Becoming a Manager [18th Branch Shareholders Plunge into Despair] [Shareholders Scramble for 17th Branch Stocks!] [Dividends Paid to Employee Kim Jeongha]
18th Branch Shareholders Plunge into Despair
Shareholders Scramble for 17th Branch Stocks!
Dividends Paid to Employee Kim Jeongha
“Gasp.”
Dividends! This was no joke. When you buy stocks, the price goes up as a matter of course. The shareholders holding those stocks profit, and they distribute a portion of that profit as dividends to those who contributed to the rise.
“150 shares.”
I clenched my fist and cheered inwardly. I had no idea how much value 150 shares held, but it was definitely good news. There was only one way to find out. First things first, though—the war was over, so it was time for cleanup.
I left the remnants of the fleeing 18th Branch to my subordinates. After retrieving the gauntlets from Editor-in-Chief Han Sang-ho's corpse, I rummaged through his pockets.
“Nothing but the gauntlets, huh.”
Just in case, I checked his legs and even took off his shoes to inspect for artifacts, but there was no gain. That instantaneous high-speed movement must have been his Gift after all. I clicked my tongue in regret and stood up.
“About ten left.”
After finishing off the remnants, I surveyed the surviving employees. A total of twenty. Roughly ten from the Safety Planning Department had died, leaving ten from the 18th Branch. A decisive victory for us. The difference came from the artifacts produced at the military factory.
Thanks to the Gold Death Corps, I channeled my slightly replenished divine power and unfurled Zhuque's wings.
Whoosh!
I didn't need to fly too high or fast. Just enough to draw attention. Soon, the 18th Branch employees gaped up at me spewing flames in midair.
“……H-Huh?!”
“W-What the hell is that?”
“Wings of flame?!”
As the battle ground to a lull, the Safety Planning Department and Media Publishing Division pulled back from each other. I landed in the center.
Looking at the 18th Branch employees, I said, “Daring to invade and steal my territory is a grave sin. You couldn't repay it even with your lives. And you don't even have any rare artifacts.”
One of them, looking exhausted, spoke up. “……Please spare us.”
I shook my head. “As I said before, one prisoner is enough.”
“……”
“……?”
The 18th Branch employees exchanged confused glances.
“From now on, I'll give one survivor a chance to surrender.”
The battle was over. No need for us to do the work. The 18th Branch employees eyed each other warily.
“Start killing each other now.”
The emotions in their eyes shifted from confusion to wariness, then to murderous intent.
“I-I want to live!”
Someone fired a signal flare.
Tremble, tremble.
One of Han Sang-ho's subordinate employees knelt, shaking. I'd kept him alive for interrogation. As I opened my mouth to question him,
“I'm Nam Gong, a contract employee in the 18th Branch Media Publishing Division. Let me tell you about our 18th Branch. Starting with the Planning and Finance Department……”
I hadn't even said a word, but information poured out of him like a torrent.
“There were department head-level employees in Media Publishing and Planning and Finance, but the Media Publishing head, Editor-in-Chief Han Sang-ho, was betrayed and killed……”
To sum up his words simply: Excluding the now-broken Media Publishing Division, Planning and Finance was the top dog. The rest had at most one or two manager or editor-level staff.
“Anything else you know?”
Nam Gong nodded vigorously. “Of course. Saving me was a brilliant choice. As a Media Publishing guy, I'm basically an ocean of info—an ocean.”
I recalled what Han Sang-ho's subordinate had said earlier.
“I heard you cleared up to the 39th floor. So this is the 40th?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Nam Gong nodded, though he looked puzzled. “But why ask that……?”
His expression was like, Why ask something so obvious?
“I ask the questions.”
“Yes, sir.”
This proved that stages in the same world didn't necessarily align by floor. It also meant significant power gaps between branches. Of course, department head and director were just one rank apart. Still, there might be branches with headquarters directors or higher outranking our 17th Branch director at this point.
If the 17th Branch was truly the 17th established, then branches 1 through 16…… Better not to run into them if possible.
I jerked my chin at Nam Gong. “Got any useful artifacts?”
“None. Everything was with Editor-in-Chief Han Sang-ho.”
I pulled out the gauntlets. “These?”
“Yes. We burned a ton of resources to get them.”
“They do look solid.”
“Right? With those gauntlets, Editor-in-Chief Han Sang-ho was the strongest in his class. But not just anyone could use them. Only he could make full use of them.”
He held Han Sang-ho in high regard. Arms bend inward, huh. Makes sense—Nam Gong was a contractor, Han Sang-ho an editor-in-chief. That gap must feel like heaven and earth, especially with artifacts like these.
“So Han Sang-ho had real skills too.”
“That too, but his ‘Acceleration’ Gift was killer. To use the shockwave, you punch then back off three steps. Ah, of course, Section Chief Kim Jeongha is stronger. Heh heh.”
“So it was the Gift for that movement.”
I checked the gauntlets' info.
Gauntlets
Strike with the gauntlets, then after three steps, unleash a shockwave.
“Three Step Goodbye. Pretty fitting name.”
“Oh, was that its name? We called it Three Steps Divine Fist around here. Though they're all dead now.”
I chuckled. Three Step Goodbye was definitely a solid artifact. If I'd learned fist techniques and known about it, I'd have been desperate to get it.
