Chapter 193
Chapter 193
Chapter 193: Human Greed Knows No Bounds... (3)
Translation: godtl
Lately.
"Hehehe~!"
Olivia Denson's mood had reached its peak today.
The reason was none other than—
'With this, the recruitment list is pretty much finalized~.'
The Yggdrasil Guild's growth buff.
To be precise, it was due to the options of the growth buff possessed by Kim Si-mun.
As Olivia hummed cheerfully, a somewhat exasperated voice reached her ears.
"You seem absolutely delighted."
Without even glancing in that direction, Olivia—
Click.
—raised her middle finger.
"Whoa~? You must be in a really good mood, huh?"
The target of that middle finger, a blond man—
Oliver Denson—quirked one eyebrow slightly.
Then—
"Well, even just the 50% EXP increase and 110% stat growth rate are astonishing enough."
He chuckled and nodded.
"I never dreamed there'd be an additional Death Penalty Nullification option once a week."
"Oliver, this is the workplace."
"Ah, whatever."
Oliver waved his hand dismissively and flopped onto the sofa.
Under normal circumstances, Olivia would have immediately kicked him in the back of the neck, but—
"Didn't you know about this either, sis?"
Her current mood was exceptionally good.
"Well, of course not."
Olivia generously overlooked her brother's rudeness.
"Not to mention, we got the most allocations worldwide—three months of free rental fees and an additional quota of ten recruits."
"Whoa~! With all those members getting three months of free rental, how much are we saving?"
Oliver exclaimed in admiration.
Perhaps because his reaction was so satisfying, the sharp edges of Olivia's cold eyes softened slightly behind her rectangular glasses.
But then—
Ring ring.
"Sis, you've got a call."
"I'm aware. And this is the workplace, Team Leader Oliver."
The mood plummeted to the ground in an instant.
"Marcus, what brings you... What did you just say?"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
-"Well... sigh It's as I said."
"You're designating the Yggdrasil Guild's growth buff as a global public resource?"
Ha!
What did I just hear?
Olivia clutched her forehead, her face frozen in disbelief.
Her eyes and mouth were stretched to their limits—an expression rarely seen.
Knowing this, Oliver quietly shut his mouth and watched her carefully.
Then—
"Are you seriously saying that right now?!"
Olivia's voice suddenly rose sharply.
"What kind of idiot would propose such a—!"
Her raised voice abruptly cut off.
Her wide eyes now flickered with unease.
"Wait... Surely this absurd proposal hasn't been approved, has it?"
Please, say no.
She must have screamed it internally dozens of times.
But deep down, she already knew.
From the moment Marcus called with that tone, she understood.
-"Unfortunately... It has been approved."
Meaning the deed was already done.
CRASH!
In the center of the office.
A luxurious table crafted from Arena byproducts shattered instantly.
Even though she was of the Magic Class—
"Just. What. Were. You. Doing?"
Olivia's fist, ranked among the Top-tier Diamond, carried that much destructive force.
"Weren't you in a position to block a proposal of this scale? I never imagined you could be this incompetent."
Her words were a direct and scathing rebuke.
An action completely unlike her usual self.
But instead of refuting her, Marcus replied with something even more shocking.
-"I fully understand your feelings, but this was personally approved by the Guild Master."
"...Derek?"
Olivia's voice instantly went flat.
-"Yes. Given the gravity of the matter, we contacted the guild directly. The Guild Master instructed us to pass the proposal."
"......."
Frozen in place.
Olivia stood there in silence.
Then—
"Understood. I apologize for my earlier rudeness."
-"Not at all. I felt you should know."
"Thank you for your consideration. I'll hang up now."
Having regained her usual composure, she ended the call and—
Whoosh!
—immediately flung her phone across the room.
Fortunately, Oliver had anticipated this.
"Sis, are you insane?! You didn't even back up the data! What if all your contacts get wiped?!"
He barely managed to catch the department head's phone, packed with countless data.
But Olivia paid no attention.
Click.
She had already returned to her seat and picked up the direct line to the Guild Master.
Then—
-"Aah! Marcus, you damned bastard—"
A deeply resonant voice, brimming with masculine charisma, came through.
"I trust you have an intention I can reasonably accept."
Olivia responded with a voice as sharp as frost.
—I apologize for making the decision without prior consultation, Olivia.
