Let's Help Too!
"We'll help too!"
"Yeah, you're right!"
The players with slightly higher levels, such as the professional fishermen and anglers, didn't join in. They remained on the ship. Dismantling sea snake-type monsters was a massive headache anyway. Their meat and leather were highly unpopular, so why bother going through all that trouble? Thus, only the low-level players rushed forward. To low-level players, even those trash drops were perfectly usable.
"Wait, why are you guys coming over here? Didn't you say these things are useless?"
Naturally, Tae-hyun was the one left dumbfounded. He had been planning to monopolize the entire haul, but suddenly a crowd of people was swarming down from the ship.
"We'll help you!"
"Let us help!"
"I don't need your help, though?"
"That's just like Kim Tae-hyun! He talks tough, but he's actually so sweet!"
"..."
Tae-hyun resisted the urge to smack them.
Tsk. They look a bit simple-minded.
Tae-hyun turned his gaze to the other fishermen.
"Since these don't sell well because they taste terrible and have lousy effects anyway, do you want to just sell them to me?"
"You really don't have to go out of your way to show us such consideration..."
"Hey, are you going to sell them or not?"
"We'll sell! We'll sell!"
"Sob... He's so kind!"
Tae-hyun crafted the Monster Essences meant for Cain's share, and used the leftovers for his Abnormal Cooking.
"Ugh. Isn't the smell a bit too strong?"
"You have to eat it to grow."
What a ruthless bastard...
Cain clicked his tongue inwardly. If he were in Tae-hyun's position, he would have just kicked back and enjoyed his wealth... Yet Tae-hyun seized every single spare moment to obsess over self-improvement.
"What an absolutely wonderful aroma. As expected, Mr. Kim Tae-hyun, your cooking is truly unique and ingenious."
"?"
"?"
"?"
The entire group turned their heads to look.
What kind of crazy nonsense is this?
A player they had never seen before was standing right in front of them.
Looking at his gear, he seems pretty well-off...
It was expensive and flashy—definitely not equipment meant for low-level players. The player approached and held out a pouch of salt to Tae-hyun.
"If you use this salt, the flavor will be elevated to a whole new level."
"Oh. Looks like good salt."
"I knew you would recognize it! This is a special salt crafted by the ranker chef, Paz. To make this salt, we used rock salt from... and rock salt from..."
Tae-hyun didn't even listen. He just casually sprinkled the salt. He wasn't eating this for the taste anyway; it was purely for the effects.
Your Cooking skill has increased.
You have consumed [Weird Food]!
Your stats have permanently...
"...How does it taste? Do you perceive the complex, deep flavor profile...?"
"It's salty."
"Pardon? That can't be..."
"It's salt."
"Ahem. It seems it wasn't quite to your liking."
"No, it's great. Give me more."
Tae-hyun began dumping the salt onto the food indiscriminately. At this point, it was lightyears away from anything resembling actual flavor!
The player watched this in sheer daze before frantically crying out, "Mr. Kim Tae-hyun! You've put way too much!"
"Nah. I like my food salty."
"...Ah. You must be wondering why I'm here, and who I am."
"Not really, no."
"Of course you'd be curi—wait, what? You're not curious?"
"Are you a spy for the Guild Alliance?"
"What?! No, of course not!"
"I figured. Did I ruin your life back in Pan-On 1?"
"No!"
"Yeah, your eyes look too innocent for that. In that case, I'm really not curious."
"..."
Vincent, the esports agent, thought to himself:
Kim Tae-hyun? He's an incredible player. But give up on him.
He felt like he finally understood why he had been told those exact words!
Esports agents.
Usually, they represented players and helped them secure contracts. But that was merely the surface of their job! For an ultra-elite agent like Vincent, the assignments he received were far more complex and confidential.
We want to bring Player A to our club. But their current club refuses to let them go. Persuade Player A and make them want to join us!
There's a player named B. They seem dissatisfied with their current situation. Convince them to join our club. It'll be highly lucrative for both of you.
An elite agent didn't just act as a troubleshooter for players; they did the same for the clubs. That was what defined a top-tier agent.
With the explosive growth of the Pan-On esports market alongside the game itself, agents naturally flooded into the scene. Vincent had already successfully signed several players to professional teams, and they were currently delivering stellar performances. It was a smooth, highly successful start in this new frontier.
Heh. Excellent.
While people often disparaged agents as "scammers who repackage mediocre players to sell them off," Vincent took immense pride in his work.
Always give your absolute best with sincerity.
That was Vincent's creed! He took pride in the fact that he had never once cheated anyone. He always negotiated the absolute best contract for the club, the player, and himself!
It sounded almost too good to be true, but because he had consistently delivered on this promise, Vincent was revered as more than just elite—he was a legendary agent.
Indeed, the players signed under Vincent trusted him implicitly because he never lied to them. The clubs felt the same way. The players Vincent recommended might have been expensive, but they never disappointed.
Having successfully established his foothold in the market, Vincent pondered his next target. Who would be the best choice?
The answer came instantly.
A player with top-class skills who was currently rejecting all offers from other organizations and playing independently!
Kim Tae-hyun!
Vincent had a gut feeling. Kim Tae-hyun was the real deal. He wasn't one of those flash-in-the-pan players who vanished as quickly as they appeared; he was one of the rare superstars who reigned at the absolute peak! Furthermore, the fact that he wasn't currently signed to any agency made him even more alluring. If he could convince Kim Tae-hyun and sign him to a major team, Vincent would be hailed as the god of agents.
Challenge yourself when others give up and say it's impossible!
Vincent immediately set to work. First, he contacted people who had actually met Kim Tae-hyun in person.
McKinley, the scout director for the New York Lions! He was the man who had traveled all the way to Korea to recruit Tae-hyun, only to return empty-handed.
