Marriage Proposal — Part 2
Seong Huiyeong is undeniably attractive.
With a face as beautiful as her top-star mother’s and a body exuding sensuality, she has both elegance and allure.
And what about her abilities?
She’s already level 7 and the head of a conglomerate.
Not just a second or third-generation chaebol, but the chairwoman herself.
In terms of conditions, there’s nothing more perfect in South Korea.
The problem lies in her personality.
She’s the spitting image of the previous Chairman, now a near-corpse.
A person who sees others not as people but as numbers, someone deeply authoritarian and consumed by a thirst for power.
Can such a person even be called human?
It would be more accurate to call her a monster.
I looked at Seong Huiyeong directly.
Her crescent-shaped eyes and neat, white teeth were undoubtedly lovely.
There was no doubt that Seong Huiyeong genuinely wanted me.
I could feel her sincerity.
But beneath that transparent gaze burned a sinister ambition.
It wasn’t a blind, pure love; it was a hunger to possess me and soar to even greater heights of power that made me hesitate.
“I’m sorry.”
And so, I refused.
“Thank you so much for the honor, but I must decline.”
Her expression twisted for a moment.
Seong Huiyeong’s face morphed, glaring at me like a vengeful spirit.
“Why? You’re not even seeing anyone. What’s wrong with me?”
I paused to gather my thoughts.
We’re not a good match. You’ll find someone better…
Clichés like that came to mind, but I dismissed them all.
At the very least, Seong Huiyeong had confessed her feelings sincerely.
So I needed to show her a bit of my own sincerity in return.
“You’re not my type.”
“What did you just say? Ha! Unbelievable. That’s your reason? Do people like us, people at our level, even care about something as trivial as preferences?”
“It matters to me.”
I stayed silent for a moment before speaking.
“If I’m going to date someone, or marry someone, it will be with a person who sees only me. Not someone who sees me as a tool to consolidate power or a stepping stone for connections, like you do.”
Seong Huiyeong trembled slightly.
A tool to consolidate power and a stepping stone for connections.
There was no way she could deny it.
Sure, she might have liked me as a man, but without those reasons, she would never have proposed to me.
Her eyes gleamed with cold hostility.
“That’s the issue? How naïve of you. You’re completely stuck in a commoner’s mindset. As a high-level superhuman, you need to change your way of thinking. No matter how skilled you are, you can’t rise without a foundation and connections!”
“Yes, that’s true. And I already have as much of both as I need.”
I tapped my Black Tiger Sword.
Then, I puffed out my chest, making the two holy knight insignias and the Protector Alliance badge gleam in the light.
The energy in Seong Huiyeong’s eyes faded.
Her once-proud shoulders slumped, and for the first time, she looked less like the chairwoman of a conglomerate and more like an ordinary girl my age.
“I can’t believe it… over something like that…”
“It’s simple. I don’t want to be used.”
This was my true sentiment.
In business, relationships are built on mutual benefit, where both parties gain—what’s commonly called a win-win relationship.
But should love and marriage follow the same principle?
Maybe that’s how it works for the upper class, where arranged marriages are the norm.
But as for me…
Despite everything I had been through, I couldn’t completely abandon the mindset I had from my original world.
Especially when it came to relationships.
Because I had been utterly betrayed.
By the woman I loved the most. By the woman I gave my whole heart to.
A bitter smirk crossed my lips.
‘I’d rather live alone than be betrayed again.’
Even the woman who approached me with pure intentions in my original world turned out that way.
What about Seong Huiyeong?
A woman whose feelings were half love, half calculation?
It was clear that, if circumstances turned unfavorable, she would have no hesitation in cutting me off.
I had no desire to marry someone like that.
“You don’t want to be used…”
Seong Huiyeong let out a bitter laugh.
“I understand. I was wrong. Warrior Kim—or should I say Black Tiger Swordmaster—you must have your own principles. Please forget about tonight.”
With that, she turned away.
As if it didn’t matter, she stared out the window, at the city lights in the distance.
I couldn’t hear her breathing.
She had suppressed her nervous system through her neural implants to keep her body from reacting.
…Most likely to suppress her tears.
It stung a little.
But I had no intention of taking back my words.
From the very beginning, Seong Huiyeong and I were pieces that didn’t fit together.
“Get some rest.”
I closed the door gently behind me and stepped outside.
This was supposed to be a soundproofed room protected by magical formations.
Yet, was it just my imagination that I heard faint sobbing behind me?
Closing my eyes, I let out a long sigh.
“Why are you coming out already?”
As I passed through the multi-layered security doors, the agents outside gave me strange looks.
It seemed they had anticipated something happening tonight.
I shook my head.
“Let the President know I’m leaving first.”
“You’re leaving? At this hour?”
“Yes. I’ve left my house empty for far too long. Take care.”
I woke up the SUV that had been sitting in the underground parking lot for days.
