Chapter 128
Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: A Completely Different Attitude
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With a completely changed attitude, outfit, and expression.
Olya smiled brightly.
'What the hell is this situation?'
Honestly, I was dumbfounded, but I followed her into the cafe anyway.
If this was some kind of date invitation, I'd kick her ass, but since she was offering proper pay, it was worth hearing her out.
"Super Cool Double Cell for me, please. What about you, Jaeyeon?"
"Espresso."
"Espresso? What's that?"
The cafe staff chuckled at Olya's puzzled question.
"It's traditional coffee. Quite a classy taste. Any flavor for the aroma?"
"Chocolate."
After ordering, we sat down, and I looked at Olya sitting across from me.
'She's unrecognizable.'
She looked nothing like she had on stage. Her lion-like wild blonde hair was neatly braided, and her revealing outfit was now so modest it almost looked stuffy.
And with the glasses perched on her nose bridge.
She looked less like a fighter and more like a college student buried in her studies.
Flash!
The table flickered for a moment, and our orders appeared. An espresso sat in front of me, while a massive drink that had to be at least 2.5 liters appeared before her.
Olya looked shocked.
"No way, is that the right size? That cup is..."
"That's how it is."
I lifted the cup and sniffed it lightly. The subtle chocolate aroma woke my senses after so long.
'Come to think of it, could coffee farming work in Ardania? The southern regions might be suitable...'
As I thought that, I spoke up.
"By the way, what did you mean by training partner?"
Calling me, her opponent from the match, was suspicious. Pro fighters surely had no shortage of sparring partners.
But Olya looked at me like it was obvious.
"Striking training, of course. Honestly, it was insanely powerful. My defense specialization is Spirit Wave, so my physical defense is weaker than against Sky-Shaking Seven Colors, but still, I never expected my chest to nearly burst from one hit."
'My chest nearly burst.'
Her blunt words left me speechless for a moment, but I quickly composed myself and asked.
"What's Spirit Wave specialization?"
"It means I'm specialized in converting Spirit Wave into vibrations, literally. Pro matches are full of sword aura users and battle mages. If you can't counter them, you can't stay pro."
"But that makes you vulnerable to physical attacks, doesn't it?"
"No problem. There are hardly any biopower practitioners among pro fighters."
Unlike magic, where hitting 3rd class secured a lifetime job, or martial arts and chakra that required little capital to grow.
Biopower was a capital-intensive superpower.
Practicing biopower increased food costs by at least 10 times, up to 100 times, and that was just the baseline. To grow, you needed even more.
'And that's not all.'
Biopower offered no fallback options.
Jobs useful for biopower practitioners were limited to manual labor. Martial artists could at least pilot gigas, but biopower users couldn't even do that.
In short, biopower practitioners were...
'Kids from rich families.'
Biopower evolved the body by absorbing biofactors, with directions based on the practitioner's desires.
I wish I were taller.
I wish I had a better figure.
I wish I were prettier.
Obviously, such evolutions led to overall ability degradation, so they were choices to avoid if living off superpowers.
But if someone chose them anyway, it meant they had enough leisure in life.
Sure, they could become celebrities with their enhanced looks.
'But the entertainment industry is a brutal red ocean relying on looks alone?'
No need to look far—Hye-young, practically a rookie actress, landed the lead because she was a chakra master who reached Hyunmun Gate with dark attribute chakra, right?
No one could compete with a chakra master on looks alone.
Even Seong-jae, famed for his otherworldly beauty, was a sorcerer commanding 7th-class spells, wasn't he?
'Anyway, not the point.'
I shook off the stray thoughts and asked.
"So, what are the exact terms? Training conditions and pay?"
Olya turned around, and the turtle floating behind her spun in place.
Whirr! Zing!
With a gust of wind, mana swirled in the air, spitting out a contract sheet.
Olya pointed to various parts as she explained.
"The conditions are simple. Hit me in the training hall. Of course, we start that way but gradually shift to sparring format. Sessions are 2 hours each."
"Pay?"
"3.5 million won per session."
"Location?"
"Chebubong Grand Tower would be great. I live there, and the basement training hall is top-notch."
"..."
I pondered briefly.
'Sounds good?'
The terms were too solid to negotiate further. Nearly 2 million won per hour, and the location was a 10-minute walk from Room Tower at most.
Plus, the contract allowed cancellation with 3 days' notice anytime.
"No fixed number of sessions. How many times a week?"
"Every day, ideally."
"Every day?"
I was stunned. 3.5 million won a day, every day? That was over 100 million a month just for training?
'I get world-class fighters, but a bronze rank?'
Sensing my confusion, Olya smiled.
"I'm bronze, but more popular than most gold-rank fighters. Fight money and ads pay well, so don't worry."
"Ah, so that's why those weird people..."
I recalled the crowds flocking to a mere bronze-rank match despite her loss—fans who were bizarrely enthusiastic.
I couldn't help but smile wryly.
At my expression, Olya's face hardened.
"Hey, Han Jaeyeon?"
"Ah, sorry. I mean."
"Calling them weird? Aren't you being too harsh on the fans?"
"Huh?"
Her unexpected reaction threw me off. I thought she'd get mad about the disrespect, but this was different.
