Chapter 72
Chapter 72.
20 million TP.
In Korean money, that's 26 billion won.
This amount was so enormous that not only ordinary people, but even most wealthy individuals wouldn't dare to dream of it.
Although it had been reduced from the initial 100 million TP to this point, it was still a difficult amount for Bronze players to covet.
However, Lee Ganghan's case was different.
'I can receive 15 billion as an incentive first.'
The incentive contract obtained by turning around National Assembly member Joo Yongwan's scheming to his advantage.
The two most important items in it were:
15 billion won if Heavenly Demon Constitution reaches C-grade within this month.
15 billion won if he achieves top 50 in score ranking this month.
Since he had already achieved C-grade among these, he could receive 15 billion won.
Of course, the money hadn't actually been deposited yet.
'They'll give it to me unless they're planning to send me abroad.'
With American and Chinese agents still continuously contacting Shin Yuri, not honoring the existing contract and refusing to pay the incentive?
This would be no different from declaring they're giving up on Lee Ganghan in Korea.
He thought the Korean government wouldn't make such a choice.
He also thought the second item, achieving top 50 in score ranking, was quite possible.
'But it takes 2 weeks for the results to come out.'
The current date was August 17th.
The score wouldn't come out until September, but Lee Ganghan wanted to proceed with establishing the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect a bit faster.
For that, he needed to secure the remaining 11 billion won.
'I did earn quite a lot this time... but I don't have that much, do I?'
Lee Ganghan checked his TP holdings.
'I have a little over 4 million.'
The TP that had been almost depleted when building the Heavenly Mandate Tower and proceeding with Sacred Fire absorption.
However, with the massive TP gained from receiving EX twice in the Tower of Infinity and the arena, plus the flood of sponsorships from viewers due to Lee Ganghan's achievements, his TP holdings had exceeded 4 million.
Still, to earn this much in just a few days.
'EX rewards are really big.'
Lee Ganghan once again felt the reward difference between EX and S, and calculated.
To exchange his held TP at 120%, 1,560 won per TP to make 11 billion won...
'I need to secure approximately 7.06 million TP.'
An amount with quite a gap from his currently held TP.
With this difference, it seemed there wouldn't be much time difference from just waiting 2 weeks to receive all the incentives and then establish the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
'Ah. This is somewhat disappointing.'
When it was reduced to 20 million TP, it seemed like it might be possible.
But when he calculated it carefully, the conclusion was that he had to wait 2 weeks, which made it even more disappointing.
'Still, 2 weeks will pass quickly, so I'll just wait.'
Just as Lee Ganghan was about to slow down and think carefully about establishing the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
['Castrated Goblin Chief' reports urgently.]
[Will you connect the communication?]
Ding.
A message appeared before Lee Ganghan's eyes.
'What sudden report? Ah.'
When he summoned for the second time at the Golden Palace earlier, he had said they were measuring the value of the gold recovered during the first summoning.
Is it related to that?
When Lee Ganghan connected the communication.
[Heavenly Demon Eternal! Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate!]
The Goblin Chief, who bowed while shouting loudly as usual.
[Heavenly Demon! Gold extraction is complete!]
"Really? Did we get some TP?"
[Yes! We secured a whopping 2.5 million TP!]
"...What? 2.5 million?"
Lee Ganghan blinked his eyes upon hearing the Chief's words.
No way, was there that much gold when the statue broke and they collected it?
'I thought it would be a few hundred thousand at most...'
Was it because all 50 goblins rushed to collect it?
While Lee Ganghan was surprised by the amount that far exceeded his expectations.
[I will offer it right away!]
The Goblin Chief shouted energetically.
[You have acquired 2.5 million TP.]
Then the following message appeared.
Lee Ganghan smiled at his suddenly greatly increased wealth.
'Wow... goblins are surprisingly effective?'
Building their settlement doesn't cost much either.
They collect gold and exchange it like this on their own.
Maintenance costs are at zero level, and if they change profession to merchants, additional income is expected.
It seemed like there couldn't be such a cost-effective race as the first race of Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
When he was looking at the Goblin Chief with satisfaction.
[Then I'll offer the statues immediately as they're sold!]
The Goblin Chief ended the communication with those final words.
'So I'm short by 500,000 TP.'
500,000 is worth attempting.
Unless clear evaluations just keep showing S, if he receives SSS+, he thought he could gather that much TP within a week.
'I should give it a try.'
For that, first, he needed to collect the 15 billion won.
Lee Ganghan contacted his agent Shin Yuri to handle this matter.
[Ah, I was just about to tell you about this...]
Shin Yuri, who received contact from Lee Ganghan.
[There's been talk about having the commendation ceremony this Friday and giving the incentive at the same time.]
"Friday?"
She told him about the ceremony schedule.
[Yes. It got delayed, didn't it? I think it's because the commendation ceremony was too compared to FIPA. They gave a sword that burns undead all at once, while our country gives 100 million won in prize money...]
Rather than having the commendation ceremony early, it had been delayed due to contract issues, and then they lost the player to FIPA.
From the Korean Management Office's perspective, the comparison seemed burdensome.
'Today is Sunday, so 5 days from now.'
I can challenge collecting 500,000 during that time.
"I understand. Then I'll know it's proceeding on Friday."
[Yes. If there are any changes, I'll contact you immediately!]
