To acquire the SSS-rank skill known as 'Nameless Divine Arts', one needed to have 30 points in Martial Power, and to have that Martial Power stat, you needed to have JiHan's F-rank Gift, 'Wanderer's Eye.'
[Your Martial Power has increased to level 30.]
[The constellation 'Wandering Martial God' has detected you through its fragment.]
'The 'fragment' probably refers to the Wanderer's Eye.'
His Gift, which had a vague description, had hidden descriptions as well, just like Sae-ah's.
Gift: Wanderer's Eye (Rank F)
- Can analyze other players well.
- Contains a fragment of the constellation 'Wandering Martial God'.
- You can use Dongfang Shuo's items.
'Wandering Martial God' was his constellation in his previous life, so JiHan had good memories of him.
Unlike other players who struggled because of their constellations, 'Wandering Martial God' hadn't requested much from him.
Instead, once the time came, it silently passed him the SSS-rank skill 'Nameless Divine Arts' and even granted him the title he used until the end, [Successor of the Martial God].
The contract with the Wandering Martial God constellation was beneficial to JiHan.
'I should make a contract with him again.'
['Wandering Martial God' is watching you…]
An additional system message appeared, and JiHan felt a gray light enveloping his entire body before his body absorbed it.
['Wandering Martial God' is starting the procedure of recognizing player Sung JiHan as his successor…]
[The skill 'Nameless Divine Arts' is being passed on.]
Things were going the same way as in his previous life. He smiled and waited for 'Nameless Divine Arts' to be registered in his skill window. Although he could use it anyway, having it registered in his skill window would make it easier to use and more powerful.
[The basic martial arts, Three Talents, is being registered…]
[Footwork, Lightning Thunder Step is being registered…]
The base of the Nameless Divine Arts, the Three Talents, and the Lightning Thunder Steps were being registered, but at that moment…
"Hmm?"
BZZT-!
Sparks flew from the light around JiHan's body.
['Wandering Martial God' frowns.]
The system message started to show a different reaction compared to his previous life.
['Wandering Martial God' has realized that player Sung JiHan already unlocked the three elixir fields.]
['Wandering Martial God' is extremely cautious about player 'Sung JiHan'.]
['Wandering Martial God' has canceled passing on his martial arts.]
"What…?!" JiHan was taken aback by the sudden stream of messages.
'An omnipotent being within Battle Net is wary of me having unlocked the three elixir fields?'
Wandering Martial God's strange behavior didn't stop there.
['Wandering Martial God' has terminated the connection to player 'Sung JiHan'.]
['Wandering Martial God' has retrieved the 'Wanderer's Eye' Gift from player 'Sung JiHan'.]
He even took back the 'Wanderer's Eye', which was a fragment of the Martial God.
[The skill 'Nameless Divine Arts' has been passed on in an incomplete state.]
'Incomplete?' JiHan opened his skill window.
[Nameless Divine Arts]
- Skill Rank: S
- Contains only a fragment of Nameless Divine Arts.
- Contains only the basic techniques of Three Talents and Lightning Thunder Step.
- Upon mastering the essence of the martial arts, you can restore Nameless Divine Arts to its true self.
It had gone two ranks lower, from SSS to S. Moreover, the only techniques he could use were the Three Talents and the Lightning Thunder Step, which he could already perform anyway.
"Haa…" JiHan had never been that flustered during his second life.
To think that the constellation who'd been so generous during his previous life was acting like that…
That wasn't the only bad news.
"Status Window."
[Gift -]
His Gift had truly been retrieved. 'Wanderer's Eye' wasn't there anymore.
[You've reached Level 25 without a Gift.]
[You've cleared the special achievement 'Graduating Bronze Without Talent'.]
[You've earned 10,000 achievement points.]
[You've been selected for the 'Top 100' without a gift.]
[You've cleared the special achievement 'Be Selected For Top 100 Without Talent'.]
[You've earned 30,000 achievement points.]
As soon as the Gift disappeared, it was judged that he'd cleared some special achievements, which earned him a whopping 40,000 achievement points.
It was a sudden jackpot, but JiHan's expression was stiff.
'This will distort my plans.'
Didn't that make waiting for level 25 meaningless?
"Haa." JiHan sighed and circulated the energy within the three elixir fields.
Why was 'Wandering Martial God' so scared of that?
JiHan was making his Force and Ki circulate throughout his body when…
'What's this…?'
He felt an alien sensation inside that blended perfectly with his own energy, but it was clearly something different.
He cautiously felt that energy.
'So it's here.'
That 'something' was very secretly hidden inside the upper elixir field.
If JiHan hadn't used Force and Martial Power simultaneously, and if he didn't have his previous memories, he would've never detected it.
'I don't know why I can feel this, but…'
It probably had something to do with what had just happened.
When he figured out where the alien energy was located, JiHan used his Force to start a major cleanup.
