Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 80

1.

Turning back time to about 20 days before the tournament, Yuminseong, the former leader of the Association’s C-Class Monitoring Team and now a wealthy unemployed person, had been living a peaceful life, quietly enjoying the calm days given to him. He had no major complaints about his life.

That is, until he woke up to a strange ceiling, even though he had clearly been in his own bedroom.

“What... what the hell are you? You think you can kidnap an Awakener from the Association and get away with it?”

“We apologize for startling you, Yuminseong. We understand you were very confused since we couldn't read your memories, right?”

“You kidnapped me because you were after my mind-reading abilities? I won’t be intimidated by some villain organization!”

“We apologize for the illegal means of bringing you here. We are not a villain organization; we are agents from the National Security Bureau’s Security Division 4.”

“National Security Bureau?”

“We know you’ve crossed paths with some of our agents while working with the Association. If you wish, we can have them vouch for your identity.”

With the ability to read minds from a distance and the power to read the hearts of even stronger opponents once they came close or made physical contact, Yuminseong’s abilities were perfect for a villain organization to target. After being extremely cautious, he realized that these people were indeed real National Security Bureau agents.

“Are you crazy? Kidnapping an Awakener who retired from the National Security Bureau? Have all your Awakener agents been recruited this way?”

“We apologize. This matter is highly urgent and special. Once you see this document, you’ll understand.”

[TOP SECRET] [Warning – For authorized personnel only]

[Investigation Record of Returnee Choi Deok-bae by the Special Investigator]

• January 1, 2035, Choi Deok-bae (unemployed, 32-year-old male) goes missing.
• January 1, 2045, Choi Deok-bae, who obtained hypnosis and sexual abilities in another world, returns.
• January 10, 2045, all female residents of the same building as Choi Deok-bae fall into hypnosis and are victims of 82 sexual crimes.
• March 15, 2045, 96 women in [??] District fall victim to hypnosis, forced into sexual exploitation, filming sex videos, extortion, and rape. Over 1,000 crimes in total.
• June 11, 2045, the wife of Congressman [???] notices a significant drop in the remaining power of a mental defense artifact and realizes the extent of the ability-based crimes. Investigations into these crimes are launched under the direction of Congressman [???].
• July 5, 2045, unusual incidents detected in [??] District, with male infidelity-related crimes and female indecent acts increasing by over 10,000%.
• July 17, 2045, the Special Investigation Team for Sexual Crimes in [??] District is formed.
• July 25, 2045, the Special Investigation Team for Sexual Crimes in [??] District experiences a mass suicide incident. One female prosecutor is missing.
• August 2, 2045, an unofficial Awakener investigation team is formed by the National Security Bureau.
• August 5, 2045, 3.8% of [??] District residents show signs of having fallen under Choi Deok-bae’s hypnosis.
• August 6, 2045, information officer [???] uses their [??????] ability to start breaking the hypnosis on victims.
• August 7, 2045, realizing the danger to his life, Choi Deok-bae uses hypnotized victims to instigate a large-scale riot.
• August 8, 2045, (Unavailable)
• August 9, 2045, Choi Deok-bae is apprehended, his abilities confirmed, and statements begin.
• August 11, 2045, it is confirmed that the gate leading to the fantasy world where Choi Deok-bae had been transported shares similarities with a gate that appeared on Earth.
• August 12, 2045, Choi Deok-bae escapes from his detention facility after breaking through the mental defenses of an Awakener, and a kill order is issued.
• August 14, 2045, Choi Deok-bae is killed successfully.
• August 15, 2045, Choi Deok-bae is designated as the first Returnee, and a report is submitted indicating the need for preparations for crimes involving Returnees.
• August 16, 2045, it is confirmed that the person killed on-site was not Choi Deok-bae but a National Security Bureau agent.
• August 22, 2045, while attempting to flee on an illegal ship, Choi Deok-bae is shot and killed along with 7 civilians aboard the ship as a result of hypnosis-induced confusion.

Yuminseong’s hands trembled as he read the document.

“Can something like this really happen?”

“It would be impossible for most ordinary hypnotic Awakener abilities. They don’t work well on intelligent beings, and there’s a limit to how many people can be hypnotized at once.”

“You’re telling me there’s no cooldown for these abilities, no restrictions, and they’re that powerful?”

“That’s why Returnees are so dangerous.”

“Wait… Hae Eung-eung, is she a Returnee too?”

“It is highly likely.”

“I refuse.”

Yuminseong drew the line firmly.

“That woman is a murderous weapon. If you get close, you’ll be killed for sure!”

“Calm down. Not all Returnees are psychotic criminals. In fact, there are some Returnees affiliated with the National Security Bureau and the Association.”

“How am I supposed to trust this after seeing such a document? I’ve read her mind, and it’s not the mind of a normal person!”

