Chapter 116
Chapter 116
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 116
Chapter Title: 21. Recruitment War (4)
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They moved to a new location.
In a space where they could talk comfortably, Jeong Min-jun got straight to the point.
"Over the past few days, I've been working tirelessly on the deal with Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young, but he told me it's impossible without your permission, Kang San. That's why I've arranged this meeting."
A memory suddenly came to mind.
Among the proposals Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young had shown him, there was Flare's name attached to some outrageously generous terms.
Jeong Min-jun.
He was one of the key figures representing Flare as an A-Rank mage.
A genuine heavyweight in his own right, he continued speaking to Kang San with utmost politeness.
"To be frank, Flare is secretly preparing for an 'S-Rank raid' at the moment. As you know, S-Rank raids are full of variables and extreme dangers, so no domestic organization has succeeded in a solo raid yet. Even abroad, successes are rare, and the only domestic victory has been a joint raid with an overseas group. That's why Flare is staking everything on this raid. We're pulling out all the stops to boost our success rate by even 0.1%. That's when we heard about Master Artisan Yoo Jung-young opening up a whole new world of item enhancement."
"An S-Rank raid. That's quite the challenge you're gearing up for."
"It's Flare, after all. If not us, the number one guild in Korea, no other organization in the country would dare attempt an S-Rank raid. Anyway, our internal assessment is that Master Yoo's skills could improve our raid success rate. If you enhance the items for every participant, we'll pay double the market value. And if you're open to an exclusive contract, we'll offer 10 billion as a signing bonus. Even without exclusivity, we'll still give you 2 billion upfront."
It was an incredible offer.
A 2 billion signing bonus.
And double the market value meant they were essentially printing money for this.
Flare had judged it worth that level of investment.
The items for S-Rank raid participants were already top-tier, so even a 1% boost in performance would be a massive gain. Succeeding in an S-Rank raid meant raking in hundreds of billions. For Flare, vying for the top spot in Korea, reaching out first like this had its reasons.
"There's a rumor going around: Flare never forgets favors or grudges. Help us this time, and we'll never forget that debt."
Kang San pondered for a moment.
After weighing the benefits carefully, he finally spoke.
"Understood. I'll give you the most positive response I can as soon as possible."
"Thank you!"
"By the way. You mentioned something about Woo-bin as well?"
The Yoo Jung-young matter was expected.
But Yeon Woo-bin?
As Kang San looked at him with puzzled eyes, Jeong Min-jun smiled and explained.
"Truth be told, we approached Mage Yeon Woo-bin for recruitment, but she said her future depends on you, Kang San, and she'll follow your decision. You must have quite the reputation. Both Master Yoo and Mage Yeon defer to you above all else."
The situation was this.
Flare.
They were a guild dominated by mages.
Yeon Woo-bin, who had just passed the B-Rank test, was an attractive recruitment target. They tried luring her in with the Flare name. Normally, mages never turned down Flare's offers. Joining meant getting Korea's best support for skill growth—everyone bit without hesitation.
Yeon Woo-bin was different.
She showed no interest whatsoever.
Far from being swayed by Flare's prestige, she boldly added a condition: get Kang San's permission first.
The meeting with Jeong Min-jun wrapped up for now.
Since Kang San couldn't decide alone, he promised to talk to Yeon Woo-bin and get back to them.
Then he made the call.
When he explained the recent events, an absurd response came from the other end.
[No need to even consider the terms. I'm only interested if it means transferring with you, hyung.]
"It's Flare, though? No other organization in Korea compares."
[Hyung. When I was rated D-Rank due to my innate awakening, Flare and others approached me for recruitment—probably tests. Flare seems to have forgotten, but after those tests, they all backed off once they saw I was an irredeemable coward. What does Flare's name mean to someone like me? Honestly, without you protecting me, I can't even guarantee I'd perform at my best. So for my sake, don't bother setting up a meeting. Wait—do you want to join Flare? If you do, I'll follow you anywhere!]
It was blind loyalty.
In the end, Yeon Woo-bin's transfer fell through.
Since Kang San had no reason to join anywhere yet, she stuck to traveling with him.
What an unusual situation.
Was a mage rejecting Flare due to blind faith in Kang San, or because she came from a family with no regrets to leave behind? Either way, Yeon Woo-bin was resolute. After her father's test and experiencing other parties, her trust in Kang San had only grown stronger.
And then.
In the call with Yoo Jung-young, Kang San felt a familiar vibe.
[If you want it, Kang San, contracting with Flare is fine. But let's split the terms 50-50. You said 30% is enough for you, but this excessive treatment I got wouldn't have happened without your help. I won't accept less. Please respect my wishes.]
