The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2
chapter-22

***

Manager Zero.

The gift she possessed was none other than ‘Nurturing.’

‘Supporting gift, Nurturing.’

Supporting gift was the ability to assist players outside of the game. It was an ability that was ignored in the tutorial stage as it was deemed not very useful.

However, after the tutorial ended…

As the world fell into chaos and the grades of gifts began to grow, the supporting gift started to receive attention.

‘Among them, Nurturing was considered the highest.’

The gift ‘Nurturing.’

Players with this gift could accelerate the growth speed of other players.

At the tutorial stage, it only provided a 10% experience buff to a few players, so it didn’t garner much attention.

The experience buff during the tutorial was the same as the Blessing of Growth that guilds could purchase with GP.

Since it didn’t overlap, there was no need to focus on those with this gift.

‘But things changed after the tutorial period.’

After the tutorial, guilds couldn’t purchase experience buffs with GP anymore, and the range of the gift ‘Nurturing’ expanded significantly compared to the tutorial period.

The ability, which only affected experience points, now applied across all fields, from stat growth speed to gift grade upgrades, after the tutorial.

It was also revealed that the higher the position in the guild, the wider the range of targets that Nurturing could be used on, leading to this once-ignored gift gradually gaining attention.

Subsequently, anyone holding a managerial position in famous guilds had to possess the gift of Nurturing.

‘Among them, the one with the highest grade was Manager Zero.’

Manager Zero. was an extraordinary figure even within the American First guild.

She wore a steel mask that covered her entire face except for her lips, which were covered in burn scars.

‘Even though the priestess offered to heal her, she refused, claiming it was the price she paid to make a deal with a demon.’

So initially, it was impossible to connect Lee Hayeon and Zero.

But apart from her face, her voice, physique, and actions were all very similar to Zero’s.

Her distinctive gestures, her gambling addiction, and even the fact that her name was ‘Zero’…

Manager Zero was a compulsive gambler. And as is often the case with the fate of gamblers, her fortune was always ‘zero’.

“Jihan, Jihan! I-I know you very well. You’re The Guesser of the victory, right?”

“Help me a bit. What should I bet on these days?”

At the party of the American First guild Approaching Seong Jihan, who was pretending to be an immigrant, Manager Zero, claiming to be Korean herself, pestered him to make predictions. But even when he predicted for her, she had a clear bias.

“Jihan, yeah. How about this guy? Diego Masid. The gift with an SSS grade is called ‘God of Soccer.’ Who plays soccer anymore? I’m sure he’s going to lose. If I bet against him, I should be able to win, right?

– How many times do I need to tell you no? Do you think an SSS Gift is given to just anyone?

– Let me tell you again, Masid’s going to win.

– Tch, I know your win rate well. It’s 62% but this time it will be one of the 38%, a case where you lose!”

Whenever Zero said such things, the result was always Seong Jihan winning.

– Shit… He should just play soccer. Why is he hitting a cannonball?

– Did you think anyone can get a SSS-grade gift?

– No,it’s not that! Next time, I’ll win!

– You should stop gambling.

– Hehe, While the world is full of possibilities, it is difficult to ignore that.

– Zero, the only possibility for you is losing.

– Shut up.

Ignoring all advice and drinking vodka, Zero continued to taunt.

However, no matter how drunk she got, she never removed her mask, instead sighing heavily.

– You. Hey. Why did you become stronger only now?

– Yes… If you had been this strong in Korea. My friend might not have died like that.

– You bastard…

– No, I don’t have the right to say that. I’m a terrible person myself too… Shit”

Zero was an alcoholic and a gambling addict. Any normal company would have fired her, yet she was able to get so far within the American First Guild due to her unique Nurturing Gift.

‘It was on a different level.’

Even the experience buff ratio she provided started at a minimum of 100 percent. The talents she had nurtured in the second division alone were like a truckload.

‘I must recruit ‘Zero’.

The woman in front of him, Despite wearing a mask and being covered in burn scars, looked completely different from the Zero who had a completely different appearance.

Somehow, Seong Jihan had a feeling that she was Zero.

He would be certain if he just could confirm her gift.

‘But in my current situation, recruiting her is impossible.’

Lee Hayeon, a high-ranking executive of the best-performing guild in Korea and an heir to a conglomerate family.

Compared to her, Seong Jihan was promising but still just a bronze player, so there was no way for him to recruit Lee Hayeon into his faction.

‘First, I need to focus on finding individuals with potential like Zero.’

While Seong Jihan was organizing his thoughts, Lim Gayeong, who was standing in front of Lee Hayeon, demanded an answer from him.

“Please answer, Seong Jihan. How do you know the miss’s phrase?”

Seong Jihan casually replied to Lim Gayeong’s stern gaze.

“It’s a phrase I saw often in the chat window when I used to run the prediction channel. I mentioned it just in case since she said that she was a subscriber.”

“…Miss, did you use that phrase in the chat room?”

“Uh, well! How about we stop this topic now, Gayeong?”

‘I was just planning to give some excuse, but she doesn’t seem to want to let go.’

Seong Jihan grabbed Lim Gayeong’s shoulder and looked back at Lee Hayeon, who had stepped forward again, with a wry smile.

Unlike a little while ago, Seong Jihan seemed more relaxed, and although Lee Hayeon’s eyebrows twitched slightly, she soon opened her mouth with a smile.

“You even remember the chat of your subscribers. You’re quite attentive, Seong Jihan.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Anyway… I came here for a reason, which is that I want to recruit you into the Divergent Guild.”