Lee Ganghan, who confirmed the schedule, did his best to collect 500,000 TP before Friday arrived.
Thus, 4 days passed and on Thursday evening.
[Clear Evaluation - SSS+]
[Clear rewards will be given in proportion to the evaluation.]
To Lee Ganghan, who cleared the tower.
[Clear rewards are opened.]
[Level increases by 3.]
[Level has reached the current grade limit. Additional experience will be accumulated as the player's individual 'score'.]
[You gain 120,000 TP.]
'I barely made it.'
The reward appeared.
***
Collecting 500,000 TP by Friday.
In a situation where he could practically climb towers only 4 times - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - achieving this goal was really not easy.
'It would have been impossible without the Adventurer's Eye.'
Thanks to the hidden conditions appearing in the Adventurer's Eye, Lee Ganghan received SSS+ in all four towers he entered.
If he had failed SSS+ even one day and received only S, establishing the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect would have been delayed by a few more days.
'Honestly, a few days' difference isn't that big...'
In fact, whether he established the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect on Friday or delayed it a few more days to Sunday or Monday, it didn't seem like it would greatly affect the overall situation.
However, perhaps because the establishment of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, which had seemed impossible, was now within reach, Lee Ganghan wanted to create it as soon as possible.
'I'm satisfied with receiving SSS+ for 4 days like this... but the races in Ten Thousand Demon Battle remain the same.'
During the 4 days of tower climbing, even when he met different races, he couldn't communicate with them, so Lee Ganghan couldn't add races to Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
Except for meeting an orc on Wednesday and resupplying dozens to the Shaman's Altar, there was no significant gain in terms of races.
'No special rewards appeared either.'
There were often special rewards when receiving SSS+, but it was disappointing that there weren't any for those 4 days.
So, as a result of desperately gathering TP from sponsorships and what the goblins earned from the black market, he could barely reach 500,000.
Still.
'After tomorrow's commendation ceremony ends, I can definitely create the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.'
The Heavenly Demon Divine Sect that costs 20 million TP.
It should be different from regular guilds somehow, shouldn't it?
When Lee Ganghan was looking forward to it like that.
Ring, ring.
A call came from Shin Yuri.
[Heavenly Demon, I have something urgent to tell you about tomorrow's commendation ceremony.]
"What is it?"
[Well... the President will personally present the commendation tomorrow.]
"The President personally?"
[Yes. The special commendation has also been upgraded to a Presidential commendation, and the President will personally come to the Management Office...]
Unlike with National Assembly member Joo Yongwan, perhaps because the President was involved, Shin Yuri's voice carried a sense of burden.
Then.
[And there will probably be a dinner together after the commendation ceremony... would that be okay?]
She added apologetically that a dinner had been arranged.
"I understand. I'll have to attend that."
He had planned to come home right after receiving the commendation and rebuild the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect, but it would be delayed.
Still.
'If the President is stepping forward to this extent, I can definitely receive the score incentive too.'
Lee Ganghan thought positively that there would be no problem with the incentive he would receive in September, and went to bed early for tomorrow's schedule.
And the next day.
[Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan, special commendation ceremony at Management Office today]
[President Kim upgrades special commendation to Presidential commendation. Known to personally present it today.]
[Not 100 million but 15 billion? Management Office focuses on incentive amount rather than prize money in promotion.]
With the news that the President would personally present the commendation, related articles began pouring out.
-Why is the President stepping forward again? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is it because approval ratings aren't good these days ㅡㅡ
-Still, if the President steps forward personally, they won't play games with contracts...
-Didn't the country show its will to keep Heavenly Demon?
-But they said the commendation prize was 100 million, now that story's gone and it's all about 15 billion ㅋㅋ
-The 15 billion is also an incentive Heavenly Demon earned with his own power
-ㄹㅇ Anyone would think it's being given as a prize ㅋㅋ
There was a lot of talk about the President's move, who seemed to have suddenly joined the award ceremony.
But there was also a positive view that the Korean government had clearly expressed its intention to keep Lee Ganghan.
Meanwhile,
Screech.
Agent GLASS's luxury sedan parked in front of Lee Ganghan's house, and soon the door opened and Lee Ganghan got inside.
"...Director, the target has left the house."
A man watching from afar lifted his collar and whispered quietly in Chinese.
[Understood. The target is scheduled to have a Presidential dinner today as well.]
Then came a woman's voice through the earphone in his ear.
The owner of the voice was none other than the young female director of Bureau 1014 of China's Ministry of State Security.
'Director Jin.'
"Then today would be the perfect time to infiltrate."
[Correct.]
"Understood. Then I'll prepare. Director, you..."
[I'll also infiltrate and ambush.]
"You too, Director...?"
When she said she was coming to Korea personally, he thought she was coming to command the operation.
But the director would personally infiltrate the target's house and ambush in advance.
"For you to step forward personally, isn't that too dangerous...?"
[How do you think I rose to the director position?]
"That's..."
The man closed his mouth at this.
The reason 'Director Jin' had risen to the director position despite being a young woman was because of her miraculous record of 100% operation success rate.
Wasn't it because she had succeeded in any dangerous mission?
'A mouse worrying about a cat...'
Feeling embarrassed, he said.
"Understood, Director. Then I'll prepare for infiltration."
Taking advantage of the target being away from home, he began preparing for the full-scale 'Lee Ganghan Capture Operation.'