The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

Chapter 678:

Side Story (7)

Seong Jihan silently observed Yoon Seah, who was warily eyeing him.

‘Is it thanks to 'Eternity'? She's recovered quite a bit.’

She looked much healthier than when the doctors had given up on her.

Physically, she didn't look much different from the healthy Yoon Seah from his original world.

Except...

"......"

She was glaring at him with her arms crossed—a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

- It's the first time seeing Yoon Seah so prickly.

- Right?

Even when she frequently appeared in the media as the world's number one ranked player,

Yoon Seah was often portrayed with a bright smile.

Seeing her sharply on guard against Seong Jihan was quite unexpected for the viewers.

Meanwhile...

"I am your uncle, you know."

"That's a lie."

Watching her guarded stance, Seong Jihan slowly opened his mouth to speak.

"Why do you think I'm not?"

"Because you don't smell like alcohol. And your eyes aren't glazed over."

She glanced around the room from her spot on the bed.

"The room is clean, too. No cigarette butts or empty bottles lying around."

Then, she tapped the bed she was lying on.

"Besides, there's no way Uncle would give up his own bed."

So, the reason she thought he was not her real uncle was because he didn't drink or smoke and gave up his bed for her?

- So in this world, Seong Jihan was just a gambling addict, huh.

- No wonder Korea ended up like this, lol.

- I didn't realize one person's choices could make such a big difference.

- Well, it depends on who that person is. Without Seong Jihan, we might've been relegated from the Space League Bronze tier.

As the viewers realized how much of a wreck this world's Seong Jihan was, watching Yoon Seah's reaction...

Bzzzz...

A message window appeared before Seong Jihan's eyes.

[Convince Yoon Seah of your identity.]

‘Convince her, huh.’

He needed to make her accept his existence in some way.

He let out a bitter smile as he looked at the still wary Yoon Seah.

Maybe beating up Jin Yuhua's gang would've been easier.

"What if I told you I've decided to live properly now?"

"That's impossible. When I begged you, crying my eyes out, you didn't even listen. You just kept telling me to bring you money, saying one big win would turn everything around!"

It seemed she had been holding in a lot, as she shouted angrily.

"I came to my senses after seeing you nearly die."

"......That's strange, too. I thought I died after being pushed from behind. How am I alive? And besides..."

Swoosh.

She touched her face with her hand.

"The scars on my face are completely gone. My body feels so good it doesn't even feel like mine... Such treatment isn't possible at a hospital. Did you do this?"

"Well, yes."

"That's also impossible for the uncle I know."

"Hmm."

From her perspective, it must seem strange.

It was suspicious enough that her gambling-addict uncle suddenly came to his senses.

But more unbelievable is that she, who was as good as dead, was completely healed.

Making her recognize him as this world's Seong Jihan seemed impossible.

"What did you do to me?"

"What did I do? I saved you. Healed your wrecked body. And while I was at it, I cleaned up the house."

"......"

"And I completed your Gift, 'Late Bloomer.'"

"My Gift...?"

Her eyes widened at his words.

"Status window."

She opened her status window and confirmed that her Gift had been upgraded.

'Late Bloomer,' which she had known as an F-rank ability until now.

"What... is this? This is ridiculous..."

The Gift had transformed upon Jin Yuhua's death.

It now had such immense growth potential that it left her astonished.

Well, it was the ability that allowed the real Yoon Seah to become the world's number one, and Jin Yuhua to reach second place in his previous life.

"With this, I think I've treated you pretty well."

"......Yes."

Just before dying, her future had been bleak beyond measure.

But suddenly waking up, the situation had completely turned around.

Her body was fully healed, her scars vanished, and even her useless Gift had been reborn.

Of course, her living environment—a small semi-basement apartment—was the same.

And the social stigma surrounding her was still unfavorable.

'But just showing her the upgraded 'Late Bloomer' Gift would quickly change that.'

Considering the growth potential of 'Late Bloomer,' not only would top guilds in Korea be interested, but even America's number one guild, American First, would try to recruit her.

Her future was bright.

You'd think she'd accept the changed reality and move forward, but...

"But... you're not really my uncle."

Closing the status window, she glared at him again.

"What did you do with my uncle?"

"Why worry about such a worthless uncle?"

"He might have a bit of a gambling problem, but he's not trash... And he's my only remaining family."

She continued.

"I'm grateful that you made me like this. But until I know my uncle's whereabouts... I can't cooperate with you. Whether I hate him or not, he's my only family."

So, while she recognized the original Seong Jihan as a deadbeat, valuing him as family was another matter.

- I mean, she was saved, her Gift was upgraded, and the assassins were dealt with—isn't that enough? I'd be grateful.

- Isn't her uncle Seong Jihan? Why's she acting like this?

- No, she's basically asking to bring back her old deadbeat uncle...

- Can't be helped. Let's set her straight? Go back to drinking, smoking, and gambling—then she'll get the uncle she wants back.

- Oh, that's something I'm good at...

Many of the viewers thought she was being ungrateful.

'She's really just like Seah.'

Recalling the past, Seong Jihan thought about how she tried to take care of even the deadbeat version of himself.

