The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2 Novel

[...What are you doing right now?]

Sung JiHan's eyes flashed red.

For no apparent reason, Dong Bangsak dropped his phone, causing the screen to shatter.

Dong Bangsak reached out his hand in confusion.

Thud.

The damaged smartphone floated up from the ground and landed in his hand.

"Oh, luckily it still works... I applied!"

Although Dong Bangsak quickly moved his fingers to complete the application.

[The result is...]

"...It failed."

[...]

Already facing fierce competition, he had made the mistake of dropping his phone.

It was only natural that he would fall behind in the first-come-first-served system.

"No, Dong Bangsak... How could a genius like you drop this? Does that make sense? No, fine. Let's say you dropped it. But couldn't you have caught it in mid-air? What on earth were you doing?"

Pitia shouted at Dong Bangsak, seemingly unable to comprehend the situation.

Level 9 Autonomous Seat, Dokjon Seongjo.

In terms of level alone, he was a skilled individual just below Daeseongjo, and his actual power was not lacking even when compared to Daeseongjo.

Does it make sense for him to drop his phone like a child?

"Ugh. I was just trying to play a little prank, and now I've ruined my big opportunity!"

He had thought of saying a word to help the old man, but could the situation have turned out like this?

Pitia trembled as she watched the expression on Dong Bangsak's face.

"...Earlier, I was just momentarily flustered."

"You didn't intentionally fail, did you?!"

"If you hadn't said unnecessary things, it would have been a success. The child's body wasn't used to it."

Dong Bangsak, returning to his original old man appearance, let out a deep sigh.

He bowed down to Sung JiHan.

"Oh, Sung JiHan. I made an unforgivable mistake... I will accept any punishment."

[No.]

In an instant, Sung JiHan's red eyes glowed ominously.

"I need to confirm whether this incident was truly a 'mistake'."

"...Yes."

Sssss...

From the area around Sung JiHan's head, a dark red smoke emerged.

Soon, it transformed into the shape of a giant snake.

"That is..."

The snake's head opened its mouth wide.

Crunch!

It swallowed Dong Bangsak's entire body in one gulp.

"I will examine your memories."

Sssss...

As soon as those words ended, the snake made of smoke turned black.

After about ten minutes.

[...There doesn't seem to be anything.]

Shoooo...

As the snake's form disappeared, Dong Bangsak, who had lost consciousness inside it, fell to the ground.

Sung JiHan's gaze calmed down.

"It's so clean."

He carefully examined Dong Bangsak's memories, focusing on recent events, but there was not a single trace.

Could this incident really be just a simple mistake?

"I can't believe that."

The one who knew best how monstrous Dongbangsak was, was none other than Mousin.

Back in the days when he was on Earth, he had been defeated and driven away by Dongbangsak to the point of being sick of it.

Even during his human days, Dongbangsak, who had become Mousin's disciple and reached Level 9 of the Holy Seat, was a being who couldn't make such a mistake even if he wanted to.

"In that case."

Hmm.

Mousin's two eyes turned towards Pithia.

[Pithia.]

"Yes..."

[I should examine you too.]

Hesitation...

As the smoke rose, the form of a snake appeared.

Pithia burst into tears.

Why did she have to say something unnecessary at that moment...

"...I understand."

When she agreed,

Kwajik!

The giant snake swallowed Pithia whole.

Just like during Dongbangsak's time, Mousin, who had been examining her memories for about ten minutes,

[There doesn't seem to be anything here either...]

Even in Pithia's memories, he couldn't find any suspicious points.

Shuuuu...

The form of the snake disappeared, and Pithia fell from within it.

Looking at the two unconscious disciples, Mousin fell into deep thought.

'There was nothing special in their memories, but... this incident is not a simple mistake.'

For Dongbangsak to let his phone slip and fail to support the arena,

It's something that couldn't happen.

No matter how flustered and careless he was.

Dongbangsak is a being who can recall the falling phone back into his hand in an instant.

To just let it fall like that, there must be some kind of intervention.

'...If Dongbangsak had only participated in this tournament, everything would have been over.'

No matter how powerful Sung JiHan is, he can't defeat Dongbangsak.

If Dongbangsak had brought the Red Hand, this tiresome infinite regression could have been put to an end.

But this perfect opportunity was ruined because of a simple mistake?

'That can't be.'

Clearly, this incident was intentional.

In their memories, there was no strange point to be found...

'Could it be that the Black and White Administrators were involved?'

The search for Mousin's culprit naturally expanded in that direction.

If it wasn't the absolute beings like Black and White, there was no existence that could naturally orchestrate such an incident as a 'mistake'.

Lately, they haven't been dispatching many subordinates.

Were they busy with something like this?

[Dongbangsak, wake up.]

Brrrr...

At Mousin's gloomy voice, Dongbangsak, who had been lying down, slowly opened his eyes.

"...Yes, my lord."

[This mistake of yours is something that simply cannot happen. That's why I examined your and Pithia's memories, but there was nothing unusual there.]

"This incident is truly unforgivable..."

[If it wasn't something you two did, it's the constant administrators who are suspicious. Examine your surroundings thoroughly and if you find any traces of the Black and White, bring them to me.]

"Ah, understood!"

Dongbangsak accepted Mousin's command and flew up into the sky.

Passing through the area where the Holy Seat's weapons were floating like stars.

'Did the Black and White Administrators really intervene this time? That's why, strangely, my hand didn't move. A phone, something that can be lifted back up if it falls...'

As he recalled the recent events, his expression hardened.

To determine whether or not they were involved, Dong Bangsak thought that he would have to capture all of Sung JiHan's subordinates.

