Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 163

Gashingan knew.
He knew he wasn't as strong as Lightning Man, nor did he have useful abilities or traits that could earn money.

• "You’ve raised your thorns again? Ha, you're completely useless. Fine, there’s no combat uniform for you now, so know that."
• "A resignation letter? You're not entirely clueless. But if you leave, pay the penalty."
• "That guy, right? The pathetic one who was kicked out of a famous guild because of his worthless abilities. That guild really has no taste."
• "What’s so good about hiring such an ugly guy? I don’t get it."

Not only was Gashingan abandoned by his guild, but even among other freelancers, guild Ascended ones looked down on him, mocking him as though he was beneath them.

• "Hey, Oppa! Let's forget the bad memories with a drink with Mimi!"
• "What? You’re asking if I have time tomorrow? Sorry, I can’t tomorrow. No, I’m afraid I can’t take reservations at all, even if you double the price."
• "Thanks for using the girlfriend escort service, but since you’re so ugly, please don’t request it again next time."

The girlfriend escort service, which he had signed up for in hopes of alleviating his loneliness, only caused Gashingan more pain.

‘Now, it's only about skill.’

He tried every combat method he could with his thorns.
When his arm muscles were injured, he focused on training his lower body. And when his legs were hurt, he practiced shooting thorns from the tips of his fingers.
Seven years.
2555 days.
Not a single day passed without effort.
Even on days he didn’t enter the gate,
He had no rest days.
One day, after continuing his relentless training.

• "Isn’t Gashingan the top in Gohung?"
• "I agree."
• "He's way more hardcore than his ugliness."
• "Wait, how can you be that ugly and still be this strong?"
• "Exactly, that's how hardcore he is."
• "I can accept that kind of strength."
• "At that level, he’s earned my respect."

He became a top-tier C-Class Ascended.
He wasn’t the best, but he had earned enough strength to be content.

‘Mimi-chan. You gave me humiliation, but you also brought me a pain unlike any other.’

It was through this pain that Gashingan awakened his new evolutionary trait.

<Evolutionary Trait - Stronger the More I Break (B)>

He had been broken and bent countless times,
But in the end, he overcame all his pain and became stronger.
Just like that, his thorns,
The more they shot, bent, and broke,
The new ones that grew became even harder.

“Mecha Cyborg. Have you ever been rejected by a woman?”
“What’s with the weird question? Is that important?”
“It is important.”
“If you must know, no, I haven’t. I’ve had women I dumped because they were annoying and troublesome, but that’s it.”
“That’s where you and I differ.”

On Gashingan’s right arm, a new thorn emerged, glowing with a red light.

<Special Technique - Bloody Thorn>
<Unorthodox Technique - Rotating Ejection>
<Combo Technique - Ten Thousand Flowers Bloom>

Thorns spun violently and scattered in a spray of blood.
As many drops of blood as he spilled,
The countless thorns scattered around the arena
Ripped apart Mecha Cyborg’s body,
Tearing through the arms he had raised to protect himself.

“Only men who’ve been rejected by women can truly talk about strength.”
“What kind of nonsense…”

Mecha Cyborg, with his head hanging low, collapsed.

“It’s a comeback victory for Gashingan! The strong mental fortitude to rise from the humiliation of being rejected by women brought him victory!!”
"Waahhh!"
“Gashipunch! Gashipunch! Gashipunch!”
“I had no idea Gashingan was this cool!”
“I’m sorry, Gashingan! You’re not just a lucky guy, you’ve worked hard for this!”
“You’re the best, Gashingan!”
“You’re the best ugly guy in this country!”

Cheers from countless Ascended.
Even Haenampa’s staff joined in the applause,
And even Mugeon Geomgaek rolled up his sleeves and clapped.

“I was right. The Ascended from South Korea are truly amazing.”
[The reason for wanting to become strong may be somewhat eccentric, but I want to acknowledge the developed skill.]

Gashingan, praised by both the Saint and Mugeon Geomgaek,
With flashes from cameras and cheers from all sides, Gashingan thought to himself.

‘Stop calling me ugly, you bastards.’

Gashingan and Mecha Samurai’s recovery ended with the medical staff waiting in the wings.
Thanks to their special abilities, they were both able to recover from their injuries without major surgery.
Unlike Mecha Samurai, who was eliminated in the first round, Gashingan could not afford to relax.
He had another match ahead of him.
He needed to recover as quickly as possible.
But even he couldn’t ignore the event unfolding in front of him.

‘Wow. She’s really pretty.’