Derek answered with a voice laced with remorse.
"I didn't ask for an apology. I asked for an intention I can accept."
—Uh... well, you see...
His voice was thick with hesitation.
At that, Olivia irritably smacked the top of the phone.
Fzzzt.
A hologram of a man scratching his cheek flickered into view.
Given that he could likely see her as well—
—Aah! Liv, please, just forgive me this once!
Despite being the image of America's greatest man, the square-jawed figure clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
"Shut up and give me a reason."
Olivia's retort was icy.
Derek, tasting defeat, stroked his beard lightly before speaking again.
—It was too much.
"That's it?"
—What do you mean, 'that's it'? The experience gain and stat growth rates are one thing, but the death penalty crossed a line.
As befitting the master of the world's strongest guild—
—Do you think we're the only ones who thought so? Everyone felt the same. That's why the motion passed.
By now, Derek's expression had turned deadly serious.
—You know this, Liv. A motion in the World Federation can't pass without a majority vote.
In other words—
It meant that over half of the representatives had agreed to this motion.
—The approval rate was over 90%. Even excluding our faction's votes, it was highly likely to pass.
In truth, over 90% of the representatives had voted in favor.
However—
"......"
Olivia's expression remained blank as she stared at the man before her.
—Haa, Liv. I know how much pride you take in your work.
Derek let out a small sigh.
—But you have to suppress the competition while you still can. This isn't the first time something like this has happened, is it?
Why are you making a fuss about it now?
His face was the picture of incomprehension.
But Olivia's expression didn't waver.
—Liv, I know you've poured unprecedented effort into recruiting Kim Si-mun, but...
Derek tried to apologize again, but—
"You think I'm doing this just because you overstepped my authority?"
Olivia, who had been silent until now, cut him off sharply.
"Of course, that's part of it. But if you were going to pull something like this, you should've been more thorough."
—The motion's already passed in the World Federation. It's not like we're dealing with Seongsam Guild—what more do you mean by 'thorough'?
"That's—!"
She opened her mouth to retort but couldn't bring herself to continue.
The reason was simple.
'Because if it's Kim Si-mun, he'll probably have something up his sleeve!'
"He'll probably have something."
That was the kind of answer she hated most—
And it was about to leave her lips.
"Hah."
After taking a moment to steady her breath, Olivia roughly pushed back her bangs.
"Most importantly, this goes against our principles. Simdrasil is a guild we should be treating as an ally."
—The Sword Saint, the Saintess, even the Night Hunter—sure, they're tempting assets. But they're nothing compared to that Growth Buff.
Derek shook his head firmly.
Olivia's eyes narrowed further.
"Derek, you realize this, don't you? You've changed a lot since the guild's early days."
—Liv. Whether by age or position, change is natural. I can't keep acting like some reckless brat.
"That's not what I meant."
—Then what did you mean?
"It's—!"
Again, her words caught in her throat.
Then—
Olivia let out a small, bitter laugh.
'Right. All that talk about superheroes and world peace—just childish nonsense from back then.'
Whether due to external or internal influences—
Everyone changes.
And now—
'Even I've ended up like this. Who am I to criticize anyone?'
She, too, couldn't proudly proclaim the convictions of those days.
Taking a deep breath, Olivia spoke.
"Fine. What's done is done, and your reasoning has merit. I'll abide by your decision."
—I knew you'd understand, Liv.
"But."
Cutting him off, Olivia fixed him with a strictly professional gaze.
"If even the slightest variable arises that could derail this motion—from that moment on, my opinion will be followed to the letter."
—Yes, my queen.
As if a great weight had been lifted—
Derek nodded immediately.
—Then, Liv? Shall we consider this matter—
He tried to continue with a relieved smile, but—
Clack.
As if slamming the phone down—
The call ended, and America's strongest man vanished like a lie.
"Haa..."
She exhaled deeply.
Click.
Turning away from the solid glass window, my gaze landed on the towering building in the distance.
The most expensive building in all of South Korea.
Why, though?
'Isn't it ridiculous? A guy who rents out Growth Buffs for money dares to talk like he's saving the world.'
That luxurious structure only left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Glug.
Plop.
The clear, liquid sound repeated in succession.
And the source of that sound—
Pop-pop-plop.
Inside a rather large flask, a translucent green liquid bubbled ceaselessly.
