Chapter 29
Chapter 29: An Overwhelming Victory
"Waaaah!!"
The moment the results came out, a tremendous wave of cheers and applause erupted.
Then, loud enough to drown it all out, Kim Cheol and Song Jae-woo cried out together.
"A victory!! The player whose very name is WillWinTournament has actually won the tournament!!! He really lived up to that name!!"
"What on earth just happened?! Not only did he win, but he beat No Song-baek like that, at such close range!!"
"That's right! And did you see that movement just now?! It was so fast I nearly lost my mind!!"
"Oh goodness, I could only catch the afterimages myself. I had absolutely no idea which was the real one!!"
"Just incredible! Absolutely incredible!"
The commentators' voices rang out, shaking the speakers.
Yu-na, who had been watching after being eliminated in the first round of the main tournament, let out a hollow laugh.
"What a monster. He was simply on a level I could never even dream of touching."
If she recalled correctly, it had only been about two weeks since he started the game.
And yet, in just that short span of time, he had grown enough to win the Seoul tournament.
As a Master Tier player herself, Yu-na knew just how high the level of the tournament participants was.
That was precisely why it sent chills down her spine more than it would anyone else.
He's genuinely terrifying. Truly terrifying.
This had blown far past the realm of being "talented."
How should she even put it into words?
A genius? Yes—genius felt like the most fitting word.
Yu-na rubbed her goosebump-covered arm and shook her head slowly.
By her estimation, today's match was certain to go down in the history of Battle Attack.
Satisfied with having witnessed it live, she moved from her seat.
Toward the place where the interviews were scheduled to be held.
Amidst the festive atmosphere, there were two people who were more overjoyed than anyone else.
"That's our Young Lord for you! I knew it would be like this. Hahahah!!"
"Divine Dragon, I'm asking just to confirm—that movement just now…… that was it, right?"
"Absolutely! The footwork he used in that final battle. That was indeed the legendary Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step, which only direct disciples of the Sect Leader can learn!!"
"I had heard that he'd reached full mastery of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art…… but seeing it in person truly gives me a completely different feeling."
The Iron Blood Witch lightly dabbed at her eyes.
When had she last witnessed the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step, also known as the Divine Stride?
It must have been about ten years ago, when she had accompanied Wi Ji-cheon on a hunt.
She had only seen it for a brief moment, but it had been so beautiful that it remained burned into her memory as something she could never forget.
"He is truly something to be proud of. To think he had mastered even that, all alone in the Closed-Door Training Chamber……."
"And that is precisely why he holds the position of First Young Lord of the Demonic Heaven Sect, is it not? It was no accident that the Sect Leader raised him so rigorously from a young age."
"Ah, right. Now that I think about it, we should quickly relay this news to the Sect Leader as well……."
"There will be no need for that."
"Hmm? What do you mean by that?"
Divine Dragon gave a smile that was difficult to read.
Whatever was so amusing, the corners of his mouth kept twitching.
When the Iron Blood Witch tilted her head in confusion, Divine Dragon pointed to his phone, which had the official broadcast playing.
"Was I not alternating glances at this the whole time, curious about the chat reactions?"
"Yes, you were. But why do you bring that up?"
"Because in the middle of it, I spotted a very familiar username I recognized. It was only for the briefest of moments due to how fast the messages were flying by, but I'm certain of it. I absolutely did not see wrong."
"Surely you don't mean……."
"That 'surely' is correct."
"Haha. Oh, come on. He's incredibly busy excavating ruins right now."
The Iron Blood Witch waved her hand dismissively in denial.
But the steadfast expression on Divine Dragon's face made her awkwardly curl the corner of her lips.
"……For real?"
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Tweet tweet tweet.
Somewhere deep inside an impenetrable dense jungle.
At the very top of a tree that stood head and shoulders above all the rest, a man covered in splatters of stone dust sat perched.
He had been glaring at his phone when he suddenly burst out in a hearty laugh.
"Hahahahah!! So he finally went and did it. Yes, yes—this is exactly what he had to do. This is what makes him someone I can call my student!!"
The man roared with laughter loud enough to rattle the sky.
The volume was such that every bird and animal nearby fled from the area.
But as if that was of no concern whatsoever, his eyes never left the screen.
