The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2
Chapter 391

‘If the color is pure white, does it relate to the White Administrator?’

Through the color of the message window, Seong Jihan deduced which administrator had intervened.

‘It seems they’re using me as a pawn to draw out the Red Administrator.’

Could the suspected Red Administrator actually be the Martial God?

While he wasn’t thrilled about being used as bait by the administrators,

‘I should still take what I can.’

Feeling offended wasn’t a reason to forgo the rewards.

Seong Jihan chose to focus on practicality.

Thus, the special reward he received was:

[A special condition for upgrading the overall viewer rating, the ‘10-year channel operation’ condition, has been removed.]

[The overall viewer rating has been upgraded to the ‘Famous’ level.]

The special condition blocking the upgrade to the Star Buff was removed.

‘So this was the special condition?’

Running a channel for 10 years.

Without this removal, upgrading the Star Buff would have been impossible for the foreseeable future.

‘Definitely seems like the White Administrator is connected to BattleTube.’

Reading the message likely from the White Administrator, known for providing BattleTube-related rewards, Seong Jihan thought thus.

[Star Buff is being upgraded.]

[When the Star Buff is activated, all stats are amplified by 100%.]

[As the amplification effect reaches 100%, a special upgrade option appears.]

[Please choose one of the two options.]

[New Star]

– Upgrades the existing Star Buff effect.

– The more concurrent viewers you have, the more the buff effect increases. Activating ‘Supernova’ mode multiplies the Star Buff effect tenfold.

– However, using Supernova will nullify the New Star effect.

[Official Channel]

– Stream three times a week for five years.

– Becomes one of BattleTube’s ‘official channels,’ earning constellation fame with each video play.

– However, this removes the Star Buff effect.

New Star and Official Channel.

Choosing between the two was evident.

‘New Star it is.’

Becoming an official channel may have accumulated the rare constellation fame,

but losing the Star Buff was a significant drawback.

In peaceful times, opting for the latter might foster greater development.

‘In these critical times, power is paramount.’

Seong Jihan selected the New Star upgrade option.

Then,

[New Star effect has been added to the Star Buff.]

[The buff efficiency increases in proportion to the number of viewers.]

[Failing to reach the criterion, stat amplification remains at 100%.]

The New Star effect immediately applied to Seong Jihan.

The high criterion meant the viewer-proportionate buff increase was not activated.

‘This should suffice…’

Having settled the Epic Quest reward,

– Jihan! What about the racial bonuses… aren’t you going to choose?

– Ah, don’t rush him; he’s probably thinking about it.

– Oh, but I’m curious. The mission is over, and I want to see the racial bonuses before the stream ends!

– Can we ascend to a mid-tier race with four bonuses?

– It hasn’t been that long since we became a low-tier race, lol.

As hoped by the human viewers, he decided to check the racial bonuses.

‘Let’s see.’

This time, he had earned a total of four racial evolution bonuses.

Two from summoning the Thunder God, and another two from defeating him.

[Do you wish to receive the racial bonuses?]

Waiting for Seong Jihan to press the button.

“Alright, let’s check the racial bonuses.”

Tap.

The message popped up as he claimed the rewards.

[A special reward, ‘Racial Evolution Bonus,’ has been granted.]

[Fire Affinity increases by +1.]

[Fire Affinity increases by +1.]

[Fire Affinity increases by +1.]

[Magic Power increases by +3.]

This time, the racial bonuses included Fire Affinity, thrice.

-…Why only fire affinity?

– Didn’t he defeat the Thunder God? Where’s the lightning affinity, lol.

– Fire mages are in luck;

– Since most mages start with fire attack spells, this is beneficial for fire mages.

– Regular players might not feel much difference…

– Maybe less prone to burns? With increased fire affinity, lol.

Though viewers had high expectations for the four racial bonuses, the result left them baffled.

Despite defeating the Thunder God, the rewards involved unrelated Fire Affinity three times.

‘Perplexing, but the higher affinity makes managing the Red stat easier.’

With the Red stat stopped at 60 to avoid internal disobedience, increasing Fire Affinity made controlling the flames easier, allowing free manipulation.

‘This coincidence isn’t random… Seems like the administrators are directly aiding me to endure the Red Administrator’s power.’

Raising Fire Affinity thrice among countless affinities was too convenient to be mere chance.

It seemed administrators’ intentions were behind this.

‘Their intentions are obvious, but I should use everything to my advantage.’

Once the Red’s control stabilizes, he should unseal the eye from the Black’s Sealing Box to raise his stats further.

Pondering thus, Seong Jihan logged out.

* * *

[Boss Rush’s racial bonuses boost fire mages!]

[Are BattleNet administrators mightier than gods? Speculations on the entities revered by extraterrestrials.]

[Seong Jihan hits the jackpot, gaining 70 times his GP through self-betting! Now Earth’s richest?]

[Is Seong Jihan mere bait? Eerie discussions from his channel featuring the Eye of Light.]

The Boss Rush game, which yielded four racial bonuses, became a global sensation even after its conclusion.

– Mage damage has skyrocketed.

– Yes, fire-based mages claim their damage doubled.

– Most mages learn basic fire magic, making this a celebration for them.

– Warriors have raised fire resistance, so enduring flames has become easier.

– Really? Regular folks don’t notice much difference, lol.

