lpffa Chapter 225
Chapter 225
A dedicated aircraft for the Battle.net Alliance.
Sitting in the back seat of Sung JiHan's car, Lee Ha-yeon looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Come to think of it, didn't Sae-ah say she's not coming? We were supposed to go together."
"I bought an expensive bow this time. Since I can't get a refund, I'll repay the favor by leveling up."
"How expensive is the bow?"
"20 billion GP."
"...20 billion? In GP?"
The one who unintentionally questioned Sung JiHan's words was Im Ga-young, who was sitting next to Lee Ha-yeon.
Not won, but GP?
Considering that the current GP exchange rate is about 2.5 dollars per GP.
A single bow was equivalent to 500 billion dollars.
"Well, even so, what kind of weapon is so... I don't think it would cost that much even for the SSS-grade twin swords of the Sword King or the Soy Sauce Makyah."
"When you actually try to get it, the price is what matters. SSS-grade weapons. You should buy them when you can afford it."
"That's true, but..."
What is 500 billion dollars for a single bow?
The amount is too large, and Lee Ha-yeon and Im Ga-young looked at each other, their sense of reality fading away.
As if suddenly remembering something, Sung JiHan added to her.
"Oh, and the Phoenix Wing has been upgraded, so let's add 3 more guild levels to the random draw, making it 15 people."
"It went up again from SSS...?"
"Yes, Artmu has skills. It's SSS+."
Wait, there's a grade called SSS+?
I'm glad this person is on the same side.
"Oh, I'll give you a gift too, Ha-yeon."
"For me?"
"This."
Sung JiHan handed her all the Akashic Pages that he had confiscated from Shizuru before.
He had 9 pages left after giving one to Christoph.
Just in case they might be useful later, he had kept them for now.
"If you need them later, you can go and buy them then."
After selling the invitation to the Palace of Pleasure at the auction house.
Sung JiHan's words were growing bigger and bigger.
There's no need to keep something that can be bought with money.
"Oh, Akashic Pages...!"
"I can't give you 100 like American First, but I'll collect them little by little. Let's go for SSS-grade."
"Oh, I understand!"
Lee Ha-yeon stood up from her seat and received the golden paper with trembling hands.
After entering the main game, the value of the supporting gift 'Cultivation' had once again increased, and the Akashic Pages were hitting the daily limit.
To give her 9 pages just like that.
"Miss, can't you just tear the paper in half?"
"No. We're going for SSS-grade."
Lee Ha-yeon tightly clenched the Akashic Pages.
Then, the intense golden light burst out from the Akashic Pages.
Lee Ha-yeon's eyes lit up at the same phenomenon as when the Cultivation gift was upgraded before.
[To raise the gift grade, you need to grow more players.]
[Grow one of your guild members to rank 1 in the race.]
Swallowing her disappointment as she read the system message that followed.
"Ah... I can't immediately go up to SSS-grade. There are conditions."
"Conditions?"
"Yes. Grow more players and make one of your guild members rank 1 in the race."
"Well, the condition behind should be easily fulfilled. I'm here."
"That's true."
Sung JiHan said as if it was obvious to leave the rank 1 to him.
If it had been another player, he would have said that he didn't know what he was talking about.
When Sung JiHan said that, there was no awkwardness at all.
"I'll also take a moment to train then."
Sung JiHan opened his inventory and took out a sunstone.
A brilliantly sparkling white stone.
Inside, there was a unique light energy that Artmu had possessed.
"This time, I can't feel any inspiration."
Until now, if I didn't understand something, I could absorb it into my body and analyze it to some extent to find a way.
The light energy contained in the sunstone, when absorbed into the body, lost its uniqueness and transformed into ordinary light mana, making it impossible to find any inspiration.
"There's a lot to do, so I'll have to check on this from time to time."
Sung JiHan put the sunstone back into his inventory and took out Eclipse, which had transformed into the Shadow of Life.
A black sword with a green emerald embedded in the center.
When he drew the sword, a voice resonated from within.
[...Master. Can you please remove this? Since transforming into the Shadow of Life, my identity has been in turmoil.]
