I Said I'll Do It
I Said I'll Do It
"WannaEatCandy?"
As Lee Sol muttered, Doyoon asked.
"Do you know them?"
"Baek Jia. A ranker who awakened a thief-class."
"A ranker? Why would someone like that spend ten million points on a low-grade recovery potion..."
It was right when he spoke up to that point.
[A message has arrived.]
A notification that a message had arrived popped up on one side of the auction window and disappeared.
[Title: HiHi]
[Sender: WannaEatCandy]
Hey, couldn't we meet up sometime?
I have something I'd like to inquire about regarding a contract, hehe.
It was a casual tone, as if sending a message to a friend.
"Jia-ssi sent me a message."
"What does she say?"
"She said she wants to inquire about a contract and asked if we could meet up?"
Seah covered her mouth with a thoughtful expression.
"I thought rankers would try to contact you, but the timing is fast."
"Then placing a bid with a huge sum like ten million points..."
"It's probably for the purpose of winning your favor so she can meet you, Doyoon-ssi."
Did she really pay a whole one billion won just to meet him?
It wasn't like he was Warren Buffett or anything.
"For what purpose would she want to meet me?"
"She probably wants to form a long-term contract like Lee Sol."
"A long-term contract?"
"If it's for clearing the Tower, rankers don't spare any money. Money isn't the important thing. How stably you can supply potions—that's far more important."
That was the same reason Lee Sol had proposed a long-term contract to him.
To rankers, how seamlessly the supply could be provided was more important than money.
"What do you want to do, Doyoon-ssi? Are you going to go meet her?"
"Mmh..."
Honestly, even if he formed one more long-term contract, it didn't really matter.
His proficiency had also gone up, allowing him to craft a low-grade recovery potion twice a day, so he had plenty of leeway.
He was also curious about what Jia would specifically offer as compensation when they met.
Right then, Lee Sol chimed in from the side.
"Is there any need to meet up? If you go through the auction, you'll always be able to sell them at a high price."
"That's true, but..."
"Are you worried that other rankers who don't receive your elixirs won't be able to clear the Tower? But that's not your problem to worry about. It just happens because they aren't desperate enough and fail to buy them at a higher price."
Lee Sol's words weren't wrong, but even so, Doyoon couldn't make up his mind.
"I think Lee Sol-ssi is right too. But wouldn't she know that? I think she might not be asking for a long-term contract simply with money."
"Then are you saying she's trying to pay with something other than money? What could that be?"
When Seah asked, Doyoon shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know that yet. That's why I feel like I should meet her for now."
Seah nodded her head.
"If that's her intention, meeting her once wouldn't be bad."
Since Seah also agreed on meeting Jia, Doyoon looked at Lee Sol.
Because he wanted to hear Lee Sol's opinion as well.
However, Doyoon flinched when he saw Lee Sol's face.
Lee Sol, who always had a languid expression, was making a somewhat displeased expression.
However, when he blinked, Lee Sol had returned to her languid expression as if asking when she had ever made such a face.
Her expression changed so quickly that Doyoon wasn't sure if he had really seen it correctly.
"Then I'll send a message saying I'll meet her."
When he sent a message to Jia, she sent back the address and time for when and where to meet.
"She says to meet tomorrow morning at 10 AM."
"Then I'm going too."
Lee Sol said.
"Lee Sol-ssi? There's no need to go that far..."
"Protecting you was part of our contract, wasn't it? You never know what might happen, so we have to be careful."
"Still, I don't think she would do anything in the middle of the city center."
The meeting place looked like an ordinary cafe as well.
"A contract is a contract. You said Baek Jia awakened a thief-class, right? Who knows what tricks she might pull behind your back."
"Mmh. Then I'll be in your care."
Seah also wanted to go together, but he politely declined.
He thought it would be rude for not just two, but three people to go together to a business location.
Thus, after agreeing to meet with Lee Sol at the appointment location the next day, they parted ways.
9:32 AM.
He checked the time and turned off his smartphone.
Since he had to meet Lee Sol first, he had arrived about 30 minutes early.
He looked around, but Lee Sol was nowhere to be seen yet.
Doyoon sat down on a nearby bench.
While heading out in the morning, he had pondered whether to call Lee Sol and go together, but they had agreed yesterday to meet at the location, and calling a woman who was just getting ready to go out felt like it would be rude, so he had come out alone.
Had about ten minutes passed?
From afar, he saw a woman approaching.
Because her hat was pulled down low, he didn't know who she was at first.
The woman was wearing an oversized t-shirt, and whether she was wearing short shorts underneath, her pure white legs were completely exposed below the t-shirt.
Seeing how the men nearby kept sneaking glances, her face seemed pretty as well.
The woman walked straight toward Doyoon.
As she drew closer, only then did Doyoon realize that the woman was Lee Sol.
"Did you wait long?"
Lee Sol asked, but Doyoon was embarrassed about having observed her until a moment ago, so he couldn't meet her eyes directly.
"I didn't wait long. About ten minutes."
"That's a relief. What about Baek Jia?"
"She hasn't arrived yet."
As soon as those words left his mouth, a woman was seen walking from the opposite direction of where Lee Sol had come.
She was a short woman with short hair.
She wore a white t-shirt with a cardigan and a form-fitting skirt, paired with black stockings and sneakers.
At a glance, she almost looked like a college freshman who had just graduated high school.
"Baek Jia."
Looking at the woman, Lee Sol muttered.
Is that woman Baek Jia?
Jia approached, smiled, and opened her mouth.
