NSE-Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Breaking the world record.

Naturally, it was not an easy feat.

Many among the super rookies had declared a challenge. But even they failed to break it ninety-nine times out of a hundred.

Because those who had already set records were super rookies just like them.

A task with a very high chance of failure.

What’s more, Kim Min-woo hadn’t even put forward a modest record attempt like the other super rookies.

A Level 1 solo clear.

Challenging at Level 1 what even that Isabella had done only after reaching Level 49?

It was madness.

France, which owned Isabella, was the first to smile coldly.

Soon Japan snickered.

China mocked.

America held its sides laughing.

At most, he’d clear up to the halfway point and flee in his underpants, and that would be all.

It was common sense.

It was bound to fail anyway.

Naturally, excluding his home country of Korea, the attention gathered was not so great. There had to be some anticipation for anyone to pay attention or not.

Why would anyone pour effort into something that was sure to fail?

At most, only a tiny number of overseas reporters had visited Korea.

Why?

To write articles tearing down Korea the moment he failed.

World record? Japan’s little brother, Korea still has a long way to go!

A foolish challenge! Go eat more baby food and come back!

Things like that.

But……

―Holy shit……!

―I-Impossible!

It made no sense.

That nonsensical thing was now unfolding before their eyes.

Such a thing happening in Korea, an Awakened weak nation!

Naturally, the foreign press’s phones began to catch fire.

Thousands of text bombs poured in. From the broadcasters they belonged to, family, relatives, even the neighbors.

The gist of the questions was the same.

Is this for real?

‘What, you think this is a hidden camera prank?!’

While the foreign press stood slack-jawed, the Korean reporters in the waiting area rushed anxiously toward Kim Min-woo.

“Mr. Kim Min-woo! Mr. Kim Min-woo! A few questions, please!”

“Hey, you punk! Won’t you move!”

“You move!”

Every reporter was desperate to get even a single word of interview. Kim Min-woo’s market value was now soaring through the sky and about to pierce outer space. By tomorrow morning, the whole world would probably be in an uproar.

“Take your time with the questions. I’ll answer them.”

Kim Min-woo smiled brightly.

“You’ve set a world record, how do you feel?”

“I’m a bit dazed, and happy too. Luck played a part as well. I found a hidden element and cleared it more easily than expected.”

“Was there something like that in this tomb?”

“Think about what my Class is.”

“Ah…….”

The reporters nodded as if convinced. Since he was presumed to hold a high-grade Achievement, it wasn’t strange for him to have found a hidden route in the tomb that helped the clear.

“There’s talk that your Achievement grade is S, and I’m curious whether it’s really true!”

“Yes, it’s true.”

The reporters’ eyes lit up.

An Awakened with an S-grade Achievement was called a super rookie.

It was the moment Kim Min-woo was officially confirmed as a super rookie.

Then again……

If it had been around A or B, setting a world record would have been impossible in the first place. The gap between S and the rest was that severe.

Just then……

One of the foreign reporters raised a hand high and asked.

“Um…… I am Tanaka from Japan. So, the new record, in the end, is because of good luck, yes?”

His pronunciation was a bit clumsy, but the meaning itself was clear. The reporters around him glared at the Japanese reporter with sharp eyes.

Just as the atmosphere was turning hostile.

Min-woo, letting out a chuckle, said.

“Well, I wonder. Then Ms. Isabella was lacking in skill even compared to some lucky Level 1 guy, is that what you’re saying?”

The Japanese reporter, suddenly tangled up with France, began rolling his eyes.

Soon, he answered with cold sweat running down.

“Um…… my Korean is clumsy, so I cannot understand well. I, I end my question.”

At the sight of the Japanese reporter quietly sinking, the Korean reporters showed jeering smiles as if it felt refreshing.

“You must all be very curious. What kind of Achievement Skill made the clear go so smoothly.”

It was only natural.

It was just that they couldn’t boldly ask because Kim Min-woo’s standing had changed as vastly as heaven and earth compared to before.

If revealing a Skill before had been at the level of mere showmanship.

Now, with bad luck, it could become a problem as a leak of classified information.

Because an outstanding Awakened was treated as one of the nation’s strategic assets.

“I’ll satisfy that curiosity a little today.”

Min-woo said.

