Chapter 74
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Business
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The day after his return.
Min Ju-ri sat at a cafe table, her heart filled with nervous anticipation.
It was almost time for her meeting with Ryu Min.
‘Why does Min want to see me again? Don’t tell me…’
An idea popped into her head, and she shook it, dismissing it as nonsense.
Suddenly, her heart began to flutter.
It was a pleasant, thrilling sensation.
‘Whew, calm down, stay calm. I absolutely can’t let him know.’
She didn’t want to put any undue pressure on him, so she was desperate to hide her one-sided crush.
Just then, the door opened and Ryu Min walked in.
“Oh? You’re already here? Have you been waiting long?”
“Ah, no. I just got here.”
Embarrassed by her wild imagination, Ju-ri quickly stood up.
“I-I’ll go order. What do you want to drink? It’s my treat, so pick whatever you want.”
“An iced Americano. With an extra shot.”
“Okay, just a minute!”
Ju-ri went to the counter and soon returned with the coffee.
“Thanks for this, Ju-ri.”
“Mhm.”
An awkward silence fell between them as he sipped his coffee.
‘Why is this so awkward?’
Was it because of the strange thoughts she’d just had?
Even a silence of a few seconds felt unbearably awkward to Ju-ri.
Then, Ryu Min broke the silence.
“How was Round 5? Did you meet Black Scythe like I told you to?”
It was a brazen question, but for Ju-ri, who had been desperate to break the silence, it was a breath of fresh air.
“Yeah, I met him like you said and we hunted together. Honestly, I wasn’t sure the number one ranker would even bother with me, but he agreed once I showed him my abilities.”
“I told you. Once he saw your buffs, Black Scythe would need you too.”
“Thanks to him, hunting was a breeze. I got a lot of help, too. It was the first time I ever ranked second in a zone, you know?”
As Ju-ri spoke excitedly, Ryu Min played along.
“Whoa? Second place? That’s amazing! What did you get as a reward?”
“I got an intermediate rare necklace that raises agility. Want to see it?”
She opened her inventory and showed him the necklace. Ryu Min let out an impressed “Ooh.”
Of course, his admiration was just an act.
With an epic necklace already in his possession, this one hardly caught his eye.
“What do you think? Does it look okay?”
“Yeah, it looks great!”
“You can have it.”
“Huh? Why are you giving this to me…?”
“You should have it, since I only got it because of your prophecy.”
As she readily offered him the necklace, Ryu Min waved his hands.
“No, I’m fine. Why would I take a reward you worked so hard for…?”
“I didn’t work that hard for it. Sir Black Scythe carried me, so hunting was super easy.”
“Then shouldn’t you give it to Black Scythe instead…?”
“Would a high-level player like him really need a low-grade necklace like this?”
‘You’re right, he absolutely wouldn’t.’
Ryu Min inwardly agreed.
A regular-grade rare necklace?
For him, an expert, it was a completely useless item.
And he was already flush with gold, so selling it wouldn’t make a dent in his finances.
‘Not that it can be sold, since it’s not a shop item.’
Ryu Min waved his hand again, declining.
“I appreciate the thought, but I don’t need it. I haven’t even reached the regular grade yet.”
“Huh? You’re not a regular? What’s your level?”
“Level 19. It took me ten hours just to kill 300 orcs by myself.”
“Ah…”
Though she didn’t say it, Ju-ri understood.
‘Well, a Prophet probably isn’t a combat-oriented class…’
If a class could see the future and also possessed great combat skills, wouldn't that be completely broken?
Of course, such a person was sitting right in front of her, but Ju-ri couldn’t even begin to imagine it.
Ryu Min and Black Scythe were completely different, from their way of speaking to their overall image.
And in real life, Ryu Min had such a delicate image.
“But, Min. How does a Prophet fight?”
“Ah, I have magic skills. It’s a bit embarrassing to show you, though…”
“Then you wouldn’t need an agility necklace, right? Since you’d be raising your intelligence for magic.”
“Right.”
Although that’s what he said, the truth was that even mages needed a certain amount of agility.
They needed some way to defend themselves.
High damage was useless if you couldn’t hit your target.
‘The attack speed from agility might not be necessary, but movement speed and evasion are somewhat helpful for survival.’
