I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 84.
A peculiar light flickered in Jeon Byeong-woo’s eyes as he looked at Yoo Baek-jun. Even without saying anything, an inexplicable pressure emanated from him.
“I heard the story. You contributed greatly to stopping this Gate incident. They say you even prepared the defense system and post-incident cleanup in advance.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How did you know…?”
“As for how I knew—let’s save that for another time. It doesn’t seem necessary to discuss it now.”
Jeon Byeong-woo stared intently at Yoo Baek-jun.
That relaxed demeanor.
He’d heard rumors that Yoo Baek-jun was weak, but clearly, rumors couldn’t be trusted.
“Let’s get straight to the point…”
“It’s not the time to leisurely sip tea and chat, is it?”
“Yes, you’re right. I agree.”
Jeon Byeong-woo found the answer satisfying. Neither of them had time to waste.
“Then let’s move to the main topic. Is the Gate incident that occurred this time truly over?”
“Yes, I killed the enemy commander. This Great demon invasion ends here.”
“…That’s a relief.”
Jeon Byeong-woo leaned back deeply into his chair. A sigh escaped his lips.
“Their goal was…?”
“To takeover Seoul.”
“Why? They have their own world.”
“The land in the sky belongs to the demons. It’s cramped, desolate, and they can’t leave due to the seal. They wanted to escape that fate.”
“Hah, unbelievable.”
“If we hadn’t stopped them, Seoul would have been taken. Or suffered catastrophic damage.”
Jeon Byeong-woo silently agreed.
Had they not been properly prepared, had the enemy’s surprise attack succeeded because no one knew—
Seoul would have suffered far greater damage than it did now. Most likely, near-total devastation.
“And you were the one who stopped it?”
“It’s embarrassing to say it myself. Well, it wasn’t just me—everyone contributed.”
“You’re excessively humble.”
“Am I? To be honest, if I’d been given more authority, it would’ve been easier to stop. The media’s been making a lot of noise lately…”
Yoo Baek-jun and Jeon Byeong-woo’s eyes met.
“…….”
“…….”
Their gazes probed each other. An oppressive silence filled the conference room.
Jeon Byeong-woo was the first to break it.
“What do you want?”
“That’s not the right question, Chief of Staff.”
Just as confusion began to surface on Jeon Byeong-woo’s face, Yoo Baek-jun leaned back in his chair.
“The one who wants something is you, not me. Isn’t that right?”
Jeon Byeong-woo swallowed lightly.
The air in the room felt heavy, weighed down by the inexplicable aura emanating from Yoo Baek-jun.
“…….”
“I don’t want anything from you. But if you offer me a fair price, I’m willing to give you what you want.”
Jeon Byeong-woo’s gaze sharpened.
“Do you really think we couldn’t have stopped this demon invasion without you? No matter what—”
“Yes, you couldn’t have.”
“What?”
“I’m certain. It’s only because of me that this incident was stopped. If you have a conscience, you can’t deny it.”
Jeon Byeong-woo’s mind grew tangled.
How could he be so sure? Did he know something no one else did?
And that confidence—
‘It’s not just confidence—it borders on arrogance. But…’
The man had the results to back it up.
The preparations he’d made to stop the Gate incident, his leadership in overcoming the crisis—
His confidence stemmed from the ability to make it all possible.
‘What should I do?’
Jeon Byeong-woo closed his eyes, lost in thought.
Then, after organizing his thoughts, he opened them again.
“You’ve become a hero because of this incident. Every media outlet is talking about Yoo Baek-jun. Including that footage.”
“I know.”
“On the other hand, public opinion about the Association and the government is unfavorable. Frankly, compared to the Association, the government is in a slightly better position.”
Jeon Byeong-woo exhaled deeply.
“We need your name. We want you to shield the Association and the government.”
“You want me to step forward in the media and say the Association and the government did their best?”
“Yes.”
A faint smile played on Yoo Baek-jun’s lips. Of course, he wouldn’t do it for free.
Jeon Byeong-woo knew that too.
“The price?”
“What do you want from us?”
“I want land.”
“Land?”
Yoo Baek-jun glanced out the window.
At the floating landmass in the sky. Jeon Byeong-woo realized what he wanted.
“You want the Demon Realm?”
“Yes.”
“But that’s…”
“It’s not something you can control anyway. You don’t even know how to move it.”
Jeon Byeong-woo let out a sigh.
That massive landmass still hovered over Seoul. They needed to move it somehow, but neither the government nor the Association knew how.
“I know how.”
“You know?”
“Yes, and no one else can do it. The authority has been transferred to me.”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
“I’ll remove that land from Seoul’s skies for you. I’ll also shift public opinion as you wish. In exchange, give me that land.”
“…Why do you want it?”
“I need prestige.”
“Prestige?”
It was an odd statement.
The Sword Saint’s family already had more than enough prestige. Given his role in this incident, the media would highlight him regardless.
‘He’s not talking about the family’s prestige. Then—’
Yoo Baek-jun himself.
A thought crossed Jeon Byeong-woo’s mind.
‘…I heard the Sword Saint’s family is currently in a succession dispute. And this man has only recently begun to stand out.’
The picture was coming together.
Who knew how many resources and secrets lay hidden within that massive land?
If he could bring them back, his standing in the family would rise dramatically.
“Hmm.”
Jeon Byeong-woo wiped his face.
It wasn’t a good offer—it was overwhelmingly disadvantageous to the government. But—
‘Regardless… we can’t control that land.’