"Ugh…"
He felt an intense pain in his left eye.
Tsss-
A deep, gray smoke started to leak out.
"What's this…?"
It was the same color as the light when 'Wandering Martial God' tried to make him his successor. JiHan instinctively felt that the light and the smoke were the same energy.
'Maybe it's a fragment that the constellation couldn't retrieve?'
Maybe the constellation hadn't been able to fully retrieve all of his energy.
As he thought about that, more system messages appeared.
[You've fully removed the remnants of 'Wandering Martial God'.]
[Player Sung JiHan is completely free from the constellation's control.]
[From now on, you can be sponsored by other constellations.]
"Free?" JiHan's expression stiffened.
If the system message was true, did that mean he'd been under the control of the Wandering Martial God all that time?
'I never felt that during my previous life.'
However, the system messages didn't lie. According to what it said, the Gift must have been controlling him to some extent.
"To think I didn't realize this yet…"
He'd praised 'Wandering Martial God' as someone who gave without taking anything in return.
['Wandering Martial God' has become even warier of player 'Sung JiHan'.]
['Wandering Martial God' has hurriedly hidden his traces.]
"Why is the constellation acting like this?"
From the incoming messages, it seemed as if the constellation was fleeing in fear from a Bronze.
Even if he was a wanderer, wasn't he a martial god? Why would someone of such caliber act like that?
Everything was only getting more confusing.
"The good thing is that there's another way."
Maybe the 'Shadow Queen' constellation knew something.
JiHan was looking forward to the 25th. He needed to successfully clear both the promotion match and the epic quest.
"Aah! I failed again!"
Within Twin Star Guild's Director's room, HaYeon was grabbing her hair.
"I could have won! Ugh…"
"Miss… Please, stop gambling. This is my 183rd time saying it this year."
"No… Just thinking about what I've lost makes it impossible to give up… I'll win and retire…"
GaYeong's face darkened. That person was truly a lost cause.
"Moreover, your recent win rate seems to have worsened."
"Haa… could you be quiet?"
"Excluding the hint JiHan gave you, you've lost everything."
"Ugh! I should've put in more money! I only used a little… To think it would multiply 37 times…"
"Oh, 37 times? Then you must have made a lot of money."
"No. I put more money on Japan's victory…" HaYeon mumbled with a sulky look.
It would have been her chance to hit the jackpot. Having missed that chance when it was right in front of her made her heart ache.
Every time she communicated with JiHan, she remembered that missed chance, which irritated her.
"Haa… Can't I get a huge one?"
"Miss, your family is well off, so why are you like this? You're from the Twin Star family."
"I want to become independent. GaYeong, have you seen my fiance candidates?"
"…" GaYeong was lost for words.
Matching HaYeon's social standing, people from other rich families put forward as possible partners were terrible. Most men from those wealthy families looked good by average people's standards, but that wasn't the case with the people who were HaYeon's potential fiances.
"Well… In a capitalist society, isn't having a lot of money the best?"
"Right?! Even if your husband weighs 0.15 tons or even if he cheats on you with not one but seven other women, as long as he's rich, isn't that great?"
"Th-that's not the case, but…"
"Well, it isn't just because of the engagement. It's my situation overall. I want to become independent."
Slide-
HaYeon brushed her hair back and sighed. "To do that, I need money."
"But is the only way to get that money through gambling?"
"It isn't gambling. It's Battle Net match prediction analysis!"
"Why don't you just accept that it's gambling?"
"Anyway…" HaYeon anxiously bit her nails.
"It's already too late. I've lost too much… I need to make up for this, somehow."
"Ahh…"
They were the words of a typical gambling addict.
GaYeong looked at HaYeon with a concerned expression.
How could she help? Although she was working for her, they had grown together since childhood, so they were like sisters.
GaYeong wanted to help HaYeon find her path.
Ding-!
At that moment, a message appeared on HaYeon's phone.
"Oh, it's Mr. Sung!"
"To think he'd contact the Miss first. What a surprise."
"No! This is normal. What was abnormal was the situation until now. Pretending to be all high and mighty… Fufufu~"
Making a triumphant smile, HaYeon unlocked her phone.
As she did that…
[I heard you lost a lot of money last time. I wanted to know if you're okay.]
[I'm going to give you another prediction that will aid you.]
[I've been selected for the 'Top 100 Bronze' promotion match that will be held on August 25th.]
[1st place - Sung JiHan]
[Most Kills - Sung JiHan]
[If you bet like this, you'll make up for all of your losses in one go.]
As JiHan sent another match prediction message, GaYeong, who was reading the messages from behind, exclaimed in surprise.
"Wait… He's already going to participate in a promotion match?"
"Yes… He mentioned it on his Battle Tube channel yesterday."
"That's ridiculous… Also, he seems too confident," GaYeong said with disbelief.
"It's understandable." HaYeon's eyes were sparkling dangerously at the message.
"This… is an opportunity…"