The God of War is Leveling Up

There were only a few people in South Korea capable of drawing the attention of the influential Baek family—and Oh Shinwoo was one of them.

As expected, Oh Shinwoo's slyly grinning face, sunglasses perched on his nose, appeared vividly in Vladimir's mind.

They had only met twice, but his impression was strong.

"Tch… I got played. Completely played."

Clicking his tongue as he sorted through his thoughts, Vladimir descended the stairs to the first floor—and immediately felt the eyes turn toward him.

Their gazes held a mixture of complex emotions.

The awe, unease, and tension he'd seen when first entering this place were still there.

But mixed in with those was something Vladimir rarely sensed directed at him.

Superiority?

Someone was looking at him with that feeling.

No—it wasn't just one or two.

Quite a few people seemed to hold a faint sense of superiority in their chests as they looked at him.

He had a guess as to why.

Did they think I came here to clear this dimension?

And yet, the one who had found Cosmo Energy in the Tranon Dimension was the no-name.

They were feeling a sort of vicarious satisfaction—like they had triumphed over someone known as Universal 8, the Ruler of Night.

Vladimir usually loathed the arrogance of the powerless.

That was why he had threatened the Baek family's chauffeur.

But this situation felt slightly different.

I didn't come here to clear the dimension anyway… Just a case of public sentiment, I suppose.

Sometimes, letting people indulge in this kind of feeling wasn't so bad.

In fact, his curiosity about the one responsible—this no-name—only deepened.

To have this level of influence already…

Baek Muhak… This might get dangerous. Interesting. Very.

As Vladimir stepped out of the Pioneer's Inn, there was a grin of amusement tugging at his lips.

"Still… at this point, maybe I should just go to his house myself."

But by the time he stepped out of the portal, that grin had turned into a sigh.

He had lost the ATV.

Though he'd gained an SUV in return, it would take time to get it properly processed.

So he ended up using public transportation to get home—but his mood wasn't bad.

He was excited.

After all, his journey to the Tranon dimension had yielded great results.

Reuniting with his family after a long time was heartwarming, too.

Even when Yang Seungbon teased him, saying he came back too early for a backpacking trip, it was amusing.

He had returned home safely after accomplishing his mission.

He had work to do and a home to return to.

And waiting for him there, always, was his family.

He felt happiness didn't lie in far-off places.

Then, as if responding to his lingering anticipation, his phone chimed slightly after noon the next day—with a message from the bank.

**[Korea Bank

100-**8-**38

Deposit

₩1,664,000,000]

"Long live Korea!"

Soohyeok let out an involuntary shout of joy.

Then he jumped up and started dancing wildly.

He was alone at home, so there was no one to care.

"1.6 billion! 1.6 billion!"

He couldn't stop repeating the amount out loud.

The difference between mentally calculating the value and actually seeing the deposit was staggering.

It was like how office workers know payday is coming—but nothing compares to the joy of seeing it in their account.

And this amount? It was a sum the old Soohyeok wouldn't have even dreamed of.

"Phew, what can I do with 1.6 billion?

Let's see."

The large-capacity vehicle for his subspace use, which he'd planned to invest in, was now his for free from the association.

His inner strength (naegong)? In just a few days, he'd complete the first full cycle.

He would soon become an Ultra Peak master.

The next stage—Harmony Realm —would take much more time.

Not only his naegong but his physical body still wasn't conditioned enough to contain Harmony.

Of course, the new techniques and martial skills he'd learn at the Ultra Peak would help fill that gap.

Most importantly, once he reached Ultra Peak with near-infinite naegong recovery, few enemies would pose a real threat.

So now it's martial arts that will require more time.

He reminded himself to train consistently.

But there was no need to rush or grow impatient.

And so, only one conclusion remained:

This money should finally be used for my family.

Of course, to do that properly, his rank needed to be updated quickly.

"When will they contact me, I wonder…"

Just then, another message arrived on his phone.

This time, it was from Oh Shinwoo himself.

[The formal procedure for your rank promotion is complete. Shall I deliver it personally?]

Soohyeok replied immediately.

[I'll come receive it myself.]

Soohyeok was originally 8th rank. Even a single-step promotion would earn him the gold bracelet—a symbol of South Korea's elite Awakened.

But realistically, he expected to go up at least two ranks after this.

Maybe even three.

Whatever it was, it felt good.

