"Woah, his subscriber count passed 20,000!"
"Has it already risen that much?"
It was at 8,000 not long before, but it had more than doubled.
Interest in JiHan was growing day by day.
HaYeon was starting to feel anxious. "Ugh… Why is it skyrocketing? If it goes on like this, people from the USA or China will also try to recruit him."
"The baldy from the Neo Self-Defense Force is still trying hard to recruit him as well."
"Right?! His chats are disgusting. Even if it's just because of the Sword King, JiHan at least won't go there. What worries me are the American and Chinese guilds. The amount of money they throw around is on a different level."
"That is true." HaYeon, feeling anxious, started to bite her nails. It was a habit that popped up whenever she was on the edge.
GaYeong shook her head. "Miss, don't do that."
"What?"
"Biting your nails… That habit has never helped you."
"Ugh… That isn't necessarily true."
Despite saying that, she pulled her hand out of her mouth and abruptly stood up.
"GaYeong, I can't stand still and do nothing!"
"…"
"Let's go to the parking lot early and set up a tent over there!"
"Do I need to go too?"
"Of course! Are you saying that I should go alone? That's too scary!"
"You used to always grind your teeth whenever a Battle Net academy was mentioned…"
GaYeong recalled an instance of HaYeon drinking whiskey while complaining about the academy's expensive tuition fee and how she was given a shitty Gift.
Just the other day, she even said that she wouldn't go anywhere near a Battle Net academy ever again.
'JiHan is worth it.'
Why would she need to sleep there, though? She could just go early in the morning.
GaYeong stopped HaYeon. "Miss! If you sleep there, you'll look terrible. You should get ready before going."
"What are you talking about? My face is fine without makeup."
"That's why you were rejected."
"Tsk…!"
She was saying that, if she wanted to convince JiHan, she should be in her best possible condition.
"Fine, but didn't he say he didn't know his phone number?"
"He just gave it to the guy who was kicking the soccer ball."
"Ugh, that guy. Does he like men?"
"We need to be prepared to test that out."
"Okay… cancel the tent."
In the end, HaYeon's tent plan was safely dropped.
[The mission is 'survival'.]
It was the Colosseum again, a game that JiHan had already overwhelmingly dominated.
- It's over.
- Another massacre~
- Ah, survival. It's too boring.
- For real. It ends too quickly.
JiHan's viewers predicted the game's outcome as soon as he entered.
He'd cut a flesh golem in half, so he probably wouldn't have any issues with Bronze players.
Players participating in the survival game thought in a similar manner.
"Ah. It's Sung JiHan…"
"Damn it!"
"Why's he playing at such an hour…?!"
The players frowned when they saw JiHan, who was wearing a training suit instead of armor.
[The game is starting.]
"Run!"
As soon as the game started, they ran off in all directions.
The first to die would inevitably finish last, so they were doing their best to avoid that penalty, but…
"I'm sorry."
Nameless Divine Arts Footwork Technique: Lightning Thunder Step.
Not looking sorry at all, JiHan quickly caught up to them.
"E-eek…! He was definitely over there!" A player screamed in surprise when he saw JiHan suddenly appear before him.
Paf!
JiHan stole his weapon and increased his score before he began chasing the other players.
- He's one-sidedly crushing them.
- Damn it… Gangnam 1 players… Can't even… Resist… Let alone… They're-fleeing! -Tsk!
- Even if you fight, you'll end up being cut in just a second. Lol.
- For real. You at least get a one in ten chance of survival if you run, hahaha.
JiHan was massacring them as if he were a wolf among a flock of sheep.
The result of the game was obvious.
[You finished 1st in a survival game.]
Since that day's map was survival, the result was inevitable, and the viewers had a very lukewarm reaction.
- As expected. 1st~ We won't be able to see his status window today, either.
- It's a survival map, so this result was expected.
- Did you see how everyone ran away as soon as JiHan appeared?
- I would run too, hahaha.
After the game ended, when JiHan could see the chat again, he read a message from Takeda asking him to open his inbox.
- Mr. Sung… You're too strong! You aren't someone who should be here ♥. If you open your inbox, I'll make a proposal that will surprise you… ♥
- ㅡㅡ;;
- That bastard was silent when JiHan was playing… He's really trying hard to recruit him.
- They already took the Sword King, and now they're trying to take the other promising players. That's wicked.
- If you're Korean, please don't go to Japan!!
JiHan read the chats for a while and answered the viewers with a short sentence.
