◈ Episode 181

The next day.

Leone received a call early in the morning. It was to the president's office. She was nervous because she was called before regular business hours, when the office workers had not yet arrived.

'Why did you call me…?'

The last request had left Leone with an obsession to become stronger. But that wasn't the only change. She had come to find Kim Yi-hyun, whom she had always admired, difficult.

'It's not that it's scary or awkward, though.'

I personally felt the distance between me and Kim Yi-hyeon.

The distance as a human being and as a fighter, not as a rational being. How much effort and experience is required to acquire the mentality and skills of Kim Yi-Hyeon?

It was so dizzying to even imagine.

'It's not just the boss.'

The instructors and seniors who taught Leone all had their own special qualities. In fact, they were each specialized in their own areas, and they were somewhat lacking in other areas, but she didn't know that.

It was a natural thing.

What other contact point could there be between the elite and the trainees? They just teach the areas in which they are most confident. It was an environment where the seniors' shortcomings were covered up and only their strengths were highlighted.

Naturally, all of the seniors became Leone's high wall.

If that's the case, how big of a mountain must Kim Lee-Hyeon be who leads them...

"Did you call, sir?"

"Oh, oh. Sorry for bothering you so early in the morning."

"No. I was just doing my morning training."

"When was the last time you went outside?"

Since it was an unexpected question, I needed some time to think about it.

Leone, looking back on his life, opened his mouth hesitantly.

"…It's probably been about a week."

"Are there any hikikomori who are this sincere?"

"There's no reason to go out...."

In fact, Leone was in a situation where even the distinction between work and leisure was ambiguous.

The company takes care of all my food, clothing, and shelter. There is a dormitory for employees, but I didn't submit an application for employment. There is a dormitory and a shower room in the company, so I wondered if I would need a house.

"Wouldn't it be better to go to a dormitory?"

"That's because I thought it was a waste of time going back and forth."

Kim Yi-hyeon let out a "huh" sound. His classmate Yoo Da-hee could also be described as a hard worker, but Leone was on a different level. The problem is that it doesn't seem like a desirable lifestyle.

'I think it was originally said that Asterike was dragging it around.'

Asterike seems to be busy these days with the event match issue. It's only one round, but there are a lot of derivative products like goods. They're watching over Roscoe so he doesn't go wild.

'Should I pass it on to Yoo Da-hee?'

I don't plan on taking her around myself because it would be uncomfortable for both of us. The person Leone can be most comfortable with is probably Yu Da-hee. If the two of you can stimulate each other, it's killing two birds with one stone.

"Is it difficult for me to stay at the company?"

"If you're okay with it, then there's no problem. It's a place that was made to be used."

I heard that Echidna, who is a serious workaholic, also often stays at the company. The fact that Echidna doesn't complain is proof of the facility's excellence.

Haven't you ever experienced Chelsea sleeping like a shrimp on the sofa?

"Let's say the dorm is okay, but consider renting a house later. It's a place you have no connection to. It would be good to create at least one corner where you can feel attached. In terms of mental health."

"Oh, maybe so."

He seemed to take it seriously as advice. But it doesn't seem like he'd be going around looking for real estate during his free time. Saying more here would just be nagging.

"Let's get to the point."

I placed the AP-116 that I had taken out in advance on the desk.

"It's a potion that permanently strengthens your spells. Don't worry, it's something I legally obtained from Ishrad. Not only me, but Echidna has already been administered it."

Kim I-hyeon and Asterike used it already. They also distributed it to Edwin, who proved his trustworthiness, and Echidna, who became a key figure in Dustborn. Chelsea also showed no side effects.

'Edwin became more monstrous. Echidna could transform her fork into a dagger.'

It doesn't make sense to Arya. She has strong resistance to pollution, but she's not a spellcaster.

The AP-116 given as a token of appreciation from Ishrad was a total of 12 bottles. He divided them in half with Lab, so 6 bottles were in Kim Ihyeon's possession. He used 3 of them, but since he had no reason to take them out, they were just gathering dust.

"You write it."

This is what I originally planned. There's no reason not to give it to a 6-star character.

"I don't know much about it, but isn't it a valuable item?"

"It's quite expensive. If converted into money, it would probably be worth hundreds of millions."

"Uh, uh…!"

Leone's mouth fell open.

"How, how, how can I. Ah, ah, no!"

"Just think of it as a bonus for last time."

"I didn't really do anything…."

"It's noisy. I can't sell it anyway."

"Is it not okay to sell it?"

"Because it is a drug manufactured in limited quantities in Ishrad."

Even if there is only a rumor going around, it can be tracked down. If you are caught, wouldn't the elder personally express his regret? There are also several Ishrad companies in Cilicia.

After hearing the explanation, Leone accepted the flask with a look of reluctance on his face.

"…I will work harder to repay you."

More here?

I was worried that I might die from overwork, but I couldn't even think about hitting the ground.

What can I do if he says he will work hard?

"And take this too."

"Yes? What else is there?"

"Come to think of it, you don't have any equipment to use."

I handed over the equipment that I used occasionally, although I didn't use it often. Now, I rarely pull out the blade. It was becoming a nuisance because I was carrying around [Chulyeongjeong] as well.

It was so-called quick processing.

'I wonder if Tamtam would like it too.'

He always treated me roughly, but recently he hasn't even picked me. If Tamtam, who cherishes his work like his own child, finds out, he'll strangle me. It would be better to pass it on to a talented subordinate.

Of course, there was no way Leone knew about these circumstances.

"...I will repay you with 168 hours of sleepless training."

If I keep doing this, I'm really going to die.