Vroom!
With a powerful engine roar, the SUV sped off.
The moonlight was unusually bright that night.
Was I feeling regretful?
The image of Seong Huiyeong’s smile under the moonlight and the curve of her body as she turned away flickered in my mind.
“Sigh.”
Why was I still thinking about it after rejecting her?
Of course, the reason was simple.
I’m a man.
My body is that of a young man in his early twenties, brimming with vitality.
What else would you expect from someone who would react just by holding a woman’s hand?
When a beautiful woman flirts with you with a smile, how could you not think about it?
[Einherjar Cultivation Technique] [Indomitable] [Mana Soul]
[Resolve] [Purification] [Focus]
If I hadn’t equipped these traits from the moment she called me to her bedroom, I might have given in to my desires and taken her that night.
Seong Huiyeong would have feigned helplessness, spent the night with me, and then demanded I take responsibility.
That way, she’d have tethered me to the Geumo Group, calling me her husband but turning me into little more than a glorified servant, scraping the ground to meet her whims.
Refusing her was the right choice a hundred times over.
So why did it feel so disappointing?
“Ah, seriously.”
I jabbed my finger into my thigh.
[One Point]
The sharp pain, enough to draw blood, cleared my mind instantly.
Right. Who cares about women?
Life is meant to be lived alone.
Focus on training.
I needed to get stronger.
To survive. To withstand the hurricane of episodes that would soon sweep through.
To start, I picked up the hat and belt.
The Geumo Helmet and Geumo Belt.
These were rewards I received for participating in the team battle and assisting with training.
With the Geumo Shoes I already had, I now had the full Geumo set.
I removed the detection helmet I’d been wearing and unclasped the mana-concentration belt before equipping the new items one by one.
As I did, my mind cleared, and it felt as if a layer of secrets was peeled away from the world.
At the same time, my mana surged, and strength flooded my body.
The abilities of [Geumo Sight] and [Geumo Reinforcement].
[Geumo Sight] provided mental protection and enhanced detection capabilities, while [Geumo Reinforcement] amplified mana and physical attributes.
And the set bonus added one more trait.
[Geumo]
Its effect was simple: an increase to all stats.
As proof, energy coursed through my entire body.
My movements felt lighter, my mind sharper, and my mana incredibly powerful, flowing through my circuits like molten lava.
If you looked closely, you could even see a faint orange glow on my skin.
It was a kind of intangible barrier.
Similarly, if I punched or swung a sword, that orange aura would envelop my attacks, causing even greater damage to my opponents.
That’s the benefit of a boost to all stats—not just physical abilities like strength, agility, or resilience, but also offense, defense, resistance, and mobility.
‘This is why it’s SSR-grade.’
There was one last thing to do.
When I returned home, I lay on my bed and began swapping traits.
[Swordsmanship] [One Point] [Slash]
[Quick Draw] [Parry] [Deflection]
Finally, the six traits I’d been gathering were complete.
I had lagged behind my gunslinger build by quite a bit.
At lower levels, guns were naturally stronger than swords.
Now, though, even if I picked up the Dasan Rifle, my sword was undeniably more powerful.
I closed my eyes.
As my heart pounded, I focused on my mana circuits.
They were already riddled with cracks.
I visualized them merging into one cohesive whole.
It didn’t take long.
And it didn’t hurt either.
Just like when I transitioned from my gunslinger build, my mana circuits splintered apart and then reformed into one unified flow.
[Swordsmanship Expert]
The surroundings were silent.
My mind settled into a calm stillness.
Quietly, I drew the Black Tiger Sword.
The weapon that always felt awkward and unwieldy in my grip was different now.
It felt as if it were an extension of my arm, perfectly synchronized with me.
Swish!
I swung the sword experimentally.
I could feel the wind.
It was as though the sword had become an extension of my senses, the cold winter air brushing against its surface now seeping into my heart with a chilling clarity.
Excitement bubbled up within me.
I stabbed, slashed, twisted, struck, and swept the blade.
A spontaneous sword dance emerged.
In the reflection of the glass window, my movements looked surprisingly refined.
“Not bad.”
If I added a sword aura to this, it’d look even better.
Now, what else did I need?
I’d just formed the Swordsmanship Expert trait. I already had [Flash] and [Severing Moon]. Sword aura would come naturally as I kept fighting.
Suddenly, fatigue hit me like a wave.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t slept in over three days.
Lately, I’d been running nonstop.
Originally, I planned to take a long rest after returning to Korea, but Seong Huiyeong’s arrival had disrupted that plan entirely.
I decided to take a break for a few days.
Humans aren’t made of steel.
Rest is necessary when it’s needed.
Finally, I crawled into my own bed and drifted off.
With my sanctuary spell activated twice over and all security devices fully engaged, silence as still as death enveloped me.
The blissful weight of sleep pressed down on my eyelids.