Thud!

He summoned his sword by cutting a strand of his beard.

And as he did so, he found himself holding the sword in his hand.

"Ah..."

Dong Bangsak's eyes widened in an instant.

"Asoka... It really happened as you said."

In his mind,

The memories that had disappeared were coming back.

* * *

A few days ago.

"Dong Bangsak. If you participate in the tournament, this round will be the end."

"I suppose so."

Dong Bangsak responded dully to Asoka's warning.

Sung JiHan's progress had been astonishingly fast.

But he was still in a state where there was quite a gap between him and Dong Bangsak.

"However, the conditions for supporting this tournament were strict. If you apply late, you might not even be able to participate."

"Are you saying that Sung JiHan will let you apply late?"

"...I don't think so."

The reason why Sung JiHan, who was cautious by nature, did not regress in this round where numerous variables occurred was one.

Because of the Red Administrator's hand.

If he obtained it, he could instantly improve his stagnant state of development and even put an end to infinite regression.

Despite the numerous variables and the uncontrollable situation, he was not turning back time.

And the time to obtain the hand that Sung JiHan had been longing for had finally come.

So, it was certain that Dong Bangsak would be kept waiting and his application documents would be monitored through the phone.

"But even in this tournament, there were few participation slots given to Level 9 Thrones... Even if you apply on time, you might still be eliminated, right?"

"No, we can't rely on probabilities. You have to be sure to be eliminated. So... drop your phone."

"...What? Drop my phone?"

"Yes. You shouldn't attend this tournament."

"Sung JiHan won't just sit still. He will immediately dig into my memories. He will even find out about our conversation up to this point."

Dong Bangsak's concern was valid.

Especially since Sung JiHan was already suspicious.

If someone like Dong Bangsak dropped his phone and ruined the plan, it couldn't be passed off as a mistake.

"Dong Bangsak. Sung JiHan didn't impose a prohibition on you from drawing your weapon in front of him, did he?"

"That's right. I can't draw my weapon without his permission."

Among the prohibitions that Sung JiHan imposed on Dong Bangsak, there was also a clause that said, "Do not draw your weapon in front of me."

"Use that. Store your memories in your sword."

"Store memories in my sword? Is that even possible?"

"To make use of Sung JiHan's prohibition, I've been preparing for this for a long time."

"Even if it's not for this occasion, Sung JiHan occasionally checks memories."

Dong Bangsak nodded at those words.

Being enveloped in the aura of Sung JiHan, who took the form of a snake, was an extremely unpleasant feeling.

"To prevent that, store your memories in the sword. If our conspiracy relationship is revealed, it can't happen."

"I'll trust and follow your words. But won't the thought of dropping the phone disappear if the memories disappear?"

"Leave that to me as well. I'll make sure you have no choice but to drop it."

Asoka assured him.

"It really happened just as he said..."

Everything went according to his plan.

"I ended up not participating in the tournament and avoiding suspicion from the gods."

However.

"When I let go of the sword, does my memory disappear?"

As my memory became bound to the sword, I ended up remaining as a faithful servant of the gods.

In this state, I won't be able to help Asoka, who is usually full of energy.

"...Well, thinking was always his job anyway."

Come to think of it, whether I have memories or not, I haven't been much help.

Dong Bangsak smiled bitterly and looked down at his feet.

There, countless weapons of the Sung JiHan floated around, hovering around him.

"My task will be done when the time comes to eliminate those."

The weapons of the Sung JiHan, storing the power of the gods.

Dong Bangsak looked down at them and slowly stroked his beard.

* * *

"So the tournament starts without reaching level 600 in the end."

Sung JiHan, who had finished his challenger game as usual, returned.

Lately, he frowned as he saw that his level hadn't changed much.

It really doesn't go up even if I don't come up.

When he sat on the edge of the bed lost in thought.

Hesitation...

"Have you seen it?"

A shadow rose from the floor, and the Shadow Queen suddenly leaned forward.

"What?"

"The tournament roster has been announced."

"Oh really? How come you, who is not the person involved, got the information faster than me?"

"I am also involved. Maybe I'm more desperate than you."

"...Why are you involved?"

At Sung JiHan's question, the Shadow Queen shrugged her shoulders.

"Because my battle tube is betting on your tournament."

"Did you buy the broadcasting rights again this time?"

"Of course. There won't be a beginner's arena this time... I'm expecting higher ratings than last time. Oh, by the way. I'm asking you to be the commentator again this time."

"For free?"

"Is there such a thing? If I make a profit, I'll distribute the revenue."

Last time, she didn't give me anything, was it a loss?

Sung JiHan smirked and said to her.

"Show me the roster."

"Here."

Sung JiHan looked at the screen that the Shadow Queen displayed and focused on the most concerning opponent.

He found Dong Bangsak's name.

Among the hundreds of tournament participants, his name was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, Dong Bangsak didn't make it."

"Yeah. The competition was fierce even at Level 9 of the Sung JiHan."

"The Red Hand must have been sealed. They probably thought they could easily take my hand if Level 9 participated."

"That's right. If there's no extermination, there's no reason for Level 9 to fear the Sung JiHan candidate."

As the Shadow Queen nodded her head, Sung JiHan gestured as if to turn off the screen.

"We don't need Dong Bangsak. You can turn it off."

"Other than that, do you see anything unusual?"

"What's unusual? I don't even know any of their names."

"Oh. You didn't have much information about the Sung JiHan anyway, right? Look. Among the participants..."

Beep. Beep.

As the Shadow Queen touched the screen here and there.

Among the list of participant names, Ban's name was colored in a peculiar shade.

"Ban is a dragon."

"...What?"