Even when he was a gambling addict, she tried to support him and keep the household together.

Feeling sorry for her, he tried to hit the jackpot to pay off his debts.

But...

'Trying too hard to hit it big just made things worse.'

He had to bet on extremely low odds to get a big win in gambling.

Even though his Gift 'Wanderer's Eye' had some analytical ability, it wasn't enough.

He only began to make a comeback after Yoon Seah died and he was starving, learning to make small profits by betting small amounts on high-probability outcomes, just to survive day by day.

'Maybe Seah being too good to me was the problem. She should've kicked this uncle out of the house...'

He smiled bitterly, recalling the past.

Then...

"Uh..."

As she watched him warily, she blinked.

"What?"

"Just now... you looked a bit like Uncle when he regretted losing money."

"So, do you acknowledge that I'm your uncle?"

"Th-that's not it. You just look the same on the outside."

Her dazed expression was brief.

She shook her head firmly, denying him.

- Seriously... Should we just tell her? That this is a mission inside the Tower of the Martial Gods and that she's an NPC, lol.

- Nah, what if we have issues like last time?

- Yeah, what if it resets and the mission pops up all over the Tower?

- How about the parallel world theory? Tell her you're Seong Jihan from a parallel universe.

- Just say you're a Constellation—a patron god has descended.

Viewers started pouring out various suggestions.

From radical ones proposing to reveal the whole truth, to suggestions to say he was the Martial God or a Constellation.

"If you're going to be like this, I have no choice."

Looking through the various options, Seong Jihan chose one.

"I am the Constellation of Seong Jihan, the Martial God."

"......Martial God?"

"Yes."

Among the many suggestions from the chat, Seong Jihan chose the 'descending patron Constellation' angle.

'Actually, if I recall my pre-regression memories and piece things together, I might be able to convince her...'

After all, the deadbeat life he led before regressing was also his own.

Although those memories had become quite faint, if he tried to dig them up, he could find common ground with her.

Then there was a chance she might accept him.

'But I think I need to keep some distance from her.'

This world already felt more real than reality.

If he got too close to this world's Yoon Seah, there might be issues when he tried to wrap things up later.

Especially considering that when this world's Yoon Seah disappeared last time, there was a slight emergence of the Void.

It would be better to maintain some distance rather than forming attachments.

"Martial God... as in the God of Martial Arts? The incredibly powerful one."

"Suddenly using honorifics, are we?"

"Well, if you're a god, I thought I should..."

When he called himself the Martial God, she looked at him with eyes full of half-belief and half-doubt.

Well, if someone suddenly claimed to be the Martial God, you’d be skeptical.

Swoosh.

When he opened his hand.

Sssss...

Blue energy spread out, and the world began to distort.

Furniture like the bed and desk shattered.

Her body, lying on the bed, floated into the air.

"Now."

Snap!

When he snapped his fingers, the spreading blue energy was retracted.

The world returned to its original state.

The furniture and devices that seemed to have been destroyed were restored.

"Wow..."

She blinked repeatedly.

"My body is weak, so I can't show you more than this. Does this help you believe me?"

"Ah... Yes. But... why would someone like the Martial God attach himself to my uncle?"

"Because his Gift, 'Wanderer's Eye,' was my eye."

"Huh? That Gift that improved his gambling odds...?"

When he mentioned 'Wanderer's Eye,' the Gift that had been one of the reasons for his gambling addiction.

She made a puzzled expression.

She couldn't believe that an F-rank Gift was associated with the Martial God.

But...

"Wasn't your Gift an F-rank too?"

"Well, yes, but..."

She had just witnessed her own F-rank Gift, 'Late Bloomer,' transform completely.

Using her case as an example, he continued.

"The true essence of 'Wanderer's Eye' is the 'Eye of the Martial God.' The contractor, Seong Jihan, wished to save you at the cost of returning my eye."

"Then..."

"He asked me to help you until you can stand on your own."

Recalling the mission objective of convincing her, he told her that her goal was to 'become independent.'

"Become independent... But honestly, I was the one earning money."

"The independence he refers to isn't financial. It's about becoming independent as a player."

"As a player..."

"Yes. While 'Late Bloomer' is a powerful Gift, its essence is that of a growth-type Gift. You'll be helplessly destroyed if you're trampled before your vessel expands."

"So Uncle asked the Martial God to help me until I can stand on my own..."

When he nodded slowly, she thought for a moment and then carefully asked,

"...Then, will Uncle never return?"

"Who knows? That's not something for you to worry about right now."

"......"

"For now, focus on becoming independent."

If the conversation went on too long, he might slip up.

So Seong Jihan decided to cut off her questions here.

She looked at him silently for a moment.

"...Understood."

She nodded slowly.

[You have cleared the mission.]

A mission clear message appeared.

Even though he pretended to be the Martial God, as long as she'd accepted it, that was enough.

"Then, I look forward to your guidance..."

She got up from the bed and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Dongbang Sak."

At the end, she called him by an entirely unexpected name.

"......What?"

"I just remembered your name, Martial God... You're Lord Dongbang Sak, right?"

Why was she bringing up Dongbang Sak all of a sudden?

He frowned in bewilderment.

But she remained serious.