<strong>Chapter 131</strong>


    “It’s inconvenient without Takeda.”


    Ito Shizuru, in Akari’s body, furrowed her brows as she unpacked her luggage.


    Takeda Kazuo was currently under detention, led by the Korean government due to the previous incident and was in the midst of a legal battle, leaving her without any assistance.


    Clink!


    As Akari’s hand paused while organizing the luggage, Ito Shizuru’s expression darkened further.


    “Again with this.”


    When creating an avatar using the body of an ordinary person, this didn’t happen.


    However, since she made an avatar using the body of a Diamond Ranker this time, the control asionally interrupted abruptly.


    Especially, this phenomenon intensified as the distance from Tokyo, where the main body was, increased.


    “Akari’s ego must have disappeared, but… just in case, I need to be careful.”


    She regretted for a moment that she should’ve just sent Sword King to secretly kidnap her.


    Shizuru quickly changed her mind.


    “No. If I’m unlucky and the Enchantment breaks, that won’t do.”


    When she had ced the Enchantment on Sword King, the most headache-inducing thing was nothing but his fatherly love.


    Approaching him was easy.


    Because he really liked women.


    However, maintaining the Enchantment was another issue.


    “Every time he went home, the Enchantment was half lifted.”


    The enchantment kept trying to break especially after seeing his daughter’s face.


    Shizuru, who did not give up, was able to obtain Sword King through lengthy efforts.


    She determined that Yoon Seah absolutely had to stay in Korea.


    If she went to Japan together and the Enchantment broke, anything could happen on the spot.


    “I must keep the two from meeting as much as possible this time I bring her to Japan.”


    She should stay in a safe house in a distant area, not Tokyo.


    She set up herptop inside the officetel, recalling Yoon Seah.


    “She often goes shopping at the underground mart.”


    Unlike Seong Jihan, who barely left the penthouse, Yoon Seah went out rtively often.


    The reason for her outings was mainly to purchase ingredients.


    The time was usually between 10 and 11 in the morning.


    “I have to stay in the mart during that time.”


    While the mart was not small, it would not be easy to run into Yoon Seah.


    In any case, unlike Seong Jihan, she could easily enchant Yoon Seah just by making contact.


    “As for the way back…”


    Her thoughts were gradually organizing.


    Now, the remaining n was to check the route to return to Japan with her.


    After a while typing on the keyboard, she…


    Clink!


    Biting her lip at the sight of a finger stopping, she muttered,


    “…I need to finish quickly.”


    Her body not obeying was a sign that she shouldn’t stay too long with this avatar.


    * * * * *


    The day after the survival game ended.


    “Survival didn’t trigger again right away.”


    Seong Jihan, feeling disappointed, cleared the Invasion map he yed before.


    He wanted to quickly get the Leaf of the World Treepletely engraved into his body.


    With 4 game modes being assigned randomly, the chance of getting Survival consecutively was low.


    “My level is 77…”


    The speed of leveling up was dazzling.


    A minimum of one level up per day.


    At this rate, a promotion battle seemed possible this month.


    “But the problem is the Martial Soul.”


    The stat he received at level 72, Martial Soul.


    He invested the stat points he received every level up into it diligently and raised it to 104, but…


    After leveling up today and investing the stat points, the number did not increase to 105, it stalled.


    “This is simr to when I raised Martial Power in myst life.”


    In his past life, when he invested stat points into Martial Power, it didn’t just increase; he needed to umte a certain amount of training.


    This time, Martial Power increased steadily as he invested points, but after being revised to Martial Soul, it rose well to 104 but got stuck before 105.


    “I expected this.”


    The Star’s Ability, Martial Soul.


    A few days passed since he acquired Martial Soul, but Seong Jihan had not yet utilized this power to 100%.


    While Martial Power and Force were not easy powers to handle, Martial Soul was a much higher-dimensional power, so he felt that eventually, the stat would not increase, just like the Martial Power in his previous life.


    “It just happened sooner than I thought.”


    In the end, is training the only answer?


    Seong Jihan, who arrived at the training room while swallowing his disappointment, let out a groan.


