The Trillion-Won Offer
"You already know that other gates are starting to appear inside existing gates, don't you?"
"Yes."
"India is in serious trouble over it right now. Of course every other country is dealing with the same thing, but our situation is a level worse. I hate to put it this way, but Korea has a rather comfortable surplus of Awoken relative to its land area—especially Transcendents and top-tier hunters."
"Comfortable surplus…? I don't know the full picture, but compared to India, that might be true."
India boasted a population of 1.5 billion, yet the number of known Transcendents hovered somewhere between ten and fifteen. The fact that the country had held together this long without a major collapse was practically a miracle. Neighboring nations' Awoken had been lending support, which was the only reason nothing catastrophic had blown up yet—at least as far as I knew.
"Isn't that a problem for the Indian government to worry about?"
"Of course it is, but it matters to us as well. If gate reverse-flows erupt in multiple places at once… the current Indian gate-management system has clear limits. Massive casualties would follow, and then naturally…"
Customers would dry up.
The auction market itself might shut its doors. And when an entire country is in chaos, even a mega-corporation doesn't stay unscathed.
"So if India collapses, you're planning to relocate to Korea?"
"No. What kind of thing is that to say? You seem to think of us as nothing but money-grubbing egoists. Please don't misunderstand."
"Ah, my apologies. You just don't exactly radiate patriotism."
"…If we were truly that selfish, we would have moved headquarters overseas long ago. We have more than enough capital to do it."
"I understand Mahad's situation and India's. So what exactly do you want from me?"
"One moment."
She pulled a suspicious device from her pocket, pressed the button on it, and set it on the table.
"Anti-eavesdropping machine."
"You set that up fast."
"I didn't expect we'd be having a conversation this important right here."
"Fine by me. Go ahead and talk."
A faint, irritating noise began buzzing at the edge of my hearing. It wasn't loud enough to wreck the conversation, so I decided to live with it. Still—what kind of secret was she about to spill that required all this?
"I want to scout you. Would you join us at Mahad?"
"Excuse me? Just like that?"
Ananna simply nodded, her expression calm and utterly serious, as if determined to prove every word had been sincere.
The answer was obviously no, but there was no need to be brutally cold about it.
"So what are the terms?"
The moment I asked, her face brightened. Don't get the wrong idea—I was only curious.
"Actually, our original plan fell apart. We intended to buy out Shinbaram Corporation's dungeon-expedition division and use that as the basis for a deal with you."
What? If they'd gone that route, they would have paid an absolute fortune for it.
Whew… thank god I got ahead of them. I'd guessed they were here for me, but I never dreamed they'd try to negotiate like that. One step slower and I would have been in a terrible position.
"If that had happened, I would have been furious. Who the hell is grateful when someone snatches something away and then hands it back?"
"You already seem to think of it as yours."
"Of course. As long as Mahad doesn't interfere, it might as well be mine."
"All right. We'll withdraw from the bidding. And we'll give you one percent of our company's shares. Even on the low end, that will be worth at least one trillion won."
"!?"
I couldn't keep my face straight. I leaned back hard against the chair and stared at the ceiling. One trillion won… that wasn't some random dog's name. I never expected them to come in this big.
"Th-that… did your father actually authorize this?"
"Yes. On top of that, we'll provide a top-tier residence anywhere you want in India. You'll keep every tax exemption you currently enjoy in Korea. And you'll receive the same treatment as a Brahmin—the highest caste. All of India's domestic Transcendents already live under those conditions."
Even in a world where Transcendents reigned supreme, this was an astonishing offer. I could feel myself starting to get tempted without meaning to. And she still wasn't finished.
"You know we're auction specialists, right? Every piece of loot you acquire, we'll sell for you at the absolute lowest commission. After processing costs, it would effectively be zero percent."
That was the point where I started thinking about India's climate. Indian women weren't really my type—what was I supposed to do with that? I hated the heat too… maybe just a few months to a year? But jumping at the first big number wasn't my style either.
"Why go this far for me?"
"Because we value you that highly. You said as much yourself just a moment ago."