"They're the precious people coming to live pro fights, which are in a slump, just for me. Anyone else might not care, but you're a pro debutant—can you afford to view fans like that?"
"Uh, well? Sure, but."
"Don't glorify duels or deify them. Without fans, we're just street thugs scrapping."
"Ah, yeah. Got it."
"..."
She had me.
I couldn't argue a single point. She was right on all counts.
"Alright! Training starts tomorrow! Looking forward to it!"
With that greeting, Olya left the cafe. I watched her retreating figure.
Neatly braided hair, elegant styling. Yet even that couldn't hide the explosive physique unique to biopower practitioners.
"Fans, huh..."
Pondering an issue I'd never considered, I left the cafe too.
"Too cheap for a taxi... I'll walk."
I headed down the main road. My schedule wasn't over yet.
Not like last time when Seong-jae invited me, but checking the guild homepage, I saw a regular meeting today.
"Reservation?"
"Yes, under Killians."
"Yes... Confirmed. Killians-nim. Enjoy your time."
I entered the club. Inside, crowds danced.
'Definitely a lot of people.'
Revenge guild limit was 100 members, rising to 150 at level 2, 200 at 6, 250 at 11, 300 at 16.
Ares Guild at level 18 could hold 300, enough to charter a small club.
"Oh! Emperor-nim, right? Loved the movie!"
"Hi! Why no broadcasts after the movie?"
Tall, handsome men and beautiful women approached friendly.
"Hi. Han Jaeyeon here."
"Busy with other work. Got one coming up soon."
I responded casually, snacking on the setups and drinks.
'Sure, this vibe.'
Overall, unreal looks. Fitting for Ares Guild's makeup.
What kind of people formed Ares Guild?
'Celebs.'
Revenge was for the rich with no time, not just CEOs or pros—idols scheduling by the minute played too.
"New users exploding lately."
"Even more since full VR service cancellation was scrapped. Makes sense for grade-1 immersion full VR."
"My nephew who pitied me for playing now asks for Revenge hunt help. Worlds apart, really."
I wandered the club with a drink, eavesdropping. Revenge was thriving post-crisis.
Games felt packed compared to before.
Tons of players just hung in cities without hunting.
"Seen Seduceland? Insane."
"Nah, got real-life friends hotter than succubi."
"Hahaha. Fair."
Celebs, trainees, agency folks mingled freely.
"Wanna dance?"
"Body goals!"
"Heard you're high-rank... Really took down an 8th-class mage?"
Some approached, but I chatted lightly and drifted around.
'No direct contact yet.'
No execs pulling me aside for myth raid talks right away.
I was just showing face. Announcing interest in guild activities was enough for today.
"Ah! Heard? Five Dragons coming to Earth!"
"Seriously? Cosmic star landing."
"PDs must be desperate to book them."
"Ugh. Transcendents doing idol stuff—what about us?"
I nodded at the buzz.
'F·D was Five Dragons.'
Quality crowd meant tons of info just milling about.
"51st Earth lost 4 million to the monster wave."
"Why so many? Isn't 51st one of the three civilizations?"
"Yeah, but dystopian vibes. Poor treated like trash, military didn't protect—casualties huge."
"Awful... Then?"
"Got a fundraising model offer..."
I wandered for hours, hearing chatter. Naturally, I finished the food.
No contact after nearly 2 hours.
"Broadcast time."
I left without regret. No Seong-jae, no point lingering.
I'm busy too.
"Even if I die tomorrow, I can't give up honey beer~ Sikey sang, axe in hand. All stared like he was mad."
Home, I started transcription.
[Sikey and the Honey Beer] mismatched modern sensibilities like other novels. Yet it fit best somehow.
Pure gag comedy to unwind with.
"Log in."
As I transcribed, my diligently running landworm reached destination.
[Han Jaeyeon attempting throne imprint!]
[Congratulations! One Guild has seized World Tree Garden!]
[New Castle Lord: Han Jaeyeon.]
Easily slaying the World Tree and claiming Uha Hwa Point, I sat on the throne, steadying my expanding mind's aftershocks.
Chakra surged through me as conduit.
"Hoo..."
In my inner world, the go board filled one side, nine meridians prominent.
Snap!
Placing a white stone on World Tree's Uha Hwa Point, an unpracticed element awoke like unsealed, radiating presence.
Element awakened by nature lovers and plant tenders.
Wood.
I realized my chakra realm had reached layer 4.
"Wow, freebie like this okay?"
I muttered unwittingly.
Realm up didn't deepen element insight, but output was incomparable.
And changes didn't end there.
"...Hm. Hold on."
No teacher needed—I sensed my chakra realm crossed a boundary.
"Log out."
Back to Earth instantly. Suited up, left home.
[State purpose.]
"Via Olya."
[Han Jaeyeon confirmed.]
Entered Grand Tower. Skipped to basement training hall instead of Olya's place.
Rented one, requested [Privacy Shield].
"Hoo."
Sat center, drew chakra.
"Ardania. Hyunmun Gate. Open."
Focused mind, opened gate. Felt vast inner world unfold.
"Summon."
Called its element.
"Kasim."