Chapter 38: Is This Your Sweet Satisfaction?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: Is This Your Sweet Satisfaction?
By the time Cheon Hae-il arrived at the scene, all preparations were already complete.
It was the hallmark of Victory Academy—a strict adherence to the policy of "act first, report later."
The instructors were in full combat readiness, prepared for the off-chance of a Gate Wave. Even 1st-Grade Hunters were among them, as an S-Class Gate Wave was a matter of extreme gravity. Medical teams had already erected temporary structures to treat the injured immediately.
However, the most important person was nowhere to be seen.
Where is he?
Reporters, whom no one had invited, were swarming the area like a human sea, yet the most crucial individual was missing.
Cheon Hae-il scanned the surroundings, searching for one specific person. He had promised to pay whatever was asked, yet the Gate remained closed.
"Why hasn't the Gate been opened yet? Has the Opener not arrived?"
"He’s here, but he says he has something he must discuss with the Chairman personally..."
The employee's answer was absurd. They needed to open the Gate immediately to begin the rescue, and he wanted to talk?
"Don't be too hard on the staff, Chairman."
The Opener cut off Ryu Hye-mi mid-sentence and inserted himself into the conversation.
Cheon Hae-il barely suppressed his rage as he addressed him. "Let's get straight to the point."
The Opener stood before Cheon Hae-il with an attitude that clashed violently with the urgency of the situation. He was slouching, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, and loudly snapping his gum. If not for his unique skill to open Gates, he looked less impressive than a common street thug.
"Yeah... so... you said you'd give me as much as I asked for, but the amount I'm requesting is a bit high. I was worried you might regret it later... My market value has shot up quite a bit lately because I've been so busy... Man... I'm trying to be careful with my words so I don't cause the Chairman any trouble... It's hard to pick the right vocabulary..."
"Is this so important that we must bicker like this? Do you have any idea how many people are trapped inside right now?"
"Well, yeah... but honestly, people dying like this is a pretty common occurrence, isn't it? They might be precious cadets to you, Chairman, but they're strangers to me... Whoa, don't glare at me like that... The ground's starting to crack... it's a bit scary. I'll get straight to the numbers."
Even as Cheon Hae-il’s skill manifested through his fury, the Opener didn't blink. Instead, he put on an exaggerated expression of fear, mockingly trembling. Knowing his own worth all too well, he didn't flinch under the pressure. With a look of utter leisure, he even pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, spread it out before Cheon Hae-il, and smirked.
"Did you want to stall for time just to tell me you're charging less than usual? If you think this is some act of charity—"
"Calm down and take another look. The reason I'm only taking a tenth of my usual fee is... for the dispatch fee. I've got to cover my gas money, right? In exchange, I've changed my policy: no down payment, but I take the full amount the moment the Gate opens. When I take it upfront, it's such a pain to ask for more even if extra costs come up..."
Cheon Hae-il wanted to kill the man standing before him. He wanted to rip out those flapping teeth one by one and beat him until he turned to dust. Every second this man spent rambling was a second wasted.
"Just get on with it. I'll give you whatever you want."
"Ah, then let me say one last thing. To summarize: the dispatch fee is separate, and I get the rest of the money only when I personally open the Gate. If any additional costs are incurred during the process, you have to cover those too. No installments—strictly a lump sum. Got it? If I can't open it, I won't take a single cent, not even the dispatch fee!"
Cheon Hae-il simply nodded, fearing that if he spoke again, his fist might fly first.
Predicting this reaction, the Opener, Kang Tae-min, cheered inwardly.
Ah... I really am a genius.
The skill 'Open,' which could forcibly open Gates, was a unique Main Skill. Usually, Main Skills were one-of-a-kind, but about ten people possessed 'Open.' The problem was that the demand for it was overwhelming. This lopsided demand caused the value of 'Open' users to skyrocket, eventually granting them immense power.
It was the power to act with total audacity—the "if it's not me, everyone dies" attitude—that forced the other party to always bow their heads. Kang Tae-min wanted to grow this power even further.
Money is what determines a person's standing.
Kang Tae-min realized he had been charging far too little for his abilities until now. They say great power comes with great responsibility? Well, to maintain that responsibility, he needed great amounts of money.
He had put the "no pay if it doesn't open" clause in the contract, but that was merely bait. He had never failed to open a Gate. His plan was to include such a clause, then pretend it wouldn't open to squeeze even more money out of them.
Having secured the promise, he prepared to manifest his skill to open the Gate in earnest.
Huh?
Something was wrong. Normally, even with a weak manifestation of the skill, he should be able to see the scenery inside the Gate. But now, not even a tiny crack was visible. He was supposed to give them a glimmer of hope—making it look like it was almost opening—to extort more money.
It's just a Gate, after all.
Whether it was S-Class or F-Class, the 'Open' skill treated them all equally. It was never actually harder to open one over the other; he just acted like it was.
What if it really doesn't open?
Since this was a first, his thoughts immediately spiraled to the worst-case scenario. He had to keep the "struggling to open" act under a minute. Any longer, and a major disaster could occur.
"Oh boy... it looks like I'm going to need some equipment..."
