Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Chapter 148: Movement (4)
Translation: godtl
The reception room of the Ranker Palace.
To be precise, it should be called Player Kim Si-mun's reception room.
Sitting at the luxurious table prepared there was a golden-haired woman.
"Hmm......."
Olivia's sharp eyes scanned every corner of the reception room.
'Everything here is expensive, but...... the prices strictly match their performance.'
Good items are inherently expensive.
They're made with costly materials and crafted by artisans whose skills justify the price.
However, those who can afford such items usually pay at least some attention to aesthetics, even if minor.
'There's no extravagance whatsoever.'
From the small teacups to the interior decor.
There was only the understated elegance that comes from quality items—nothing more.
Not a single element meant for ostentation or luxury could be found.
And the atmosphere of such a home typically reflects...
'As expected. He doesn't seem particularly interested in luxury.......'
It tends to mirror the homeowner.
As Olivia pondered what kind of person Si-mun was, her gaze shifted toward the door.
"You're here."
The presence outside the door.
Sensing it, Olivia quickly took out a cushion and lipstick from her bag, tidying up her appearance briefly.
The moment she put her cosmetics back in the bag—
Click.
"My apologies. I'm a little late, aren't I?"
The door to the reception room opened, and a strikingly handsome man with well-defined features entered.
Seeing him, Olivia promptly rose from her seat.
"Not at all. You must have needed rest after the previous Arena. If anything, I should apologize for coming to see you like this."
Her bow was neither too deep.
Nor too shallow.
At the sight, Si-mun's eyes gleamed faintly.
'A Korean-style greeting?'
In the U.S., especially in business settings, the usual greeting involves a handshake along with an exchange of names or pleasantries.
But to bow without hesitation like that?
Moreover.
"I was surprised when I saw it on your personal stream too......."
She wasn't using a translator—she was speaking Korean directly, wasn't she?
"Seeing you in person is even more surprising. You're far more handsome in real life. It seems even the Arena's technology couldn't fully capture you."
And with remarkable fluency at that.
'Truly worthy of American Dream's recruitment director.'
Though she hadn't introduced herself yet.
Si-mun knew exactly who the woman before him was.
How could he not?
'No wonder she recruited so many Rankers in the past life.'
In the previous world, only two nations remained—the U.S. and China.
And the person responsible for the U.S. securing more Players than China was none other than Olivia Denson, wasn't she?
Of course, in terms of the presence of High-Rankers and qualitative strength, China still held the upper hand.
Despite being rivals, the Sword Saint Kim Si-hyeok and the Fist King Jong-ri Chu belonged to the same nation.
"Haha! Hearing such words from a beauty like Ms. Denson is quite flattering."
Si-mun laughed naturally, returning the compliment in kind.
"Such praise......."
Olivia's response was momentarily cut off.
Perhaps a little startled.
Blinking briefly, she looked directly at Si-mun.
"Excuse me, but do you know me?"
I haven't even properly introduced myself yet?
At Olivia's questioning gaze, Si-mun maintained a gentle smile.
"How could I not know the famous recruitment director of American Dream, a top-tier Diamond-ranked powerhouse?"
And furthermore.
"Though I suppose the rumors about your stunning beauty played a bigger role."
He finished with a playful wink.
"Ah......."
Caught off guard by the unexpected remark.
Olivia failed to hide her fluster, her gaze darting sideways.
Considering her nickname in the Arena—'Winter Queen'—this reaction seemed quite out of character.
But perhaps her beautiful appearance made even that awkwardness charming.
Though not everyone might see it that way.
"Oof!"
From behind Olivia.
A blond man who had been standing at attention from the beginning let out a strange noise, hastily covering his mouth.
But the sound had already reached everyone in the reception room.
Whoosh!
Olivia sharply turned her head toward him, and the man hurriedly straightened his posture.
"......"
"......"
A heavy silence descended.
The longer it stretched.
The paler the man's face became.
Lee Yu-jeong, who had entered alongside Si-mun, suppressed a small smile as she took in Olivia's expression—clear even without looking directly at her.