– Yeah, we had enjoyed health improvements before, but this is a bit disappointing.

Unlike previous rewards benefiting humanity broadly, this bonus mainly strengthened mages.

Increased Fire Affinity improved fire resistance for all players but was more beneficial for mages.

And.

– The Arena Master and an administrator… what are they plotting with Seong Jihan?

– Seong Jihan mentioned being bait. This seems concerning.

– With the Eye of Light, off-the-record information is filtering through hilariously.

– Seong Jihan’s transcendence might make it a personal issue.

– No, the Arena Master specifically mentioned offering humanity and Jihan an opportunity.

– What happens if this opportunity is missed?

– Extinction?

Listeners grasping unfiltered information from the Eye of Light speculated variously.

Meanwhile.

“Jihan! The racial bonus seems to affect me too!”

As usual, Sophia, visiting the penthouse, exclaimed to Seong Jihan.

“Did the Sacred Flame get stronger?”

“Yes!”

When she opened her palm,

Fwoooosh!

The formerly weak, easily extinguished white Sacred Flame now burned intensely.

“This seems about 70% of the previous level. Maybe it harmonizes well with Fire Affinity?”

“Indeed…”

Nodding, Seong Jihan scrutinized the Sacred Flame.

The white Sacred Flame held sacred power, the Red’s energy, among various other forces.

With his Red stat nearly doubled to 60, he pondered understanding the Sacred Flame,

‘…Still unclear.’

But understanding the other forces comprising the Sacred Flame remained elusive.

‘Pythia’s actions suggest hidden significance…’

Perhaps the clue lies elsewhere than the Red stat?

After examining the Sacred Flame further,

“Oh, maintaining it is tough now…”

“Alright, let’s stop here for today.”

As the Sacred Flame dimmed, they concluded the inspection.

Meanwhile.

“Hmm…”

Yoon Seah, watching Seong Jihan’s Boss Rush replay on the living room TV, spoke after she scrutinized the Sacred Flame.

“Uncle, why only fire bonuses this time? Is it due to the Red Administrator… his hand?”

“Likely.”

“The cosmic-headed guy’s remarks were ominous too. Calling you bait, mentioning ‘final opportunity’… a lot seems significant.”

Looking at Seong Jihan worriedly, Yoon Seah asked.

“…How did you catch all that?”

“All of it was in your broadcast now.”

“Oh, even that?”

“Yeah, people are speculating all sorts of things.”

Accepting the Eye of Light to maintain the Star Buff caused unintended transparency to humanity.

‘Though, on second thought, why not let it be public?’

Unfiltered association with the missing Red Administrator drew exponential extraterrestrial interest, even the Great Constellations.

Higher BattleTube concentration would enhance the Star Buff.

‘Riding a tiger’s back… I need to prioritize strength above all.’

Considering the need for attention to fuel the Star Buff, Seong Jihan realized openness might be strategic.

‘If needed, detailing the current situation in a briefing isn’t a bad idea later…’

If the channel’s growth stagnates, maybe then.

Concluding this, Seong Jihan opted for a full disclosure strategy.

Maximizing the New Star trait’s potential.

“Details about the Red Administrator aren’t fully clear yet. I’ll speak about it all at once later.”

“…Really?”

“Yes. I might even broadcast it openly.”

“On BattleTube? Whew… Isn’t a hero supposed to hide their strength?”

“The old-fashioned hero, maybe. Now it’s about self-PR.”

Seong Jihan’s nonchalant remark elicited a worried look from Yoon Seah, who eventually nodded.

“…Okay. I’ll wait until you explain.”

“Great.”

“Now, let’s worry about the match with China.”

“The China match?”

“Yes, it’s in three days.”

“Ah, really?”

Seong Jihan casually responded.

In the midst of being monitored by administrators, matters concerning national contests seemed trivial.

“Yes… This racial bonus made Je Galheon so powerful, the next match is worrisome.”

“Je Galheon of China? Isn’t he not a fire mage? He uses the Eight Trigrams Overlap.”

“Even the Eight Trigrams Overlap has fire-related trigrams. He’s become very strong.”

“Hmm… really? Good luck.”

“Ugh, Uncle, haven’t you reconsidered retiring?”

“True, it’s just… not joining the regional league makes sense.”

As the solitary peak among human players, Seong Jihan’s gap only widened over time.

Joining national contests amid such disparity felt like an adult intruding on children’s games.

‘Though achieving world rank 1 might garner constellation fame…’

He hadn’t fully retired from the national team, barely keeping up.

Recent escalations left no room to focus on nation matches.

“But… uh, Uncle. Could you visit the BattleNet center, if possible?”

“Why?”

“Last time, China didn’t ban you.”

“Perhaps given my infrequent participation.”

Seong Jihan didn’t mind much.

“Other nations ban you just in case, yet China doesn’t. The coach suspects an insider spy liaising with China within the BattleNet center…”

“Really?”

“Yes, you don’t need to compete… Just show up at the center. If there’s an insider, they’ll enforce the ban; if not, they won’t.”

Checking for spies?

‘The center is right next door, so.’

Show up briefly and head to the training grounds after.

“Okay, I’ll stop by.”

Seong Jihan answered lightly as if visiting a friend’s home.

And three days later.

“…Seong Jihan.”

A staff member covertly approached him at the BattleNet center.

“I… bring a message from someone.”