Mugeon Geomgaek and the Saint.
The two organizers and judges of the tournament had come to personally encourage the players who had shown a great match.
During a brief break for repairs to the arena, the cameraman and reporter Bang Ji-cheol followed along as well.

“I’d like to thank the two players once again for showing us such a great match. Mecha Samurai, how do you feel after fighting Gashingan?”
“I realized just how strong the poison of being rejected by women is. After leaving here, I plan to get dumped by my girlfriend on purpose.”
“Hahaha. Thank you for the witty answer.”

Wait, he has a girlfriend?
A sense of emptiness filled Gashingan’s chest.
He couldn’t escape from the sting of deception.
He won the tournament, but lost at life.
Only those who are ugly can truly understand this frustration.

‘How pitiful.’

Ha Eung Eung, who had once been a man, could imagine the sense of defeat Gashingan was feeling.
Even Eve, who had never been a man, could sense his pain with a vague smile.

“Gashingan, you’ve gained a lot of popularity with today’s victory.”

However, the reporter, blinded by the ratings, did not understand that pain.

“Now that you’ve won, do you plan to get a girlfriend?”
“XX”
“Pardon?”
“You playing with people? Get out of here!”

Reporter Bang Ji-cheol and the cameraman were kicked out of the medical room.
The Saint did her best to comfort him.

“Don’t worry too much. Just because your outer appearance is ugly doesn’t mean your soul is ugly. Noble willpower isn’t bound by the skin of your body.”
“Saint… Can I propose to you?”
“I’m married to my country, so I can’t accept the love of one man.”

Gashingan had expected a refusal, but the scale of her rejection was so different, it made him feel oddly cheerful.

“Haha. If you’re married to the country, then I understand. I apologize for my rudeness.”

The Saint naturally turned to Ha Eung Eung.

“What about Sister Ha Eung Eung here?”
“Mugeon Geomgaek, you mean? Well, that’s…”

Gashingan had boldly confessed to the Saint, but as he met Mugeon Geomgaek’s gaze, he couldn’t even open his mouth, even as a joke.
Her calm demeanor was the same as the Saint’s, but unlike her, Mugeon Geomgaek was completely unreadable.

Mugeon Geomgaek.
The Silent Swordsman.
The Ruthless Swordsman.
The Whip Swordsman.

Just looking at the many nicknames surrounding her,
If you thought she was cruel, she could surprise you with an unexpectedly compassionate side, and sometimes her antics would completely captivate people’s hearts.
Mugeon Geomgaek had been the person who had sparked Gashingan’s desire for even more strength when he was at a stagnant phase in his life.

‘To confess to someone so great?’

He couldn’t speak.
It was already too late for a playful confession.
After hesitating so much, anything he said would sound like he meant it.
How dare he confess to her seriously?
Of course, he would be rejected.
Of course, it would be inappropriate.
But even so, he didn’t have the courage to confess.

[She won’t accept.]
“I haven’t even confessed yet!”

1st confession 2nd chance?
Though he grumbled about it, it was better that he had presented his notebook first.
Trying to calm his aching heart, Mugeon Geomgaek flipped to the next page.

[Being ugly, I can overlook.]
“Is that really true?”
[But there’s something I can’t accept.]
“Is there a flaw worse than being ugly?”

No, something worse than this?
Is this real?
Gashingan, who was taken aback,
Saw Ha Eung Eung, still wearing the same indifferent expression, flipping to the next page.

[I won’t consider the advances of any man weaker than me.]
“Eh?! Isn’t that just a declaration that you’ll live alone forever?”
[So, try harder. Become strong enough to be able to confess to me.]

At that point, surely you can at least date a woman who’s decent, even if not as great as me?
Ha Eung Eung’s bold words were written out in full in the notebook,
And for a moment, Gashingan’s embarrassment faded. Like a broken faucet, tears welled up in his eyes.

“Both of you… thank you. For offering such deep comfort and encouragement to someone like me. I am truly honored.”

Gashingan made a promise.

“After this tournament ends, I want to join Haenampa and continue to train to become even stronger.”
[Anyone who works hard won’t be rejected. Whether you join as a trainee or instructor depends on the results of the tournament.]

Even if he couldn’t become the man of Mugeon Geomgaek,
At least, he wanted to become a person who wouldn’t be ashamed in front of her.

“I apologize. I forgot to leave the camera…”

But that promise wasn’t just his.
The cameraman, returning with an awkward face,
Had been filming all along, broadcasting live on a public channel with over 12% viewership.