"I'm not leaving."
* * *
[As a bonus for finishing 1st, experience and GP gained will be increased by 50%.]
[You've achieved 1st place 5 times in a row.]
[Experience and GP gained will be increased by 200%.]
[Your level has increased by 2.]
[You've earned 3,000 GP.]
After receiving the impressive reward, his level increased from 13 to 15, but JiHan was still not satisfied.
'I didn't obtain any achievement points.'
Maybe it was because he'd cleared the 10-kill achievement in the last survival map, but he only received level-ups and GP.
Still, he decided to not be disappointed.
'Things are different now.'
[You've reached level 15. The 'dungeon' game type has been unlocked.]
Unlike the survival and defense maps that were available the first time you logged in to Battle Net, the third game type was unlocked once you reached level 15.
'This is where teams really come into play.'
A dungeon wasn't something you could clear by yourself. You needed to progress by breaking through traps, mazes, and puzzles, so having a well-coordinated party was important.
Maybe that's why another feature was unlocked at level 15 as well.
[Guild content has been unlocked.]
[From now on, you can party up with and play games with guild members.]
'A guild is almost mandatory from this point on.'
If you compared a party composed of guild members with an open one composed of a mixture of general players, it would be easy to guess which would perform better.
If another troll received the support of the Sword King Fan Club and came out like last time, it was possible that he would be completely unable to clear the game.
Still, JiHan wasn't considering joining a guild yet.
'I need to clear the guild master achievement.'
There were many other ways, besides playing games, to get Battle Net achievement points.
He'd been obtaining lots of achievement points through the Battle Tube, and going for guild-related achievements would be the next-best way.
'I can create a guild once I reach Silver, so I must refrain from joining any guilds until then.'
Joining a guild would make things comfortable, and with JiHan's skills and potential, he would certainly receive astronomical signing bonuses, annual salaries, the best equipment, and all sorts of conveniences, but those were things that would naturally come with ability anyway.
JiHan had no intention of giving up on a guild master's achievements for things like that.
'I'll have to enter the dungeon without a guild for the moment.'
JiHan searched up August's dungeon.
If the dungeon was based around a trap or a maze, he could easily break through with just strength, but if it had something where cooperation with party members was necessary, he would need to devise a plan.
[August's Bronze Dungeon]
- Conqueror's Tomb
'Conqueror's Tomb? I don't remember this that well.'
He'd been one of the world's strongest, so there was no way he would remember a Bronze dungeon after 10 years passed.
JiHan smiled bitterly and began reading about the dungeon.
[The Conqueror's Tomb is a high-difficulty dungeon where strong monsters appear.]
[The Warrior's role as the primary damage dealer at the front is very important.]
[Although there are a few traps and mazes, there are almost no puzzle elements. All party members must survive while standing before the conqueror's statue on the 7th floor underground.]
JiHan's expression stiffened when he read that all four party members needed to survive to clear the dungeon.
'How annoying.'
If the Sword King Fan Club kept interfering like the last time, finishing 1st might be out of the question. Not only that, but he might not be able to clear it at all.
JiHan pondered it for a moment and soon smiled.
'It might be possible with these conditions.'
JiHan thought of a plan only he could imagine.
* * *
Within the Neo Self-Defense Force's Korean branch, Takeda was on a call with his higher-ups.
[Takeda, we cannot do what you've asked.]
"B-but didn't you see the video I sent?!"
[Are you talking about how he cut the flesh golem?]
"Yes! Even if he received a buff, that isn't something a Bronze should be able to do. He's a target we must recruit with all our might!"
[That was surprising for me as well, but the 'method' you mentioned cannot be used at the moment.]
The general manager's voice was resolute.
[That method should only be used as a last resort. Your request can only be accepted with a solid justification.]
"Are you talking about the status window…?"
[Yes. That's right.]
'What a stubborn old man.'
Takeda barely managed to hold back his anger.
[Still, I'm personally interested in that player named Sung JiHan.]
"That means…"
[I'll support you financially out of my own pocket. Get his status window information. Once you get this information, depending on the situation… We might use that last resort.]
Takeda bowed at those words.
As expected, the general manager was wise! There was a reason he'd been working in the HR department for such a long time.
"Understood. I'll get that information, no matter how!"
[Good. I believe in you.]
Click.
After Takeda hung up the phone, his eyes shone.
'I failed with the defense map… but I'll definitely make you slip in that dungeon, Mr. Sung!'