* * *

The event match had a bigger impact than expected.

As soon as the reservations opened, the site crashed and all tickets were sold out in an instant. Roscoe called it an encouraging achievement and smiled with capitalism.

It was an unusual box office success, given the declining average attendance at league games. There were complex reasons for the aggro.

Paruparu Management put their life on the line for promotion, and there were more viewers than expected who remembered the name Asterique. Above all, the citizens were thirsty for entertainment.

'Because the atmosphere in the fortress city is tense.'

Criminals are being arrested every day. As the police sweep the underworld, even crimes unrelated to the distribution of larvae are being uncovered one by one.

The current situation has been going on for almost a month. Even though it is a back alley story, it is slowly reaching the ears of ordinary citizens. There must be more than one or two citizens who are anxious.

'It was a time when we needed a chance to change the atmosphere.'

Also fundamentally.

The match itself faithfully followed the role of entertainment.

On the day of the game, the stands were filled with excitement.

"I can't believe I got to see this legendary match with my own eyes…!"

Dustborne engineer Jake Ebert was moved to tears. He was the one who got Asterike's autograph in his younger brother's name a few years ago when he was still a rookie.

"I have no regrets even if I die here!"

"Be careful. If you die, there will be controversy."

"Okay! Then how should I express this feeling…."

"At least buy all the goods."

"Isn't that basic knowledge?"

It was a great treat.

However, it wasn't all that exciting for Asterike's fans. It was because their opponent was their opponent. If they had picked just anyone, it wouldn't have mattered, but for the fans, it was a meaningful opponent.

'Aluminum. It's been a while.'

Asterike was the first player to face off against [Vibranium Composite Sword]. It was a turning point for her, who had felt the wall in the first league, to soar. It was a recreation of the situation at that time.

For a one-off event match, the narrative was pretty good.

'I don't think Asterike himself would care, though.'

Because it was a match that we won so easily.

I wondered if he would even remember.

Knock, knock.

There was a feeling of something touching my arm.

"Look at those two."

Echidna, sitting next to Kim Yi-hyeon, gestured to the two seats next to her. The seats for the officials were crowded with Asterike's acquaintances. The Putty sisters were no exception.

"You're sisters. You look so much alike."

"Creepy. That's a bit of an odd expression."

"Oh, um. I didn't mean it in a negative way."

Sarah Putty, who had been a dirty girl when she was rescued. Her impression had changed completely after she was cleaned up and put on clean clothes. Just by looking at her pink hair and eyes, you could tell she was her blood relative.

"Chelsea, what is this?"

"A cheering stick. You hold it and wave it."

"Why? Why are you holding it and shaking it?"

"To cheer you on."

"Why do you cheer? What do you like about it?"

"Huh? Wouldn't that give me strength…?"

"If you have strength, you can win?"

"In fact, it's closer to a sales tactic to sell goods, but statistically, it also has a higher probability of winning..."

Considering the age difference, it would be okay to think of them as mother and daughter. However, it would be rude to both of them. To begin with, Chelsea is young and has a small build, so they don't seem to have a 20-year age difference.

Echidna, who had been watching from afar, snickered.

"She's cute. She has that innocent Chelsea vibe."

"Phehehe. That's an impossible combination."

Chelsea's arch-rival Turkam also joined in and giggled. His tone was mischievous, but his gaze was warm. They weren't the kind of guys who would genuinely sneer at an acquaintance's family.

"Don't be so lax."

"Hey, why are you doing that on your rare day off?"

"You never know. A terrorist attack could happen."

It's a story of possibility. There are remnants of the Legion in Cilicia at present. They wouldn't suddenly attack the stadium unless they were crazy, but aren't terrorists originally crazy?

After I finally pointed it out, the atmosphere around me slightly calmed down.

The men exchanged glances, then Bryce took up the gun.

"Hyun, please, on a day like today, please refrain from doing so…."

"I didn't say I was going to commit terrorism…?"

"If you say that, I feel like something is going to explode."

"...."

This is a bit unfair.

But there is no rebuttal.

When you look at the results alone.

There was no bloodshed.

There were no bomb attacks or shootings.

Asterike didn't wield the [Vibranium Composite Sword], but her spell control had improved significantly. In game terms, she was able to push through Aluminum with just 1 skill.

It was a spectacular game that was a feast for the eyes.

As Asterike swings his ordinary longsword, sparks fly. Aluminum, with its cutting-edge heat-resistant equipment, approaches, and even the scene where swords clash is top-notch.

But there was a strange corner.

The aluminum mouths moved as they collided. It seemed like they were saying something. I had heard that they had talked about this and that before the game started, so it wasn't strange.

But Asterike's reaction was on my mind.

"What just happened? You were just a little shaky."

"I see. That was an uncharacteristic mistake."

"Ugh. Neither the boss nor Mr. Edwin know how to watch the game. It's the directing, the directing."

Kim Hyun-sik kept his mouth shut and watched the game as Chelsea's attack hit him. This was because he realized that it was no different from watching baseball and getting coached.

Even though it was planned as a best-of-three format with a larger volume than before, it ended quickly due to its nature. Aluminum, as expected from a top-tier player, won one game, but the match was decided by Asterique's second win.

"Wow! This is the best!"

"Ugh. If I had bet on this... Ah, no. At least a six-month pay cut...!"

Amidst the bustle of the stands, Asterique waved his hand with a broad smile. The heat of the fan service soared once again. Kim Lee-hyun also smiled and waved his cheering stick.

The question still remained.

'He's the kind of guy who won't even listen to what you say.'

I was concerned about the cause of the first loss.