Of course, that was irrelevant to Ryu Min, who didn’t use magic.
As Ryu Min made it clear he didn’t need it, Ju-ri had no choice but to put the necklace away.
“Then I’ll give you this instead of the necklace.”
Ju-ri took out a lowest-grade red magic stone from her inventory.
“I got this while hunting. Take it, at least. I’m not sure if it’s any good, but it’s a token of my gratitude, so don’t refuse.”
Knowing she had saved it for him, Ryu Min smiled warmly.
“Thanks. For thinking of me.”
“Huh?”
It was an offhand remark, but it seemed to fluster Ju-ri.
“I-it’s not like I was specifically thinking about you… B-but you always give me information, and I can’t just keep being indebted to you. So…”
Her flustered state was rather cute.
“I see. Thank you. I’ll gladly take it.”
Ryu Min didn’t refuse and put the magic stone away.
Even if it was a lowest-grade stone, collecting them would help his growth.
“Since I’ve received something, I should give you something in return, right?”
“Huh? W-what is it?”
“What else? Information about Round 6, of course.”
“Ah…”
She seemed disappointed for a moment, but it was fleeting.
Ju-ri beamed a bright smile.
“If you tell me, I’ll listen gratefully!”
“Alright. The quest for Round 6 is…”
As Ryu Min’s prophecy continued, Ju-ri’s eyes gradually widened.
It was because he told her to work with Black Scythe.
“I have to party with Black Scythe again this time?”
“Yeah. Your value as a buffer was already proven in Round 5, so I doubt he’ll refuse.”
“Ah…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just didn’t expect we’d be together again.”
“That… means you’re happy, right?”
“Of course! Sir Black Scythe was so good to me.”
“Good to you?”
“Yeah. He’s surprisingly considerate and not as scary as I thought. He’s a bit arrogant, but he’s the number one ranker, so he has every right to be.”
“Ah… is that so?”
Hearing an unexpected evaluation of himself, Ryu Min let out a small laugh.
It wasn’t a bad assessment.
“And he seems to be a very insightful person.”
“Insightful?”
“It’s hard to explain, but… how should I put it? It feels like he’s really good at understanding people’s hearts?”
‘That’s because I have the Rune of the Inner Mind.’
To Ryu Min, the one who possessed it, this was a given. But to Ju-ri, who had no idea such a rune existed, Black Scythe seemed incredible.
Like a perfect being, skilled, insightful, charismatic, and even considerate.
‘But I’m not perfect either. I failed 99 times, after all.’
Although he felt cheated in the final round that required a five-person party, a failure was still a failure.
‘There are no more chances. This is the last one, so I can’t afford to fail.’
He vowed to make it to the final round and smash the boss’s head in, then looked at Ju-ri.
‘I absolutely have to take Ju-ri with me. And the American Priest, too.’
Those two spots were confirmed. He needed to think about the remaining two.
“Min? What are you thinking about?”
“It’s nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Are you worried about how you’ll pass the next round?”
“Huh? Well… I am a bit worried. I’m not that strong, after all.”
To anyone else, it would have sounded like false modesty, but Ryu Min couldn’t reveal his identity under the circumstances.
“Sigh, if only the zones were merged, I could have helped you…”
“For free?”
“Of course. I feel bad always getting help from you like this. Meanwhile, I’m no help to you at all…”
‘You’re a huge help, Ju-ri. Thanks to you, I one-shot the High Orc.’
He even received a Unique Item Selection Ticket for setting an unprecedented record.
“Don’t feel bad. I’m sure we’ll meet in the other world someday.”
“I guess so, right? We have to do our best until then! I’ll do my best too!”
Ryu Min gave a wry smile as Ju-ri pumped her fist and cheered.
‘I wonder how she’ll react when she finds out I’m Black Scythe…’
A sudden worry crossed Ryu Min’s mind.
* * *
The day after giving Ju-ri information about Round 6.
Ryu Min was heading to the company office in a limousine sent by Ma Kyung-rok.
‘He originally wanted to have lunch together at a hotel, but…’
He had declined and suggested meeting at the office instead.
It was time to start talking about the business.
‘I’ve sufficiently proven that I’m a Prophet, so there shouldn’t be any issues.’
