All‑Master Who Regressed to Bronze - Chapter 71

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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All Master Who Regressed to Bronze Episode 071

 

“Hwanggeum-jeong. It’s been a while since I’ve been here too.”

 

Cafe, Hwanggeum-jeong.

 

The massive 5-story cafe located in Gangnam was naturally not an ordinary cafe.

 

As a cafe frequented by high-ranking officials and players from various countries for secret meetings, countless talents had been leaked to foreign countries from this place.

 

It was true in the past, it was true now, and it would be true in the future.

 

The reason Shin Hyeok knew this fact?

 

It wasn’t anything special.

 

“How many times did I receive offers? I stopped counting after about 5 times.”

 

Because Shin Hyeok had also received offers from them at Hwanggeum-jeong.

 

He had received so many offers that he stopped counting after the fifth time – Shin Hyeok was such a big catch that the entire world was drooling over him.

 

But Shin Hyeok remained in Korea.

 

It wasn’t particularly because of affection, but because what was important to Shin Hyeok at that time were friends and family, not wealth and honor.

 

Anyway, coming back to Hwanggeum-jeong after his regression gave him strange feelings.

 

Ding-

 

“Welcome. A guest is waiting for you in Room 1.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The massive 5-story cafe was completely empty.

 

Accepting as natural that only one person was seated there just to meet him, Shin Hyeok took large steps toward Room 1.

 

Room 1 of Hwanggeum-jeong.

 

This was the largest and most luxurious place within Hwanggeum-jeong, so only players who were truly considered important could be invited here.

 

It was an invitation that any player considering naturalization would desperately want, as it was well-known content, but Shin Hyeok opened the door to Room 1 with indifference.

 

Creak-

 

Opening the elaborate wooden sliding door and entering, Shin Hyeok could see the Chinese Player Bureau Minister with a generous impression who had arrived first and was waiting for him.

 

“I’m Wang Chunping. Last time there were too many people, so we couldn’t have a proper introduction.”

 

“I’m Shin-hyeok Choi.”

 

At the words of the Chinese Player Bureau Minister who introduced himself as Wang Chunping, Shin Hyeok also introduced himself and shook hands lightly.

 

After each finished their introductions.

 

A cup of tea was placed in front of both Shin Hyeok and Wang Chunping.

 

“This is West Lake Longjing tea. Premium grade at that. It’s tea that’s unanimously praised as being worth millions of won per cup.”

 

“I’ll enjoy it.”

 

Longjing tea.

 

Among Chinese traditional teas, it was the most popularly well-known, and yet as a high-end product, its value was incredibly fierce, but Shin Hyeok didn’t care and picked up the teacup to down it in one shot.

 

“No, that precious thing…”

 

Leaving behind Wang Chunping’s dazed face at seeing millions of won disappear in one gulp, Shin Hyeok even gargled with cold water to soothe his burning mouth, then looked at Wang Chunping.

 

Wang Chunping was stunned by Shin Hyeok’s behavior of not only drinking in one gulp what should have been sipped slowly to taste and savor, but also erasing the remaining taste in his mouth with cold water, but Shin Hyeok didn’t care.

 

“Let’s get straight to the point.”

 

“…Hehe, you’re quite an impatient fellow. Well, you were like that at the press conference too. Alright, since you say so, I won’t bother with flowery words either. Come to our homeland. A small country like Korea has too small a vessel to contain a big shot like you.”

 

Wang Chunping’s philtrum trembled, but he endured it with patience and made a naturalization proposal to Shin Hyeok.

 

He had made disparaging remarks about Korea, Shin Hyeok’s homeland, right to his face, but Shin Hyeok’s expression didn’t even twitch.

 

Thinking that Shin Hyeok was somewhat interested in naturalization, Wang Chunping smiled slowly and spoke.

 

“Our homeland welcomes players like you. Above all, a small country like Korea provides poor support for players. They’ve never harbored a player like you, so they don’t even know how to provide support. It’s like holding a diamond in the rough but not knowing how to cut it properly.”

 

“Are you saying China is different?”

 

“Of course! Our great nation has as many as two Emperor-class players. And they serve our great nation with loyalty. Naturally, they spare no time and effort in caring for players who belong to the same fold. That’s no different for our homeland either.”

 

“I see.”

 

Wang Chunping delivered a long speech about China’s greatness and the players who supported it.

 

While giving appropriate responses and nodding for a while.