"O-oppa! It's reacting! It's reacting!"
The Philosopher's Stone inside the flask shook its eyes wildly, brimming with excitement.
Then—
Plop!
As the last massive bubble burst—
[You have crafted the world's first 'Stat Enhancer' on Earth.]
[Reward: +5 unallocated stat points.]
[Achievement 'Pioneer of Stats' unlocked.]
[5,000 Achievement Points acquired.]
Messages flooded my vision.
Five freely distributable stat points.
A staggering reward of 5,000 Achievement Points.
Yet none of it registered in Si-mun's eyes.
"Oppa! C-come on, check it already!"
"Yeah."
The Philosopher's Stone was practically choking in anticipation.
Dismissing the reward messages, Si-mun immediately inspected the completed potion's details.
[Stat Enhancer]
Grade: X
An enhancer crafted from a unique ingredient.
Its efficacy amplified by high-tier alchemy.
"Jackpot...."
Before Si-mun could even finish exclaiming—
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"
The Philosopher's Stone rolled its eyes back and shrieked.
"You actually transmuted something like thiiiiis?!"
So overjoyed it was practically convulsing, rolling around the floor.
Si-mun let out a quiet chuckle before pocketing the Stat Enhancer.
'This is beyond jackpot. Just one dose gives +15 to primary stat and +5 to all stats.'
Just like his Transmutation Power, the effectiveness of the Stat Enhancer scaled based on how rare his primary stat was—and how many stats he possessed.
'And as long as the World Tree Spring Water holds out, I can keep making these.'
Of course, the spring water itself wasn't infinite.
But the mere fact that he could consistently produce elixirs of this caliber was already absurd.
Then—
Knock knock.
The lab door rapped twice.
"Come in."
At Si-mun's permission, the door opened.
It was the Night Hunter, Park Jin-uk.
"Uh... Si-mun-nim. You should come quickly."
His face was grim as he called for Si-mun.
The penthouse's spacious living room.
Every person seated here was someone who could shake the world—
"...."
"...."
Yet the only thing filling the room was a suffocating silence.
And then—
"So."
Si-mun exhaled a faint, humorless laugh.
"You're saying they want to designate our guild's Growth Buff as a global public resource?"
Flick.
He tossed the freshly read document onto the center table.
"And they had the audacity to send a unilateral official notice?"
Into his ear, a cold, measured voice spoke.
"This isn't something to take lightly. If you read the details, you'd see the approval rate is over 91%."
Association President Kim Mu-yeol.
"No matter how unilateral the notice, this is the World Federation's decision. You can't ignore it."
"That's just your position as Association President, Uncle."
"You—!"
Kim Mu-yeol's eyes flared.
"You know as well as I do—no matter how much you act unbothered, you can't defy the Federation's ruling."
"We'll take a loss, sure, but it's not like we can't refuse. It's just that you, as Association President, would be in a tight spot."
"Hah!"
Kim Mu-yeol scoffed at Si-mun's unchanging stance.
Si-mun raised a hand, sharpening his gaze at his uncle.
"Ah, don't misunderstand. I'm just stating facts."
"So? You're saying you'll reject the Federation's decision and do as you please?"
At Kim Mu-yeol's question—
"Well, that is an option."
Si-mun nodded casually.
"If I just ignore them and keep the buff rental system as is, what exactly are they gonna do about it?"
Even if they tried to boycott him—
The moment another faction swooped in to claim the influx of applicants, the rest would have no choice but to suffer losses.
In other words, if he refused—
The World Federation had no real counterplay.
Kim Mu-yeol shook his head slightly.
"I didn't realize you were this short-sighted."
"It's just how things work, Uncle. Even the UN these days is like this."
Si-mun shrugged.
"Sure, they played a big role in World Wars I and II, but who actually listens to the UN now? Everyone looks out for their own interests first."
"The UN and the World Awakened Federation are different. Are you unaware of the influence they hold over Awakened society?"
"Of course I know. If we ignore this, not only you, Uncle, but all sorts of sanctions will come crashing down on Korea."
Primarily things like import and export restrictions on items.
As Si-mun recited this, Kim Mu-yeol's expression rapidly hardened.
That reaction alone was enough to draw a sneer.
"Brother. I'll follow your lead, but isn't refusing too dangerous?"