"Turmoil? It's an upgrade. The Shadow Queen seemed to want to try this method too, didn't she?"
[Uh... That's true, but I'm having a hard time. Ah, the Queen asked if she could sponsor the Seat of the Holy See once the hideout is revealed.]
The sponsorship of the Seat of the Holy See by the Shadow Queen.
It had its own usefulness for Sung JiHan.
"If she becomes my behind-the-scenes sponsor, my Gift grade will increase."
Sung JiHan's current Gift was SS-grade "Shadow of the Moon."
This Gift, which amplifies shadow power, didn't hold much weight for Sung JiHan, who currently dealt with spirits and emptiness.
But if it were to be upgraded to SSS-grade, it seemed like there would be some use for it.
"I'm fine with the sponsorship of the Seat of the Holy See. Why wait until after the hideout?"
[The Queen is worried that your information might leak to the World Union.]
Sung JiHan asked with a puzzled expression.
"Aren't Shadow Elves and the World Union enemies? How would the information leak?"
[...The internal surveillance is not perfect.]
There must be some complicated circumstances on their side too.
He nodded his head.
"I understand. Then I'll accept it after the hideout is over."
[Ha, Sung JiHan even asks the player for support... how ridiculous.]
While Ari was lamenting the situation where the relationship between the guild and the player had been reversed.
"Owner, it's now March 2nd in Korean time. Shall we proceed with the guild member random selection?"
"Already?!"
Ha Yeo-n, who had sighed and stood up from behind, informed them of the date change.
The root cause of the chaos this time, the guild member random selection.
"Shall we kill the Battle Tube?"
"Yes. Let's do it right here."
The first guild member selection of the waiting guild was conducted inside the airplane.
[The Battle Tube of the waiting guild conducted on the airplane, breaking the viewer record for guild-related events!]
[Rank 1 Oliver eliminated, Jegal Heon joins! Will the ranking of mages change in the future?]
[What is the limit of the waiting guild's capacity? Half of the top 200 are members of the waiting guild.]
[The waiting guild recognized as the guild of the year. 20 players from the People's Council receive the buff from the waiting guild.]
[Cheonma Wanglin posted a message of excitement after finally joining the waiting guild, then hastily deleted it.]
Until the private jet landed at New York Airport.
Sung JiHan continued to make headlines from the sky.
And the world's attention.
"We finally arrived."
Even after Sung JiHan landed, instead of diminishing, the attention grew even stronger.
***
The Hall of Glory located inside the BattleNet Building in New York.
Every time the guild of the year was selected here, there was always an award ceremony.
Until now, it had been divided between American First and the People's Council each year, so few people came to watch the award ceremony, and the spacious Hall of Glory was always quiet.
But this year was different.
=I've never seen so many people gathered like this at the Guild Awards ceremony this year.
=Wasn't there a similar crowd when they selected the world's Battle.net MVP player?
=It seems even more crowded than back then. Look at how the seats and stairs are filled with people!
If they were to choose the most famous player among the Battle.net players, it would undoubtedly be Sung JiHan.
He led the last set to victory in the first match of the Space League.
The scene that completely turned the game around was watched by billions of people.
Despite his fame, he had no external activities.
People wanted to see the real-life version of this amazing player at least once.
But now he's participating in the Guild Awards ceremony.
The hall that used to be empty is now filled in an instant.
"I'm glad I waited as soon as the news came out..."
"Nick, I apologize for saying crazy things. Look over there. Even the stars are sitting on the stairs!"
"Oh, our professor is there too..."
"Hey, don't look over there. He might ask for a seat."
People from various fields came to the prestigious hall to see the world's best Battle.net player.
Nick and his friends couldn't find seats and were looking at the famous people sitting on the stairs when they spotted their professor and quickly averted their gaze.
He always complains about his back and knees.
How did he manage to squeeze into this chaotic hall?
And then.
Inside the prestigious hall, one person started walking out.
"Oh my goodness! What on earth is happening? Is today the day for MVP selection?"
