Chapter 38
Second Unlock (1)
1.
“D-Director… your face!”
“It’s nothing. Just got hit cheap. I’m fine.”
“I’ll take you to a hospital right away.”
“Stop fussing! Do you really think this is hospital-level? I should go home and pop some champagne instead!”
Cheon Woo-hyuk, HR Director of the Mirage Guild, smiled with his face still swollen. He quietly glanced at the office he had just left.
Pain was still evident on his face, but he willingly savored it. He couldn’t help it.
Not only had he been able to get a glimpse of Yuseong-woo Player’s potential, but he had also formed a slight connection with him. It had been a truly profitable encounter.
“Everyone.”
Straightening his clothes, Cheon Woo-hyuk bowed to the clients of Yoo Jin-seong, who were waiting in front of the office.
Despite his badly beaten face, he continued speaking politely without showing any discomfort.
“Due to my personal greed, the consultation took longer than expected. Yoo Jin-seong’s skill as a lawyer really stood out. Since I took up your valuable time, I would like to offer a small token of apology.”
He gestured lightly to his subordinates, who handed envelopes to the clients.
The clients looked at the envelopes, stunned. A moment later, exclamations escaped their mouths:
“Wow…”
“How much is this?”
“All of these are 50,000-won bills?”
A guild is ultimately about image. Every small detail counts in shaping public perception.
“Once again, my apologies.”
Cheon Woo-hyuk concluded his apology, then descended the stairs with his subordinates.
He got into the sedan waiting in front of the building and pulled out his phone to make a call.
Riiing~!
After the mechanical ringtone, a soft female voice came through the line.
“—Yes. I heard from the secretary. You contacted Yuseong-woo Player?”
“Yes, Director.”
“I told you not to be so rude, didn’t I? You probably got into a fight again. You know how many people in our guild hold grudges because of you, right?”
“I’m on duty right now, so please call me Director Cheon.”
“…Haa. Fine, so you got hit, I see.”
Cheon Woo-hyuk’s younger sister, Cheon Ria, is the head of Mirage Guild. One of Korea’s top-tier players, currently attempting the 6th-floor promotion quest.
Since she was busy with the long promotion quest, Cheon Woo-hyuk handled most of the practical operations himself—but he had no complaints. After all, the guild head’s job mostly consisted of stamping papers.
“It seems the accumulated data sample was too small. The predictive model failed.”
“—So you’re saying it’s just a bubble?”
“On the contrary. We must recruit Yuseong-woo Player into Mirage Guild by any means necessary.”
“—On what grounds?”
“It hurt more than when the Director hit me.”
“…You might have gone easy on him, though? We are siblings, after all. I wouldn’t have…”
“Yuseong-woo Player probably went easy on me too.”
The car sped through the city as Cheon Woo-hyuk continued the call, observing the passing scenery.
“—How do you assess Yuseong-woo Player?”
“I couldn’t accurately gauge him even with my abilities. His information window was shrouded in a fog. This rarely happens…”
“—The only other time was Aiden Howard, a 7th-floor American player, right?”
“Yes.”
“—A 7th-floor-level player at minimum? How could someone just entering the 3rd floor…”
“If I may, I felt it the moment I saw Yuseong-woo Player’s broadcast for the first time.”
“—I told you to stop watching broadcasts!”
“As HR Director, it’s just part of my job, Director.”
Cheon Woo-hyuk’s personal hobby perfectly aligned with his work, which made his job satisfaction very high. He had even sponsored large amounts in some broadcasts, including Meteor’s stream—but that was part of business, not personal attachment.
‘Fan feelings are fan feelings. I can’t let personal interests interfere with business.’
When he faced Meteor in person, he could barely suppress a smile.
“It seems recruiting him will be difficult.”
“—He’s a mysterious player, so I understand. Is that a failure then?”
“Half success, half failure. I offered him a guaranteed spot in the raid tier allocated to our guild.”
As soon as Cheon Woo-hyuk said this calmly, a shout came through the phone.
“—Are you insane? Without my approval? You don’t know how competitive that single spot is! Managing internal factions is hard enough! If other directors object, it’s your responsibility…”
“Yes. I will take responsibility.”
He had already calculated everything. Cheon Woo-hyuk fiddled with the nicotine gum in his pocket and opened the window.
The Mirage Guild was no longer what it used to be. What started as a small guild with just him and his sister had grown into a major guild through mergers, creating countless stakes along the way.
Guilds are profit-seeking organizations for players. Naturally, not everyone will have the same voice.
‘It’s time for a decisive move.’
Cheon Ria and Woo-hyuk’s faction were now sidelined. Newly recruited factions exerted strong influence on the board. The upcoming 3rd-floor raid would be a pivotal moment for both Korea and Mirage Guild.
“The 3rd-floor raid will likely be the worst yet.”
“—That’s just speculation.”
“Yuseong-woo Player wasn’t impatient. He was confident even the emergency response team would have a chance. I couldn’t know his secrets, but I could confirm his continued desire for the raid.”
Yuseong-woo was extraordinary. By completing the 2nd-floor promotion quest, he secured the starting point as the first in the world. His broadcasts alone showed his ambitious nature. A player like him not wanting a raid? Impossible.
“Director, please back him. He’s our insurance.”
“—Disposable insurance. We can’t even recruit him. And if the raid goes smoothly, what then?”