On the phone case visible between his fingers, the emblem of the Demonic Heaven Sect was boldly emblazoned.
"I had my doubts because of the gun, but sure enough, it was exactly as expected. Of course. Where would a tiger's cub ever go?"
Wi Ji-cheon.
There was one reason he had climbed all the way up here in the middle of excavating ruins.
To watch Mu-yeong's first tournament.
His verdict—absolutely outstanding.
The final round in particular, where he'd swept away half of all the participants, had him applauding without even realizing it.
His movement, his judgment, his reaction speed—everything was well above passing marks.
He had even half-considered scolding him later if he played like a coward, but that worry had been entirely unfounded.
"Mae Han-gyeom's face must be completely twisted right about now."
If he could, he would have sprinted over in a single breath just to mock him.
The sight of that prideful old man turning red and purple with fury was a spectacle you couldn't find anywhere else.
But Wi Ji-cheon had much to do.
He had the mission, more important than anything else, of repaying the Demonic Heaven Sect's debts first.
"Regrettable, but I'll put the mocking off for next time."
Wi Ji-cheon chuckled and lay back against the branch.
He couldn't see his face in person, but these days there were plenty of other ways.
For instance—like this.
Tap tap tap tap tap!
He began moving his fingers rapidly.
Once the words he wanted to say were ready, he pressed send.
At that very same moment, a single chat message appeared in the official broadcast.
—So even Daehwasan has gone to waste, huh lol lol
Of course, it scrolled past so quickly that almost no one had seen it.
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"Waaaah!!!"
The moment Mu-yeong stepped out of the capsule, a thunderous roar erupted.
There had to be at least several hundred people, along with countless cameras, all staring in this direction.
But Mu-yeong had faced crowds like this more times than he could count since childhood.
Without so much as a hint of flustering, he waved his hand.
"Oh my god…… he's so incredibly handsome……."
"He's genuinely drop-dead gorgeous……."
"Honestly, I think I'm more his type than No Song-baek's."
"Same, same."
"Should I ask him for a hug later?"
"I'm going to ask for a handshake and a photo!!"
He finished greeting them in passing and was trying to push through the crowd when someone rushed to his side.
"Hello. I'm the tournament's event manager—there's an interview scheduled, so would you be able to follow me for a moment?"
An interview.
They had said it would be a session of questions and answers.
And a photo op on the side as well.
"Sure."
He followed the manager and arrived at a room tucked away in a corner.
Inside sat No Song-baek, wearing a face like he'd bitten into something foul, alongside a woman he was seeing for the first time.
Probably third place.
He had taken them out so fast he honestly couldn't even remember. Didn't know who they were to begin with, either.
He gave a rough nod and dropped himself into the nearest empty seat.
The manager then began explaining the schedule.
"First, we'll be doing a short interview with the first-place finisher, WillWinTournament. It'll be brief, about three minutes, then we'll take a group photo and today's schedule will be wrapped up. Any questions?"
"When can I receive the prize money?"
"Ah, the prize money is set to be deposited in three days. We have our own bookkeeping and processing to take care of on our end."
Mu-yeong nodded, and the manager gave a small clap.
"Then please rest for a moment. I'll let you know when the interview is ready."
With nothing to do, Mu-yeong turned his eyes to the TV across the room.
The commentators were conducting a live vote.
"Now, it's time to pick the winner of the Romance Award! Go to the link here and choose the one player from today's matches who left the strongest impression on you!"
"For reference, we commentators account for 20%, and our viewers account for 80%!"
"Voting time is five minutes, so please participate quickly!"
The results were soon revealed.
"Wow……. I somewhat anticipated this would be the case, but it really is overwhelming."
"Haha, indeed. There's not even a need to do the math here."
A single bar graph on screen.
One particular bar was rising so high it seemed ready to pierce the ceiling.
WillWinTournament: 34,522 votes. No Song-baek: 2,300 votes. All others combined: 1,893 votes.
Nearly 90% of all votes had gathered toward Mu-yeong.
Impressed by the staggering ratio, Kim Cheol and Song Jae-woo scratched their foreheads.
"Might I ask who you voted for, commentator Song Jae-woo?"
"Come now, you already know the answer to that. Shall we reveal them at the same time?"
"Gladly. One, two, three!"
