Chapter 7
[Player Choi Shin-hyuk’s tier is Silver 1.]
“……Is this even possible?”
Silver 1.
Considering that players are generally regarded as “real” from Gold tier onward, this meant Shin-hyuk had practically stepped onto the same starting line as them from the very beginning.
But there was something even more important.
[You are the first in this dimension to be placed in Silver 1.]
His placement result was the first of its kind on Earth.
And Dimension Arena never held back when it came to rewarding “firsts.”
[As a first-time reward, you have received Consecrated Steel.]
“Consecrated Steel… not quite legendary, but they’re giving a Unique-grade material as a reward. The title of ‘first’ really does come with sweet benefits.”
Consecrated Steel.
Among the ranks—Normal, Rare, Unique, Legendary, Mythic—it was a Unique-grade material, the third tier.
Any weapon forged from it was guaranteed to be at least Unique-grade.
Naturally, a satisfied smile appeared on Shin-hyuk’s face.
That moment didn’t last long.
Messages announcing the end of the placement test and stat increases followed.
[You achieved the highest performance in the placement test.]
[Strength +10, Stamina +9, Intelligence +9, Mana +13 gained.]
“…That’s insane. Even considering it’s the early stage, these are huge stat gains. Guess my achievements really were something special.”
A total increase of 41 stat points.
Even in the early phase where stats rose quickly, it was an incredible amount.
Just as Shin-hyuk was enjoying the moment—
[The game has ended.]
[Returning to your original location.]
Whoosh!
The same sensation he had felt when entering the waiting room washed over him again, and Shin-hyuk found himself back in his room.
Bang!
The moment Shin-hyuk returned, the door burst open and In-gyun rushed in, pulling him into a tight hug.
“Shin-hyuk! You really did it!”
“Well, it wasn’t that hard.”
“Do you have any idea how nervous I was when that punk Lee Ju-ho put a bounty on you?”
“Ah, about that—I put one up at the end too. Is that okay?”
“Hmm… ten billion won is a lot of money, but I can’t possibly be stingy after seeing my son succeed like that. I’ll pay it right away.”
“Thank you.”
Shin-hyuk bowed gratefully, but—
“No, I should be the one thanking you. First place in the placement test! Even if it cost 100 billion, it would’ve been worth it!”
In-gyun was overflowing with pride.
First place in the placement test.
After marrying an ordinary woman, most of In-gyun’s family support had been cut off, and he had fallen from Platinum to Gold tier.
To him, his son’s achievement was nothing short of a miracle.
“Honey, are you planning to hog him all to yourself?”
“Bro! I saw everything on TV! From start to finish, it was insane!”
“Ahem, this is father-son bonding time—”
“If you want to eat nothing but rice and kimchi tomorrow morning, keep talking.”
“…Shin-hyuk, go give your mother a hug too.”
“Pfft, yes, Mom.”
At So-yeon’s sharp words, In-gyun immediately surrendered.
Shin-hyuk was soon wrapped up by both his mother and little brother.
‘This feels nice.’
It was cramped and warm—but it felt like pure happiness.
Then—
Buzz!
“Your phone seems to be ringing. Go ahead and check it.”
“Ah, right.”
The vibration in his pocket interrupted the moment.
At first, Shin-hyuk frowned, but when he saw the sender, he couldn’t help but smile.
[Come to the Pyeongchang-dong residence tomorrow. – Grandpa]
It was from his grandfather, Choi Cheol-ho.
“Looks like I’ll have to go to Pyeongchang-dong tomorrow.”
“Your grandfather contacted you?”
“Yes. He wants to see his grandson. I can’t really refuse, can I?”
“…Haha. I never imagined you’d be called there outside of a family gathering.”
Leaving behind his stunned father, Shin-hyuk checked one more message—from Su-ah—then turned off his phone entirely.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
‘All strangers. No need to answer.’
To Shin-hyuk, who had once been called a useless all-rounder, Su-ah was his only real friend.
Everyone else contacting him now was just a hyena.
Without hesitation, he powered off his phone, ushered his family out of the room, and collapsed onto his bed.
“Oh right, this was still left.”
Before going to sleep, he pulled out the Random Box from his inventory.
Holding the gift-like box in his hands, he opened it with light expectations.
“I’m not asking for much. Just a legendary item would be nice.”
With that humble wish, he lifted the lid.
Flash!
“…Oh?”
Brilliant light poured out.
When it faded, only a single piece of armor remained.
“…Is this a joke?”
It looked utterly ordinary.
The only unusual thing was that the chest piece had something like a mouth on it.
Compared to the dazzling light, the result looked pathetically plain.
“Let’s at least check it before melting it down for scrap.”
And the moment he checked its information—
[Armor of Absorption]
Grade: Normal
An item that once held the power of a great demon, though that power has now faded.All Stats +5
This item can grow
“A growth-type item that gives +5 to all stats from the start? Just how powerful was this before it lost its power?”
Growth-type items were extremely rare.
And this one—despite being only Normal grade—granted absurd bonuses.
Even in his past life, Shin-hyuk had never encountered such a treasure.
“This is definitely a lifetime item. Equip.”
Clink!
The armor reshaped itself perfectly to fit his body.
More importantly, his stats skyrocketed.
“Everything went up by five. I can feel the difference immediately. At this rate, no one in Silver tier can touch me.”
All stats over 30.
Still just a starting line compared to others, but Shin-hyuk didn’t mind.
“Stat cap in Silver is 50. Most people average around 40. I can easily close that gap with my traits and skills.”
Versatility.
Countless skills.
And now Devour on top of it.
“From here on out, it’s nothing but explosive growth.”
Fully prepared, Shin-hyuk drifted off to sleep.
Tomorrow awaited something even more exhausting than the placement test—
A meeting with his grandfather, Choi Cheol-ho.
Pyeongchang-dong mansion.
A limousine smoothly came to a stop.
“…It’s been a long time since I rode one of these.”
“You’ll be using them often from now on, so get used to it.”
“…Thank you. Truly.”
As In-gyun touched the limousine emotionally, Shin-hyuk smiled.
“Grandfather’s waiting. Let’s go.”
“…Right.”
Inside the mansion, familiar faces greeted them.
“Uncle, Aunt. It’s been a while.”
“……Good job.”
“As expected of my nephew! Crushing Ju-ho like that—what a pride of Shinhwa Guild!”
“Hmph. Doesn’t seem like you inherited your parents’ blood.”
His relatives responded with varying degrees of warmth.
But before things could escalate—
“What are you all doing standing around? I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”
“Yes, Father.”
Choi Cheol-ho descended the stairs.
At the dining table, Shin-hyuk moved to sit beside his father.
But—
“Shin-hyuk, sit next to me. I want to eat while hearing about my grandson’s achievements.”
“……!!!”
With that single sentence, the family hierarchy shattered.
Shin-hyuk, once at the bottom, was suddenly placed at the very top.
Ignoring the stunned looks around him, he calmly sat beside his grandfather.
“Let’s eat.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“And tell me everything that happened.”
“Of course.”
And so Shin-hyuk began recounting his story.
And with that, a storm began to sweep through the once-stagnant Shinhwa family.
