I’ll predict again for you.]

[I have been selected for the ‘Top 100’ Bronze Promotion Match that will take place on 25th August]

[1st Place – Seong Jihan]

[Most Kills – Seong Jihan]

[If you bet like this, you’ll make up for your losses in one go.]

Just like during the Korea-Japan match, Seong Jihan’s message appeared, predicting the outcome.

Lim Gayeong, who was silently reading messages from behind, spoke up in a surprised voice, “Wait, He’s already going to participate in a promotion match?”

“Yeah… He mentioned it on BattleTube yesterday.”

“It’s absurd. More importantly, How can he be so confident?”

Although Lim Gayeong expressed her disbelief.

“It’s given.”

Lee Hayeon’s eyes, as she read the message, were flashing dangerously.

“This… is an opportunity…”

[Translator – Kshn]