    “Urrrgh….”


    There, he encountered Yoon Seah, who was exercising.


    Although she had already achieved a certain level of stat Perseverance, Yoon Seah, who did not stop strength training, put down her barbell upon seeing Seong Jihan.


    “Haah… I’m dying… Uncle, are you ready for the training camp tomorrow?”


    “Well, it’s near home. What is there to prepare?”


    “You have to pack your clothes. We’re staying overnight, after all.”


    “It’s fine. I’ll just throw in some clothes.”


    “Hmm… Should I pack for you?”


    “Agh. Do I look like a kid?”


    A conversation seemed to flip the roles of uncle and niece for a while.


    At some point, Yoon Seah, who had been stealing nces at Seong Jihan, quietly brought up the main point.


    “Uncle. But can I… invite the sisters when you’re not here?”


    “Sisters?… Who?”


    “The guild sisters! Hayeon and Gayeong.”


    “Huh, when did you get so close?”


    “I got close to Gayeong while we worked out together as fitness buddies. And I just clicked with Hayeon because our conversations flow well…”


    Conversations flow well with Lee Hayeon?


    Seong Jihan’s expression slightly hardened.


    “You didn’t learn gambling from Hayeon, did you?”


    “No, no! No, uncle, what… You think too lowly of Hayeon. She’s so capable and smart! Although she can’t predict matches…”


    “You. Don’t ever try match prediction. You earned quite a bit, didn’t you?”


    “I know. I won’t, I won’t! I’m busy growing my channel these days, anyway.”


    Seong Jihan narrowed his eyes at Yoon Seah, who was pping her hand as if to show off.


    This is somewhat suspicious.


    “…Fine. They’re wee if theye.”


    “Really? Okay. Hehe.”


    “But now that I think about it, you’re thendlord. You don’t need my permission.”


    “Oh. Is that so? But I thought I should ask you, uncle.”


    After responding to Yoon Seah, Seong Jihan conveyed in his mind.


    ‘Ariel. When you’re home, listen out for any gambling talk from Hayeon.’


    [Master. Don’t you trust Seah?]


    ‘Yeah. The long talk is suspicious.’


    [Understood.]


    He thus entrusted Ariel in his mind.


    “Okay. Now that I have Uncle’s permission, I’m going to do a bit of shopping.”


    “Alright.”


    “Also… I’m gonna buy some alcohol?!”


    “Go ahead. You’re an adult.”


    “Right? Hehe.”


    As Yoon Seah left the training room with a bright smile, Seong Jihan chuckled as if finding the situation absurd.


    Is it that exciting?


    ‘Well, I used to invite friends over a lot in the past, but I haven’t had the chance to do so recently.’


    After Sword King ughtered the Korean representative team on 15th August, friends distanced themselves.


    As Seong Jihan’s stocks rose again recently, some friends who had cut him off started reaching out once more.


    Yoon Seah resolutely cut all of them off.


    ‘It’s better to have no friends than maintain that kind of friendship.’


    Rather than clinging to old friends, he could just make new ones.


    The two people she befriended in the guild seemed nice.


    Seong Jihan hoped that they would form a good rtionship with each other.


    However.


    ‘Ariel. You must make sure of any gambling.’


    [I got it!]


    ‘Lee Hayeon is the problem. Keep a close eye on her persuasion.’


    […Aren’t you being too wary of the Guild Master? But why entrust such a task to her?]


    ‘She’s capable in every other aspect. Gambling is the problem.’


    Being cautious of Lee Hayeon, known as Zero in his previous life, could never be too much.


    [Should I start monitoring now?]


    ‘From now?’


    [What if they talk on a call about gambling while she’s shopping?]


    ‘That’s a bit much. It feels like an invasion of privacy.’


    [You never know, right? And if it’s not about gambling, I won’t inform you.]


    ‘…Well, if that’s the case.’


    Seong Jihan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    In case his niece became friends with a gambling addict and got involved in betting, he wouldn’t have the face to meet his sister even in the afterlife.


    ‘I must stop this now.’