"No. I mean the real reason you're trying this hard to take me. How exactly do you plan to use my ability? Just because I'm strong doesn't mean I can single-handedly plug every gate. In a country as huge as India, I'd be lucky to hit one or two sites a week."
"Of course we have conditions of our own. At least one day a week, you would strengthen the Awoken we designate. I heard the maximum is twenty people—is that correct?"
It wasn't a secret anymore, so I nodded. The idea of having to touch India's greasy male hunters every single week, though, killed my enthusiasm on the spot.
"You know mana elevation is limited to once per person, right? I can push it to three stages if I squeeze my own mana dry, but still."
"I know. But if most of India's Awoken become stronger that way, it's a net positive. Oh, and we'll pay the mana-boost fee as well. The hunters can afford it. Five hundred million per person, correct?"
Using me as a mana-elevation machine in exchange for one trillion won plus commission waivers. Not a terrible deal on paper. But could I actually live in India? Me, already spoiled by the convenience of Korean society? Did New Delhi even have dawn delivery?
"Hmm… let's pick this conversation up another time. We're out of time."
"…So you're refusing."
"I can't decide on the spot. More importantly, I'm about to own my own company and I'm going to be extremely busy. I can't choose India purely for financial gain. Hmm… how about a counter-offer? What if Indian Awoken come to me instead for the mana boosts? I can clear one or two days a month if we schedule ahead."
"……"
"Anyway, let's drop this and head out. Mahad is withdrawing from this bid, correct?"
"I gained nothing from this conversation."
"No. I rather like you. I didn't accept the offer today, but I'd like to maintain a good relationship going forward. Will you refuse that, Ananna Prasad?"
What was she going to do? Surely she wasn't about to throw a tantrum just because I turned her down?
I met her eyes straight on—those eyes that felt like they could pull you under. She studied my face for a long moment as well.
"Hmm… you're not an easy man. Different from the rumors."
"Rumors?"
"Yes. I heard you were a pervert."
"Ah… in front of an attractive woman, any man becomes a pervert."
A light smile touched her haughty face. She was taking the joke, so she didn't seem angry. Her negotiation had failed, but getting closer to me wouldn't hurt—neither for India nor for Mahad.
And damn, she was exotically beautiful. Maybe it was the week of abstinence talking, but it had been a long time since a non-Awoken woman pulled me this hard. If I'd had more free time, I would have wanted to try seducing her once.
"It was a productive conversation."
Less than five minutes remained until the public auction. I extended my hand for a handshake—an invitation to keep things friendly, and a clear signal that she should not even think about snatching what I was after.
"Yes. I'm glad I got to meet a charming man like you as well."
She smiled. This woman was far more easygoing than I'd expected. While I was at it, one more request.
"That anti-eavesdropping machine—could I have one too? Is it expensive?"
"Hmm… I'll give you this one. As a memento of becoming friends."
"Thank you."
I didn't know if I'd ever use it, but I took it just in case. With that, I had perfect confirmation she wouldn't bid. Now it was time to slash the acquisition price hard.
"Shall we go? Time slipped by without us noticing."
"Yes."
At first I'd been fretting over how to handle her, but it had resolved cleanly. And I'd confirmed just how high my market value sat—there were people overseas already eyeing me. Whoever came next had better show up with at least one trillion won, right?
My shoulders squared a little on their own.
Ananna Prasad. The conversation with her had been genuinely valuable for me.
"Congratulations."
"You actually bought it at that price… I've never seen a deal like this in my life. A company worth a hundred billion, for this little…"
"It's nothing. Thanks to the hard work both of you put in. Dinner's on me tonight. Let's eat here at the hotel before you go."
"You hammered the acquisition price into the ground and still have the nerve to be this generous."
"Sorry for being petty. That's why I'm not giving you a reward either."
"What do you mean you're not?! I skipped academy classes for a whole week just for this!"
