Chapter 2
The mansion in Pyeongchang-dong.
Even before, Pyeongchang-dong had been counted among the wealthiest neighborhoods. But after the appearance of the “Dimension Arena,” it had become even more of a rich district.
Those who already possessed wealth used what they had to acquire the new materials and byproducts pouring out of the Dimension Arena, building even larger, sturdier, and more extravagant mansions.
And naturally, the owner of the grandest mansion—built on the safest and most expensive land—was Choi Cheol-ho, chairman of Shinwha Group, one of the two pillars of Korea’s corporate world.
“It’s been a while since we’ve all gathered.”
“Yes, Father.”
“With how busy you are, it would be stranger if we saw you often.”
“Dad! Is it true that Oseong snatched up all the new-material bags and jewelry that were supposed to go to our department stores this time?”
Inside Choi Cheol-ho’s residence, others besides himself were present.
His three sons and one daughter.
Yet despite the title of “three sons and one daughter,” only four people—including Choi Cheol-ho—were actually participating in the conversation at the table.
To be precise, everyone except the third son, Choi In-gyun.
Although seated at the table, In-gyun could do nothing but keep his mouth tightly shut.
And both Choi Cheol-ho and the other siblings considered that perfectly natural.
That hierarchy extended even into the kitchen.
“Sister-in-law, take this to the table.”
“……Yes.”
“Oh right, this too.”
A modest-looking woman with a gentle charm was timidly carrying dishes between two sharp-looking women.
When the two women gave overlapping orders, she couldn’t hide her confusion.
“Um… the eldest madam asked me to do something first…”
“What? Are you saying you’ll listen to big sister and ignore me? Fine then.”
“……No. I’ll do it right away.”
“Good~ Keep up the hard work~”
Unable to withstand the piercing glare, she had no choice but to carry the heavy plates with trembling hands.
A woman who was clearly the wife of this household’s son was being treated worse than a maid.
Yet such a cruel scene was accepted as normal—even among the children.
“Hoseong, I heard you ranked up to Platinum this time?”
“I’m the son of the Shinwha Guild Master. That much is basic. I’m aiming for Diamond tier like Father.”
“Uncle’s collection is amazing, after all. With that gear, Diamond should be easy, right?”
“It’s all equipment advantage.”
“You guys talk about the Arena every time we meet. Doesn’t it get boring?”
“Nope. Never gets boring. Always exciting.”
“Ugh, grown adults acting like kids.”
A sly-looking man of average height.
A tall, handsome man.
And a woman dressed like a princess from a movie.
The three chatted cheerfully among themselves.
But there was one boy who couldn’t fit in.
“Honestly, I don’t know why Grandfather even considers letting that useless branch of the family into the main house.”
“Isn’t he still Unranked?”
“Unranked or not, just look at his older brother. It’s obvious.”
“Ah, what was it again?”
“Worthless jack-of-all-trades?”
“Right, that. If it were me, I’d have killed myself by now. Seriously.”
“…….”
Even as they insulted his family right in front of him, Shinhyuk’s younger brother, Shinwoo, could only clench his fists in silence.
Right at that moment—
“……Young Master Choi Shinhyuk has arrived.”
A quiet voice echoed through the mansion.
With the entrance of Shinhyuk—the true focus of today’s gathering—the dining room, kitchen, and even the rooms fell silent.
Amid that stillness, steady footsteps rang out.
Step. Step.
Even though it was just the sound of footsteps, they carried an undeniable weight.
Everyone looked puzzled.
“Greetings, Grandfather. Uncle, other Uncle, and Aunt as well.”
“……Are you really Shinhyuk?”
“Yes. My father is Choi In-gyun, and my mother is Lee So-yeon.”
“Bold of you. Sit down first. We should eat. Koreans live on the strength of rice, after all.”
Interest flickered across Choi Cheol-ho’s eyes at Shinhyuk’s confident reply.
Normally timid and fearful, Shinhyuk had greeted the elders first without hesitation.
That alone showed he could bear some pressure.
As Cheol-ho gestured toward the table, Shinhyuk began to move—then stopped.
“……What are you doing? Come sit.”
“Before that, I think there’s something I need to do.”
“Something to do?”
With those words, Shinhyuk headed into the kitchen and gently took the plates from his mother’s hands.
“Shinhyuk… I can handle it—”
“Your son will be a player soon. Let me use some strength. You should go sit at the table too, Mother. You haven’t even eaten yet.”
