A Bold Proposal
Baekya.
Taeguk.
Hyeonmu.
Core.
Nexus.
These were the five major guilds of South Korea scheduled to attend the meeting.
However, Nexus had yielded their spot to GR through a private deal.
Thus, the final lineup consisted of:
Baekya, Taeguk, Hyeonmu, Core, and GR.
A total of five guilds had gathered to negotiate with Lee Taepyeong.
Each possessed immense power and influence, rarely ever gathering in the same room under normal circumstances.
Because of this, the atmosphere was ice-cold right from the start, like walking on thin ice.
Excluding the nation's strongest guild, Baekya, the remaining four were roughly on the same level.
This made the recruitment war all the more critical.
Depending on who secured Lee Taepyeong, their guild ranking—and by extension, their entire future—could completely change.
Armed with what they believed to be their best possible offers, the guild leaders waited for the man of the hour.
And there was one person watching them all closely.
...If it's Taepyeong, is he most likely to choose Baekya?
It was Kang Mina from the Hunter Administration Office.
She was the one who had recognized Lee Taepyeong's talent from the very moment they met.
She had gone so far as to grant him a First Section residence when he had only just cleared the tutorial.
There was a reason she had taken such a bold risk.
I was hoping it wouldn't come to this...
Indeed.
She had hoped Lee Taepyeong would remain with the Administration Office rather than joining a guild.
Once a hunter joined a guild, they were naturally forced to act in the guild's best interests.
But the Administration Office was different.
It was no exaggeration to say that most hunters affiliated with the Administration Office were driven by a sense of duty.
Especially Choi Muryeong.
As the world's number three and South Korea's strongest hunter, Choi Muryeong was practically the personification of duty.
Of course, she had no intention of expecting the same from Lee Taepyeong.
The two men were far too different.
But still...
Is it really impossible?
At the end of the day, the Administration Office was a government agency.
Consequently, the terms they could offer Lee Taepyeong were limited.
While Kang Mina believed no offer was too grand for him, the higher-ups in the Administration Office did not share her absolute devotion.
They had ordered her to hold onto Lee Taepyeong by any means necessary, but...
It's out of my hands now...
Indeed.
The choice did not belong to the Administration Office, nor did it belong to the five guilds.
The sole decision-maker was one man.
Lee Taepyeong.
Perhaps his decision would reshape the entire landscape of South Korea.
Did Lee Taepyeong even realize this?
And if he did, what choice would he make?
Inside the spacious conference room.
...Whoa, this is way more intense than I expected.
They weren't kidding when they said the nation's top five guilds were gathering.
Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere was cutthroat.
Baekya Guild had sent their vice-master and executives, while the other four guilds had sent their guild masters and top officials.
In Baekya's case, their guild master was currently abroad providing international support.
One might expect them to feel disadvantaged without their leader, but the Baekya representatives remained perfectly composed.
That was the confidence of the nation's number one guild for you.
"We will now begin the meeting," announced Kang Mina, who was moderating the session.
Having a familiar face run things took off the pressure.
It would also make it easier to ask questions if I didn't understand something.
"First, let us welcome Hunter Lee Taepyeong."
"Hello, everyone. I'm Lee Taepyeong."
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here today."
Once the formal introductions were out of the way, the meeting began in earnest.
My seat was at the very head of the table.
It was a deliberate arrangement.
The seat of the one who holds the power of choice.
"Our Core Guild offers..."
"We are Taeguk Guild. We propose..."
"Hyeonmu's terms are..."
"From GR, we..."
The presentations went on one after another.
I kept a serious expression on my face, but...
...Man, I'm sleepy.
Honestly, my mind was completely blank.
And why wouldn't it be? The answer was already decided.
Did she read my expression?
Only Kang Mina kept glancing at me with a puzzled look every now and then.
She probably hoped I would stay with the Administration Office.
That's going to be difficult, but...
Still, considering our history and looking at the practical benefits down the road, I planned to cooperate closely with the Administration Office.
Especially since I was planning to start a new guild.
I would need their help more than ever.
"Next is Baekya Guild."
Finally, it was Baekya's turn.
They were the ones who had tried to recruit Choi Muryeong multiple times.
Baekya's Guild Master was Seo Inha, ranked 7th in the world.
I had never met him, but I heard his skills were incredible.
Apparently, his skill Reverse Flow was completely broken.
It reversed the flow of energy or something like that...
I had heard a detailed explanation once, but I didn't really get it.
To put it simply, he was like a human black hole.
Anyway, he was the strongest hunter in South Korea after Choi Muryeong.
Seo Inha was Baekya, and Baekya was Seo Inha.
Oh, right. South Korea's top healer, Park Geumja, was also part of Baekya.
I heard they treated their hunters exceptionally well.
Supposedly even better than the Administration Office...
It was to the point where hunters coined the term "Baekya Entrance Exam."
That was how highly regarded the guild was.
Baekya's terms weren't all that different from the other guilds.
Access to high-floor raid data, a dedicated support team, priority party selection rights, and so on.
However, there was one major difference.
"We offer ninety percent of all raid profits as compensation."
The payout was absurd.
Offering ninety percent meant the guild was essentially giving up on making any profit from me.
They were content just to have me on their roster.