"Mr. Denson? Don't just stand there like that, please have a seat over here."
Si-mun quickly came to the rescue of the pitiable man.
Then, slowly—
"...My apologies. It was rude of me to treat such an esteemed guest this way."
Before the man could fully turn to offer his apology to Si-mun—
Olivia, who had been glaring... no, gazing at the man from behind, had already subtly lowered her head with an intellectual smile.
As Si-mun took his seat, she too sat down.
"I assume you're not one for beating around the bush, so I'd like to get straight to the point."
Si-mun smirked at Olivia, who was cutting straight to the main topic.
"Truly living up to your reputation. I suppose this is what it takes to be a department head at American Dream?"
"You flatter me. If anything, it's thanks to my outstanding team members rather than myself."
Olivia modestly downplayed herself while praising her subordinates—though beneath that lay the calculated implication of just how exceptional her organization was.
But Si-mun could tell.
That Olivia's remark wasn't purely calculated.
'As expected. Cold on the outside, but her personality hasn't changed from her past life.'
It had been the same in his past life.
Despite her alias,"Winter Queen," Olivia Denson was a woman with an immense capacity for human affection.
The only peculiar thing was—
Her affection didn't just manifest in charity or relief work.
When it came to talent that caught her eye, it transformed into a kind of obsession to recruit them by any means necessary.
'Well, I suppose that's why she became the recruitment department head of a massive guild like American Dream.'
Therefore—
"Then I suppose we can get straight to the point. I believe you already know the reason I requested this meeting, Mr. Si-mun."
Si-mun was well aware of the purpose behind her visit.
He allowed a small smile to form.
"You're here to offer me a guild invitation, correct?"
"Precisely."
Swoosh.
Documents smoothly slid out from her briefcase.
Had she put thought into this too?
The guild contract was entirely written in Korean.
She pointed to the section labeled "Signing Bonus."
Strangely enough.
The signing bonus at the very top was left blank—no numerical figure was filled in.
But only amateurs would ask why it was blank.
'Hoh.'
Si-mun inwardly marveled at the blank space.
Perhaps that admiration showed on his face.
"As you can see, the signing bonus for simply joining is left blank."
Olivia's smile deepened slightly.
"Normally, an amount would be filled in after negotiations, but..."
"My case is different?"
"You're as sharp as they say. Correct. This blank signifies that there will be no room for negotiation."
In other words—
"You're saying you'll pay whatever I ask."
"Yes."
Olivia gave a short nod.
"Hey now, what if I jokingly ask for, say, 10 trillion? Or 100 trillion? What then?"
Si-mun wore a half-teasing smile.
But—
Had he underestimated American Dream too much?
"If it's 10 trillion, we can wire it to your account within a month. As for 100 trillion..."
As if genuinely considering it—
Olivia tapped the table with her long, elegant fingers.
After a brief silence, she spoke.
"At minimum, three months. At most, half a year. After that, we can transfer it in whatever form you prefer—installments or a lump sum."
"......"
100 trillion.
No matter how you phrased it, it was an amount beyond ordinary comprehension.
And to offer that to a single individual?
To a Platinum-rank player, no less?
'So this is why they say "land of a trillion"...'
The once-memed nickname now felt startlingly real.
"Uh... that was just a joke, by the way."
Truly, the financial class of the world's strongest nation was on another level.
As Si-mun let out a hearty laugh—
"I'm aware. But I'm telling you that even that joke isn't impossible for you, Mr. Si-mun."
Olivia naturally wore the smile she had honed over the past decade.
"That's how serious we are about you."
"Consider me thoroughly convinced."
The fact that they could casually mention 100 trillion to a mere Platinum player—
That alone was enough to show just how determined American Dream was.
"Of course, the terms we've prepared don't end there."
She immediately tapped the guild contract.
"The signing bonus is the most basic condition in any recruitment. We wouldn't presume to impress you, Mr. Si-mun, with just that."
