I Became the Successor of the Martial God Chapter 86

I Became the Successor of the Martial God

Chapter 86.

Bigtums arrived the very next day.

After receiving word that he would arrive in an hour, Yoo Baek-jun decided to wait for him in the reception room.

“Hmm.”

Sitting in his chair, Yoo Baek-jun stared intently at the sword resting on the desk.

It was the sword Mephisto had wielded.

[Demonic Sword Grandal (A)]

A sword favored by a great demon lord from another world.

Though it possesses immense power, prolonged exposure to demonic energy has made it impossible for an ordinary human to wield it.

A method to use it must be found.

―Options: ?, ?, ?

It was a fine sword, but there was no way to use it.

As a human, the only ways he could wield it were to purify it or become accustomed to the demonic energy.

“Honestly, the aesthetics are a bit off too.”

―Urk!

Seol-yeong let out a cry as if in agreement.

The sword looked grotesque and hideous, giving off serious edge lord vibes.

“I’ll have to use this later.”

An opportunity to purify it would come soon enough.

Yoo Baek-jun stored the Demonic Sword Grandal in his subspace.

Mephisto had carried a few other items besides this one.

He took what he needed and handed over the rest to Jin Seo-yeon.

‘They’re all magic-related, so I don’t need them anyway.’

He owed Jin Seo-yeon a lot, so repaying the debt wasn’t a bad idea.

Yoo Baek-jun recalled the points he had recently earned as quest and achievement rewards.

As well as the Skill Selection ticket and Trait Enhancement ticket.

‘It’s about time to use them, right?’

While stroking Seol-yeong, who was dozing on his lap, he took a moment to organize his thoughts.

[Yoo Baek-jun]

Strength: B+ (91/100) 

Agility: B+ (89/100)

Stamina: B+ (89/100) 

Magic power: B+ (96/100)

[Unique Ability: The Book of the Martial God(EX, 3★)]

His stats were still at B+.

His magical power was frustratingly insufficient, and the other stats were also lacking for a rank-up.

Yoo Baek-jun decided to compensate for this with traits.

‘There are a few traits that boost all stats once acquired. The one that fits my current situation is…’

He opened the Book of the Martial God.

There was one trait that fit perfectly.

“Blood of the Battle Demon.”

The Battle Demon.

Not a character active in this era, but one who had once earned tremendous renown in the past.

According to the lore, he had crossed over to this world once due to the Gates and fought the Martial God.

That’s why he was recorded in the Book of the Martial God.

“There’s an event tied to this, huh.”

There was an event—specifically in Halpeon—that could only be triggered if he had the Blood of the Battle Demon.

So learning it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The Battle Demon had fought using martial arts as his primary combat style, particularly excelling in skills related to kicks.

Moreover, acquiring this trait through the Book of the Martial God would instantly boost all his stats except magic power.

‘It’s just enough for a rank-up.’

The problem was the exorbitant cost.

This single trait cost 2,000P. Since it combined the effects of multiple traits into one, the high price wasn’t surprising.

Still, the value was a bit questionable.

‘But if I clear the event, my rank will increase, and I’ll also get skills, so considering that…’

It wasn’t a huge loss.

He had to think of it as a long-term investment.

Yoo Baek-jun selected the Blood of the Battle Demon. The Book of the Martial God glowed, and his body underwent a transformation.

Crack, crack!

―Kyyaang?!

A sound like bones breaking.

Startled, Seol-yeong jumped up, looking at Yoo Baek-jun with wide eyes.

―Wh-what’s happening…?

Yoo Baek-jun rolled his neck from side to side.

He could feel his muscles and bones strengthening further. His Diantans had also been reinforced, making the flow of magic smoother.

Naturally, his magical capacity had increased as well.

‘Hmm, next…’

While calming the startled Seol-yeong, Yoo Baek-jun immediately used his B-rank Trait Enhancement Ticket.

The trait he chose to enhance was Magical Veins.

[B-rank Trait Enhancement Ticket used. Magical Veins (B) has been upgraded to Magical Veins (B+)!]

Though there was no dramatic change, the trait’s effects had grown stronger. He could feel his body’s magic power capacity increasing further.

Yoo Baek-jun reopened his status window.

[Yoo Baek-jun]

Strength: A (1/100)

Agility: A (1/100)

Stamina: A (1/100) 

Magic power: A (10/100)

[Unique Ability: The Book of the Martial God(EX, 3★)]

[Traits: Heavenly Martial Body (S), Energizer (C), One Invited by the Spirit Realm (C), Master of the Extreme Cold (A), King’s Dignity (A), Demon Hunter (A), Magical Veins (B+), Blood of the Battle Demon (A)]

His head nodded involuntarily.

He was very satisfied. This was the moment he had achieved his initial goal of reaching A-rank in all stats.

‘Only at this level can I fight Yoo Tae-rang.’

Yoo Tae-rang was an S-rank Hunter.

Whether it was stats, traits, or skills, he excelled in everything. He hadn’t become the head of the Sword Saint family for nothing.

And then there were his lackeys.

‘Those who would give their lives at his command. For Yoo Tae-rang, they’d die without hesitation.’

Yoo Tae-rang also had innate charisma, earning him many loyal followers.

If he had been a proper family head, and if he hadn’t sought Yoo Baek-jun’s life…

Had that been the case, Yoo Baek-jun would have let Yoo Tae-rang take the position and left the family.

“But that’s not how it went, so here we are. Sigh.”

―Kyareung?

Yoo Tae-rang was the type to hunt him down and kill him even if he abandoned the family and fled.

There was no choice but to fight him.

‘The problem is that I don’t have many allies yet.’

Yoo Tae-rang’s influence in the family was so overwhelming that Yoo Baek-jun hadn’t been able to form his own faction.

