“Rides are normally classified as pets but the magic machine seems different. Is it classified as an item?”

“What resources does it require to move? Based on the size and output, the magic machine should be able to operate for a long time if it uses external resources.”

“I saw the symbol of the Saharan Empire on the magic machine. Doesn’t this mean it is the possession of the empire? How big is Zibal’s position in the empire that he can personally operate a magic machine? Is he attached to the royal family?”

“Does the empire have several magic machines?”

It was the ceremony after the PvP event ended. Zibal’s press conference seemed to be flowing smoothly. The questions and answers were within the expected range. However, it was rare for reporters to stick to being gentlemanly. Most reporters wanted stimulating articles and the atmosphere deteriorated.

“Player Zibal! Why did you call the pegasus first during the finals? Did you determine that you could win against Yura without using the magic machine?”

In the semi-finals, Zibal met Chris and instantly summoned the magic machine. Then in the important finals, he summoned the pegasus and magic machine in succession, which led to many people speculating. Zibal was poking fun at Yura. He intended to defeat Yura with the pegasus alone. It meant he thought that Yura was below Chris. Yura’s legendary class was a pig wearing a pearl necklace, etc.

This issue arose due to people, who liked to disparage and criticize others, calling into question Yura’s qualifications and the reporters dug into this part.

Zibal laughed. It was filled with obvious ridicule. It was at the reporter who asked the question and the viewers watching on the monitor. “Some of you might’ve already noticed but the pegasus has the characteristic of quickly consuming the enemy’s resources like mana. The help of the pegasus is indispensable when it comes to suppressing Yura’s utility.”

In conclusion: “I didn’t summon the pegasus because she was an easy opponent. I was forced to use the pegasus because she was a hard opponent.”

Zibal raised Yura up. No, it was a reasonable evaluation. He wouldn’t underestimate or mock a strong person who climbed to the finals and fought hard.

***

Everything was over. She was no longer Player Yura. The more than five years she spent in Satisfy ended today.

“...”

Yura was swept away by her emotions and ran to the bathroom without completing the interview. She didn’t even have the energy to blame her own incompetence.

‘...In the end, I can’t escape.’

Yura vividly remembered her father. He wasn’t greedy and cherished time with his family the most. However, her grandfather forced him to be greedy. He ordered a sacrifice for the sake of the company, not the family. Her father was driven to accept that responsibility and gradually lost his energy.

Yura had felt sorry for her father despite being a young child. Of course, she didn’t express it. She knew that her father wouldn’t want sympathy from his young daughter. Yura played innocent. She tried to relieve her father’s fatigue by acting as a beautiful daughter.

Thus, her father could be honest. “Father is working hard because I want you to be free, not because I’m afraid of your grandfather. Yura, you only have to do things that make you happy. Father will protect you.”

It was a wish and promise to a young girl who knew nothing. This sincerity was deeply engraved in Yura’s heart. It remained there even after years passed and she lost her parents in an accident. Yura longed for freedom and happiness while hoping to achieve her father’s wish. That’s why she felt it was fate when she encountered Satisfy. She sensed it was the only way to get away from her grandfather’s obsession and find happiness.

In the end, the result was terrible. Yura had become like her father rather than achieving her father’s wish.

How much time passed? Yura regained her mind when she felt her phone vibrating. The caller was obvious. It would be her grandfather, a person who didn’t understand about being caring and about how to concede. He only knew how to enforce responsibility. He probably wanted her to come back to South Korea right away.

“...?”

Yura’s lonely eyes that lost their light turned to the LCD screen, only for her to freeze. The name of the caller displayed on the LCD was Shin Youngwoo, not her grandfather. It was someone she never had private contact with even though they knew each other for more than four years. A cold man who sometimes seemed full of affection but was usually heartless.

“...”

Yura hesitated to accept the call. It was likely that her mood would become worse if she accepted the call from Grid in such a difficult situation. There was only one reason why Grid would be calling. He called whenever he needed Yura’s help.

‘Now I’m not in a position to help Youngwoo-ssi.’

A person to depend on. Just as she felt like this toward Grid, she wanted Grid to feel the same way toward her. Yura previously helped Grid with such a heart and planned to continue in the future. However, now she wasn’t sure she could be of any help.

Two days, no, just one. She needed one day to organize her mind.

...This was what Yura thought.

“...Hello?” Nevertheless, she accepted the call. It was purely because she wanted to hear Grid’s voice. It was a languid but powerful voice. Once she heard this voice, she felt a bit more energetic. Then...

-Are you okay?

Grid’s voice was heard again. It was gentle, unlike his usual self.

“...”

Yura’s cold voice started to heat up. She realized that her hand started to tremble the moment she felt this warmth. The only person she could depend on in this world was Grid.

-Tell me what is going on.

"What do you want me to say?”

-You are having a hard time. Don’t keep acting. You didn’t look good today.

“...I didn’t look good?”

Since she started comforting her father, Yura knew that she acted well. However, both Damian and Grid noticed something.

‘Father...’ Yura was filled with emotion. She felt sorry toward her father who passed away while knowing that his daughter was acting. How unhappy and sad was her father when he realized that his young daughter was worried about him?

Grid’s voice entered the ears of the crying Yura. It was a voice overflowing with latent power.

-I want to help you. No, I will help you. Say something. What can I do?

“...Thank you.” Yura could feel it. Grid had the same heart as her. They had such a relationship. They trusted each other and wanted to help each other. Yet there were some things that couldn’t be helped. For example, right now.