Yeon Woo-bin.
Yoo Jung-young.
Both showed goodwill toward Kang San.
To them, everything so far felt like selfless favors, so they refused to compromise.
It was baffling.
Faced with their firm stances, Kang San had no choice but to surrender.
"Alright."
That day.
Yoo Jung-young signed a short-term contract with Flare.
And per the contract, Kang San received half the signing bonus: 1 billion.
At that moment.
Lim Chan-young was meeting with Heavenly Firmament.
The manager handling the contract was all smiles throughout.
"Don't worry about the signing bonus or anything. Heavenly Firmament will handle wrapping up your current contract and make the transition smooth."
"Sounds good."
Maybe it was the VIP treatment.
Lim Chan-young's expression had softened considerably.
When Goo Jun-ho notified him of termination, his stomach had churned in a way he'd never experienced.
But now.
Lim Chan-young dreamed of a comeback.
He contacted Heavenly Firmament right away, and they welcomed him with open arms.
'If I join Heavenly Firmament and shine, Daeyang— their rival—will be furious. Then Goo Jun-ho will have to take responsibility for letting me go.'
A perfect plan.
Revenge in a new nest like Heavenly Firmament—one stone, two birds.
It would cost about 5 billion in penalty fees to snag Lim Chan-young, but Heavenly Firmament saw it as a worthwhile investment in future talent. It was a steal, really. A late teen B-Rank wasn't common, so things progressed lightning-fast once he reached out.
The manager said,
"Once we sort the contract perfectly, we'll assign you a dedicated manager. And... hold on. I have a call—be right back."
"Sure."
The manager was called out.
The old Lim Chan-young would've snapped about being left alone, but now he was lenient no matter what. He needed Heavenly Firmament's help. Only a powerhouse like them could fill the void Daeyang left.
Alone now.
He indulged in fantasies.
Heavenly Firmament dominating number one thanks to him, Goo Jun-ho groveling at his feet.
His lips twitched.
Goo Jun-ho was wrong.
He couldn't let go of him, Kang San or not.
The door creaked open.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Someone entered.
It wasn't the manager.
Staring in confusion, Team Leader Jeong Hye-mi sat down naturally and spoke.
"Sorry on first meeting, but that contract we discussed? Let's call it off."
A blunt bombshell.
Lim Chan-young's face twisted.
It was absurd.
The contract had been going smoothly until seconds ago.
Now they were flipping it like a pancake, and Lim Chan-young's face burned with anger.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what you heard. Your terms are great, but we can't proceed due to circumstances."
"Circumstances? I haven't heard of any."
"More like priorities. Do you have a bad personal history with Kang San, by any chance?"
"No..."
His words caught in his throat.
Kang San?
Why was that name coming up now?
As he floundered, Jeong Hye-mi said firmly,
"Heavenly Firmament is going all-in on recruiting Kang San right now. Accordingly, we can't bring you on if it risks even slightly disrupting that. We should've mentioned this upfront—sorry for wasting your time. Anything else?"
She drew a line.
It was a notification.
This is our stance—deal with it.
No room for argument. Lim Chan-young recognized it as a polite dismissal.
Sure enough.
"I have a schedule, so I'll head out first."
He stared blankly at Jeong Hye-mi's retreating figure, devoid of regret.
Leaving Heavenly Firmament's building, Lim Chan-young looked up at the drifting clouds, doubting if this was reality.
"...This is bullshit, seriously."
Since his innate awakening.
Lim Chan-young had always been the absolute top dog.
Offers poured in everywhere for a 13-year-old rated C-Rank. Even without results, his youth earned him lavish treatment. So Heavenly Firmament and Daeyang's prestige didn't impress him much. Even if they were the best, what could their fame do against real talent like him but beg?
So he wasn't worried.
Leaving Daeyang, he firmly believed someone would pay tens of billions to take him.
But this?
Unreal.
Rage boiled up.
"What the hell is with Kang San that everyone's losing it."
He acknowledged Kang San's skill.
He'd experienced it himself—that vivid memory was unforgettable.
But passing on a prize like him entirely for Kang San? Unthinkable. No matter how skilled, Kang San was F-Rank post-awakening swordsman. Not comparable to a 13-year-old natural C-Rank like himself—from the roots up.
'Fine. Heavenly Firmament, Daeyang—watch me. You'll regret letting me go.'
He pulled out his phone.
Plenty of options left.
If the big two managements rejected him, pivoting to a guild for a new home wasn't bad.
Among them.
The gathering of Korea's top mages.
Click.
[Jeong Min-jun speaking.]
Lim Chan-young called Flare straight away.