Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: The Inescapable Deal
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“One trillion? You think that’s just some kid’s name at someone’s house? Even as a commission fee, a one-time usage charge like that is utterly absurd. We have to negotiate the amount down.”
“You serious? Well, no helping it then… But what if someone else pays one trillion and asks you to attack Korea? How would we stop that?”
“……!”
The government official’s face drained of color at Baek Ga-yeon’s point.
Of course, Yoo Seongwon would be selective with his jobs, but as she said, if this deal fell through and he contracted with another faction—one that shelled out one trillion to hire him for an assault—could they minimize the damage while fending him off?
With one SS-rank and four S-ranks launching guerrilla tactics and endless sabotage, the losses would easily make one trillion seem trivial.
“We should actually be grateful they approached us first. Think about it. What if they’d gone to a guild or a foreign power without telling us? And one of them had the means to pay one trillion and struck a deal? How would that look from the outside?”
“Just imagining it stresses me out. Ugh!”
“Plus, if they can pay it, he’s like a joker card you can play anytime…….”
“But what the hell does that guy even plan to do with that much money?”
“Who cares? The point is, this is a deal we have to take, no question.”
It was a one-sided, outrageous deal, but the association and government officials all agreed: they had no choice but to accept.
The fear of him going elsewhere and sparking an uncontrollable disaster left them no room to refuse.
“Well, figured it’d play out like this. You gotta hold onto the joker, even if you don’t use it. Anyway, since we’ve agreed, I’ll contact him and call him in.”
“…Please do. Sigh~”
“This is gonna cause a storm once it leaks.”
In the end, the unreasonable demand went through, and to formalize the contract, Baek Ga-yeon reached out to Yoo Seongwon.
He reacted with surprise that none of his demands had been rejected.
(Wait, it went through this fast without any pushback?)
“You didn’t calculate all this and send that proposal, huh?”
(No. I just threw out a high number to test the waters? If they didn’t bite, I’d just go freelance.)
Baek Ga-yeon barely suppressed a sigh at his response.
She resolved to thoroughly hide how he wasn’t as clever as she’d thought, while sternly reminding him to come with dignity and gravitas.
“Don’t talk much when you get here—just sign quietly, strike a pose, and leave. Got it? So, when are you coming?”
(Like they say, rip the bandage off quick. Better handle annoyances fast, so tomorrow.)
“You got it.”
Thus, Yoo Seongwon—the Golden Mana Knight who’d spread unknown terror—finally stepped out from the shadows where he’d hidden so diligently.
No turning back to those secluded days; he had to embrace the change.
He ended the call and stared up at the cabin ceiling.
“Whew~ They’re all gonna shit bricks when I show up, huh?”
“They’ll start by grilling you on the Singangnam mess. Lawsuits will pile up. Guilds will come at you hard. And…….”
“Ah, enough. Whatever happens, I’ve only got one play. He who lives by the sword better sharpen it sharper to avoid ruin. Was gonna do it earlier, but the call came. Alright, let’s head out.”
No matter what came, all Yoo Seongwon could do was swing that Titan stake harder and grow stronger.
Still stuck at level 45 with no growth, but his knightly combats and deeds had piled up hefty rewards.
‘Let’s see. Two skill points banked, plus two reward choices for saving the guild master?’
[Overcoming fear to charge into danger and rescue the lady! A model of chivalry, supremely honorable!]
[Reward choice (knight summon or armament gift or skill point +1) granted: 1.]
Time to cash in the rewards from recent chaos: saving Shin Somi the guild master, facing S-rank monster Bohaku, condemning evil and exposing it in Singangnam, and more.
“Whew~ So many skills worth learning, it’s a headache every time. Ugh, my brain hurts.”
“Talk about first-world problems. Some of us have to conquer weird constellation trials or shell out for pricey skillbooks just to learn one.”
“I know I’m abnormal. That’s why I stuck with Staff.”
It felt like being in a game where everyone else played one genre, but his was different.
More precisely, like he was cheating.
Others climbed from basic skills step by step; he just picked top-tier, unique ones freely—breaking all the rules.
“Whatever. One day it just asked if I wanted to awaken, I said yeah vaguely, and boom, this happened. Still don’t get why junk like me got this. Man, what a weird rant. Time to pick skills.”
His status window was visible only to him, so he scrolled through skill lines, hunting for legion and organization types.
After clashing with Blue Dragon Guild, his interest in building his own surged; now he was seriously planning a ‘knight order.’
“Why are there so damn many knight order skills? That’s why I called you guys. Hey, recommend some.”
To brainstorm, he gathered the knights after dinner, once they’d scattered to their tasks, and asked their input.