If he could get his status window information, and if 'that' method could be used… Japan could get both the 'present', the Sword King, and the 'future', Sung JiHan!
"Fufu… This is going to get exciting."
Takeda laughed as if he were enjoying the situation.
The next morning…
"As expected, this car is more comfortable," Sae-ah said while buckling up her seatbelt and smiling.
"Didn't you like the foreign car you rode the other day?"
"The car itself was good, but Hee-soo kept worrying and asking, 'Sae-ah~ What are you going to do now?' She was a bit annoying..."
JiHan understood what Sae-ah meant.
Maybe other people said things like that out of worry, but it wasn't comforting at all to the person on the receiving end. In fact, it usually felt like mockery.
"Let's just use this car."
"Still, there's no need to refuse if they insist on giving a ride, right? I'm okay... Huh?" Sae-ah was speaking when her eyes widened.
There was a fancy sports car in the space JiHan had parked in the other day.
As soon as the door opened, a tall woman in a suit emerged.
"Hi." HaYeon's bodyguard, GaYeong, bowed toward JiHan.
"Isn't she the bodyguard of the Twin Star Guild's director?"
"You're right. Stay here. I'll go."
"I also want to go!"
Her eyes twinkled in a way that made it clear that she wouldn't listen.
JiHan nodded his head. He then parked his car next to the sports car and exited.
"Oh, Mr. Sung!"
As JiHan and his sister exited, the passenger door of the sports car opened, and HaYeon came out, showing off her beautiful appearance.
"To think I'd see you here."
"Have you been waiting for me?"
"It was a coincidence. I'm a graduate here, so I came to see a teacher."
"This early in the morning?"
"Greetings should be given early, after all. Fufu. Ms. Yoon, how have you been doing?"
"Hi, Director!"
The two exchanged greetings in a friendly manner.
"Speaking of which, Ms. Yoon, I've heard you're this academy's student council president... It seems like we have a deep connection."
"Yes? In what sense?"
"I was the academy's fourth student council president."
"Ah~ I see."
Sae-ah's way of speaking changed to something that could have been from a textbook. Perhaps she thought the other woman was being too blunt.
On the other hand, HaYeon turned her gaze back to JiHan and brought up the main topic.
"Since we're meeting like this, it must be fate... How about we have a cup of coffee?"
"With me?"
"Yes."
"Weren't you going to visit a teacher?"
"Aah. Now that I think about it, she might be busy in the mornings. It just so happens that there's a good coffee shop at this school."
"Well... Why not?" JiHan nodded his head.
Their purpose was blatantly obvious.
'If it were someone else, I would've refused...'
There was a high chance that Lee HaYeon was 'Zero', so he needed to maintain a friendly relationship with her.
"Uncle, are you going to have a cup of coffee with the director?"
"Yes."
"Okay, then let's go up together."
JiHan nodded and took the elevator with HaYeon's group.
Within the Battle Net Academy's cafeteria…
There was usually hardly anyone there in the morning hours, but there were far more people there than usual that morning who were dressed in neat suits. No matter how you looked at them, they were clearly businessmen.
As JiHan entered the cafeteria with HaYeon, people began murmuring.
"Ah... It's JiHan!"
"Isn't that Director Lee HaYeon from Twin Star?"
Those who recognized the two at first glance were members of scout teams dispatched from guilds.
'They came up from the student parking lot.'
'Is Director Lee HaYeon part of the academy's alumni?'
'Ah... Twin Star contacted JiHan first.'
To think she'd been waiting in the parking lot to meet him…
Only graduates could enter the student parking lot, and the other scout teams were unable to hide their disappointment.
'We'll hope that their deal falls through.'
'We're going to contact him directly next time.'
They quietly sipped their coffee and hoped that the pair's conversation wouldn't go well.
HaYeon looked at them and giggled. "For some reason, there seem to be many familiar faces in the cafeteria today."
"Do you mean those people?"
"Yes. They're guild scouts... It seems like they're all here to meet you."
As expected, waiting in the parking lot was the correct decision.
"JiHan, I was upset," HaYeon said with a smile on her face as soon as they sat down.
Notably, she had stopped using formalities.
"I gave you my business card, but you didn't contact me."
"I was busy, so I forgot."
"I was so anxious for your call that I couldn't sleep at night, JiHan, look, I have dark circles."
HaYeon put her flawless face next to his. She was the predator of the recruiting world.
"I'll be more careful next time."