 

“The materials we provided to place orders with Sinwha Workshop this time. We have materials piled up like mountains, several times more than those. And there are also various elixirs made by research institutes and pharmaceutical companies under the Chinese government. How about it? Isn’t it interesting?”

 

Wang Chunping began to seriously entice Shin Hyeok by mentioning massive crafting materials and elixirs.

 

But Shin Hyeok wasn’t particularly interested.

 

“I also have plenty of materials. I have many legendary-grade materials, and even more unique-grade materials. Moreover, as orders for Sinwha Workshop pile up, the inventory will only increase, not decrease. And the same goes for elixirs. The elixirs made by Paracelsus under my guild are sufficient.”

 

“…”

 

Because everything he had offered was already in Shin Hyeok’s hands.

 

Wang Chunping couldn’t refute that and closed his mouth.

 

But he didn’t give up.

 

“Can those who swallow when sweet and spit when bitter truly be called family?”

 

“…”

 

“I learned this while investigating you. Until you awakened as a player, you and your family were like complete strangers, perfectly excluded from Shinwha Group. Aren’t you resentful of the country called Korea where such people are firmly established? I’ll give you a chance for perfect revenge against them. Everything you have can be perfectly transferred to our homeland if you wish. If that happens, they’ll pay the price for the humiliation and contempt you and your family have long endured.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Family.

 

He had mentioned how Choi Cheolho, Shin Hyeok’s grandfather, had personally stepped forward to exclude Shin Hyeok’s family within Shinwha Group.

 

This part was certainly a painful point.

 

Revenge? Anger?

 

Shin Hyeok naturally harbored such feelings too.

 

But-

 

“It’s going to become mine anyway, so why would I need to do that?”

 

“…What?”

 

“My grandfather is someone who clearly separates public and private matters. As excellent as I am, Shinwha Group will gradually pass to me. In that process, those who ignored and oppressed my family will naturally be expelled, I’m confident of that.”

 

“Hah.”

 

“And about revenge… it can’t be called proper revenge if you borrow someone else’s hands.”

 

“…”

 

Wang Chunping was left speechless by the chillingly cold gaze.

 

A tingling and chilling feeling as if lightning had struck the top of his head.

 

Looking at the quieted Wang Chunping, Shin Hyeok leaned back against the backrest, pulling his forward-leaning body back.

 

“And swallowing when sweet and spitting when bitter isn’t something only our family does.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Guangdong Province, Tianxia Workshops, Liu Feng.”

 

“…!!! How do you know that name!!!”

 

“Well, I have my ways of knowing. Anyway, there was an incident where he, who was naturalized from Taiwan, suddenly died under mysterious circumstances. I think I can’t go because I’m afraid of such things. Well, did he drink black tea? That’s not important though.”

 

Guangdong Province, Tianxia Workshops, Liu Feng.

 

Wang Chunping spoke as if having a seizure at these three words.

 

Shin Hyeok shrugged his shoulders and mocked him.

 

“…Interesting. So you have that level of intelligence gathering. But think carefully. Mysterious deaths don’t only happen in our homeland.”

 

“Oh, are you perhaps thinking of causing mysterious deaths in Korea too? Are you confident?”

 

At Shin Hyeok’s nonchalant appearance, Wang Chunping smiled coldly and came out in earnest.

 

Since Shin Hyeok wasn’t someone who wouldn’t understand the implied meaning in the statement that mysterious deaths that only occurred in China could also be shown in Korea, Shin Hyeok also smiled back at him.

 

A tense battle of wills.

 

At the end of it, Wang Chunping realized there was nothing more to discuss and gathered his things to stand up.

 

“Please take care of your health.”

 

“Yes, you don’t need to worry since I’m only eating healthy things.”

 

“…Let’s see how long that spirit of yours lasts.”

 

The greeting felt like an assassination threat, but Shin Hyeok didn’t bother to respond and just smiled broadly.

 

Bang!

 

“Geez, if you want to break the door, just say so. Why do it with actions?”

 

Looking at the spot where Wang Chunping, who had slammed the sliding door hard enough to crack it, had disappeared while sipping cold water, Shin Hyeok erased the smile he had been wearing and showed a chillingly expressionless face.

 

“When will they come?”

 

The trap had already been cast, and the question was when they would take the bait.

 

Thinking this while leaning against the backrest and rocking his body back and forth, Shin Hyeok suddenly stood up.

 

“Let’s go eat. If they’re going to call me, they should call me to a restaurant, not a cafe where there’s nothing to eat. Really, no sense.”