He figured starting with those already under him would match his style and simplify command.
[Master, we naturally recommend the Galactic Knight Order. Not all KMG series like me, but mass-produced ‘Sword Knights’ and ‘Support Drone’ lines will make you very secure.]
[Mass-produced from Lord Akaron? No auto-mana regen, so maintenance and prolonged fights are nonsense. Here, it’s obviously the ‘Abyss Knight Order’—full mana refill, ready to charge anytime. Heh heh! Contractor, what say you?]
[Our ‘Holy Heaven Knight Order’ fits too. Lord Gaulp, forget ominous abyss power; heavenly might suits the captain’s golden armor best.]
[We… knights… smash well… eat a lot… but…….]
As expected, each pushed their own former orders hard.
But none matched Yoo Seongwon’s taste.
A knight order was a combat unit at base, but he wanted one covering diverse roles.
“Uh… any with varied functions? Like intel, scouting, assassination.”
[We’re knights, captain.]
[Contractor, eat something bad?]
[We… fight… that’s… our job.]
“We annihilate enemies by divine will. That is all!”
Had their obsession with pure combat blinded them?
They clearly knew strategy and tactics, yet missed his point entirely—frustrating and stifling for Yoo Seongwon.
“Fine. I’ll look myself. Sigh~ But searching by my affinities just spits out royal guards and elite escorts.”
[Naturally. Contractor has the strict Royal Talent skill.]
“Oh, right.”
[(Legendary) Essence of the Fallen Phoenix]
Fallen or not, this being symbolizes kings. Grants charisma bonuses; enhances king/emperor skills.
[Enhanced Skill—‘Conqueror Knight Yucheon’s Lost Legacy, Conqueror Heavenly Sword Style’]
The fallen phoenix essence he’d learned via Regkhon.
It boosted charisma and king/emperor skills he lacked—forgotten until Gaulp’s reminder.
“So that’s why royal guards and personal troops flood the list.”
[Not bad. Elites by default, so any pick will perform.]
“No. It’s off from what I want.”
He craved well-rounded hexagonal prowess over raw combat.
Shin Somi eyed him, wondering if one skill could cover so much.
‘Skills summoning armies or hordes at once are valuable enough on their own.’
“Oh, found some! Two, actually! Spirit Knight Silleion Forest Blade’s Bloody Leaf Guard, and Conqueror Knight Yucheon’s Heavenly Sword Army. Affinity pulls ’em up.”
“…You’ve got those?”
“Both need Command (EX) prerequisite. So one point there, one on a legion…… Hmm, Bloody Leaf’s elf special forces—magic, archery, melee. Heavenly Sword’s Yucheon’s elite guard—intel gathering across continents, battle prep…… This is it! Found it!”
Picking Conqueror Knight Yucheon’s Heavenly Sword Army, Yoo Seongwon spent his two points on Command (EX) and the summon.
[(Legendary) Command (EX)]
The art of controlling and leading groups.
Any organization under your command gives full power. Essential for heroic or legendary units.
[(Legendary) Summon Conqueror Knight Yucheon’s Heavenly Sword Army]
The legion that unified a chaotic continent under Yucheon, writing legends. Mana cost varies by troop count, knights, sub-commanders, and summoner’s ties to Yucheon.
“…This isn’t magic? It just works?”
“Likely his majesty’s skill counts as bond; supply mana, they use theirs to cross.”
“So they pay their own postage, like C.O.D.?”
“Similar idea.”
Ear-rings or nose-rings? Whatever worked; no need to overthink.
“Fancy troops cost a fortune to summon, huh.”
Big power, big price—like legendary units guzzled mana.
But mana drain? Yoo Seongwon’s raw stats were SS-class!
Mana at 1,806 (SS-rank)—plenty for summons.
“…Why’s this happening?”
[Heavenly Sword Army Summon Mana Cost (Current)]
Heavenly Sword Elite Infantry—100 mana per unit
Heavenly Sword Elite Archer—150 mana per unit
Heavenly Sword Elite Cavalry—300 mana per unit
Heavenly Sword Walking Knight—500 mana per unit
…….
…….
…….
It was like staring at a beach resort menu in peak season—Yoo Seongwon could only gape.
Legendary or not, the costs were absurd.
Even basic elite infantry: a measly 18 max. Hardly an army.
“Arrrgh! What the hell? This is ridiculous!”
“Dunno what, but trouble. Maybe it’s normal…….”
Watching his dismay, Shin Somi felt her earlier envy ease a bit.
Yoo Seongwon scrolled frantically to figure out why the mana demands were so insane.