Chapter 161
The banquet hall was practically in full festival mode.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten about the remaining matches tomorrow and started drinking without restraint.
Especially...
"Kuhahahaha! You're as dependable as ever whenever I see you. Come on, have another drink!"
"Haha! Then I shall gladly accept, Alliance Leader!"
Bong Taesu and the Martial Alliance Leader had gone so far as to link arms and drink together.
Perhaps because they'd known each other for quite some time, the two were happily drinking at a furious pace.
"Kuh! That's good liquor."
"Drinking with you really is the most enjoyable."
"I feel the same, Alliance Leader! Having a drink like this with you is the best!"
Lee Yumi, already well aware that both men were heavy drinkers, had separated herself early and was eating dessert alone at another table.
The Alliance Leader glanced toward Yumi.
Then leaned closer to Bong Taesu and whispered.
"Hehe. So, how are things going with our granddaughter?"
"Are you making any progress?"
Taesu glanced around awkwardly.
"Ahem, well... I don't think she's noticed yet, so I've been trying to make it a little obvious."
"Still, I'm doing my best."
"Aish, that's no good."
The Alliance Leader shook his head.
"A man has to be bold!"
"You need to push forward!"
"Don't you agree?"
"For someone who looks like you, you're surprisingly timid."
Taesu immediately asked,
"Then how did you approach your wife first, Alliance Leader?"
"Naturally, I..."
The Alliance Leader puffed out his chest.
Then suddenly...
A memory of his younger days flashed through his mind.
Of himself desperately clinging to his future wife and begging her not to leave.
"I-I..."
"Ahem."
"Anyway!"
"A man must be willing to endure embarrassment and make the first move."
"Do your best."
"You've got more than enough qualifications."
"Alliance Leader...."
"Come, come! Another drink! Kuhahaha!"
Meanwhile...
Suhyeok remained seated quietly.
"Hic... my dear... there's still Bokbunja Wine left in the bottle... hehehe."
Cheon Sohee was completely drunk.
Her face was bright red, and she kept grinning foolishly.
She repeatedly shook an empty bottle while insisting there was still liquor inside.
She'd ended up like this after just one glass.
No.
Half a glass.
"My deaaaar...?"
"There's still some left, so drink! Drink it aaall!"
"Hic!"
"I won't let you sleep tonight, hehehe."
She was attracting far too much attention.
Suhyeok could only stare at her in disbelief.
A martial artist at Cheon Sohee's level should've been perfectly capable of expelling alcohol from her body.
Is she choosing not to...?
Or can she actually not do it...?
And she wasn't the only one drunk.
"Hehehe... Misterrrr...!"
Kim Hyuna had rested her head against Suhyeok's shoulder and was whining softly.
She was even humming to herself.
"Huh?"
Lee Yumi stared in disbelief.
"Why did she drink this much?"
"Hyuna doesn't normally get this drunk."
"She's the kind of person who can drink thirty-one barrels of wine. What the hell did she drink...?"
Her gaze shifted.
Dozens...
No.
More than a hundred bottles of Bokbunja Wine were piled nearby.
And that wasn't all.
There were bottles of high-proof baijiu mixed in among them.
Kim Hyuna had apparently combined the two and kept drinking until she'd completely lost it.
[...Hah.]
[I came out because it was so noisy in there, but this is ridiculous.]
A familiar voice echoed inside Suhyeok's head.
The Demon God.
Feels like it's been a while.
[I didn't want to come out either.]
[But it's unbearably noisy inside.]
[That cat of yours got me chased out by Seon-a.]
Come to think of it...
Leon had been gone for quite a while.
Suhyeok had assumed he'd simply wandered off somewhere nearby, as usual.
He hadn't expected him to be inside the inner world.
Leon must be having a rough time.
[Don't even ask.]
[By now, he's probably being carried around like some kind of personal doll.]
[Actually, that would be fortunate.]
[Not long ago, she brought all sorts of strange things into the inner world because she wanted to play dress-up with him.]
Suhyeok thought about it for a moment.
Should he enter the inner world and rescue Leon?
Three seconds later...
He decided there was no reason to bother and left him there.
[Anyway, what happened to these two girls?]
[Both have extraordinary martial talent.]
That's what I'd like to know.
I have no idea why they're acting like this.
"Hic! H-Hey, my dear!"
"There's still some left!"
"Hurry and drink!"
"Hehehe... Misterrrrr...."
The two women were tormenting Suhyeok from both sides.
Seeing how exhausted he looked...
Even the Demon God seemed to pity him.
[...You've got it rough.]
[Even I'm getting drained just watching this.]
[Ahem.]
[I should go back inside.]
After that brief conversation ended...
Lee Yumi dragged away the completely passed-out Kim Hyuna and Cheon Sohee.
Then she looked back at Suhyeok.
Unlike the other two...
He looked perfectly sober.
There wasn't even a hint of drunkenness on his face.
His eyes were clear.
Yumi stared at him in disbelief.
"Wait..."
"You drank too, didn't you?"
"Why are you completely fine?"
"Were you always this good at drinking?"
"...I can handle alcohol reasonably well."
"Reasonably?"
Yumi looked at him like he was insane.
"This isn't ‘reasonably.’"
"There's a limit to what counts as reasonably."
The Ring of Mental Immunity helped, but Suhyeok had always been good at drinking.
Even before the regression...
Among the raid team, he had unquestionably been number one when it came to alcohol tolerance.
It simply wasn't something he'd ever bragged about.
He wasn't the type to show off about it.
And he didn't particularly enjoy drinking either.
But there was one thing Suhyeok still couldn't understand.
People as strong as Cheon Sohee and Kim Hyuna could normally expel alcohol from their bodies.
They simply had to circulate Mana or qi rapidly through their systems and force it out.
For Cheon Sohee, it would've been even easier.
She could've burned the alcohol away with Samadhi True Fire.
"Hehehehe."
"Huh? Where are we goiiing~?"
"Unnieeee~."
Suhyeok watched the two women being dragged away by Lee Yumi.
He let out a tired sigh.
"Haa...."
He took a sip of water.
Then, just as he was about to head back himself...
His gaze shifted toward Namgung Geon sitting some distance away.
Come to think of it...
I didn't expect him to make it this far.
Suhyeok had known he was talented, given that he was the Alliance Leader's grandson.
But not to this extent.
He'd honestly expected him to reach the main tournament and then lose immediately.
Suhyeok had watched his match earlier.
His opponent had been someone even the Martial Alliance Elders knew.
The Invincible One-Sword, Gwangho.
Even Suhyeok had heard the title before the regression.
As the name suggested...
He was called Invincible One-Sword because he subdued his opponents with a single strike.
His martial arts were just as formidable.
The moment the match began...
Gwangho released a tremendous amount of Internal Energy and prepared a single decisive attack.