In the end, the acquisition succeeded. Once the remaining formalities wrapped up, my company would finally be born. I'd used my Transcendent status to scare the living daylights out of the Shinbaram people, and the last-minute withdrawal of the other two corporations had handed me a completely advantageous position. Thanks to that, I closed the deal at roughly seventy percent of the price I'd expected.
Of course, promising to trade every piece of loot I acquired exclusively through Shinbaram had helped. Auction commissions were similar across firms anyway, and Shinbaram's sheer scale made sales easier. In other words, I'd simply leveraged a contract I would have signed regardless. From Shinbaram's perspective, losing a Transcendent's loot to a rival auction house would have been a loss, so they had no choice but to swallow my demands with tears in their eyes.
"Tomorrow's going to be busy again."
"Tell me about it. Still, one big worry is off our backs. The hard part's over—now we just re-contract the remaining staff, scout a few Awoken, and start making money."
"A-are you going to scout me?"
"Hmm… Hong Eunyoung, are you really quitting the academy?"
"Yes. It's time to put the past behind me. Assuming I have a job waiting, of course…"
She looked anxious the moment I tested her. I gave her a sly smile.
"Depends on how tonight goes."
"Whaaat? You said you'd give me a reward."
"What else is a reward? It means you can do whatever you want with me."
"W-whatever I want? Really, whatever I want?"
"No."
"What…"
"I plan to do whatever I want."
After dinner I took Hong Eunyoung up to the hotel room. The moment I said I would stay the night, Shinbaram had comped us the finest suite free of charge. Being a Transcendent really was the best life.
"Haaang… th-there…"
"I've developed a taste for this hole lately."
"B-but I… I prefer the front more."
"Don't worry. I'll do both. And thank you for all the hard work."
"Haaeung… I don't know… aaang… th-that way… huaaaang—!!"
I gave the hardworking woman a thoroughly generous reward.
— Who is it?
"Good afternoon. This is Kang Junghyeok. Is Kim Isol home? I'm here about the contract."
— Ah, that person… Yes, she's training in the basement right now. Please come in.
I had dressed in a clean suit for the first time in a while—a brand-new, ten-million-won top-tier suit. With all the muscle I'd packed on, my old cheap suits no longer fit properly. Besides, that cheap thing… my ex had bought it for me, so I should have thrown it out ages ago, but I'd kept wearing it out of thrift. Finally discarding it felt as refreshing as peeling off old grime.
This was my first visit to Kim Isol's house. The last time, after she woke from her long sleep, I had simply dropped her at the front gate and left.
I passed through the gate and stepped into the garden. A detached house with a garden right in the middle of Seoul—they were better off than I'd expected.
The front door opened and a beautiful woman appeared. She looked exactly like Isol, so she had to be the mother—and she was no ordinary beauty. That genetics clearly hadn't gone anywhere.
"Welcome… Oh my, you didn't have to bring something like this…"
I handed over the fruit basket I'd brought. A few pieces of fruit for two hundred thousand won—highway robbery. But I was finally wealthy enough that prices like that no longer made me flinch.
"If I'd known Isol's mother would be home, I would have brought a second bouquet. My apologies. This one is for Kim Isol."
"It's fine. She'll love it. But what should we do? Isol is training in the basement right now… and she gets extremely angry if anyone goes down while she's training."
"I'll be fine. May I go down and see her?"
"W-well, all right. Oh my, look at me—this is all so sudden… I'll go put on some tea and prepare the fruit."
I offered only a small smile and headed down to the basement where Kim Isol was supposedly training. Building a space like this underground showed a surprisingly diligent side of her.
I had shown up completely unannounced. If she'd seen the internet articles, she would already know I'd acquired the company. But these were not the kind of people who checked things like that in the first place. I was extremely curious what kind of reaction I was about to get.
Creeeak…
The door opened. A woman in hot pants and a T-shirt was swinging a sword—a real sword—through the air.
"Haa… haa… I told you… not to come down when I'm in the basement!"
Drenched in sweat, she turned with a light scowl. Still panting hard, her eyes met mine.
"It's been a while."
"Why… why… are you here…"
I broke into a wide smile and brought the bouquet I'd been hiding behind my back forward.