The host of the prestigious hall looked around the audience seats and exaggeratedly expressed surprise.
But the appearance of the host.
Upon closer inspection, it was a face that often appeared in the news.
"Hey... Isn't that the federation chairman?"
"Really? Is that Jeff, the chairman?"
"Why is the federation chairman observing the society?"
"Oh my, there are more people than on MVP selection day! Even when Oliver was chosen as MVP, the stairs weren't this crowded! Oh, my friend Bizley's chairman is sitting there too! Sorry, friend. Even if he's the chairman, I couldn't give up my seat in advance here! It's strictly first come, first served!"
Pointing to the man sitting on the stairs, Jeff, the joking Battle.net Federation chairman.
Normally, they would have laughed it off and moved on.
But the atmosphere among the people was not normal.
"Oh, he talks too much."
"Bring Sung and come quickly."
"I didn't come here to see an old man!"
Woo woo woo...!
As Nick and his group started booing, the sound spread throughout the audience.
The prestigious hall was filled with boos to the point where it was ringing.
"I understand. If I say one more thing here, I'll be impeached! Well then, let's introduce today's protagonist right away!"
Chairman Jeff wiped his sweat and pointed inward.
"The owner of the Divine Guild, Sung JiHan!"
Clap clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause poured down.
Even the people sitting on the stairs stood up and applauded.
And from inside, Sung JiHan walked out.
"Oh..."
"Th-this is really Sung JiHan!"
"Take a picture!"
Everyone raised their phones and flashes went off from all directions.
Although photography was prohibited, the audience seemed to have forgotten such rules.
"Don't come in!"
"Block him!"
Kururur...!
The front seats were in chaos with audience members trying to rush in and bodyguards trying to stop them.
Even Chairman Jeff, who had been smoothly conducting the event so far, looked bewildered at the sudden chaos caused by Sung JiHan's appearance.
"This is... It feels more like a rock concert than the Guild Awards! Please remain calm, everyone! If you all stay until the end of the awards ceremony, I will ask Sung JiHan to hold a signing event!"
"A signing event?"
"Well... If we proceed with the signing event, there might be a serious accident... Can't we just have a short signing session?"
Chairman Jeff pleaded earnestly in a small voice after taking the microphone off.
We should have only invited a few people in the first place.
Due to Chairman Jeff's greed for attention, the hall was filled to its capacity and chaos ensued.
"Hmm."
Sung JiHan looked around casually.
"Sign!"
"Sign!"
The crowd, who had been in turmoil, suddenly united and started shouting for autographs, which Sung JiHan perceived as a sign of their support.
Regardless of age or gender, the cries felt even crazier, and Sung JiHan smiled calmly.
Since the American First Life, it had been a long time since he had heard such cries from the crowd.
Back then, he had to sign each one painfully.
"Do we need to do it later? Let's do it now."
"Now...?"
There was no need for that anymore.
"Yes."
Sung JiHan's shadow rose from his left arm.
"Wait there for a moment."
Before his words finished.
The shadow spread out in an instant, covering the entire hall.
"Uh..."
"What, what's happening? I can't see anything!"
The audience was confused by the sudden blackout-like situation.
But.
Crackle...
A strange sensation was felt on their clothes, specifically on their shoulders.
Flash.
The light returned.
"I have finished signing. Everyone."
Sung JiHan said, tapping his left arm.
Then, the people's gaze turned towards their own clothes.
"Huh..."
"I-It's really a signature!"
"Wow, you look exactly like me!"
"Wow, how did this happen?!"
Sung JiHan's signature was engraved on everyone's clothes.
People looked at Sung JiHan with stunned expressions.
Player Sung JiHan.
They had witnessed his amazing performance on BattleNet and were enthusiastic about him, but now that they personally experienced his power, it was astonishing.
However.
"Hmm..."
Only one person.
On the front seat of the hall, a young Asian woman's left arm.
There was no Sung JiHan's signature.
"This girl... She seems interesting."
In her eyes, as she briefly stroked her own left arm.
"Where is your future... Shall I predict it?"
A strange light began to flicker.