And for the first time in a long while, I truly rested.
I slept for what felt like nearly two days straight.
Even then, I lazed around in bed for a while longer.
I ended up watching a movie for the first time in ages.
Someone had stocked the fridge with popcorn and cola, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
“Hahaha!”
The movie I picked was a lighthearted slapstick comedy.
Was it because this world was different?
Action films here felt more like gorefests, science-fiction fantasy movies were disturbingly bizarre, and romance films were basically chaotic harems with five or ten love interests.
Comedy was the safest bet.
Specifically, classic slapstick in the vein of Charlie Chaplin.
Even then, I had to choose carefully. Otherwise, I’d end up watching something ten times more outrageous than Japanese variety shows from my original world.
“Ugh…”
After finishing the movie, I flipped through hundreds of TV channels.
But there was nothing worth watching.
While talking and working with the people here, I hadn’t noticed as much.
But the stark difference in cultural codes between my world and this one became painfully apparent.
‘I don’t exactly want to go home…’
After all, a cramped 2-pyeong studio back home couldn’t compare to this spacious mansion.
That is, as long as survival wasn’t a concern.
‘All I need to do is take down the Old Father’s Cult, destroy the Truth Mage Tower, and crush the Hyper-Dimension. Simple, right? Totally simple.’
This was the thought I kept having lately.
Humans are creatures of adaptation.
Maybe staying here was better than going back to my original world.
Even if I returned, I’d still be a lonely, broke bachelor with nothing to my name.
[A new chairwoman has been inaugurated at Geumo Group. Today, Chairwoman Seong Huiyeong held her inauguration ceremony, where she…]
Ah, so she officially took over.
I watched the broadcast of the inauguration ceremony while rolling around on my bed.
Standing at the podium, Seong Huiyeong exuded an aura as sharp as a blade.
The Geumo set completion seemed to radiate through her entire body, with an orange aura enveloping her, making her presence even more striking.
Even the announcer covering the broadcast couldn’t hide their admiration.
‘She doesn’t hold a grudge against me, does she?’
They say even frost falls in midsummer when a woman holds a grudge…
The thought made me feel uneasy for no reason.
No, it couldn’t be.
In the game, Seong Huiyeong often displayed a broad-minded and magnanimous attitude.
Of course, that was when she was already in her 30s and married.
[Beep-beep-beep!]
For the first time in a while, my smartphone rang.
It was Manager Choi.
[Superhuman! Did the mission succeed? I’m watching the inauguration ceremony right now!]
“It succeeded.”
[I heard you won four consecutive duels twice and played a decisive role in the team battle as well!]
“That’s accurate.”
[Wow, honestly… Superhuman, you’re incredible. Every time I see you, I think you should always be considered one level higher than your actual rank.]
“Well, that’s almost true. Even I think I’m quite strong.”
[Haha! Not just strong—you’re unbelievably strong! At this rate, are you going to beat a level 7 superhuman next?]
“Oh, that would be difficult.”
By level 7, most superhumans have their six high-tier traits fully developed.
Some even have top-tier traits.
Unless it’s someone unpolished like Seong Huiyeong from a few days ago, it’s nearly impossible for me to win.
In fact, if Seong Huiyeong had fought me from a distance of about a kilometer, even I wouldn’t have been able to defeat her.
[But you know…]
Manager Choi’s voice lowered.
[Have you heard the news about the Sun Mage Tower?]
“What about it now?”
[I’ve received a direct request for you. They want to know if you can locate the Phoenix Valley again.]
What?
Why would they want to find the Phoenix Valley again?
Didn’t I already locate it for them once? That should’ve been enough!
The Sun Mage Tower could’ve used the Phoenixes sustainably for over a century or two, provided they didn’t overhunt.
“They already have one, don’t they? If they manage it properly, why do they need to find another one?”
[That’s the thing… It seems the Phoenixes have left the valley.]
“They left? Why?”
[Even the Sun Mage Tower doesn’t know. They said they made sure to capture only a few at a time so the Phoenixes wouldn’t notice, but one day, they all just disappeared.]
Could the Divine Beast Phoenix have realized what was happening?
The mother of all Phoenixes on Earth.
A sacred creature that has lived for over a thousand years.
If it were that Phoenix, its intelligence would be nearly transcendent, so it might have caught on.
But the Sun Mage Tower, especially its Tower Master, isn’t someone careless enough to be caught by the Phoenix.
‘This is strange.’
Something smelled off.
It felt like there was more to this story.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck me.
Everything I’d seen, heard, and experienced at the Geumo Group connected in my mind to the Phoenix Valley and the Sun Mage Tower.
‘No way…’
A hypothesis formed in my mind.
If this were true—if this turned out to be the case—
I might soon have to face a level 7 mage.
Not someone clumsy like Seong Huiyeong, but a fully matured, formidable mage.
–TL Notes–
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Nice
Boss battle incoming