Instead of pressing their uncle, the younger brother Kim Si-hyeok asked with a concerned expression.
And he wasn't the only one.
"You're right, Oppa. The Federation's decisions may not be legally binding... but reality is different."
"The political sphere and public opinion will likely move to oust you, Sir Si-mun."
Everyone gathered here understood.
Just how grave this matter was.
"Don't worry too much. Didn't I just say? It's all just talk."
Si-mun chuckled as he responded.
"Public opinion or criticism isn't my concern, but I never intended to outright refuse in the first place. Most importantly—"
As he spoke, Si-mun's gaze shifted toward Kim Mu-yeol seated across from him.
"I have no intention of shaking Uncle's position either. You need to remain as Association President."
At that.
"The Federation has already voted on this matter. Are you saying there's still a way?"
Kim Mu-yeol, his expression slightly eased, asked.
"Just because the Federation voted on it doesn't mean everything gets implemented."
"This is a different matter. I heard China proposed the agenda, but a 91% vote is practically unanimous approval from all nations."
"Exactly. We're not some established guild like Seongsam. When you think about it, we're just a newly formed guild."
That's why they're scrambling to tear us apart.
Humming to himself, Si-mun tapped the documents he'd tossed onto the table.
"But what if those who voted in favor suddenly change their minds overnight?"
"If you're suggesting bribing them with guild membership slots, let me warn you now—that's a miscalculation."
"Of course not. Once designated as public resources, there'd be no need to pay exorbitant fees. Would that even work as leverage?"
"Then what exactly are you suggesting?"
Frustrated, Kim Mu-yeol scowled as he pressed.
"There was always a way, but now there's an even cleaner method. We should use that."
Si-mun grinned as he pulled out his phone.
Tap. Tap.
Tapping his phone screen, he suddenly paused.
"Oh right, Uncle. Since official documents have been issued, doesn't that mean Federation representatives will visit as part of procedure?"
Kim Mu-yeol nodded in response.
"Correct. Wei Anhong, China's representative who directly proposed the agenda, is scheduled to visit tomorrow. You'll need to attend the Association as well."
"How convenient."
Si-mun's immediate reply made Kim Mu-yeol frown in confusion.
"You brat. What exactly are you scheming? What do you plan to do?"
"Nothing much. Since they tried to isolate and devour me, I'll just return the favor."
As he answered, Si-mun brought the phone to his ear.
"Oh my~ Sir Si-mun. I was just about to contact you... Seems the Federation beat me to it?"
A sultry voice came through the phone.
At Lin's words, the corner of Si-mun's mouth curled up.
"Aren't international organizations always the fastest when it comes to these matters?"
"Ohoho! As direct as ever, Sir Si-mun. So, what interesting plans are you concocting?"
"Oh? You sound like you'll just go along with whatever I say?"
"You're our VVIP, aren't you? This much is just service."
"You don't happen to have any personal grudges against the World Federation, do you?"
"How sharp~. I never liked those men to begin with. Lately, I've been growing fonder of you~."
Lin's languid reply.
As she cooperated, Si-mun opened his inventory.
Clink.
He retrieved a potion filled with clear green liquid.
"Through the Night Hunter, I'll be sending you an item shortly."
Without any explicit instruction,
Thud.
Park Jin-uk, seated beside him, immediately accepted the potion.
And then—
"Guh— Gahk!"
Park Jin-uk's face turned deathly pale, as if frozen.
The others looked at him with questioning eyes, but nothing more.
"I'd like you to sample this and send it to the clients who purchased So Jung-gyu's information."
As Si-mun continued the call, all eyes locked onto him again.
"Simpler than I expected. Will that be enough?"
"Attach a message too. In the name of the Yggdrasil Guild."
"Understood. Please tell me what to write."
At Lin's words, Si-mun brought the phone closer to his lips.
"There's an Eastern saying: 'Too much is as bad as too little, and small greed leads to great loss.'"
His face had refined beyond mere elegance—it had transcended into sheer authority.
The kind of face that might belong to a seasoned political elder, exuding an inscrutable dignity.
"Please make a wise decision before it's too late—that's what Ra says."
At Si-mun's uncharacteristic demeanor...
"......"
"......"
Those around them momentarily held their breath.
And the next day.
"It's been a while, Korea."
A middle-aged man in an immaculate suit.
Wei Anhong had arrived in South Korea.