"Hello. By any chance, are you the Zero-Calorie Alchemist?"
It was a cheerful voice that suited her appearance.
"Ah, yes. That would be me."
"Wow. Nice to meet you. To meet the famous Zero-Calorie Alchemist, this is truly an honor."
Jia grabbed Doyoon's hand and pulled it toward her chest.
He felt the soft touch of her hand.
Doyoon was flustered by Jia's unreserved physical contact.
"I'm Baek Jia. May I know your name?"
"I'm Kang Doyoon."
"Kang Doyoon... Doyoon-ssi, thank you. Honestly, I thought you might not show up at the meeting place. Since the message was so suspicious."
"No way. Still, if we made a promise, of course I should come."
"That's true. Well, shall we go inside?"
Jia linked her arm with Doyoon's just like that and pulled him along.
Just as Doyoon, his face flushed red from the unexpected physical contact, stammered "Uh, uh," and was led along by Jia...
Suddenly from the side, hwek, someone snatched Doyoon's arm.
Thanks to that, Jia's linked arm slipped off.
"And who is this? Ah, Lee Sol-ssi."
Frowning, Jia was about to say something, but realizing who it was a moment late, she greeted her warmly.
"Nice to meet you. Wow. I've only seen you on YouTube, but to meet you in a place like this. Your last duel was so cool."
Despite Jia's praise, Lee Sol merely gave a silent nod.
"By the way, why is Lee Sol-ssi with Doyoon-ssi?"
At those words, Lee Sol answered.
"I am protecting Doyoon. I'm sorry, but it would be best if you kept your distance."
"Ah, is that so? But I understood that today's deal was just between me and Doyoon-ssi, just the two of us."
Jia glanced at Doyoon with a look asking if that wasn't the case.
"Like I said, I'm his guardian. I can't leave."
"Well, then it can't be helped. Let's go in together."
Jia shrugged her shoulders and went inside the cafe, while Doyoon and Lee Sol followed behind her.
Lee Sol still held tightly onto Doyoon's arm.
After taking their seats in the cafe, they ordered two iced Americanos and one iced chocolate that Lee Sol wanted.
When the ordered drinks arrived, Doyoon opened his mouth.
"So, what is the business you wanted to meet me for?"
"You probably already know. A long-term contract. I asked to meet in person because I want to form a long-term contract."
Just as Seah had guessed, Jia wanted to form a long-term contract.
"May I ask why you want to form a long-term contract?"
Jia shrugged her shoulders.
"That's obviously for the stable supply of potions. Depending on the difficulty of the floor, without your potions, Doyoon-ssi, one might have to attempt it for a lot longer than others. Just like the 58th floor this time."
Jia seemed to evaluate Doyoon's abilities very highly.
"As you know, my mana is limited as well, so it's difficult for me to form long-term contracts recklessly. Of course, I still have room to form another long-term contract. However, since I don't know who I might form long-term contracts with in the future, I can't decide easily."
Although he phrased it indirectly, Jia accurately grasped the underlying intention.
"In short, you're asking what I can offer in exchange for forming a long-term contract."
"You could say that."
"Of course, I didn't come here without any thought either. A fitting price has been prepared."
Jia leaned her body forward.
"Clearing the Tower. How about that?"
"Clearing the Tower?"
Doyoon asked back.
Although a long time had passed since the Tower surged from the ground, no one yet knew where the top of the Tower was.
It could be the 80th floor, the 100th floor, or perhaps it had no end.
"Ah, I phrased that a bit wrong."
Jia clapped her hands.
"To be precise, I meant I would help with the first-clear of the Tower. Doyoon-ssi, you obtained the 58th floor first-clear reward, right?"
"Yes, I received it."
"Then you must know how important a first-clear is to rankers. The higher the floor, the greater the rewards."
Doyoon nodded his head.
The reward Doyoon received was a strange reward called the Witch's Potion, but judging by the reward Seah received, it would definitely be worth that much.
"Going forward, I'll be aiming for first-clears. To do that, I need your help more than anyone else, Doyoon-ssi. It won't be easy, but with your potions, I'm confident."
Jia patted her chest with one hand.
One could call it arrogant, but Doyoon thought it stemmed from confidence.
Based on what Doyoon had briefly searched last night, Jia was a top-tier ranker no less impressive than Lee Sol.
Her statement about achieving first-clears on the Tower going forward wasn't just nonsense.
"And if you're with me, you'll also be able to obtain first-clear rewards, Doyoon-ssi. How about it? Isn't it a pretty good offer?"
At those words, Doyoon stroked his chin for a moment, falling into thought.
If Jia really was capable of first-clears, it was a lucrative deal for Doyoon.
Even if doing every single floor was tough, if first-clears were possible on most floors, Doyoon would receive just as many rewards.
It was a proposal with no particular reason to refuse.
Just as Doyoon was about to nod his head in agreement, Lee Sol, who had been slurping iced chocolate beside him, spoke up.
"Certainly, if you can get first-clears, it would be a big help to Doyoon as well."
Jia's face brightened up.
"Right? Then, as expected, it's better to make the contract..."
"But is there any need to do that with you?"
Lee Sol raised her glass, drank all the remaining iced chocolate, and set it back down on the table.
"Doyoon. You don't really care who achieves the first-clear, right? As long as the reward comes back to you."
"Huh? Ah, yes. That's true, but..."
"Then I'll do it for you."
"Pardon?"
"I said I'll do it for you."
Lee Sol grabbed Doyoon's sleeve tightly.