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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The All Master Who Regressed to Bronze
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"First, let's wash up and go buy some clothes."
"Clothes? But I don't have any money..."
"That's what the card I got is for, so it's fine. And since Se-jin here is a few years older than me, would it be okay if I called you hyung?"
"Sure, whatever..."
"Feel free to talk comfortably too, hyung. What kind of brother uses formal speech with his dongsaeng?"
"Y-Yeah, maybe you're right?"
The moment Choi Cheol-ho gave his permission, Shin-hyeok successfully became sworn brothers with Se-jin.
Looking at Se-jin's awkward expression, Shin-hyeok recalled the past.
'Bang family. This settles our karma from my previous life.'
Back in the days when he was a Challenger player.
Se-jin, who had taken care of his weapons and armor.
No, burying the Bang family of Cheonggyecheon Stream in the past, Shin-hyeok headed to the public bathhouse with Se-jin.
"...Even chaebol heirs come to places like bathhouses."
"I've never been treated like a chaebol heir growing up."
"Oh, right."
"Let's scrub off every bit of dead skin and have a good soak. It'll be a huge middle finger to those old bosses from your workshop."
"Sounds good."
Se-jin grinned, clearly pleased at the thought. Watching his untainted smile, Shin-hyeok parted ways with Su-ah in front of the bathhouse.
"See you in an hour?"
"An hour's too short! Women need at least two hours!"
"...Isn't that too long?"
"Absolutely not. So, two hours from now, right here."
"...Got it."
Shin-hyeok couldn't fathom what women did in there that took a minimum of two hours.
"Are they fighting a war in there or something, hyung?"
"Beats me. I don't know much about women either..."
Of course, Se-jin didn't know either.
In the end, the two men who knew nothing about women scrubbed themselves clean in the bath, devoured a tray of eggs and a bottle of ion drink, and finally emerged.
"Ahh, feels good to hit the bathhouse after so long."
"...There must be some kind of magic in the women's bath."
"I was thinking the same."
They'd both used the same bathhouse, but Su-ah's skin was now silky smooth and radiant, while the men were just... clean.
The two men nodded in agreement at this almost magical phenomenon, but only briefly.
"Now, let's go shopping, hyung."
Shin-hyeok gestured as he boarded the luxury sedan that arrived right on time to pick up the trio.
Su-ah and Se-jin followed suit. The driver turned to confirm the destination.
"Shinwa Department Store, young master?"
It was a perfectly reasonable question.
Now that Shin-hyeok was unmistakably the son of Shinwa Group, going to Shinwa Department Store to buy Se-jin's clothes was the obvious choice.
But Shin-hyeok had no intention of taking the obvious path.
"Oseong Department Store Gangnam branch, please."
"...Oseong, sir?"
"Yes, Oseong."
"...Understood."
Oseong Department Store.
The rival that dominated the department store market alongside Shinwa.
The driver's face fell at the idea of heading to enemy territory, but he stepped on the accelerator anyway.
"Shin-hyeok, what are you thinking? Shouldn't we go to Shinwa?"
"Normally, yeah. But I'm feeling sorry about it."
"Sorry for what?"
Su-ah stomped her feet, insisting they should still go to Shinwa, but tilted her head at Shin-hyeok's words.
Sorry enough to go to Oseong instead?
It made no sense, no matter how you heard it.
But Shin-hyeok smirked and explained.
"I'm sorry for Joo-ho. I heard he got placed in Bronze because of me, not even Silver."
"Whoa... Shin-hyeok, you are evil."
Lee Joo-ho.
The son of Oseong Guild Master and the player who'd bled during the placement exam with Shin-hyeok.
Shin-hyeok was saying he pitied the guy enough to shop at Oseong.
Su-ah stared at him in disgust.
"While we're at it, wanna grab some gear for you too, Su-ah?"
"But Joo-ho spent three years harassing you, so this is just self-defense. Hehe!"
Of course, Su-ah fell for Shin-hyeok's bait about new gear and happily embraced her capitalist corruption.
The luxury sedan glided smoothly toward Gangnam, carrying Shin-hyeok, who chuckled at her eager nodding.
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Oseong Department Store, Gangnam branch.
It was always packed to the brim.
Naturally, a celebrity sighting there caused a massive uproar.
"It's Choi Shin-hyeok!"
"The Choi Shin-hyeok placed in Silver 1 at the placement exam?"
"The one who wrecked Lee Joo-ho?"
"Why's he here, though?"
Shin-hyeok's appearance was exactly that.
People were shocked, but also baffled.
Shin-hyeok was from Shinwa Group.