"Kim Tae-hyun... what kind of player is he?"
"Ah. That guy? He's an absolutely incredible player."
"Right? I thought so too. Some people call him a one-hit wonder, but..."
"Those people are blind. A player like him doesn't have slumps."
Vincent had smiled in delight. His eyes hadn't deceived him.
"But you should give up."
McKinley's tone had been dead serious.
"Why is that?"
"He's not the kind of player who can be swayed by persuasion."
"Mr. McKinley, do you know how many players I've persuaded over my career? Do you think any of them were easy to convince?"
"I know, I know. I'm well aware that you're a master of persuasion. But still, give up."
At this point, Vincent's stubborn pride was piqued.
"I'll see him for myself and make that judgment."
"Suit yourself. But I warned you. You'll just be wasting your plane fare."
"Just tell me what happened. Only that."
"Well... that kid. First of all, he's incredibly rich."
That was the most memorable trait!
"...I see. In that case, since he likely has high-class tastes, I should prepare some luxury goods..."
"I didn't get the impression he was particularly into that. And honestly, he doesn't seem to want for anything."
"Don't worry. There is no one in this world who wants for absolutely nothing."
Vincent had been brimming with confidence.
Even players who insisted, I'm satisfied with my current situation. I have no intention of changing teams, always revealed some hidden yearning once Vincent dug deep enough. If he promised to fulfill that specific desire, they were bound to waver.
Fulfilling a desire the player themselves didn't even realize they had!
"I don't know... But aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself? It'd be one thing if Kim Tae-hyun was on his own, but right now, he's running his own esports team. I even heard it's running quite smoothly. They've got sponsors and everything."
"Mr. McKinley, everything is a matter of shifting one's perspective."
"?"
"What if we buy out the entire team?"
"...!"
McKinley had been utterly stunned by the sheer, unimaginable scale of the proposal.
"That's insane..."
"You think so, right? You're wondering if any club would actually spend that much money, no matter how good the player is. But think about it carefully. Every single player on Kim Tae-hyun's team is elite or higher. This tournament proved that. Kim Tae-hyun's individual ability is massive, of course, but bringing the entire roster over wouldn't be a loss at all."
"..."
McKinley couldn't deny it. It was undeniably true. Cain was a tank who could easily pull his weight anywhere, and the others were also proving their worth. Even if the other four completely flopped, if they could secure Tae-hyun alone, McKinley would honestly throw money at the deal. You couldn't approach an ultra-elite player with a cost-effective mindset. You had to buy them when they were available.
"It makes sense on paper, but it's too far-fetched. It doesn't matter if we convince ourselves; the higher-ups have to agree to it."
Vincent had smiled warmly at those words. Seeing that, McKinley gasped.
"No... No way...?"
"Yes, I just finished speaking with the board. The higher-ups are indeed interested. Of course, that's assuming I succeed in persuading him."
"Is that really true?! They're prepared to buy out the entire team?!"
Even if it made logical sense, McKinley was shocked that they were actually willing to pull the trigger.
"Mr. McKinley, you'll be even more surprised to hear this. The team currently interested in this... isn't just the New York Lions."
"...!"
At least two. Looking at Vincent's expression, it seemed to be more than three.
This is insane!
If this massive deal succeeded, Vincent would undoubtedly become an absolute legend in the esports agency world.
"Mr. McKinley, I will make this happen."
"...Best of luck. I'll pray for your success. Oh, and..."
"Yes?"
"If you do succeed, please put in a good word for us with Kim Tae-hyun. You know how great our organization is."
McKinley had slipped in his request. If Vincent actually pulled off the persuasion, he desperately wanted to see Tae-hyun playing for the New York Lions.
"I can't give you a definitive promise, but I'll do my best."
Vincent had grinned. After wrapping up his conversation with McKinley, Vincent had headed to the Boston Tigers. He had heard that their scout was also familiar with Tae-hyun.
"Oh, Kim Tae-hyun. He's an incredible player."
"I think so too."
"But give up."
"..."
Regardless, after gathering information through various channels, Vincent had headed to Korea. He waited near Tae-hyun's gaming house. He could have found his number and called him, but Vincent preferred "accidental" encounters. First impressions like this determined everything. An ultra-elite agent doesn't make lazy phone calls!
"...?"
But Tae-hyun never came out.
Did I get the address wrong? No, this is definitely the place.
Vincent spent days drinking coffee at the café right across from the gaming house. By now, the staff recognized his face.
Heh... As expected of Kim Tae-hyun. He's extremely careful about his public movements, fitting for an ultra-elite player. I like him even more.
In reality, Tae-hyun was simply cooped up inside playing games all day, but Vincent, still bound by his conventional biases, didn't think of that.
He must be protecting his private life like a player with impeccable self-discipline!
Fine. In that case, I'll contact him inside Pan-On.
...Or so he thought, but contacting him inside Pan-On proved surprisingly difficult as well. Tae-hyun was constantly teleporting all over the place. Just when Vincent thought Tae-hyun had appeared somewhere, he would instantly pop up somewhere else...
Furthermore, the quests Tae-hyun undertook were all terrifying, large-scale events that Vincent couldn't easily approach.
But then, luck found Vincent.
- The Asbian Empire has been discovered!
- Kim Tae-hyun is sailing toward the empire with a crew of players!
For Vincent, who was desperately seeking an opportunity to have a genuine, heart-to-heart conversation with Tae-hyun, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
Watching Vincent stubbornly press on with his introduction, Cain and Jeong Su-hyeok whispered to each other.
"Didn't hyung just say he wasn't curious?"
"He seems to be pretending he didn't hear."
"It's kind of pathetic."
"I agree. I feel a bit sorry for him."
"..."