Murmurs broke out across the room.
Soon, Baekya's proposal document was handed to me.
"Hmm..."
I read through the document carefully.
There didn't seem to be any hidden traps.
Were they really this desperate?
Kang Mina swallowed hard, looking even more nervous than I was.
"First, I'd like to thank you all," I said, looking around the room with a bright smile.
From GR to Core, Hyeonmu, Taeguk, and Baekya.
Except for Baekya, most of them looked like they had already lost.
Especially GR.
The GR representative, who could never dream of giving up dungeon byproduct profits, sat there looking like they had just chewed on glass.
"However..."
Everyone, who had assumed I would naturally sign with Baekya, snapped their attention back to me.
I gently pushed Baekya's document forward and spoke.
"It seems no one submitted a blank check."
The entire room fell into a stunned silence.
And then—
"This is madness!"
The GR representative slammed their hands on the table, stood up, and stormed out of the conference room.
Seeing their own offer get utterly outclassed was bad enough, but hearing me bring up blank checks must have pushed them over the edge.
Of course, the reactions of the other guilds weren't much better.
Some looked troubled, while others let out deep sighs.
Only the Baekya representatives listened to me with serious, unreadable expressions.
"I will deliver my decision to each of you individually."
I stood up from my seat.
"Thank you all for your time."
With a bright smile, I walked out of the conference room.
"Unbelievable..." Kang Mina muttered, though it was hard to tell if she was impressed or horrified.
"What is?"
"I knew you had nerves of steel, but to say that right to the faces of the top guilds..."
"Well, I'm the one holding all the cards anyway."
I took a slow sip of my sweet instant mix coffee.
"They all know that, which is why they put up with it."
"Wow..."
"If they didn't, they would have torn me apart on the spot."
"Probably..."
"Though it seems GR didn't get the memo."
I chuckled, and Kang Mina shook her head.
"They practically begged Nexus to let them take their spot in this meeting. I didn't expect them to just storm out like that."
"Me neither. I heard they're in a pretty desperate spot right now."
"Oh, you knew about that?" she asked, looking surprised that I was aware of GR's internal situation.
"Just happened to hear about it," I shrugged, avoiding her gaze.
"But..." Kang Mina hesitated before asking, "Have you already made up your mind?"
She was clearly dying to know which guild I would sign with.
A lot of things would change depending on my choice.
The Administration Office was no exception.
"I have something in mind."
At my words, Kang Mina's face fell visibly.
She must have been holding out hope that I would stay with the Administration Office.
"Hunter Lee, by any chance..."
"Don't worry," I cut her off before she could finish.
"I want to cooperate with the Administration Office as much as possible."
"...!"
"You guys have helped me out a lot, after all."
"T-Then...!"
Kang Mina hurriedly pulled out her tablet, looking like she wanted to show me some pre-prepared proposals.
I slowly shook my head.
"I can't promise anything right this second."
"Ah, I see..."
"But I'd like to sit down and talk with the Administration Office soon."
Only then did her eyes light up.
"Anytime!"
Reliable as always.
"I have a plan, and I'm going to need your help, Ms. Kang."
Kang Mina nodded vigorously.
"I will do everything in my power to help you!"
"Great. I'll be in your care."
I shook her hand playfully and headed back to my quarters.
"Ugh."
All I did was sit and talk, but I felt more exhausted than when I killed the Lich King.
My body felt completely stiff.
This political stuff really didn't suit me.
Once the guild was established, I was going to dump all this administrative busywork onto Go Juhee.
Ring, ring.
Speak of the devil.
My phone rang, and Go Juhee's name popped up on the screen.
"Hello?"
—How did the meeting go?
Straight to the point, as usual.
"It went well."
—I figured. Representative Park was throwing a massive fit.
"Really? Haha. I guess the guy who yelled 'This is madness!' and stormed out was him."
—Most likely. He has a terrible temper.
"I could tell."
—Shall we move on to the next step, then?
"Sounds good."
—Once you send the results to each guild, let me know.
A hint of amusement crept into Go Juhee's voice.
—I'll release the articles immediately.
She sounded like she had done this a hundred times before.
It was a bit chilling, but highly reassuring.
"Sure. You know that side of things best, so I'll leave it to you."
—I'll be waiting for your call.
The call disconnected.
Right on cue, Do Sangjin walked in.
"Hunter-nim, are you feeling hungry?"
"Yeah. I used my brain today, so I'm starving."
"Shall I whip up a quick snack for you?"
"That would be great. Make it something sweet, please."
"Understood," Do Sangjin replied, tying his apron around his waist.
While a sweet aroma began to drift from the kitchen, I sat down to draft the document to send to the guilds.
The content was simple.
1. I will not sign an exclusive contract with any guild.
2. However, I am open to cooperating with any guild on a case-by-case basis.
3. The final decision regarding any cooperation rests solely with me, Lee Taepyeong.
GR would probably rip this proposal to shreds the moment they received it.
The other guilds would likely fall into deep contemplation over whether to accept these terms.
Perhaps Baekya might agree to it readily.
Or maybe none of them would partner with me.
Whatever the outcome, it didn't matter.
I wasn't the one who stood to lose, after all.
Now, let's wait and see...