Chapter 49
“Welcome. Are you dining alone?”
“Yes, just one pork soup, please.”
“Got it~ I’ll show you to your seat. One pork soup for the hall!”
Carpe—no, Jeonghun—was led to a seat by the server. Although it was a little past dinner time, the restaurant, located near a university, was still bustling with customers.
“Ahh, my shoulder…”
Had he overdone it?
Jeonghun thought as he massaged his right shoulder. He had started gaming early in the morning, and even after spending ten full hours in the game, it was only around 8 p.m. Normally, this would be the time he dedicated to video editing, but since the *Heavenly Demon* had taken over that task after the room became available, there was no need for him to do it anymore.
It was too early to sleep, though, so he decided to take a walk—a decision sparked by a fleeting thought.
His destination? The arcade!
More specifically, the rhythm games at the arcade.
‘Watching Fergus hammer away like that made me want to improve my own skills.’
After being inspired by Fergus's craftsmanship, Jeonghun thought that playing some rhythm games might improve his in-game crafting. Fresh off 10 hours in *Lasse*, he found himself back at an arcade because of *Lasse*. ‘I’m really hooked now,’ he thought, but in this day and age, it wasn’t unusual.
The world was changing rapidly, thanks in no small part to *Lasse*.
One of the most obvious examples was a significant increase in physical activity and sports participation, according to statistics from the national bureau. Starting six months ago, activities like weightlifting, archery, kendo, boxing, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu saw explosive growth. Physical exercise and martial arts involving direct body use or weapon handling had grown exponentially in popularity.
Unfortunately, ball sports had seen a decline, but overall, the number of people engaging in physical activity had skyrocketed.
This surge was driven by research showing that real-world physical abilities significantly impacted the performance of characters in *Lasse*.
‘Maybe I should start going to the gym too.’
One prominent American sociologist had remarked that the influence *Last Savior* was having on society was unlike anything ever seen in any previous cultural phenomenon. He said it was a wave that couldn’t be stopped.
It was no longer strange to see rhythm games at the arcade replaced with blacksmith’s anvils and hammers. Perhaps the day would come when, in response to the question, “What’s your job?” someone might proudly answer, “I’m a paladin for XX Guild!”
“Your soup’s ready! Enjoy.”
“Thanks.”
Slurp.
Jeonghun adjusted the seasoning with some shrimp sauce and added some red pepper paste before taking a sip. Warm happiness spread through his body.
Yes, no matter how much the world changes, a steaming bowl of pork soup will always stay the same. As long as the price of pork soup doesn’t go over 10,000 won, he could survive anything life threw at him.
“Man, the raid today was such a waste. We barely made it to phase three.”
“Who would’ve thought a critical hit would mess things up at the end? That guy Jeongsu has the worst luck.”
“I told him to enhance his shield earlier, at least the safe enhancements. But no, he said it wasn’t worth it since he was going to switch gear soon. And now, the shield’s gone, and the raid’s ruined.”
As expected of a restaurant near a university, the patrons were mostly college students, and their main topic of conversation was, naturally, *Lasse*. Hearing people talk about *Lasse* over meals had become a normal part of everyday life.
Even the TV in the restaurant was tuned to a channel dedicated to *Lasse* news.
“Good evening! Welcome to ‘9 o’clock! Today in Lasse!’ I’m your host, Jeon Yongjin.”
“And I’m Lee Yena~”
“Yes, good evening, viewers. Today we’ve gathered the day’s top issues for you…”
“Hey, Yongjin’s armor looks different today. Did he score some new gear?”
“Yena’s costume is on another level today. Her sense of style is amazing.”
Now, even live television broadcasts were done inside *Lasse*.
If things had changed this much in just six months, what would the world be like in three years? Jeonghun wondered as he bit into a piece of kimchi.
Oh, the kimchi here was really good.
“Our first story is about Korea’s pride and joy, the player known as ‘Heavenly Sword.’ Let’s check out the footage.”
“Look at Yongjin, all giddy over Heavenly Sword. His grin is practically splitting his face in half.”
“Is there anyone in Korea who doesn’t like Heavenly Sword? It’s understandable.”
“You’re a fanboy too, huh?”
“Do you hate her?”
“No… not really.”
The name *Heavenly Sword* was one Jeonghun had heard even before *Lasse* came out. In fact, *Heavenly Sword* wasn’t just famous—she was *the* most famous Korean in the world.
She was like a superhero who had stepped straight out of a movie, game, or comic book—an unbeatable prodigy and professional gamer, known for her beauty and talent.
She was a real-life version of D.Va, a character from an old hyper FPS game that was popular decades ago. She had proven that such a combination could exist in reality.
Ranked number one in Korea and fifth in the world, she was a standout player in the elite guild *Eden*, known for its handpicked members. Her world-class gaming skills, paired with looks that could outshine most pop idols, had made her a global star.
She was especially popular in China, where the nickname “Heavenly Sword” was first coined by her fans before it became her official title.
Naturally, her widespread appeal led her to dominate the advertising world, and there were even rumors that she would pursue a career as a singer or actress.
“Once again, we see *Heavenly Sword* take down the boss with ease. Yena, did you notice anything unusual in that footage?”
“Hmm? Well, your face looked ridiculously happy as you were watching her.”
“Ahem. Let me explain. Right after she defeated the boss, if you pause the video, you can see that her sword glowed with a faint golden light. Did you catch that?”