At this point, the burden of revealing his identity to his family would be greatly reduced.

Only by doing so could he spend the money he had earned for their sake.

"Hmhm, hm-hmm~"

Soohyeok couldn't stop humming as he threw on his clothes and stepped out the front door.

While he was still basking in the joy of his actual earnings, the internet and TV were abuzz with one name: No-name.

Naturally, it was all about his clearing of the Tranon Dimension.

Just the day before, a live interview with Oh Shinwoo had aired across the nation.

**"No-name has done it again. He entered the Tranon Dimension alone, endured a long journey, and succeeded in retrieving the Cosmo Energy from a portal that had remained uncleared for over three months.

Evacuation procedures for portal shutdown are underway, and we expect to complete all operations within the next two weeks. I'd like to thank the people of Korea, especially the citizens of Ansan, for your patience.

Additionally, a group of awakened criminals targeting No-name has been arrested. While their exact motives remain unclear, among them was a 10th-rank Awakened previously reported missing within the Association..."**

The interview was long—and if anything, it followed the expected narrative.

Praise for Soohyeok, or rather, No-name. With a precise choice of words, Oh Shinwoo had sparked public curiosity and goodwill.

As a result, from yesterday when the interview aired to today, South Korea's largest portal site had No-name trending in the top three:

"No-name," "No-name Tranon," "No-name Dimension Escape Video." His name dominated all.

One video in particular—showing him bursting out of the portal in an SUV and triumphantly waving the Cosmo Energy out the window—had surpassed 10 million views in just two days.

At this rate, 20 million seemed inevitable.

Naturally, the comment sections were on fire.

■ I've decided—I'm joining the No-name fan club.

■ Insane. Absolutely insane. Slaps thigh at No-name's class. He cleared the Tranon Dimension and took down a 10th-rank Awakened criminal?

L Heard one of the Universal 8 was in Tranon.

L For real?

LOO Rumor says the Ruler of Night showed up. Tons of witnesses—probably true.

■ But No-name cleared it first??

■ Crazy. That class, though;;

The video's popularity quickly spread beyond Korea.

LFaster than Vladimir?

WoWW~

LWTF?

LCrazy Man!

LForeign reactions are hilarious

LI'm drunk on national pride. Hail No-name!

LRespect from Poland to Korea!

Much of this global attention stemmed from Vladimir's notoriety as the "Ruler of Night"—a member of the Universal 8. But that was fine.

For Oh Shinwoo, this was a situation worthy of celebration.

There were still a few negative comments here and there, but they hardly mattered.

At least for now, the vast majority of South Koreans viewed No-name—Soohyeok—with admiration, not hostility.

Some internet users had even become borderline fanatics.

Exactly what Oh Shinwoo had hoped for.

And so, granting Soohyeok a dramatic rank promotion was now easy.

Among those who knew No-name's true identity, not a single person dared object to his sudden rise in rank.

As a result, Soohyeok was awarded not a bracelet, but a ring—one that shone brilliantly in platinum.

"This is…?"

When Soohyeok asked, Oh Shinwoo—whom he was meeting again after just a day—answered with a smile.

"It's a ring. Until now, only five people in Korea have ever worn one."

Gulp.

Soohyeok swallowed hard.

He had only ever heard about the ring's existence—this was his first time seeing one.

"As you may know, it's made from mithril. It's smaller than a bracelet, but far more intricate and technologically sophisticated. That's why it's only issued to those ranked 12th or higher, among Korea's most elite Awakened."

"And you're giving this to me?"

"Yes. Congratulations. Including Baek Muhak, the only known 13th-rank, you're now officially recognized as Korea's 7th-ranked Awakened."

"Huh…"

Soohyeok let out a long breath as he accepted the ring from Oh Shinwoo's hand.

It wasn't a sigh of frustration.

It was a sigh of deep relief and joy.

After scanning his fingerprint into the ring and opening the Association's official status window, the screen showed:

Yang Soohyeok – Rank 12 – No. 7 in Korea.

He was now one of the very top-ranked Awakened in the entire nation.

"Of course, I don't think this is the end. Based on your current growth and rise in rank, this is unprecedented in history. I'm certain the number on that ring will be changing very soon.

Oh, by the way—do you know about the benefits for those ranked in Korea's top 10?"

Still looking a bit dazed, Soohyeok smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]