 

Since he hadn’t eaten anything from before his sparring with Su-a until now, Shin Hyeok went to the kimchi stew restaurant that made the most delicious food in this area.

 

“Grandmother. I’ll have kimchi stew for two people with extra ramen noodles added.”

 

“Oh my, isn’t that too much for a young man eating alone?”

 

“It’s fine. I naturally eat large portions.”

 

“Then I can put plenty of meat in it. Eat to your heart’s content.”

 

After placing his order as naturally as flowing water.

 

Shin Hyeok ate the kimchi stew until his stomach was about to burst, then skillfully popped some mint candies from the counter into his mouth before leaving the restaurant.

 

“It’s gradually getting dark.”

 

Was it because he ate such a large amount?

 

Or was it because the conversation ran a bit long and he ate dinner late?

 

By the time Shin Hyeok finished his meal and came out, it had already been dusk for quite a while.

 

Moreover, since the kimchi stew restaurant Shin Hyeok had visited was located in a secluded area uncharacteristic of Gangnam, the darkness felt even deeper.

 

However, Shin Hyeok instead strode boldly toward that deep darkness.

 

Eventually, Shin Hyeok arrived at an abandoned construction site.

 

The darkness situated behind Gangnam’s glamorous facade.

 

This was darkness that had existed even before the appearance of Dimension Arena, and it was darkness that had grown even thicker when Dimension Arena appeared and monsters began manifesting in the world.

 

Anyway, after standing idly for a moment at the long-abandoned construction site.

 

“Come out. I know everything. Two guys on the 3rd floor, three guys on the 2nd floor, and on the 1st floor… Whew, twelve? Quite a lot came.”

 

At Shin Hyeok’s words, having detected all the hidden figures simply by lightly using Mana Detection [C], people dressed in black outfits emerged en masse from the abandoned construction site.

 

Though Shin Hyeok was instantly surrounded by nearly twenty people, his eyes remained coldly sunken without even the slightest tremor.

 

Swish!

 

The moment Shin Hyeok instantly pulled out equipment from his inventory and equipped it, establishing himself as a Player.

 

“Attack.”

 

With the quiet command from what appeared to be the leader in black, nearly twenty assassins charged toward Shin Hyeok.

 

Seeing this, Shin Hyeok welcomed them with a smile.

 

“Colosseum.”

 

“…!!!”

 

Rumble rumble rumble rumble!

 

In an instant, the battlefield transformed from an abandoned construction site into a massive colosseum.

 

The colosseum’s barrier walls shot up from the ground.

 

When bewilderment spread through the emotionless eyes of the assassins trapped within.

 

[Status Abnormality: Colosseum’s Intimidation has been generated.]

 

[All stats decrease by 20%.]

 

“…Crazy!”

 

“I heard about it, but it was real?”

 

Another despair struck them.

 

It was natural for the assassins to be bewildered, as not only had the battlefield changed from an abandoned factory where they had set up all kinds of traps to a colosseum, but the colosseum’s debuff was layered on top of that.

 

However, he intended to show them hell.

 

“I’ll show you basement dwellers what a real bottom looks like. Summon Familiar.”

 

“I was waiting.”

 

Skill: Summon Familiar following Skill: Colosseum.

 

The summoned Tarkan reliably filled the spot beside Shin Hyeok.

 

It didn’t end there.

 

[Buff: Colosseum’s Companion has been applied.]

 

[All stats increase by 30%.]

 

“Ah, this cool sensation. It’s been a while. Is it time to return as Tarkan, Champion of the Colosseum?”

 

“Technically you’re Companion of the Colosseum. Well, it’s not important.”

 

Buff: Colosseum’s Companion was applied to Tarkan, increasing all his stats by 30%.

 

However, even that was far insufficient compared to Shin Hyeok’s buff.

 

[Buff: Master of the Colosseum has been applied.]

 

[All stats: 50% increase.]

 

“Because I’m the real deal.”

 

Crack crack crack!

 

A whopping 50% buff.

 

Especially unlike when he used it in the Integrated Gold League, Shin Hyeok’s current stats belonged to the mid-tier among Platinum, so the efficiency itself was incomparable.

 

All preparations were complete, and only one thing remained.

 

“Kill them all. Ah, since we need to extract their backers, don’t kill them all. Leave a few alive.”

 

“So be it.”

 

Twenty-some assassins.

 

He would simply bring down the disaster named Shin Hyeok upon them.

 

Of course, beside that disaster was also a minor disaster called Tarkan.

 

The two disasters began combat simultaneously without either taking the lead.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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