But I'm a swordsman. I'd figure out how to use it later.
“Juncheon, Cangtian, Biantian, Xuantiian, Youcheun…… The nine heavens are called Jiutian, namely Ritian, Yuecheun, Shuixingtian, Jingxingcheun……”
Choi Heejeong recited the incantation of the Nine Heavens Art. This was already her fifth time reading the same page.
I have no idea what it means.
She memorized blindly first, then moved on as understanding dawned. It was her go-to study method from her exam days.
She'd never learned martial arts, let alone immortal techniques, in her life. So it was natural she couldn't grasp it properly.
“It says to take in the qi of the nine heavens, but how?”
Fortunately, the meditation posture was illustrated. But with no proper teacher, how was Choi Heejeong supposed to know?
Even now, unbeknownst to her, pure qi was gathering in her body—little by little.
I returned to the company and immediately underwent promotion review. It was approved.
“Finally, manager.”
A position that had seemed so lofty. In my previous life, it had remained a mere dream!
“Hahaha.”
I grinned contentedly and checked my info.
If any stat exceeded B-rank 128, you could become a manager—with a promotion review, of course. I passed easily thanks to my diverse skills beyond just Gongryeok.
“Yes!”
My fist clenched on its own. Without the inner pills, spirit pills, Fire Spirit Divine Essence, and Gold Death Corps, this would have been impossible.
Anyway, the stat formerly labeled ‘Maryeok’ had become ‘Sullyeok’ at some point—probably because I'd learned sorcery. No real change, though.
Using divine power might get me to department head, but it required days of spirit pill meditation with the Thunder Cloud Heart Knot afterward, so I put it off. Divine power was my trump card.
The most eye-catching part of my info was ‘Shares Held.’ Their use was simple.
“Investing 10 shares in Gongryeok.”
10 shares invested in Gongryeok.
Gongryeok stat rises from B(150) to B(152).
A faint tickle stirred in my dantian as the message appeared.
“Doesn't even register.”
Couldn't be helped. Higher ranks were harder to raise naturally. And at this point, share value was still low.
Yes. As the share value rose, one share boosted stats more. If value dropped, you'd need more shares per point.
“Gotta HODL.”
HODL, just HODL—that was the way.
“So, promoted to manager?”
I was now in Director Madric Blood's office.
“Yes, Director.”
“Hmmm.”
She propped her chin on the table, staring right through me.
“Well done.”
Dry tone. But the corners of her mouth twitched upward.
“Now our department has two managers.”
“Yes. Don't we need another sub-department?”
“Probably.”
She nodded lightly. “But you can't match Manager Cherubim.”
“……”
I didn't reply, but I knew. Manager Cherubim was an angel from the heavenly realm—fundamentally different from humans. Why was such a being stuck at manager? Simple reason.
“His power is quite restricted. Unusually so.”
“I see.”
“He should've been in the ‘upper floors,’ but he threw a fit to come down here.”
Upper-floor beings lost power when descending. That was Hunter Stock Company policy.
“So with another manager, does the Tactical Control Room become the Tactical Control Department?”
Madric Blood's eyes widened briefly, then normalized. If someone took Cherubim's position, he'd promote a rank. A top-secret Safety Planning Department matter known only to the director and Cherubim himself. Promoting Cherubim to department head before Floor 20—that was my goal too.
“Hoh. You pieced that together from just that info?”
I shrugged. “Just a thought that popped up.”
“Hmmm. Is it?”
“Yes.”
“Then don't tell a soul.”
“Understood.”
She stood, and soon a ticklish sensation crept up my neck.
“What sub-department do you want?”
“Public Security Office would be good.”
Her fingers paused on my nape.
“Do you know what that is?”
“Yes. I've looked into it.”
Public Security's purpose was straightforward: conquer stages and maintain order there.
“It'll be the hardest job.”
“I'm prepared. It's a decision after careful thought.”
Having already secured two stages, I figured I could handle it. And the rewards matched the difficulty.
“I'll report to the upper floors soon.”
“Thank you, Director.”
“That aside…… Do you know how much you missed me while I was in seclusion?”
She buried her face in my nape and inhaled deeply.
Sniiiif.
“Haaa…… This scent.”
“Ughhh.”
My eyes grew heavy again. Sleepy. Then her moist tongue licked my neck.
“……Why do you keep drooling on me?”
“Don't you know? Vampire saliva has anesthetic properties.”
“First time hearing that.”
“Just stay still. I'll make it painless.”
Her hand gripped my arm on the armrest—firmly. Even at peak condition, I couldn't resist that power. No surprise; even divine power might not guarantee victory.
“Was it hard without me? Holding back bloodlust must've been tough.”
“Fortunately, no issues.”
Surprisingly. Probably the Fire Spirit Divine Essence's effect.
“Really? Tsk.”
Why disappointed? As I wondered, her lips touched down.
“Drinking blood is fine, but first, the Blood Impact……”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“No……”
“Sleep well, Public Security Manager Kim Jeongha.”
A pair of fangs pierced my neck. A slight sting as they sank deep, but not too painful—maybe the anesthetic was real. Deep sleep soon washed over me.
I sighed and closed my eyes.
“Haaa……”