“Youngwoo-ssi.”

-Yes?

"I will quit the game.”

-...Huh?

"Thank you for everything.”

***

-I will quit the game!

This was once voted the number one phrase that parents wanted to hear from their child. Excessive gaming could ruin a person’s life. There was a time when family members and friends would welcome it if someone said they were quitting the game. Now five years had passed since Satisfy was released and it was quite different.

Satisfy meant wealth, honor and even power. It was a time when parents encouraged their children to play Satisfy and Grid was the one who helped this age come about. That’s why it was a shock. Grid couldn’t accept Yura quitting the game. Putting aside personal relationships, Yura was a member of the Overgeared Guild and one of the greatest powers in the Overgeared Kingdom. It would be a big problem if she quit the game.

“Ah...” Grid’s mind became blank as he remembered an article that caused an uproar in South Korea a few years back. Yura was the granddaughter of the Daejin Group’s chairman. At the time, the chairman stated that he would bring his granddaughter into the company soon.

Grid remembered Lauel making a fuss about this news. He was worried that if Yura entered the company, she would have less time to play the game.

“...It will become reality.”

It was even in the worst form. Why? What should he do? Grid’s overloaded brain suddenly stopped. He belatedly recalled Yura’s reassuring words to Lauel after the interview.

'Didn’t she say... she didn’t want to enter the company?’

First, it was necessary to confirm it. Grid called Yura back and asked two questions. “Are you entering the company? Is that what you want?”

-…….

There was no answer. This was enough for Grid. Grid pressed the end call button and typed something in the search bar. Once the last character finished, he found a message from Daejin Motors.

(I couldn’t get in touch with you so I am leaving a message. Please become a new luxury brand model for Daejin Motors. I would like to meet and have a talk with you. Please call me back.

-Daejin Motors Public Relations Team Manager Choi Jingoo)

“Hello? Is this Choi Jingoo? I am Grid. Yes, yes. I will review it positively. Instead, please give me the contact details of the chairman.”

The king of a kingdom and a legendary blacksmith. Grid held astronomical wealth and power. He was about to exert enormous influence in the real world’s political and financial circles.

***

“What? Grid?” Chairman Lee Jinmyung of the Daejin Group was surprised. Grid had refrained from appearing on CFs and broadcasts for the past two years. He wasn’t someone who would move for money anymore. Due to his status as a king, he was more obsessed with honor than money. Rather than expose himself to the media and consume his image, he focused on building up achievements in Satisfy.

Now he contacted the chairman to become a model for Daejin Motors. It was an unexpected chance! This was a golden chance to promote Daejin Motor’s luxury brand to the whole world.

‘But...’

There was something that was on Lee Jinmyung’s mind. Grid wouldn’t want to talk to him for a one-sided reason. This was also shortly after Yura’s loss in PvP.

“...I thought the rumour that my granddaughter is his lover was nonsense.” Lee Jinmyung had thoroughly investigated the scandal between Grid and Yura. He was greatly disappointed when he found out it was just groundless rumours. Now he thought it might be true. “Let him know my contact details. No, no. It is better to contact him from my side. It would be good to have a relationship with the Overgeared King.”

Let’s hear what was going on. Lee Jinmyung thought about it and called Grid. “Is this Shin Youngwoo? I am Lee Jinmyung, the chairman of Daejin.”

-Give me your granddaughter.

“...!!”

Chairman Lee Jinmyung jumped up from his seat at the words. His head was working at a tremendous pace that was worthy of the leader of a large company. He placed the value of Yura as his successor against giving Yura to Grid and thoroughly calculated it. The calculations were done quickly. Grid’s value and potential were too big.

“When should I set the date?”

***

-When should I set the date?

Grid clicked his tongue at the reply.

‘He is an impatient old man.’

They hadn’t even written the contract yet and he already wanted to set the date to shoot the CF? Well, it meant he was greedy. Yura would probably be allowed to continue playing the game.

“The date... I will leave that to you. Chairman-nim made the concession first so I will do my best.”

-Haha! You are going to leave the wedding to me? As expected of a hero who leads the era!

“..Wedding?”

Grid felt a chill because of the ridiculous word that emerged. Other people kept misunderstanding him as they pleased. Grid used his many experiences to realize that this situation was wrong.

“Wait a moment. You seem to have misunderstood something.”

-Misunderstood?

“I don’t mean that I will marry her. I’m just asking you not to take Yura.”

-...That doesn’t make any sense.

“I will sign a long-term contract with your company.”

He felt Chairman Lee Jinmyung flinch over the receiver. The chairman hesitated for a moment. Unfortunately, that hesitation ended quickly.

-...Aren’t you being somewhat arrogant? Your value this year isn’t as good as it is last year. This year you aren’t attending the National Competition so your value has fallen. I don’t know about last year but I’m not willing to let go of my granddaughter for the you of this year.

“If—”

-...?

“If I raise my value one step further in this year’s National Competition, will you positively think about it?”

-I suppose. However, aren’t you absent from this year’s National Competition? It is already irreversible.

“Demon King.”

-Demon King?

“I am the Demon King.”

-...!!

Chairman Lee Jinmyung was so surprised that he couldn’t breathe. Grid continued without being aware of the chairman’s red face and suffering.

“I will win the Demon King Subjugation event and then reveal my identity.”

-...!!

He wasn’t given a chance to breathe. Chairman Lee Jinmyung crossed halfway to the Jordan River.