Kim Cheol: WillWinTournament Song Jae-woo: WillWinTournament
The two burst into laughter simultaneously upon seeing each other's picks.
"Hahaha, this player was simply the most entertaining to watch, wouldn't you say?"
"The absolute best. I have never enjoyed commentating on Battle Attack this much in my entire career!"
"Same here. Truly, throughout the whole thing, there was not a single dull moment in his play."
"Well then, the winner of the Romance Award is, of course……."
"WillWinTournament. In the end, it goes to the player who went on to actually win the tournament!"
"Congratulations!!"
Clap clap clap—the commentators applauded.
At the same moment, the manager returned and called for Mu-yeong.
"The interview is about to begin, so please get ready."
Mu-yeong rose from his seat.
Stepping out the door, a separate space had been set up for them.
A woman holding a microphone walked over.
"Hello! I'm Han Ji-su, the announcer in charge of today's interview. Pleased to meet you!"
"Pleased to meet you."
"I was truly moved watching today's match! I was so absorbed I didn't even have time to blink. I heard that you haven't been playing Battle Attack for very long…… is that true?"
"About two weeks, if I recall correctly."
"Wow, two weeks?! That's barely out of newbie territory—have you perhaps played similar genres before?"
"First time."
"Wooooow!! That is truly incredible!"
And so the time passed quickly.
Before long, only the final question remained.
"We're wrapping up now—is there anything you'd like to say as a closing remark?"
A closing remark.
He wanted to say something to taunt No Song-baek, but that probably wouldn't do.
This was, after all, something of an official setting.
Then what to say?
Mu-yeong turned things over in his mind before opening his mouth.
Right, at a time like this, he'd better do a bit of promotion.
"I'm Mu-yeong. I also do internet broadcasts from time to time, so it would be great if lots of people came to watch."
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Tremble tremble tremble.
"How dare he…… how dare he……!!"
Throughout Mu-yeong's entire interview, Mae Han-gyeom's body shook.
No matter how much time passed, his rage showed no signs of dying down.
Yu Ye-rin, standing behind him, rolled her eyes.
'If he notices me today, I'm genuinely dead.'
If it weren't for the Sect Leader being right there, she would have bolted long ago.
Standing about awkwardly as she held her ground, Mae Han-gyeom made a gesture.
Combat Commander Jang Mu-ryeong sprinted forward.
"Call them."
"Hmm? What—what do you mean, sir?"
"The Shadow Corps……!! I mean the Shadow Corps!!"
"S-Sect Leader. Please calm yourself just a little. If you truly call them in, it could turn into an enormous problem……!"
"Then are you telling me to just sit still?! Even after Song-baek suffered such a humiliation!!"
Bang!
Mae Han-gyeom slammed his fist on the desk.
Jang Mu-ryeong flinched.
"I—I am not unaware of how the Sect Leader feels, but if we make a move immediately after the tournament has just ended like this, would not anyone suspect us?!"
"I know that too!! Which is why, for today, have the Shadow Corps find out his home address. Then—three days. After three days of surveillance, we will deliver his punishment!!"
The absolute certainty in Mae Han-gyeom's words made Jang Mu-ryeong swallow hard.
He had no desire to let things escalate, but within Daehwasan, the Sect Leader's word was absolute.
He decided to do as he was told for the time being.
"Understood. I will have him tailed immediately."
"Good. Good. Huuuu……."
At last, Mae Han-gyeom began to calm down, and Jang Mu-ryeong dashed off somewhere.
The two of them, too worked up to even think of using Transmitted Voice, had spoken everything aloud.
Yu Ye-rin, who had watched every bit of that scheme unfold before her eyes, tilted her head.
But…… will just the Shadow Corps really be enough?
The Daehwasan Sect's covert organization—in charge of gathering intelligence and at times handling the dirtiest of work.
Under normal circumstances, her first concern should have been Mu-yeong. But strangely, not a single such thought crossed her mind.
If anything, she felt sorry for the Shadow Corps.
After turning things over briefly in her mind, Yu Ye-rin quietly stepped back.
Pretending she had heard nothing, heading off to the bathroom.
Well, it's probably nothing, but if things get truly dangerous, I'll tip him off myself.
Deep down, she was rooting for Mu-yeong.