And there was a reason he hadn’t tried too hard.

If he had, Yoo Tae-rang’s followers within the family wouldn’t have stood idly by.

The senior instructors loyal to him would have either coaxed Yoo Baek-jun’s faction away or picked them off one by one.

‘As of now, my faction consists of only five people.’

Joo Jung-won, Choi Seung-min, Han Seong-ah, Park Chan-kyung, and Cheon Min-ju. That’s why Yoo Tae-rang had let it slide.

If he had carelessly expanded further, Yoo Tae-rang would have moved to eliminate them immediately.

“Maybe I should use her.”

The interrogation of Instructor Shin Woo-hyun must have concluded by now.

Soon, his elder brother would return, and Yoo Moo-hak and the other instructors would gather to welcome him.

If an incident were to occur then…

“This’ll be fun.”

―Awoo?

A faint smile played on Yoo Baek-jun’s lips.

Just then, the door to the reception room opened. A dwarf entered—Bigtums, his entire body flexed.

“Long time no see, Bigtums.”

“Oh, sorry for being late. Seoul’s been a bit chaotic lately, you know.”

“That’s true. Tea?”

“Do I look like I drink tea? Heh heh.”

Bigtums stroked his beard and plopped down across from Yoo Baek-jun.

Yoo Baek-jun called for Choi Seung-min, who was outside, to bring a bottle of Seolhwa liquor.

“Ah, Seolhwa liquor! I’ve been drinking nothing but this lately. At this rate, I’ll die of alcohol poisoning!”

“A dwarf saying that? Stop exaggerating.”

“It means I’ve been drinking a lot.”

Bigtums laughed and downed the entire bottle of Seolhwa liquor in one go. It was extremely strong.

“Guhhh, so! Why did you call me?”

“You know why, don’t you?”

“Even if I do, I need to hear it clearly. Isn’t that right?”

Yoo Baek-jun glanced out the window—more precisely, at the floating landmass in the sky.

“I’d like you to explore the underground for me.”

“Hmm, underground? What’s even down there in that landmass? I don’t remember there being much.”

“You think I’d ask you to explore the underground of South Korea? I mean up there, up there.”

Bigtums’ gaze followed Yoo Baek-jun’s.

“That newly appeared land, huh. Hmm, I’m fine with it, but I doubt the government will stay quiet.”

“What can the government say? It’s my land.”

“Your land?”

Bigtums’ eyes widened.

They wouldn’t just hand over land like that easily.

“Hmm, but… I’m not really interested? It’s just Halpeon’s underground, right? I’ve dug there enough to be sick of it.”

Bigtums was fundamentally driven by interest.

As a dwarf overflowing with wealth, he wouldn’t take on a job no matter how much he was paid if it didn’t pique his interest.

That’s why Yoo Baek-jun had brought something.

Swoosh—Yoo Baek-jun placed something on the table.

“What’s this?”

“Take a look.”

“An… ore?”

Bigtums examined the ore in his hand.

His first impression was that it was pitch black, like looking at obsidian.

But it was different. A subtle, indescribable energy emanated from the gemstone.

‘What is this?’

Even Bigtums, who had encountered all sorts of ores in Halpeon and Earth, had never seen this before.

Of course, that was only natural.

“That land—this ore comes from the demon world.”

“This thing?”

“Yes. I assume it’s your first time seeing it.”

The Underworld had been cut off from Halpeon’s surface for an incredibly long time.

Even Bigtums couldn’t have seen it before.

He stared at the ore with eyes full of curiosity.

“Oh, ohhh… By any chance, are there weapons or armor made from this?”

“Sadly, no.”

“Why not?! With an ore like this!”

“That’s what I said.”

There was a reason.

The demons had blacksmiths, but they had all perished in the war against the Saint King long ago.

After being trapped underground, they discovered this ore but had no craftsmen capable of working with it.

Had they been able to, the demon world wouldn’t be as desolate as it was now.

“Isn’t this for the best? Crafting new equipment from an ore no one has ever worked with before…”

“Oh, uh. Y-yeah…”

Bigtums let out a sigh of admiration. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

Yoo Baek-jun channeled magic into the ore.

Then—

“Ooooh!”

The ore emitted a dark aura.

Moreover, the pitch-black ore transformed into a dark crimson hue, exuding a sinister charm.

Bigtums hastily took the ore and began testing it in various ways.

“Wouldn’t armor made from this ore look absolutely amazing?”

“Uh, uhh. Incredible! When magic is infused, it becomes incredibly light! And, huh?! It even hardens further?”

Bigtums’ eyes gleamed with greed.

‘He’s hooked.’

The fish had taken the bait.

Yoo Baek-jun smiled leisurely.

“If, if I explore the underground, will you give me this ore…”

“Bigtums, I’ll supply it exclusively to your corporation. Of course, there’ll be a time limit.”

“Deal! No—let me do it!”

Bigtums shot up from his seat.

His voice was desperate.

“Then, shall we discuss the details?”

Yoo Baek-jun grinned slyly.

Seol-yeong, resting on his lap, let out a sigh-like whimper upon seeing his expression.

―Baekjoo, you meanie…

It sounded almost like pity for Bigtums.

* * *

And the next day.

Yoo Baek-jun summoned all the reporters from media outlets influenced by the Sword Saint family.

“I-is that true?”

As Yoo Baek-jun began speaking before the gathered reporters, they all wore expressions of shock.

“Yes. Had it not been for him, the casualties from this incident would have been far fewer.”

“Uh, who is this man you’re referring to?”

Yoo Baek-jun smiled warmly.

“Kang Byeong-jo”.

Now that he’d taken the land, it was time to pay the price.