"Ah. Also, I was watching your stream when I saw that you were trying to give your number to the person kicking the soccer ball... Do you remember it now?"
"Yes. I remembered it after the auction the other day."
"Then tell me as well!"
HaYeon glanced around, brushed her hair back with one hand, and leaned her head toward JiHan.
"There are a lot of others around, so say it just for me."
A subtle scent spread. HaYeon was so beautiful that the scouts watching from afar were mesmerized.
'Director HaYeon is determined...!'
'She should've become a celebrity with a face like that. Why come to this industry?!'
'It's over...'
Contrary to the scouts' thoughts, JiHan was reminiscing on the past.
'She's wearing the same perfume as Zero.'
Zero, drunk and causing havoc, came to his mind.
"Do you want to know my number?"
"Of course!"
"I'll tell you if you can satisfy my curiosity."
"What are you curious about?"
"Your Gift."
HaYeon's expression froze for a moment, then she pulled herself together and waved her hand.
"I... don't have a Gift. If I did, I would've become a professional player."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I really don't."
"You said you used to be the student council president..."
"Yes. I served as student council president, but they didn't give me a Gift. Isn't that too much?"
"I see... It seems like I was rude. I'm sorry, but I guess there's a reason you came here. You probably want to make a recruitment proposal."
HaYeon looked at GaYeong, who was standing beside her.
GaYeong took out a piece of paper and gave it to JiHan.
"Yes. We would like to recruit you to the Twin Star Guild, Mr. Sung. We've prepared a contract of the highest standard in the industry for that purpose," HaYeon said in a confident voice.
JiHan skimmed through the contract. A sentence at the top caught his attention.
'A treatment comparable to a Platinum-rank's.'
Platinum players could become national representatives, depending on their positions. They were among the top rankers.
"Fufu... What do you think?"
Twin Star's offer was huge. If he signed with them, he wouldn't need to worry about money ever again.
"Woah." GaYeong, who was looking at the document from the side, was amazed.
Wasn't a contract like that too much for a Bronze player?
'These conditions are only possible because it's her...'
As a member of one of Korea's richest families, it was a condition she could offer since she was the 'parachute' director from the Twin Star Group.
The other scouts were also unable to hide their surprise.
'A Platinum contract?! Are they insane?'
'I really struggled to get a Gold contract...'
'It's over...'
The word 'Platinum' carried significant weight.
"Mr. Sung, we at the Twin Star Guild are sure that we will be good partners for you. We're showing our will to make it so through this Platinum contract."
"Hmm."
"So far, you've never lost the top spot... but once you reach level 15, having a guild becomes mandatory. We will make sure you can maintain the top position."
JiHan grinned at those words.
"Should we make a bet?"
"What...? What bet?"
"I'll play a game without a guild right now."
Tap. Tap.
He tapped on the contract with his finger.
"Let's see if I can keep finishing 1st or not."
"..."
"If I can't maintain my 1st-place position, I'll accept the contract, but…"
"But?"
"If I can…" JiHan's smile deepened. "HaYeon, would you show me your status window?"
"I told you… I don't have a Gift..."
"Haha. It's just that I'm curious."
To confirm whether she was Zero or not, JiHan proposed a bet, which was the type of thing Zero loved.
"But you always finish 1st, so the odds..."
"No. It's different now. I reached level 15."
"What? You're already level 15?!" HaYeon jumped up in shock. His leveling speed was unbelievable.
JiHan, on the other hand, remained calm. "As you know, once you reach level 15, the next game will always be a dungeon."
Her surprise only lasted for a moment. As she recalled his achievements, HaYeon made an expression that seemed to say, 'I guess it might be possible', and sat down again.
"Well. That's okay, then. I have nothing to lose."
At worst, she would have to show him her status window. There was no reason for her to refuse such a bet.
"Then we have a deal."
Clink-
JiHan clinked down his cup of iced Americano.
"I'll be back before the ice melts."
Flash!
JiHan turned into light and disappeared. When they saw it happen, HaYeon and the other scouts were unable to believe their eyes.
"Wh-what?! He logged in without a Battle Net connector?"
During the Tutorial Season, it was common knowledge that playing a game without a Battle Net connector was akin to suicide.
What kind of confidence was that...?
Even though there was no risk for HaYeon, she started to bite her nails as if she'd already lost.
'M-miss... you shouldn't do that.'
GaYeong began feeling uneasy as she recognized HaYeon's jinx.
Soon after, both of them—no, everyone in the cafeteria—started to log into Battle Tube.
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