    Seong Jihan secretly dispatched Ariel to tail Yoon Seah.


    * * * * *


    – yer Seong Jihan will enter the BattleNet Center tomorrow. National team coach Noh Youngjun expressed his anticipation, calling him an astonishing yer and promising to assign him a suitable role through training during the camp period…


    Slurp!


    Shizuru was watching the TV news while eating cup noodles.


    Korean news channels were extensively covering Seong Jihan’s entry into the BattleNet Center.


    ‘He’s probably as popr as the former Sword King by now.’


    Even though BattleNet’s poprity was absolute, all sorts of media were making a fuss just because one yer entered the BattleNet Center.


    Compared to thest time she came to Korea, Seong Jihan’s status had risen significantly.


    “What if I also join in this situation…….”


    She smiled as if she was pleased.


    She didn’t have any particr feelings toward Korea as a country.


    Rather, she was once a fan of a Korean idol and thus learned Korean to this proficient level.


    However.


    “Why are all the kids I want here?”


    What can you do when all the exceptional yers keep emerging from Korea?


    Especially Sword King and Seong Jihan, talents who could greatly strengthen Japan’s Warrior ss lineup, considered a weakness for so long.


    If both of them work as a dynamic duo on the Japanese team, wouldn’t they easily snatch the victory in the World League?


    ‘Yoon Seah could also be useful if nurtured.’


    She imagined a scene where Japanese is spoken publicly in BattleNet channel 0.


    It would be quite rewarding once that dayes.


    ‘By the way… Seong Jihan will be gone from tomorrow.’


    Shizuru thoughtfully tossed the empty cup noodles into the sink.


    Surely he wouldn’t bring Yoon Seah, a full-grown adult, to the training camp.


    ‘If Yoon Seah is left alone… the training period is a perfect opportunity.’


    Deciding not to miss this chance, Shizuru resolved to check the underground martyout once more.


    And then, as she went down to the mart, she.


    ‘Huh?’


    Was able to spot Yoon Seah, who had been out of sight for several days.


    “Sis~ What alcohol should I buy? Huh. You’re buying so much?”


    She was on a call, cheerfully filling her cart with various food items and indiscriminately adding different kinds of alcohol.


    “Ah… Is alcohol really necessary for a lecture on analysis methods? Can you analyze while drinking? As expected, it’s half the fun…”


    She seemed happy.


    Shizuru smiled as if she was genuinely pleased to see Yoon Seah.


    ‘I’ll make you even happier from now on, my daughter~.’


    Yoon Seah was already her daughter in her mind.


    Shizuru hurriedly approached her.


    To use the supporting gift, ‘Edit’, a touch was necessary.


    “The beer is…….”


    As Shizuru approached, pretending to buy the beer behind Yoon Seah,


    “Ah.”


    She feigned stumbling and lightly touched Yoon Seah’s arm.


    To anyone watching, it would merely seem like an ident.


    ‘Too easy.’


    However, with that touch, the supporting gift ‘Edit’ was activated, and when Yoon Seah’s status abnormality editing window opened.


    She quickly added Enchantment and Obedience.


    ‘Now where…….’


    Should she give amand to this girl?


    Shizuru thought it was all over, but.


    Zap!


    From the crown-shaped mark engraved on Yoon Seah’s hand, electricity surged.


    [The Seal of Thunder resists mental contamination.]


    [‘Enchantment’ does not fully take hold.]


    [‘Obedience’ does not fully take hold.]


    ‘Huh? What’s this?’


    Shizuru furrowed her brows at the sudden message.


    The Seal of Thunder?


    What is this that’s resisting?


    “……Huh? You…….”


    As Yoon Seah stared at her with a pause.


    ‘This won’t do.’


    Shizuru tried to touch her hand again.


    If Enchantment and Obedience do not fully take hold.


    Just touch again and edit until it does.


    However, her attempt was.


    Swoosh!


    Blocked by a ck hand rising from the floor.


    “You… What are you?”


    Soon.


    Ariel, who had been secretly following behind Yoon Seah, sprang up from the floor.