“......And that concludes what happened during the Placement Exam.”
“Hahahaha! Using money to crush money. And crushing Oseong with money, no less! I already knew the story, but hearing it from my grandson’s mouth makes it feel different.”
As Shin-hyeok—the phonograph—finished speaking, Choi Cheol-ho, who had already completed his meal, smiled broadly and clapped.
Choi Cheol-ho could not hide his satisfaction at landing a blow against his rival, Oseong.
Then he turned his gaze to Shin-hyeok.
“Can you show me your Status Window?”
“Of course.”
There was an unspoken rule among Players that one should not show their Status Window, not even to one’s parents or children.
Yet Shin-hyeok showed his without the slightest hesitation.
[Status Window]
Name: Choi Shin-hyeok
Class: X
(Stats)
Strength: 29 Stamina: 27 Intelligence: 27 Mana: 27
(Traits)
Versatility
(Skills)
Necromancy [C], Fist Arts [E], Shield, Integrated Weapon Mastery [D], Tracking [E]
“Huh...... I cannot believe it even with my own eyes. You earned such an overwhelming victory with stats that have not even reached 30?”
“It is easy if you use your Skills well.”
“......Haha! That is right. If you are good at studying, you go to Seoul National University. If you are good at sports, you win medals! You are right! You are absolutely right!”
At Shin-hyeok’s calm yet confident words, Choi Cheol-ho laughed heartily and patted Shin-hyeok on the shoulder.
Watching that, Shin-hyeok wore a cold smile inwardly.
‘It is definitely helpful that the Status Window’s Concealment Function has not become known yet. I can earn trust just by showing a small part of my Status Window.’
It had been obvious at a glance, but from Shin-hyeok’s perspective, the Status Window he showed Choi Cheol-ho was riddled with omissions.
That had been possible because of the Status Window’s Concealment Function.
It was a function that prevented things one did not wish to show from being displayed.
Naturally, it was not known at this time.
Using the Concealment Function, Shin-hyeok had hidden his Class and Traits.
Before coming to the estate, he had also removed the Armor of Absorption and placed it in his Inventory.
Everything had been done with a situation like this in mind.
And Shin-hyeok’s prediction had been correct.
He had gained a great deal of Choi Cheol-ho’s trust.
It was only natural.
Shin-hyeok had shown Choi Cheol-ho a Status Window that most Players would not reveal even to their parents.
“Right. I cannot simply sit still after gaining such a commendable grandson. In-ho, bring that.”
“......Father, are you truly planning to give that to Shin-hyeok? It would be better to give it to Ho-seong instead—”
“You said it yourself. Everything bearing the Shinhwa name belongs to me.”
“......Yes.”
“Bring it.”
“......Understood.”
At Choi Cheol-ho’s stern voice, In-ho finally took something from his Inventory and placed it before Choi Cheol-ho.
“High-Grade Stat Enhancers and High-Grade Mana Pills.”
“......!!!”
High-Grade Stat Enhancers and High-Grade Mana Pills.
They possessed effects on an entirely different level from the low-grade items Shin-hyeok had consumed before the Placement Exam.
Shin-hyeok unconsciously swallowed at the sight and asked,
“Are you truly giving these to me, Grandfather?”
“That is right. This old man prepared them as pocket money for his commendable grandson. What do you think?”
“......Thank you. Thank you so much, Grandfather.”
They were items indispensable in the early stages, enough to make even Shin-hyeok ask twice and three times.
That was why Shin-hyeok deeply bowed his head to Choi Cheol-ho.
Perhaps Shin-hyeok’s gratitude, so unlike his calm and confident appearance, pleased Choi Cheol-ho.
He burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha, good, good. If there is anything else you need, tell me whenever you like. If it is within my reach, I will grant you one request.”
“There was something I wanted to ask for. May I tell you later? Privately.”
“There is no reason you cannot. First, consume these. You are so thin. Eat them and grow strong.”
“I am not thin...... Still, I will consume them gratefully.”
Like a grandmother stuffing food into her grandchild’s mouth during a holiday, Choi Cheol-ho pushed the High-Grade Stat Enhancers and High-Grade Mana Pills into Shin-hyeok’s mouth.
Shin-hyeok did not refuse.
After readily swallowing them, he soon saw a message window.
[All Stats have increased by 20.]
[For one month from now, your stats’ growth rate will increase.]
‘This is it. Honestly, All Stats +20 is good too, but the increased growth rate is truly excellent. Outside of stats gained through training or game performance, there are not many ways to gain stats. In that respect, an increased growth rate that improves training efficiency is extremely valuable.’
All Stats +20.
But Shin-hyeok focused more on the message that followed.
An increase in growth rate.
The most important part was that the rate of growth gained through training had increased.
As Shin-hyeok inwardly rejoiced at the thought of becoming even stronger more quickly—
“It looks like everyone has finished eating...... Shin-hyeok, come speak with your grandfather for a moment before you go.”
“Yes.”
The family’s meal had ended before anyone noticed.
Choi Cheol-ho was the first to rise.
He gestured to Shin-hyeok, then walked toward his study with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Shin-hyeok......”
“Do not worry. I will be back soon.”
In-gyun’s eyes reddened once again, as though he viewed Choi Cheol-ho’s study as a tiger’s den.
But Shin-hyeok’s confident appearance quickly calmed him.
THUD!
The heavy study door closed, swallowing Shin-hyeok and Choi Cheol-ho inside.
“What did you give Shin-hyeok?”
“Tell us a little, at least.”
“Hwa-yeon has been complaining that her Tier-up speed has been slow lately. So tell us. What is family for?”