“No, I—”
So-yeon was stunned by her son’s sudden behavior.
And even more shocked when he invited her to sit at the table—something she normally couldn’t do without permission.
But then—
“Hoho, that’s right. My daughter-in-law hasn’t eaten either. Come sit. Let’s eat together.”
“……Thank you, Chairman.”
“There. Now can we eat?”
It seemed Shinhyuk would finally sit down as well—
“My little brother will greet you and eat with us too.”
“Your brother… Ha! Fine. Let him greet me then.”
“Shinwoo. Come greet Grandfather.”
“B-brother, that’s a bit—”
“Choi Shinwoo.”
“……Grandfather, I hope you’ve been well.”
“Yes. I have. Sit and eat.”
“Y-yes, sir…”
Seeing Shinhyuk care for his family until the very end only deepened Choi Cheol-ho’s interest.
With the entire family finally seated, the meal began.
Even though he had told them to eat, Cheol-ho continued questioning Shinhyuk.
“So my grandson will become a player this time?”
“Two days remain.”
“Good, good. I’m Platinum myself, so I know plenty. But your reputation isn’t exactly great, is it?”
At the sly smile and pointed question, Shinhyuk calmly took a spoonful of rice, chewed, swallowed, and answered.
“That’s correct. My predicted tier is Bronze. Considering placement is usually one tier lower than school estimates, I’ll likely be placed in Iron.”
“Hoh… Iron, you say. You do realize that would be a disgrace to this family, don’t you?”
His tone turned icy cold.
The implication was clear—if Shinhyuk was placed in Iron, he could be erased from the family entirely.
‘That’s exactly what happened in the past. I was removed from the family registry and never allowed back.’
Having already lived through it once, Shinhyuk knew well.
Yet he remained calm.
“Grandfather. Do you know about gambling?”
“Gambling? Of course. What are you getting at?”
“In gambling, there’s something called an underdog bet. And if an underdog hits, it pays big.”
“True. But underdogs rarely win—that’s why they’re called underdogs.”
Cheol-ho answered readily.
His meaning was clear: Shinhyuk was that unlikely underdog.
Whether the lottery of the placement exam would hit or not.
Looking straight at him, Shinhyuk smiled.
“Then how about placing a bet on that underdog?”
“And what reason would I have to do that? Frankly, I expect nothing from you.”
A heavy answer.
It was far harder to satisfy someone who expected nothing at all.
Especially when Cheol-ho’s expectations for Shinhyuk and his family were already rock bottom.
Meeting his gaze, Shinhyuk placed his wager.
“Oseong Group.”
“……!”
“This placement exam includes Lee Juho, the son of the Oseong Guild Master. He’s my age.”
“……What are you trying to say?”
He invoked the name of Shinwha’s long-time rival.
Seeing Cheol-ho grow serious, Shinhyuk continued.
“I will make sure that during this placement exam, it’s not the name of Oseong that spreads—but Shinwha. I’ll provide the fuel.”
“Fuel, you say… And how? Lee Juho’s predicted tier is top-class Silver. With Oseong backing him, he’ll be all over the news. You think you can outshine that?”
Cheol-ho’s sharp questioning would have crushed an ordinary person.
But Shinhyuk wasn’t ordinary.
“Yes. I can.”
“……If that’s true, it might be worth betting on the underdog. But if your conditions are absurd, I’ll refuse.”
“Of course, I didn’t intend to ask for it for free.”
“Then what will you stake?”
Hearing that, Shinhyuk glanced at his parents and brother before answering.
“My family.”
“……Your family? What do you mean?”
“If I fail, you may expel all of us from the Choi family. No—we will remove ourselves.”
“……!”
His parents and brother stared at him in shock.
But neither Shinhyuk nor Cheol-ho paid them any attention.
“Then the opposite question. If you succeed, what do you want?”
“Likewise… my family.”
“And what family would that be?”
“Accept us back into the Choi family. That will be my reward.”
Silence filled the room.
Both success and failure staked on family.
Cheol-ho closed his eyes, thinking.
Then—
“……Kahahahaha! Fine! If my cute grandson wants to entertain his old grandfather, how could I refuse? Do it. Win or lose, it will be exactly as you declared here.”
His booming laughter filled the mansion.
As Shinhyuk calmly nodded, he looked at his stunned parents and brother and said simply:
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