He hadn’t yet told Ma Kyung-rok what kind of business he planned to start.
But whatever it was, Ma Kyung-rok would trust and follow him.
He was the type of man who would do anything if it meant his company could grow.
‘And I’ve clearly demonstrated my abilities as a Prophet so far.’
Having earned his trust, it was now time to deliver results.
Of course, he wasn’t starting a business simply to make money.
‘Using Ma Kyung-rok’s company, I can get any item I want, whenever I want.’
Money was merely a means to acquire items.
‘My own growth is the ultimate goal.’
Moreover, by growing the company, he could strengthen his relationship with Ma Kyung-rok.
‘That’s how I can get in touch with his connection, the Priest.’
The financial gain from the process was just a bonus.
“We have arrived. Please wait a moment.”
The driver, who had stopped in front of a commercial building, quickly got out and opened the door.
“This way, please. I will guide you to the office.”
The driver spoke respectfully and led the way.
It seemed he had been instructed to treat him with the utmost courtesy.
Ryu Min followed the driver into the elevator.
Ding—
The office, located on the 8th floor, wasn’t very large.
It was understandable for a company that started with little capital.
“Oh! You’ve arrived, Major Shareholder!”
The moment he stepped into the office, he was met with an enthusiastic welcome from Ma Kyung-rok.
“Please have a seat over here. Manager Ahn? Bring two cups of chamomile tea.”
“Yes, Representative.”
As Ahn Sang-chul went into the break room, Ma Kyung-rok laughed heartily.
It was a fake laugh, meant to curry favor.
“Major Shareholder, no, Prophet. Did you have any trouble on your way here?”
“Trouble? Not at all. The ride was very comfortable. The driver was very kind, too.”
“Haha, is that so? I’m glad to hear it. If anyone makes you feel uncomfortable, please let me know. I will take appropriate measures immediately.”
“Ah, yes…”
Ma Kyung-rok, who murdered criminals every week, would take appropriate measures…
Unless he had a grudge against someone, it was best not to say anything.
“Have you eaten? It would have been nice if we could have eaten together.”
“There’s something more important than a meal.”
“Are you perhaps here to give me information about the next round?”
Ryu Min had to suppress a laugh.
‘He’s dying to get information about Round 6 from me.’
That was why Ma Kyung-rok had specifically brought it up.
Hoping he might share the information.
“Of course, I have to give you information on Round 6 as well.”
“You’ve seen the future?”
“I have.”
Just then, Ahn Sang-chul approached and set down the teacups.
Though he didn’t show it, Ahn Sang-chul was also listening with pricked ears.
“I will give you the information for Round 6.”
“Really? I’m always so grate—.”
“However, I’d like to call for a special shareholders’ meeting.”
“A special shareholders’ meeting?”
“It’s time we talked about the business. We need to change the business type and the company name.”
At the mention of business, Ma Kyung-rok’s expression turned serious.
The business in the real world was just as important as information about the next round.
“What would you like me to do?”
“At the shareholders’ meeting, I need you to support the business I propose. Even though I’m the de facto manager with 51% of the shares, a special resolution won’t pass unless it gets 67% approval.”
Changing the company name and business type was a major decision.
He couldn’t just decide on his own without the consent of the shareholders who had already invested their money.
Of course, he didn’t need the other shareholders.
He just needed Ma Kyung-rok on his side.
Understanding this, Ma Kyung-rok nodded.
“So, since I have 20% of the shares, if we join forces, we’ll have 71%. That means we can easily pass any resolution.”
“Yes. But as I’ve said before, there can’t be any dissent. Which means we need to persuade the other shareholders.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make sure the other shareholders don’t cause any trouble.”
“Thank you.”
“But… for you to mention this in advance, it seems the shareholders will oppose changing the business type?”
“Yes. I’ve seen the future, and they weren’t too pleased. Especially the shareholders in their 30s and older.”
“What on earth is the business type…?”
Ma Kyung-rok wore an expression of intense curiosity.
Ahn Sang-chul, listening from the side, was no different.
‘I guess he would be curious. I did boast that we’d succeed just by changing the business type.’
Ryu Min smiled and said.
“The business I intend to start is…”