Chapter 22
Player Training Ground.
Despite its simple and common name, this was a facility directly operated by the nation. It was a famous location visited by everyone from ordinary players to Diamond-tier players.
The reason was simple: there was no better place to test the abilities one gained as a player.
The training grounds were sturdy enough to withstand even the powers of Diamond-tier players. That alone made the place worth its reputation.
Naturally, a place of such enormous scale was crowded daily with countless players.
And today, Shin Hyuk appeared there.
“It’s Choi Shin Hyuk…”
“He hasn’t streamed for days, and it looked like he wasn’t even playing Dimension Arena. And now he shows up at the training ground?”
“Did something happen?”
“Whatever happened, he’s still a super rookie.”
“That’s true.”
As if proving that there was no player in South Korea who didn’t recognize him anymore, the players who had already gathered stared in astonishment at Shin Hyuk’s arrival.
The holy presence that appeared during the placement test.
The super rookie who captivated everyone with just a single match.
If you didn’t know him, you had no business calling yourself a player in South Korea.
Ignoring the countless gazes directed at him, Shin Hyuk entered the training ground.
The one who greeted him was the training center director.
“You’ve arrived, Player Choi Shin Hyuk.”
“It’s good to see you, Director Oh.”
The director, boasting visibly bulging muscles, was named Oh Sang-cheol.
A Diamond-tier active player and the director of the nationally managed training facility, he was a government-affiliated player. Shin Hyuk politely bowed.
Director Oh is a decent person.
Sang-cheol was a martial-type player known as the “Iron Man,” a Diamond-tier powerhouse recognized for both his skill and his hearty personality.
Even after the Unified League later diminished the status of Diamond-tier players, his network remained incredibly strong.
Even Shin Hyuk, after becoming a Challenger-tier player in his previous life, maintained a relationship with him.
As Shin Hyuk spoke with Sang-cheol and felt a bit of nostalgia—
“CHOI SHIN HYUK!!!”
“…?”
At the shout that echoed throughout the entire training ground, Shin Hyuk tilted his head and turned toward the source.
There stood a young man with a red, furious face—
“Lee Joo-ho?”
It was Lee Joo-ho, the eldest son of the Five Star Guild’s master, and the one who had been thoroughly defeated by Shin Hyuk during the placement test.
Seeing Shin Hyuk look at him with mild curiosity, Joo-ho strode forward angrily.
“That’s right. Lee Joo-ho. I’ve already reached Silver 2.”
“Oh? Already? Weren’t you placed in Bronze 1? That’s pretty fast.”
Because of Shin Hyuk, Lee Joo-ho had been eliminated early in the placement test and placed in Bronze 1.
However, thanks to his innate talent and immense wealth, he had quickly climbed to Silver 2. He did not hide his pride.
After all, there was only a one-tier difference between him and Shin Hyuk now.
The moment he entered Silver tier, he had consumed stat enhancement potions like water, maxing out the Silver League’s stat cap. His confidence was immense.
“I challenge you to a spar.”
“…A spar?”
“Yes. We’re both Silver tier, so there’s no issue, right?”
“That’s true.”
At the training ground, players often competed in spars to test each other’s abilities.
If their tiers weren’t different, the challenge was usually accepted. Even if there was a gap, it could proceed with mutual agreement.
With Silver 1 Shin Hyuk and Silver 2 Lee Joo-ho, there was no problem.
That smirk on his face… he’s definitely hiding something. But… it doesn’t matter.
Shin Hyuk could tell Joo-ho had prepared something.
Still—
“Sure. Let’s spar.”
He had no intention of refusing.
No matter what Joo-ho prepared or hid, Shin Hyuk had no fear of losing.
He’ll make a decent test subject for what I gained this time.
Someone like Lee Joo-ho was perfect for testing abilities that would feel excessive against ordinary players.
As they moved to a sparring chamber, Shin Hyuk glanced at the middle-aged man standing beside Joo-ho.
The Sword King, Lee Ho-seok. Joo-ho’s father and the Five Star Guild master. One of Korea’s few world-class players.