“Trust me. This conclusion came from getting hit twice in the face. If nothing happens, negotiate to fire me.”
“On my way to the office. We’ll talk in detail later.”
“I’ll return promptly.”
After hanging up, Cheon Woo-hyuk sighed deeply and opened an internet portal to a fan cafe.
<Meteor’s Crater>
A newly established fan cafe for Meteor. He entered naturally and posted:
Title: My Little Meteor is No More
Just yesterday I was giving Meteor missions… guys, can Meteor participate in the 3rd-floor raid? He has to participate… this is serious.
—Negotiate with the major guild
—Trust Megat
—If Megat wants, he’ll do it
—Don’t worry, he’ll handle the meteor event anyway, haha
His username: <Abyss Explorer>
A prominent supporter of promising Abyss streamers, who first sponsored Meteor 1 million won when he entered <Labyrinth of the Bloodsuckers>.
This was Cheon Woo-hyuk’s alias online.
2.
After that crazy guy, Cheon Woo-hyuk, shook his brother’s office, I headed to a nearby cafe with Deputy Chief Choi.
I decided to talk to my brother later at home. Since the clients had waited so long, I had to leave the office quickly.
I downed a cold iced Americano and asked Choi quietly:
“What do you think?”
“Considering internal guild affairs… this is almost a gamble.”
“Huh?”
“The bigger the guild, the more diverse the internal voices. The current situation is that Director Cheon Ria’s faction is being pushed back. Woo-hyuk is her older brother.”
Ah, I roughly understood. A trait that confirms information through another person’s pain? I never imagined such a thing existed.
“So… he wants to pull me into guild politics?”
“Not entirely, but Woo-hyuk probably predicts the raid is dangerous. He loves the guild. He wants its players safe.”
“The situation is… amusing.”
Originally, I would have stayed on the sidelines. But if I accept Director Cheon’s proposal, I could participate more comfortably.
‘Well… misunderstandings are cleared too.’
His first impression was terrible, but he could bow when needed. Rewarding the clients cleanly also spoke well. His intent wasn’t entirely bad.
‘But it’ll be annoying.’
Insurance meant I would resolve problems if they occurred. Thinking about the raid tier spot, it’s profitable. Even if converting to money is tricky, being in the first tier is convenient.
If I’m in the emergency team, I can’t even livestream, right? With proper coordination, I could broadcast live on site.
“Will I give Director Cheon some leverage if I perform well?”
“Giving a raid tier to an outsider is already a huge gamble. But the return is proportional. If Yuseong-woo Player saves a threatened squad, it’s Woo-hyuk’s credit.”
“So he owes me.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s good.”
Taking on debts in advance is smart business. I just need to hunt, and incidentally help the guild. And helping just means handling raid monsters—not inconvenient.
“Profitable business.”
“I agree.”
“Why refuse if they’re offering a free meal?”
No need to join the guild; just scoop from the table. Refusing would be foolish. I smiled at Deputy Chief Choi.
“I’ll accept the proposal.”
“We always respect Yuseong-woo Player’s decisions. Thank you for telling us.”
“I want to get along with the Ability Management Department. Makes it easier for you too, Deputy Chief.”
“…Such consideration! I’ll continue striving to assist Yuseong-woo Player!”
Being unaffiliated has benefits. Those who like me rush to help anyway. It’s like… managing a pond.
People rushing due to potential danger is good. Maybe the government will even advertise for me.
Ah, right. Since we’re at it, let’s indulge myself a bit.
“Can I livestream the 3rd-floor raid?”
Inseop said raids are national matters, requiring Ability Management approval for streaming. Deputy Chief Choi responded eagerly:
“Of course. The plan is already submitted.”
“Plan?”
“Yuseong-woo Player’s Mitube channel will be the official broadcast channel for the 3rd-floor raid.”
“Wow.”
Before asking, they already arranged it—first-class.
I nodded and asked pleasantly:
“When do you get off work?”
“Not fixed.”
“Too bad. Let’s grab a drink.”
“…I just got off.”
“Let’s go. Soup and soju. Don’t want to break the anti-graft law, right?”
“I’ll treat you. Expensive is fine. On my card.”
“Craving soup. Day drinking okay?”
“Normally impossible, but thanks to you, I’ll fulfill it. Let’s go. I’ll call a driver.”
Quick-witted, efficient, flattering—max social skills. I’ll ask Inseop to recruit him later. Definitely impressed.
Problem solved, now for some soup and soju.
3.
The next morning.
As soon as I told Cheon Woo-hyuk I’d accept, the media exploded.
[Breaking] Popular Player Yuseong-woo to join 3rd-floor raid with Mirage Guild!
“Who is Yuseong-woo?”
Mirage Guild Director Cheon Woo-hyuk: “Yuseong-woo isn’t joining the guild, just cooperating for a shared goal.”
China: “No need to involve unverified players.”
Japan: “Korea takes raids too lightly.”
Famous Abyss Streamer, Daeho: “Yuseong-woo is overrated. He’s only cleared the 2nd floor. Overestimation is dangerous…”
I had once again become a hot potato.
Not just any hot potato. Volcanic hot potato.
“Oh.”
[<Attention Disorder> Second Unlock imminent!]
Huh? Conditions aren’t met yet.
[Slot 3. Divine Assassin Lebon]
[Synchronizing info for faster slot unlock.]
Is the big one really coming…?