Kang Tae-min maintained the calmest expression possible and activated his sub-skill.
[Activating Folk Village Background Creation! Creating a Folk Village stage most suitable for the current situation!]
This was a skill he had accidentally acquired while working part-time at a folk village back when he was broke, before his awakening. At first, he wondered what use a folk village background was, but it turned out to be perfect for dressing up his 'Open' skill.
The problem was that this would only buy him a little time.
"Biri-biri-bara-bura-boom-taya! Gate, open sesame..."
As he spoke, he prayed inwardly for it to open. Even now, reporters were frantically flashing their cameras, filming and broadcasting the situation live. What if the opening was delayed further? What if casualties mounted because he stalled for money?
It would be irreversible. An Opener who couldn't open a Gate on time was worthless. He could already see his reputation plummeting into the abyss.
[A Catastrophe Born of Greed: Opener Kang Tae-min Kills People for Money.]
He could already envision the headlines.
If that happens, it's really over.
He manifested his skill to the limit, even pretending to chant incantations.
Please! Please!
Did his prayers work? Finally, the scenery inside the Gate began to show. Now, all he had to do was finish with a grand statement and fully open the Gate.
I'm going to hit the jackpot!
Just as he was about to finish with a flourish, spreading his arms wide in a dramatic gesture—
The Gate suddenly expanded violently, and a white-haired man burst out.
==================================
S-Class Gate Cleared!
Concept :: Classic Masterpiece [Don Quixote] has been perfectly cleared.
Casualties :: 0
MVP :: Baek Tae-yang
Please give a big round of applause and congratulations to everyone!
==================================
"What is this?"
"...Cleared?"
Kang Tae-min couldn't believe his eyes. The Gate was cleared? Before he even opened it?
[Money-Crazed Kang Tae-min Negotiates Until Gate is Cleared.]
['Opener' Crisis: Greed Leads to Missed Opportunity, "We Can No Longer Stand By..." Netizens Enraged]
The headlines were already flashing in his mind. The dark clouds of his life were beginning to gather.
++++++++++++++++
This is ridiculous, seriously.
It didn't take long to grasp the situation. Reporters were shouting from a distance, providing a real-time play-by-play.
"Mr. Kang Tae-min! What happened? Why couldn't you open it before it was cleared!"
"We heard the negotiation process was incredibly long!"
"Is it true you intentionally waited for Chairman Cheon Hae-il to arrive just to get more money?"
"Give us a word! Mr. Kang Tae-min!"
"Can't even open your mouth because you couldn't open the Gate?"
"Open your damn trap and say something!"
The reporters, though too afraid of an Awakener to get close, bombarded him with questions through megaphones.
Was all of this originally supposed to be Kim Min-su's?
==================================
Achievement Unlocked! That was some sweet payback, lol
You have perfectly intercepted the reward and the "Cider" moment that Kim Min-su was supposed to have.
Kim Min-su's standing as the protagonist is diminished!
You have taken 3% of [Protagonist - Kim Min-su]'s share!
==================================
It was a cliché story structure. The protagonist brilliantly resolves a Gate whose difficulty has spiked. The protagonist instantly delivers "Cider" to the person forcing "Sweet Potatoes" down everyone's throats.
Chubby Ahn's storytelling is so basic...
I guess that's why he drifts from "Pure Love" into "Harem Pure Love."
Shortly after I emerged, everyone else inside the Gate began to come out. Lee Min-jun came out carrying the weapons I had carelessly scattered on the ground, neatly tucked into their cases. This was a bit unexpected.
Why is he acting like a lackey...
Standard-issue weapons could be reissued at any time. As a graduate of Victory Academy, he should have known that, which made his behavior feel strange.
"I'll ask for the details later. You all did a truly wonderful job."
"Yes, thank you."
"Let's check for injuries immediately."
The medical staff were already rushing over as if their feet were on fire. It was a move made in anticipation of injuries that could worsen rapidly, but it was pointless.
Because no one is seriously hurt.
Even I, who had fought the most intensely, only had moderate injuries. The ones who stayed in the Safe Zone were as fresh as daisies.
I've got the hang of it now.
Stealing Kim Min-su's protagonist share this time taught me a great lesson. Originally, I planned to intervene in every single step of the process to steal the Harem Pure Love. But I didn't need to do all that. I just had to wait and land the decisive final blow.
Look at that face.
Even though he was trying to keep his composure, he couldn't completely hide his sour expression. Others might mistake his grimace for pain from his wounds. But to me, it read as something entirely different.
Are you jealous?
I could read Kim Min-su's inner thoughts just by looking at his face. The sight of him looking so resentful because his "last hit" was stolen was truly comical. But then, thinking about how he'd be stuck with that expression for a while made me almost feel sorry for him.
[So Yu-min]
<Yu-min, come to my room as soon as you see this message.>
I needed to make Yu-min and Kim Min-su break up quickly, then start attracting more women. I didn't need to intervene from start to finish.
I just had to take them for myself at the very end.
To think I had been worrying so much when all I had to do was crash the stage the loser had built.
Today was the day to fasten the first button.