The moment he snapped his fingers……

[300 Skeletons are summoned!]

A huge horde of Skeletons was summoned in front of the stage.

Murmur!

“H-How many of those are there?”

“Even at a glance, it seems like three hundred……”

“It’s not about a hundred and fifty like the Sword Phoenix said, is it?!”

On top of that, the Skeleton horde briskly put on the equipment that came out of the ring.

The armed Skeletons lined up in perfect rows and columns.

“By any chance, is that mass Skeleton summoning related to your S-grade Skill?”

“Something like that.”

The reporters nodded as if convinced. Although Skeletons were weaker than adult men, things were different once equipment and numbers were in place.

This rich family’s Young Master had poured over 200 million won into arming each Skeleton Soldier.

On top of that, wasn’t Kim Min-woo a prodigy acknowledged by the Sword Immortal?

Numerous Skeleton Soldiers.

A hidden route found in the tomb and outstanding swordsmanship.

With Ilseong’s support added on top of that, it was no wonder he could set a world record.

Only then could they understand how he had managed to clear the Gate even at Level 1. If he had taken out the first pack like that, his Level would naturally have shot up.

Even so, the fact that it was impressive didn’t change. Obtaining an S-grade Skill Book was already proof of ability in itself.

Click!

Cameras began frantically shooting the Skeleton Soldiers lined up in solemn ranks.

* * *

Gulp, gulp!

Bang!

The fat can of beer was slammed hard onto the table.

“Ugh, damn it.”

Seo Ye-rim roughly tore apart a squid leg.

Munch, munch.

She tossed salt-covered almonds into her mouth.

Crunch, crunch.

She smashed the almonds as if chewing them to pieces.

“That fucking bastard! Like he’s so great with a sword himself!”

People have desires.

But they also have the self-control to endure desires for a goal.

Dry chicken breast instead of delicious food.

A single spar instead of fun entertainment.

Reviewing training instead of comfortable rest.

Seo Ye-rim had given up a great deal for the sword.

She had poured more than half of her life into it, and had earned the epithet Sword Phoenix.

That was why.

This epithet could be called her life and everything.

And all of it had been denied.

By a damn brat, no less.

Naturally, vulgar curses had burst out freely.

She had been kicked off a live broadcast.

She had been thoroughly humiliated.

By tomorrow morning, hundreds of public shaming articles would probably pour out.

That was actually fine.

Because she could just not look at the media.

But what truly, truly infuriated her was.

The fact that she couldn’t inwardly deny Kim Min-woo’s words.

Damn it all, that guy really did wield a sword well.

She had been hit with a kind of blunt fact-bomb.

So……

Is she only that good? Is she only that good? Is she only that good? Is she only that good? Is she only that good? Is she only that good? Is she only that good?

That guy’s voice, replaying endlessly like a tape recording.

Under the ruinous stress, all of her self-control collapsed in an instant.

Binge, and another binge.

Just then……

―Wow, crazy!

―He really did it!

―He cleared it! He cleared it, I’m telling you!

Cheers burst out from where the Instructors’ rooms were. What were they so excited about at this late hour before dawn?

It was obvious.

One smug face flashed past.

‘Damn it all…….’

Under the brute strength of an A-rank Awakened, the fat can was crushed in one go.

Psshhh!

Beer poured over her head like fireworks bursting.

“Argh!”

Nothing was going right!

Wiping her head with a towel, her gaze turned to her smartphone.

Seo Ye-rim right now was a person without restraint.

With her head slightly cooled by the beer shower, it was impossible to hold back the desire called curiosity.

‘He really did it? That?’

Her declaring it impossible had not been out of mere envy. She had said it was impossible because it truly was.

……But how did he clear it?

“……I’m just checking a little.”

How could an Awakened resist this? Muttering to herself as if making an excuse, she turned on the news window on her smartphone.

[(Breaking news!) Kim Min-woo Makes Korea Shine! World Record Broken!]

[(Breaking news!) 40 Hours 23 Minutes 32 Seconds! A Necromancer with the World’s Best Talent Is Born!]

.

.

“……This is absurd.”

Forty hours, no less.

It was a record nearly 8 hours faster than even Isabella at Level 49.

What about public opinion, beyond the plain news?

She hurriedly switched the screen to NewTube.