Despite having just discussed the staggering sum of 100 trillion.
Olivia moved her finger to point at the middle section of the contract as if it were nothing unusual.
"Upon joining our American Dream guild, you'll be allocated 5% of the guild's shares."
"5%?"
"Yes. And that's merely the minimum."
True to her words.
The middle section her finger indicated clearly stated '5%~' with the following column left blank.
"Naturally, we can allocate up to 15% at your request. And with my authority, I can extend that to a maximum of 18%."
'Madness...'
Si-mun barely suppressed the astonishment threatening to burst forth.
And for good reason.
'18% would make me practically a Guild Master, wouldn't it?'
As if reading his thoughts.
"For reference, our current Guild Master holds exactly 21% of the guild shares."
Olivia drove the nail of certainty into Si-mun's speculation.
"I believe you understand exactly what this means."
15% guild shares.
Up to a maximum of 18%.
American Dream was renowned as one of the world's strongest guilds alongside the Continent Guild.
Even just 5% of such a guild's shares was beyond imagination.
Yet they were offering up to 18%?
Moreover.
'They can comfortably give up to 5% without issues. But anything beyond that would have to be taken from someone else's share.'
Beyond 5%, it meant they'd reclaim shares from existing members to allocate to him.
'These are insane terms. Forget generational wealth—this guarantees the pinnacle of a player's life.'
American Dream stood alongside the Continent Guild as the world's strongest.
Considering most guild profits came from Arena byproducts and items.
From rare items to SS-rank, even up to SSS-rank.
Excluding bound items, they circulated a substantial amount of diverse, high-quality gear.
And owning 18% of that?
Unless the Guild Master directly intervened.
It meant having unrestricted access to all materials and items the guild produced.
In fact, didn't even Derek, the current Guild Master, possess nothing lower than S-rank items?
'And with those items, he'd clear Arenas with respectable results.'
Naturally, the rewards would improve.
For particularly difficult Arenas, the rewards would be even greater.
An inevitable path to becoming stronger.
'It's the same principle as money begetting money.'
A virtuous cycle that pulls you in.
And Olivia was offering precisely that position as a condition.
Si-mun couldn't help but chuckle.
"This is... truly unexpected."
He meant it.
Whether as an ordinary human or as a player.
This was an instant ticket to the absolute peak.
And yet.
"I'm only Platinum right now. No matter how good my track record has been, aren't these conditions excessively generous?"
Considering his current rank, these terms were unbelievable even to witness firsthand.
At Si-mun's skeptical disbelief.
"We completely understand your concerns, Mr. Si-mun. In fact, while preparing these terms, I questioned myself repeatedly too."
Olivia nodded in agreement.
But that was all.
"However, after reviewing your data and broadcasts, I concluded this isn't excessive at all."
Her reply was firm.
"Why? Frankly, even players connected to Constellations would find these terms overly generous."
"You're absolutely right."
Olivia adjusted her angular glasses slightly.
"Normally, this would indeed be excessive for a player with a Backing Constellation. But what if they're not normal? For instance..."
Her gaze sharpened momentarily.
"If one has ties to multiple Constellations, or possesses a connection with an exceptionally powerful Constellation, the equation changes."
For the first time since their meeting.
"And I'm certain, Mr. Si-mun, that you fall into one of these two categories."
She looked at him with cold, analytical eyes.
"Impressive indeed."
A brief admiration.
Yet Si-mun's genuinely impressed reply contained no trace of denial.
In truth, he had no intention of denying it.
'Someone of Olivia's caliber would naturally consider that possibility.'
Despite being Magic Class, she displayed none of its typical weaknesses.
Dominating Arenas solely through its strengths.
It's only been half a year since he debuted as a player.
Given his limited playtime alone, his level couldn't possibly be high.
Naturally, stats like Strength, Agility, and Constitution should be lacking.
Yet even in close combat, he doesn't fall behind fighters of the same rank.
Considering all this—
'Unless there's a factor like a Constellation involved, it's impossible to explain.'