He couldn’t fully trust Yoo Baek-jun’s words, but no one else could handle it either.
Should they cling to land they couldn’t control?
Or hand it over?
“There are quite a few valuable things in the Demon Realm. I plan to extract them. A portion of the profits—after agreeing on the specifics—will be invested in Seoul’s reconstruction.”
“Hmm, profits! Good.”
“However.”
Yoo Baek-jun set down his teacup.
“I’d prefer if no other guilds interfere with the Demon Realm. Except for the very few I permit.”
“You want to monopolize it?”
“Yes.”
“The people won’t like that.”
“Then you’ll have to handle it.”
Jeon Byeong-woo let out a hollow laugh.
He was telling them to ensure the Sword Saint’s family didn’t face backlash—to let the government and Association shoulder the burden.
“Once reconstruction is complete, sharing a portion of the profits with the government wouldn’t be bad either.”
“…….”
Jeon Byeong-woo’s mind raced.
In that case… it might be worth considering.
‘It’s land the government can’t claim or justify owning anyway. Handing it over to the Sword Saint’s family…’
Public opinion about the Association and government was poor.
There were a few ways to ease that.
Especially if they had a ‘hero’ who’d brilliantly resolved this crisis.
“…Fine.”
Jeon Byeong-woo nodded.
“We’ll officially announce that the Sword Saint’s family will manage the Demon Realm. We can discuss the details later, but for now, that’s the plan.”
“I appreciate your decisiveness.”
“In return, you’ll have to take responsibility for the criticism the Association and government face over this incident.”
“I’ll take responsibility and calm public opinion.”
Jeon Byeong-woo smiled bitterly.
“Very well. I’ll inform the President, but it’ll likely go as you wish.”
“Good. Ah, one more thing.”
Yoo Baek-jun glanced to the side.
“This should suffice as the scapegoat, right?”
A shabby old man trembling uncontrollably.
Both Jeon Byeong-woo and Yoo Baek-jun knew exactly who—and what—he was.
“Needless to say.”
“Not a bad opportunity—to weed out incompetence and create a scapegoat. Though, to be fair, that man did mess things up…”
Yoo Baek-jun stood up.
He looked at the old man still seated.
His face was deathly pale, his body shaking.
“Why the long face? You should be smiling. Didn’t things turn out as you wanted?”
“I-I…”
“You didn’t expect this?”
Kang Byeong-jo’s lips quivered.
Yoo Baek-jun approached him, grabbed his shoulders, and forcibly stood him up. Then he opened the window, showing him the view outside.
The ruins of Seoul.
“Didn’t I say it? If the invasion happened and Seoul turned into a sea of fire, who would take responsibility?”
Kang Byeong-jo’s trembling eyes looked outside.
“Look outside, Chairman. This happened because of your complacency and ignorance.”
“Ugh…”
“You’ll have to take responsibility for this.”
Yoo Baek-jun sat him back down.
The old man trembled. But he wasn’t someone worth pitying.
“What was this man doing?”
“Exactly as you said—trying to flee Seoul. We caught him trying to escape overseas during the chaos.”
Jeon Byeong-woo’s voice was cold.
Had it not been for Yoo Baek-jun, they would’ve lost the old man. Catching him was a stroke of luck.
Hearing this, Kang Byeong-jo pleaded desperately.
“P-Please, just this once! Can’t a man make mistakes?”
“Mistakes… True. No one’s perfect. But you still should’ve done your duty.”
“Th-That’s…”
“As the Chairman of the Association, you went into hiding when things went wrong, didn’t you?”
“N-No, uh…”
Kang Byeong-jo couldn’t answer.
He had made mistakes—failing to report Yoo Baek-jun warnings, downplaying the crisis’ severity.
That much was understandable.
But fleeing instead of doing his duty in a crisis? Unforgivable.
“You’ll have to take responsibility. If not for you, the damage could’ve been less.”
“S-Sorry! I-I’ll resign as Chairman of the Association! Will that suffice? Huh? Will you forgive me then?”
“Why are you asking me for forgiveness?”
Yoo Baek-jun smirked.
“The public will decide. Well, I hear prisons have better facilities these days. Spending your final years there might not be so bad.”
He patted Kang Byeong-jo’s shoulder.
“Ah! Though you probably won’t be getting out.”
Given Kang Byeong-jo’s age, he’d likely die in prison.
Only then would he be free.
Kang Byeong-jo’s face turned ghostly white.
“Then I’ll consider the ownership matter settled. If you need anything, contact me through the Association.”
“Yes, we’ll provide all possible support. We’re counting on you.”
Yoo Baek-jun left the conference room, leaving him behind. Before departing, he glanced at the wall.
“Is something wrong?”
“No…”
Yoo Baek-jun chuckled and walked out.
The conference room fell silent. Jeon Byeong-woo exhaled deeply and stood up.
‘It feels like I was completely led by the nose.’
It was a strange feeling.
He’d been in politics for so long—someone like Yoo Baek-jun, a mere rookie, should’ve been easy to manipulate.
Even if he was the Sword Saint’s family’s successor, he lacked experience.
‘But that pressure…’
Throughout the conversation, an inexplicable pressure weighed on his shoulders.
It made him feel rushed.
Jeon Byeong-woo, realizing how unlike himself he’d been, pressed a remote.
Whirr—
The wall slid open, revealing the people waiting inside.