In a frantic outburst, Yuminseong lashed out, but the agent from the National Security Bureau responded calmly, injecting a tranquilizer into his arm. After a day had passed, Yuminseong finally realized that he could not escape the National Security Bureau’s grip.

Reluctantly, he agreed to help them monitor Hae Eung-eung.

“We have a good opportunity now. Hae Eung-eung is recruiting a C-Class Awakener. You could apply with our agents.”

“I’ve already been made known.”

“We’ll get you the best plastic surgeon.”

“What if I get caught?”

“Shall we change your gender too?”

“…I don’t need that much.”

In the end, Yuminseong underwent extensive plastic surgery and assumed a new identity as Min Woosung, entering the Silent Sword Master’s martial arts tournament.

2.

As a participant in the tournament, Yuminseong surprisingly thought this mission wasn’t so bad.

Through the host, Joo Ah-young, he could indirectly read Hae Eung-eung’s thoughts. There was no fear of danger in the tournament either, as National Security Bureau agents were secretly guarding him.

• "Yes! Since the boss gave permission, I should change the map right now!"

This was before the unexpected event of the map changing in the tournament.

• “Ehehe, I’m so excited.”
• “If beginners play JumpingRabbit, they’ll probably die a lot. The players will probably die too, right? This is awesome!”

‘That psycho bitch!’

Joo Ah-young’s thoughts, which were chilling to read, were exactly like her sister’s. Nevertheless, reading her mind helped a lot in surviving the tournament. Joo Ah-young had been thinking about how to?? JumpingRabbit.

• “The legendary mountain map in JumpingRabbit is actually climbable from the inside, not just the outside, but only those who’ve experienced it would know.”
• “If you climb up to floor 1100, you’ll get blocked by a snowstorm, so you’ll need special items to proceed, which no one would know unless they’ve been there.”
• “The map is unnecessarily large, and the?? items are hidden on mountain peaks far from the main path. No one would know that unless they’ve visited.”

Having the answers ahead of time gave a huge advantage. If you just wrote down the memorized answers, you could score full marks.

“Where should I go from here?”

“To get through, drop a rock from the top to break the boulder blocking the path. That will reveal the entrance to the cave.”

“Is this a martial arts tournament or a JumpingRabbit tournament? Anyway, you’ve really helped me, Yumin… I mean, Min Woosung.”

The real problem arose when faced with subjective descriptive questions that required solving and explanation.

“They said I just need to use the super jump here.”

“How do you do a super jump?”

“Uh? I’m not sure either…”

Joo Ah-young hadn’t thought about the obvious mechanics of activating a super jump. As a result, National Security Bureau agents had to sacrifice themselves, throwing him upward or using their powers to help him climb.

“I’ve made a mistake. I’m out of mana, so from here on out, you’ll have to go alone.”

“No! We’ve come all this way together, and now you’re going to give up?!”

“This is my final support. Please, make it to the top four for us.”

Thanks to the sacrifices of the National Security Bureau agents, Min Woosung successfully reached the final four.

As he reached the final rounds, he thought to himself:

‘This is a mess. These bastards.’

They had taken a person who was just minding his own business, had him undergo surgery to change his face, and then forced him to monitor a monster-like Returnee. They made it sound like some kind of noble cause.

In truth, though, he didn’t have much choice. The National Security Bureau had their hooks in him. Escaping wasn’t an option. Running away from the virtual world would just land him right back in the National Security Bureau’s hands.

‘I have to win this tournament. That’s the only way I’ll escape from this damn place.’

His determination to win wasn't about wanting to meet Silent Sword Master or fight her. It was about escaping the National Security Bureau’s control.

The difference in mindset translated into a focus that made his jumps incredibly precise.

‘There’s no way anyone could enjoy this garbage of a game seriously. Whoever plays it like this has to be a freak.’

In a game where even a slight mistake could cause you to slide down and start climbing again, where one misstep could send you into a pit, Yuminseong realized that rest was vital to recover from the exhaustion of the mind.

Looking up at the kill logs, he noticed that there were only four survivors left, and his disbelief grew.

‘Wait, the host died before the others. Shouldn’t I reach the top to finish this?’

For a brief moment, doubt crept in. But it wasn’t long before he thought this might actually be a good thing. He had already acquired some?? items during his climb.

Though it had slowed him down a bit as he took a different route, he wasn’t overly concerned. After all, he believed only he could conquer the summit.

Someone else clearing this without any?? items? That was laughable.

[Silent Sword Master has reached the summit.]
[JumpingRabbit map – Legend of the High Mountain conquered.]
[The map has been cleared and returned to default settings.]

"...You said you couldn’t clear it without the?? items?"

This was the kind of power that a Returnee had, someone not bound by ordinary restrictions.