The national pride videos on NewTube were already passing 1 million views within 5 minutes of being uploaded.

[K-Awakened Kim Min-woo Really Causes a Stir! Why Did Isabella Kneel Before the Might of the Necromancer and All of France Fall into a Cauldron of Silence?!]

[Is Korea Finally Escaping Awakened Weak-Nation Status? K-Awakened Kim Min-woo Breaks the Record! Awakened Around the World Are Shocked by His Talent!]

[Kim Min-woo, Who Became Korea’s Star and Hope! Why Did Overseas Foreign Press Drool at the Corners of Their Mouths in Shock at His Heroic Steps?! Live Video Attached!]

Channels she had subscribed to because videos related to her grandfather were often uploaded there.

Usually, when a video with a lethal dose of national pride like this was uploaded, public opinion was split about half and half.

Because even to viewers, there were definitely parts that seemed like too much.

Even her own grandfather, the Sword Immortal, had gotten roughly 8 in favor to 2 against.

But now……

Likes: 999,832

Dislikes: 1,773

Korea was boiling.

The comment reactions were the same.

―Is this real? lol It’s actually real lolol Tavern maid! Inject me with a lethal dose of national pride here!

―Just for today, the tavern maid dying of overwork is not guilty lolol

―40 hours, that’s insane lolol The French guys went around talking big about crushing everyone and sank right away lololol

―Isabella’s bubble burst lolol You can tell France’s level lol That’s their number one Awakened lolol

―Did you see him sink the Japanese reporter with a single jab? Ugh lolol

―This is it~ This is Korea’s spicy flavor, you bastards lolol

The heated public opinion of ordinary people.

And even Gate Net, an Awakened community.

[Isn’t Kim Min-woo a bubble?]

[Recommendations: 123,423]

Seo Ye-rim, eyes lighting up, hurriedly clicked on the post that had risen to the popular posts.

―Unbelie‘bubble’, you bastards lolol

ㄴUgh lolol Everyone who was bashing Kim Min-woo got stunned lolol

ㄴNo black cranes who doubted Kim Min-woo, right? Ugh lolol

Seeing that, Seo Ye-rim’s brow furrowed sharply. Breaking the world record was certainly impressive.

It might be natural for hot reactions to follow.

But even so.

This was none other than Kim Min-woo.

Did it make any sense for public opinion to be this good?

Tap-tap.

Tap-tap-tap-tap.

Her fingers tapped on the smartphone, and.

[Why is public opinion like this right now?]

[Nick: Yeah]

(A picture of an orangutan scratching its head)

―I get that Kim Min-woo is amazing, but is it worth going this far? Did everyone forget he’s a brat? Even the Sword Immortal didn’t seem to get this kind of reaction;

ㄴThat old man has already shown everything he’s got, and Kim Min-woo is brand new, and you compare them? lolol

ㄴFor real lol. OP doesn’t get the point. The last time a super rookie came out in Korea was 7 years ago lol

ㄴ……So what about it?

ㄴIt’s Korea’s daily life that whenever a decent Awakened shows up, they get snatched away and pushed around this way and that lolol And Kim Min-woo is the one who came out in that situation lol

ㄴBut he’s a total brat. Didn’t everyone hate him?

ㄴI didn’t hate him? Did he commit a serious crime? Get a red line on his record? No, so what does it matter? lolol

ㄴFor real lol. OP keeps trying to pour cold water on a good day, looks like a clever anti to me?

Soon, a barrage of downvotes began to hit the post in an instant.

[Downvotes 3,733]

A post that shot up to 8th on the Worst list in an instant. She looked at the posts on the Worst rankings.

[1. Jumping around over just this much, you can tell the level lol As expected of an Awakened weak nation lolol]

[Downvotes 101,231]

[2. Making such a fuss over one super rookie that Awakened powerhouses pump out like eating meals lololol]

[Downvotes: 78,745]

.

.

[8. Why is public opinion like this right now?]

[Downvotes: 3,842]

.

.

“…….”

In the meantime, the number of downvotes had grown by nearly 100 more. She felt like a one-eyed person in a world of two-eyed people.

Her mood soured sharply at the ever-climbing downvote count, and she left Gate Net. Even in the meantime, the heat was growing more and more intense.