“Yes, but what’s so special about that? Isn’t that just the *Striking* skill effect?”
“Haha. That’s what most people would assume. But seasoned *Lasse* veterans would notice something different. The *Striking* effect is a deeper shade of gold.”
“Hmm… now that you mention it, are there any buff skills that produce a golden glow like that?”
“Yena, you’re becoming quite the expert yourself! No, there aren’t any other skills that give off that effect. Which means it’s not from a skill.”
“Then what is it?”
“Brace yourselves, viewers. That glow is the effect you get when a weapon reaches +10 enhancement!”
“Wait, what?! A +10?! That’s unbelievable!”
The broadcast room buzzed with excitement.
“+10? Isn’t her weapon a Unique?”
“Holy crap. Did she really succeed in enhancing a Unique weapon to +10? How can one person have everything—talent, looks, and even luck? Is this country even real? Lucky people like her should pay more taxes!”
“Chill. She already pays tons of taxes and donates a lot. Stop being so bitter. It’s embarrassing.”
“I’m so jealous. I haven’t even managed to get a Rare to +9, let alone a Unique to +10.”
The host continued, wearing a proud smile, as if he had achieved the +10 enhancement himself.
“As many of you know, her weapon is the Unique sword *Ice Snow* (빙설). She’s now the first Korean to own a +10 Unique.”
“Wow, does that mean she has a shot at being world rank 1?”
“Well, first place might be a bit of a stretch, but she could definitely aim for the top 3…”
“Hm…”
While the others were caught up in the excitement, Jeonghun quietly focused on his meal.
Little did they know that the person sitting right next to them, slurping pork soup, was the proud owner of a +12 Legendary item.
‘Fergus really is a monster.’
He had already known that Fergus, with two 9-star crafting skills, was extraordinary. Still, while a +10 Unique was regarded as one of the rarest items in the world, who would’ve thought Fergus could forge a +12 Legendary?
Every time the broadcast hyped up the +10 Unique, Jeonghun couldn’t help but feel a small sense of pride.
“And now, to introduce today’s rising star.”
“Ugh, I hate this part of the show. Seeing these super-talented people makes me feel so inadequate…”
The final segment of the *9 o’clock! Today in Lasse!* program was always about highlighting the most popular videos or promising newcomers.
“Today’s rising star has already become a hot topic in the community. Yena, I think you know this person quite well.”
“Wait, could it be…?”
“That’s right! It’s none other than the star of *Heavenly Demon TV*, the *Heavenly Demon* himself!”
“Pffft!”
Jeonghun choked on his food, coughing uncontrollably. He hurriedly gulped down some water and stared at the TV in disbelief.
“Oh my gosh! I’m a huge fan!”
“From his brutal takedown of the One-Piece Gang, to the reveal of the Guerilla Quest, to the Hell Beast One-Shot Kill video—he’s only uploaded two videos, but the community is already going wild. It’s hard to believe, so there are rumors of hacks or video manipulation…”
“*Heavenly Demon* isn’t the type to do that!”
“Yena’s a fan of every up-and-coming player.”
“Must be her gimmick. Anyway, did you see the *Heavenly Demon* video? I don’t know if it’s edited or not, but the fighting was insanely good.”
“Watching him take down the One-Piece Gang was pure satisfaction.”
Jeonghun overheard the conversations around him, and his face flushed with embarrassment. He kept gulping down water to calm himself.
“I try to stay neutral, but even though it doesn’t seem like hacking or editing, the feats are just so unbelievable…”
“Ugh. That so-called neutral stance is the worst!”
“Haha. It’s our job to remain open to all possibilities. Wait, hold on. Yena, it looks like *Heavenly Demon TV* just uploaded a new video. Should we watch it now?”
It seemed the male host was reading live comments from viewers as he stared off-screen.
“Really? Can we watch it now?”
“Yes, it looks like perfect timing. Let’s show the audience the new video right away.”
The moment the new *Heavenly Demon TV* video started playing…
“Kyaaaaa!”
“Holy crap!”
Everyone in the restaurant screamed.
The video opened with a close-up of a massive, squirming *Slater* (거대 슬레터), its grotesque form filling the screen!
“Wow, he uploaded a video of the Slater fight without any warning or blur?”
“What a troll. He’s not *Heavenly Demon*, he’s a devil!”
“…My appetite’s completely gone.”
“Can you imagine fighting that thing? What if you made eye contact with it?”
“I’d pass out on the spot. Or cry and scream for my mom.”
“…”
What in the world did he upload?!
Jeonghun muttered a silent apology while continuing to chug water.
“Yongjin, turn it off! You know I can’t handle things like this! I’m going to cry! Seriously, I’ll cry!”
“Er, apologies, viewers. It seems Yena’s mental state has been shattered, so we’ll have to end the segment here. If you’re curious, you can check out the full video on *Heavenly Demon TV*…”
Click!
The part-time server in the restaurant hurriedly turned off the TV, but it was already too late.
“…Let’s go.”
“I feel sick. I need to grab some medicine at the convenience store.”
“Thanks, *Heavenly Demon TV*, for ruining my appetite. I’ll remember that name.”
“Excuse me? Customers?!”
All the patrons, except Jeonghun, stood up at once, paid, and left.
“Are you kidding me? How could they leave all this food untouched?!”
That day, the restaurant *Jangsu Pork Soup* recorded the highest amount of leftover food in its history.
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