If Shin Hyuk was a super rookie known throughout Korea, Lee Ho-seok was known worldwide.
He was one of the Ten Strongest Players in the world—part of the Five Kings among the “Two Emperors, Three Sovereigns, Five Kings.”
Until Shin Hyuk rose to unmatched prominence in his previous life, Lee Ho-seok had maintained his prestige.
Originally, I wanted to fight him… That’s a bit disappointing.
A match against a top-tier Diamond player would have accelerated Shin Hyuk’s growth immensely.
With that lingering regret, Shin Hyuk stepped onto the arena.
“Ready to lose?” Joo-ho sneered.
“For just a spar? Isn’t that something challengers say?”
“Don’t act arrogant just because there’s only a one-tier difference!”
Lee Joo-ho had already equipped himself.
“Nice gear.”
“Even a Gold-tier player would lose to me now. Someone like you who doesn’t even properly play Dimension Arena stands no chance!”
His equipment was no joke.
At minimum, Rare grade.
And his weapon was Unique+ grade—a rarity even worldwide.
With maxed Silver stats (100 base) plus equipment bonuses, his total stats approached 200.
He’s strong, no doubt.
Close to 200 total stats.
Rare and Unique gear boosting both attack and defense.
That was the source of his confidence.
Shin Hyuk calmly equipped his own gear.
“…That’s all?” Joo-ho scoffed.
“Yep.”
“Does the Shinwha Group not have money?”
Shin Hyuk wore only:
-
Absorption Armor
-
Bang Se-jin’s Well-Crafted Holy Sword
Just two items.
It looked simple.
But Shin Hyuk didn’t care.
“Kkamak.”
He summoned his pet.
“Status window.”
[Status Window]
Name: Kkamak
Strength: 21
Vitality: 16
Intelligence: 11
Mana: 18
Trait: Equipment Transformation
“Good enough.”
The stats were low, and there was only one trait—but that was sufficient.
When transformed into equipment, it granted roughly half its stats.
Meaning nearly +10 to all stats.
“Equipment Transformation.”
—Caw!
With a fluttering sound, Kkamak transformed into a feathered scarf-like cloak.
Shin Hyuk equipped it and casually pointed his sword at Joo-ho.
“I’m ready. Come.”
“If you want to be humiliated in front of everyone, so be it!”
Joo-ho charged.
His speed exceeded visual tracking.
But—
I studied all your combat footage. And with the Sword King Style Father taught me, I cannot lose!
For days, while Shin Hyuk was unconscious, Joo-ho had dissected his Dimension Arena footage.
He believed the match would be unfair in his favor.
But—
“Stats are just lubricant. They help you move better and hit harder. What truly matters is how well you use what you have. And in that regard… your Sword King Style is terrible, Lee Joo-ho.”
“…!”
That was only Joo-ho’s assumption.
Shin Hyuk knew him well.
And he knew Lee Ho-seok’s Sword King Style even better.
Because in his previous life, he had clawed his way up from below.
In a single strike, Shin Hyuk dismantled the Sword King Style.
His blade pierced toward Joo-ho’s heart.
“Twisting Thrust.”
Clang—!
Choi Shin Hyuk Style, Chapter 1 — Twisting Thrust.
The blade drove precisely into Joo-ho’s heart.
“Guh—! Cough!”
“You should thank your rich father. Without that armor, you’d be dead.”
If not for his Unique-grade armor, he would have died.
Joo-ho collapsed, coughing violently.
Shin Hyuk then smiled faintly at Lee Ho-seok, whose face had gone rigid.
“May I request a lesson from a friend’s father?”
“…You brat. Fine. I’ll teach you properly—the gap between you and me.”
From the beginning, Shin Hyuk’s eyes had been on Lee Ho-seok.
Lee Joo-ho?
He was no longer worthy of being called an opponent.
Sensing Shin Hyuk’s gaze all along, Lee Ho-seok rolled up the sleeves of his suit and stepped onto the arena.
Shin Hyuk’s provocation had worked perfectly.