So why Oseong instead of Shinwa? That was the question.
And from the crowd, questions flew to uncover the mystery.
"Choi Shin-hyeok! Why Oseong Department Store?"
"Is it better than Shinwa?"
"Answer us!"
It was bizarre how regular people hurled questions like possessed reporters.
Shin-hyeok parked the trembling Se-jin next to Su-ah and answered lightly.
"I felt sorry for a friend."
"A friend?"
"Sorry enough to come here?"
Like Su-ah, no one got it right away.
But his follow-up had everyone bursting into laughter.
"Yeah, I went too hard on my friend Joo-ho during the placement exam, so I came to boost Oseong's sales a bit."
"Joo-ho?"
"Lee Joo-ho?!"
"Pfft, he crushes the guy himself then 'feels sorry' and pads their sales."
"This is that 'give poison, then medicine' thing?"
"Gotta post this on Inbyul."
"Joo-ho's gonna rage when he sees."
He'd crushed Joo-ho personally, then showed up to "help" their sales.
It was hilarious to anyone.
Chuckles rippled through the crowd, some erupting in full laughter.
"Gotta fill Joo-ho's wallet, so that's it from me."
Having gifted the crowd a fun spectacle, Shin-hyeok smoothly vanished with his group, driver-cum-bodyguard in tow.
💬 Inbyul & SNS — AnonUser123 Choi Shin-hyeok just popped up at Oseong Department Store! — GamerFan Choi Shin-hyeok says: "Joo-ho's my friend. Here to boost sales." — PrettyGirlSpotter The girl next to Choi Shin-hyeok is super cute... — TaxHater Choi Shin-hyeok: Pay double taxes and get a special audit. For real. — TrollKing Autopsy not allowed? — CommonSense You idiot, why autopsy a living person?
Exactly as Shin-hyeok intended, his words spread rapidly across Inbyul and other SNS from the spot he'd left.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Everything from here to there. And all the shirts in his size. I'd prefer custom, but no time, so ready-to-wear for now."
"Th-Thank you!"
The store manager bowed deeply, beaming at Shin-hyeok's "everything from here to there"—a move only true wealth could pull off in a luxury suit shop.
Incentive based on sales made it natural.
Of course, he paid with the Shinwa card.
"Sh-Shin-hyeok. I don't need this many. If I pick up the hammer again, I'll just wear work clothes. Why suits?"
"Then hammer in a suit. Problem solved."
"It's uncomfortable and wasteful..."
"Won't it piss off those bosses who bullied you? Seeing the kid they tormented wearing a suit they could barely afford—as work clothes?"
"...Ah. You thought that far ahead."
"Yeah, so don't worry. It's a steal considering the gear you'll make me later."
"Ha... haha, true."
Dazed by the massive gift, Se-jin fully bought into Shin-hyeok's logic.
Nothing was more perfect revenge than flaunting success better than those who'd tormented you.
Shin-hyeok's casual joke eased the mood further.
"Go try them on. I'll wait."
"Got it. Be right back."
Shin-hyeok smiled warmly as Se-jin headed to the changing room with the pre-selected suit and shirts.
"Next, let's check gear for you, Su-ah. Oseong should have decent stuff. It'll tide you over till Se-jin hyung crafts properly."
"...Who'd have thought I'd use Oseong gear as temp equipment? I picked the right friend."
"Yep. What're rich chaebol friends for if not this?"
Su-ah beamed at his words. Shin-hyeok chuckled, tossing another joke.
She'd been a true friend since his broke days.
That's why he recruited Se-jin—someone who should stay low-profile—and splurged on gear.
As he chatted with Su-ah while Se-jin changed, a thought struck Shin-hyeok.
'Wait, couldn't I wield a hammer too?'
Not just Se-jin—himself too.
'In the past, survival and climbing tiers meant focusing only on combat skills. All Master was combat-only. But a true All Master should master production jobs too, right?'
The idea quickly solidified.
Unlike before, maybe this time he could become a true All Master.
Just then, Se-jin emerged from the changing room.
Seeing him, Shin-hyeok spilled his thoughts to Se-jin.
Mixing his All Master job with the Versatile trait, he finished explaining and awaited Se-jin's decision.
"...Apprentice level should be doable."
Apprentice.
A novice learning under a craftsman.
At that, Shin-hyeok dropped to his knees before Se-jin.
"Hyung... I wanna... hold the hammer..."
Both brothers were at the age where hammers called to them.
Thus, Shin-hyeok successfully became the apprentice of the man called the Hand of God.
'This life, I'll master not just combat, but production and crafting too.'
A big step toward his dream of true All Master status came as a bonus.