“Into the Divergent Guild, you say?”

“Yes, Seong Jihan. First…”

When Lee Hayeon was about to make a formal recruitment offer,

Seong Jihan interrupted her.

“I’m sorry, but today doesn’t seem like a good day. My niece’s condition isn’t great, so I should probably go now.”

“Ah. R-right.”

Was it because she didn’t expect Seong Jihan to refuse without even listening, or because she didn’t know Seong Jihan would reject so decisively?

Lee Hayeon briefly showed a puzzled expression, but soon composed herself.

“That’s true. If your niece isn’t feeling well, there’s nothing to be done. Then…”

With a twinkle in her eye, she looked up at Seong Jihan from below.

“Could you give me your phone number?”

“My number?”

“Yes.”

At the mention of exchanging phone numbers, Lim Gayeong’s expression behind them slightly stiffened.

Was it because she remembered the time when she had asked him for his number and got harshly rejected?

‘…Come to think of it, I still don’t know my number.’

Many things had happened recently, so he hadn’t thought of finding his phone number. He didn’t have a reason to use it in the first place.

Seong Jihan glanced briefly at Lim Gayeong and gave the same answer as before.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I can’t remember my phone number.”

“…What?”

In response to Seong Jihan’s answer, Lee Hayeon’s smiling face turned rigid.

“Huh?”

Even Yoon Seah, who was next to him, had an incredulous expression.

Why didn’t he know his phone number?

“Seah, what was my number again?”

“…”

His uncle nonchalantly asked her for his phone number.

Seong Jihan had genuinely forgotten and asked, but Seah thought to herself, ‘No way, my smart uncle wouldn’t suddenly forget his own number.’

She shook her head.

What’s the intention behind this?

‘Is he uncomfortable with the guild joining topic? Or… Is he playing hard to get?’

Both possibilities seemed plausible to her.

‘Uncle was distracted and looking at her earlier.’

Among the two possibilities, she cautiously leaned towards the idea of him playing hard to get.

If that was the intention, she should help him play along.

“Uncle, I don’t know your phone number either.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, of course it’s saved on my phone. I happened to leave my phone at home though… It’s not here.”

Yoon Seah reached into her pocket and then showed her empty hands.

Actually, her phone was inside the pocket, but people didn’t catch onto that.

“Well, I left mine upstairs too. Guess there’s nothing we can do. Could I get your business card if you have one?”

“…Ah, sure.”

He doesn’t remember his phone number, and on top of that, he left his phone upstairs? Both of them?

Could such a coincidence happen?

‘…’

Unfazed, Lee Hayeon smiled and took a business card from her hand.

“Here you go.”

Taking the card she handed over, Seong Jihan looked at Yoon Seah.

“Thank you. Well, I’ll contact you next time. Shall we go, Seah?”

“Yeah, Uncle.”

Yoon Seah gave a light farewell to Lee Hayeon’s group and took the penthouse elevator with Seong Jihan.

Watching their departure with a formal smile, Lee Hayeon stood still as if frozen in place.

Ding!

As the elevator doors closed, she let out a sigh as if in disbelief.

“…Ha, he doesn’t know his own phone number?”

Being rejected with such a ridiculous excuse…

“Ms. Lee? “

When Jihan blatantly stared at her, she thought the recruitment would go smoothly.

She didn’t expect things to turn out that way.

“Pf.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing, Miss.”

“Gayeong, if you have something to say, say it.”

“It’s nothing.” Lee Hayeon turned away.

Lim Gayeong stood expressionless, but the corner of her mouth was twitching incessantly.

“There’s something you want to say, isn’t there?”

“Just, I remembered the way you used to mock me in the past. Pfft.”

“Ugh…”

Lee Hayeon gritted her teeth.

She was laughed at for an absurd reason and even received a smirk from Lim Gayeong.

“Watch and see, Seong Jihan…”

No matter what, I’ll make sure to recruit you and get you to say “Head” and even further, “Miss.”

Looking at the penthouse elevator, Lee Hayeon’s eyes sparkled.

Inside the elevator.

“Uncle, but playing hard to get like that… It’s not really… cool.”

Yoon Seah was offering her advice as a girl to her uncle.

“What are you talking about? Playing hard to get?”

“Weren’t you aiming for the, ‘He’s the first man to reject me!’ Tsk, that’s too old. These days, it’s better to be direct.”

“It seems like you’ve misunderstood me…”

Jihan looked at Seah with a dumbfounded look.

She’d misunderstood something.

“Ahem, this niece of yours is quite perceptive. I understand perfectly. Uncle, it’s not like you wouldn’t know your own phone number.”

“But I really don’t know.”

“Oh, really? 010-384… Isn’t this it?”

“Oh! Right, that’s the number.”

Seeming to finally understand, Seong Jihan nodded, and Yoon Seah looked at him with a surprised expression.

“You really didn’t know? Your own phone number?”

“Yeah.”

“…Should I have told you earlier? Ugh, did I interfere with Uncle’s romance business for nothing?”

“Romance? Me and Lee Hayeon?”

“Yeah, Uncle, you were zoning out while looking at her earlier.”

Romance with the seriously alcoholic, gambling-addicted Zero? Seong Jihan shook his head with a disgusted expression.

“Whatever. I can’t stand gambling addicts.”

“…Really?”

‘Even though he was a gambling addict not too long ago. Is this some kind of self-loathing?’

‘Well… It seems like I haven’t interfered with Uncle’s romantic life.’

Yoon Seah felt relieved looking at Seong Jihan’s disgusted expression.