At the barrage of questions from his older siblings, who descended upon him like starving hyenas, In-gyun’s face turned pale.
***
“Sit. What would you like to drink? Tea? Coffee?”
“Cola. Zero Cola, please.”
“Should I give you Pepsi?”
“......Even if you are my grandfather, I cannot forgive Pepsi.”
“Heh heh heh, it is a joke. Oseong distributes Pepsi, does it not? Thanks to that, people on Shinhwa’s side never drink Pepsi. Here. Coke.”
“Thank you.”
After one round of pointless banter—
“Shin-hyeok.”
“Yes.”
“From now on, you will face countless forms of opposition, trials, and scrutiny.”
“......Yes.”
“It serves Lee Ju-ho right for being humiliated, but I hear that bastard Yong-jae—the chairman of Oseong—is furious over it.”
“I see.”
“Are you not surprised? You have fallen out of favor with the chairman of Oseong, the company called one of South Korea’s twin engines alongside Shinhwa, a match of dragon and tiger.”
A barrage of sharp questions swept over Shin-hyeok.
But Shin-hyeok responded calmly to Choi Cheol-ho, who stared at him with cold eyes.
“Instead, I have caught the eye of the chairman of Shinhwa Group, South Korea’s number one company.”
“What? Ha...... Haha...... Hahahahaha! That is right. It is enough to be favored by the first-place company after being disliked by the second-place one. You are right, right.”
Seemingly extremely pleased by Shin-hyeok’s answer, Choi Cheol-ho laughed while slapping his knee and wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.
Then he asked,
“So, what was the request you wanted to make earlier?”
“I acquired a decent material this time. I want to make it into a weapon......”
“Could you not use Shinhwa Guild’s Workshop?”
When Shin-hyeok explained his plan to make a weapon using Consecrated Steel, Choi Cheol-ho asked with an expression of confusion.
And it was a reasonable question.
Shinhwa Guild’s Workshop employed Artisans of the highest standard in the world.
Shinhwa Guild was not quietly acknowledged as South Korea’s number one for no reason.
But Shin-hyeok gave a faint sneer.
“Shinhwa Guild’s Workshop is fine. But what I want is a true expert, not an empty husk that is all style and no substance.”
“......An Artisan belonging to Shinhwa Guild’s Workshop is an empty husk? Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Choi Cheol-ho displayed his displeasure without reservation at Shin-hyeok, who had called the Workshop belonging to one of his greatest masterpieces an empty husk.
The pressure of an absolute ruler and the head of a major corporation.
Combined with the strength of a Platinum-tier Player, it was not enough to simply call that pressure immense.
“Yes. You saw it yourself this time, Grandfather. I take responsibility for what I say.”
“......Interesting. Then what do you need?”
But Shin-hyeok did not care in the slightest.
That was only possible because he had reached Challenger Tier in his previous life.
Thus, instead of merely enduring the pressure, Shin-hyeok went one step further and stated what he wanted.
“I want to have the person I choose specially hired by Shinhwa Workshop. On the condition that they are not interfered with by anyone else. That condition applies to my Second Uncle, the Guild Master, as well as the Workshop Master.”
“You are asking for a small inviolable domain...... Are you confident? Ask for a Unique-grade Armament instead. Then you will gain without suffering any loss. Yet you intend to reject that?”
Shin-hyeok was asking for an inviolable domain created solely for him within Shinhwa Workshop, which belonged to Shinhwa Guild.
If the Artisan Shin-hyeok brought in proved unimpressive, the inviolable domain would disappear immediately, and Shin-hyeok’s standing would once again fall into the abyss.
Concerned about that, Choi Cheol-ho instead offered to give him a Unique-grade Armament.
But—
“I have no intention of being satisfied with a mere Unique-grade Armament.”
“What?”
“A Legendary Armament. Do you not want to see the world’s first Legendary Armament created in Shinhwa Workshop?”
“......!!!”
Shin-hyeok countered Choi Cheol-ho’s offer with another proposal.
Those words, as sweet as chestnut jelly, caused Choi Cheol-ho to nod as though entranced.
“Thank you, Grandfather.”
As though he had known this would happen, Shin-hyeok bowed to Choi Cheol-ho.
THUD!
The sound of the heavy study door closing reverberated through the study.
“......Shadow. What do you think?”
“Which matter are you referring to? Whether he can withstand Oseong’s opposition? Or whether he can truly create a Legendary Armament?”
“Both.”
“The former seems certain. But the latter...... Hmm, I still do not know.”
Within the fully closed study, Choi Cheol-ho spoke with his Shadow.
Since Shadow had heard the entire conversation, the question was easy to answer.
But the latter question was a problem.
Could Shin-hyeok truly create a Legendary Armament?
Shadow was equally curious about that.
But at that moment, there was something even more surprising.
“......Haha, it is the first time someone has tracked my whereabouts.”
“What is it?”
“I believe this is a note Young Master Shin-hyeok left for me.”
“Shin-hyeok? How does Shin-hyeok know about you, Shadow......?”
A note had appeared at some point where Shadow was standing.
Neither of them had imagined Shin-hyeok had truly identified Shadow’s location.
They carefully unfolded the note.
[I will let you go because you are Grandfather’s person.]
“......”
“......It seems I should log into the Dimension Arena again after a long time.”
At those extraordinarily bold words, Choi Cheol-ho was left speechless.
But not long afterward, one person’s laughter filled the study.
The laughter was blocked by the thick study door and remained within the room.
But Shadow alone knew that it continued for quite some time.