Olivia's deduction was perfectly rational.
And in fact, it wasn't an incorrect assumption.
'After all, there are already five high-ranking Constellations showing interest in me.'
Though the Trait Stigma prevented him from having a Backing Constellation,
that was just a technicality.
The actions of those five Constellations so far were no different from how a patron would behave.
Si-mun smiled faintly and spoke.
"I won't pinpoint exactly what it is, but I won't deny it either."
Perhaps pleased with his answer,
"It was a somewhat impudent question. Thank you for answering."
Olivia bowed her head deeply.
"No need for thanks. It's not like I was hiding it anyway."
Si-mun waved his hand dismissively.
'Lin, Si-hyeok, Yu-jeong, Jin-uk, even my uncle—they've probably all vaguely noticed by now.'
Anyone with a certain level of influence or position would have realized.
That he was a player connected to a Constellation.
After all, from the Diamond tier onward, players associated with Constellations weren't uncommon.
As Olivia quietly observed him, she pulled the recruitment papers back toward herself.
"If you don't mind, perhaps we should wrap up today's meeting here."
"Huh?"
Blinking at the sudden retreat, Si-mun was taken aback.
Olivia smiled at him—a smile he had never seen in either of his lifetimes.
That smile—
"I never expected you to accept my offer right away."
—was unlike her usual businesslike expression.
"And I didn't want to be rejected after just one proposal either."
It was a remarkably clear and transparent smile.
Olivia, revealing genuine sincerity—uncharacteristic of the "Winter Queen."
Si-mun, realizing this was her way of repaying him for answering about the Constellation, let out a quiet chuckle.
"I see. So you're saying you'll come back another time."
"Of course. There are still more conditions I haven't shown you yet. Ah! If you happen to be interested..."
Rummaging through her belongings, Olivia pulled out a small slip of paper—likely Arena-made.
It resembled the one he had received from Hu Yeon-ryong, the middle-aged man, not long after his regression.
But this time, there was one difference.
"You could also visit us here."
This one had an address written on it.
And not just any address—
"This is in Gangnam, isn't it?"
—somewhere close by.
"Yes, we recently established a branch there."
With that, Olivia rose from her seat.
Si-mun stared at her business card for a moment before letting out a slightly hollow laugh and tucking it away.
At that, the sharp edges of Olivia's professional gaze softened slightly.
"It's not too far from here, so feel free to drop by anytime."
"I'll keep that in mind. But... does it have to be just for recruitment?"
"Of course not. In my eyes, you're definitely someone who'll reach Diamond, so if you ever want to talk as fellow players, you're always welcome."
She extended her hand naturally.
"I'll be sure to take you up on that."
Si-mun clasped her hand in return.
"Oppa. Are you really going to join American Dream?"
A clear, bright voice.
Si-mun turned to see Lee Yu-jeong, who had approached unnoticed, and smiled faintly.
"Well. What do you think, Yu-jeong?"
"Honestly, just looking at the conditions... even I've never been offered anything like that. I think you absolutely should."
As Yu-jeong said,
she was currently one of the most prominent Rankers in Korea—but that was it.
She had never received an offer with terms like these.
"I've gotten plenty of recruitment offers from American Dream too, but never anything like this. It's a really amazing opportunity."
"Right. Whether as a player or just a regular person, it's an incredible deal."
Si-mun nodded.
Yu-jeong smiled along with him.
"But somehow... I don't think you'll do it."
"You really can't be fooled, can you?"
Si-mun glanced at the business card Olivia had given him.
"Truth is, I don't plan to. Like I told Si-hyeok before, you shouldn't change affiliations carelessly."
"So you've figured something out about affiliations, huh? Then why did you take the business card?"
After all, refusing a scout's business card
was an unspoken way of rejecting their offer, wasn't it?
But Si-mun only smiled mysteriously.
"I just had a good idea."
"A good idea?"
Instead of giving a proper answer,
"Yeah. A really good one."
He simply stared at the phone screen filled to the brim with news articles.