Chapter 64: Sign Contracts Carefully
A few hours later.
Mu-yeong, whose schedule had been abruptly filled, stepped outside accompanied by the Iron Blood Witch.
"Sorry for the sudden call. Unlike the last contract, they insisted on eting face to face."
"Oh, not at all. Just being of help to Young Lord is more than enough for . Besides, setting up a sa-day eting like this—they must have been quite desperate over there."
"Park Seong-jun did sound rather pleading on the phone, I'll admit. Said he'd match any ti I gave him. When I said today worked, he practically jumped for joy."
At Mu-yeong's words, the Iron Blood Witch covered her mouth and laughed heartily.
"That's because Young Lord hit it huge this ti around. My guess is it's the External Ad deal—thirty million Won, at least, is all but certain."
"Let's hope so. Though my gut tells that's not the only reason they called. There's sothing bigger."
"Whatever it is they bring up, I'll squeeze out every last drop for you. Don't worry—just trust ."
"Thank you."
Before long, they arrived at a café in Gangnam.
A rather upscale establishnt, even from the outside.
They pushed open the door and stepped in.
Ding-ding.
Along with the clear chi of a bell, every head in the café snapped toward the entrance.
"Whoa, what the—"
"Wait, is that a celebrity?"
"He's ridiculously good-looking......."
"Good thing I didn't stay ho and study today."
Every person who laid eyes on Mu-yeong's face dropped their jaw.
At the sudden commotion, even the people further inside turned their heads.
Their expressions were identical across the board.
"Huh? Isn't that Mu-yeong?"
"It is him."
"Damn, he's sothing else in person."
Just as Mu-yeong was drawing the attention of the entire café, a man in a suit ca rushing out in a fluster.
"N-nice to et you! I'm Park Seong-jun, Marketing Team Leader at Monster World headquarters. You must be Mu-yeong?"
"That's right."
"Please, co on in. I've got a table set up for us."
They followed Park Seong-jun inside, guided along by his bright smile.
Shortly after, he ca back from placing the order and set coffees down in front of Mu-yeong and the Iron Blood Witch.
Then he scratched the back of his head with practiced ease.
"I apologize for the abrupt scheduling. I hope the trip here wasn't too inconvenient?"
"It wasn't far from where I live, so it was fine."
"Glad to hear it. Let formally introduce myself once more."
Park Seong-jun reached into his jacket and handed sothing to Mu-yeong.
A business card.
"Pleasure to et you. Before we get into the main matter—there's so good news. You've been selected for this round's External Ad."
As expected.
Mu-yeong gave a small nod, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"We've confird the video was uploaded to Newtube, and the contract deposit of thirty million Won will be transferred within the week. The ad itself is scheduled to begin running from next week......."
Park Seong-jun rummaged through his bag and slid a few sheets of paper across the table.
"Our departnt has been trendously impressed by Mu-yeong, and we'd like to propose an additional contract. We'd be grateful if you could give it a read."
Mu-yeong glanced over, and the Iron Blood Witch cleared her throat with a quiet ahem and took the papers.
As she read through them, her brow furrowed.
"The External Ad is set to run for roughly a month—and there's a clause that requires fifty hours of Monster World gaplay within that period?"
"That's right. Given that the ad itself is tied to our ga, it only makes sense. You don't have to, of course—but if you do, we'll add an additional thirty million Won."
Mu-yeong, listening in, let his mouth go round.
Promotion and paynt?
And not a small sum, either.
There was the constraint of having to play Monster World, but honestly—fifty hours over an entire month wasn't all that much, was it?
Just as Mu-yeong was about to say sothing, a Transmitted Voice ca from the Iron Blood Witch.
—Young Lord, the terms are certainly favorable, but let push back a little more. The math doesn't add up quite right here.
—Doesn't add up?
—It seems like they're trying to lock Young Lord in because of your status as a star player. That man's deanor is slightly suspicious.
At her words, Mu-yeong began to observe Park Seong-jun.
Information about the man, buried under the ambient music, started to filter in.
Tak-tak-tak.
A shoe tapping the floor in an irregular rhythm.
Deol-deol-deol.
A leg that wouldn't stop shaking.
Du-geun-du-geun.
A heartbeat that had grown subtly faster, and pupils that couldn't stay still for even a mont.
Mu-yeong laughed inwardly.
—Anyone could see he's hiding sothing. The man hasn't been able to sit still for a second.
—Indeed. It seems he's worried Young Lord might refuse. If we hold out once, a better offer will co—I'm certain of it.
—But is that even possible?
—The urgency is on their side. Setting up a eting the very sa day ans they're willing to bleed for this deal.
Of course, Park Seong-jun might simply be nervous.
But who was the Iron Blood Witch?
The Head of the Hao Family—the woman who oversaw all of the Sect's intelligence.
Not only was she an expert at distinguishing truth from falsehood amid a sea of tangled information —
She had reached a level where a single second of observing soone's expression told her exactly what they were thinking and feeling.
Soone like that speaking with absolute conviction could not be wrong.
Jjok-jjok.
Mu-yeong deliberately sipped his coffee slowly, drawing the man's gaze.
When their eyes t, he unhurriedly wiped the corner of his mouth.
"I can't accept these terms."
"P-pardon? Could I ask why......."
"I've been losing interest in Monster World lately. I've already taken down two Special Bosses, and regular monster hunting isn't doing it for anymore."
"If you an the Special Bosses, there are four more currently discovered! The one after the Stone Golem is a Level 48 Chira—!"
"How much ti would I have to sink in to get there, exactly? I just hit Level 22 after beating the Stone Golem. To take on the Chira, I'd need to gain at least sixteen more levels. The way I see it, fifty hours would be the bare minimum just to make that happen—am I wrong?"
At Mu-yeong's words, Park Seong-jun went quiet.
Apparently, that was true.
—Young Lord, press a little harder. He may raise the deposit.
"In any case—I've fulfilled my previous contract, so for the ti being I'm thinking of playing other gas."
"Th-then—what if we raised the deposit to forty million Won?"
He actually raised it.
A jump of ten million in one shot—but perhaps because he'd earned seventeen million in a single day of donations, Mu-yeong's bar had been raised considerably.
It didn't quite satisfy him.
Mu-yeong stroked his chin and let the silence stretch.
"Hmmm......."
At that, Park Seong-jun sank into deep deliberation.
Because before the eting, Division Head Choe Min-seok had given him a direct order.
—Whatever happens, match his conditions no matter what. Without Mu-yeong, everything we're planning right now is dead in the water!
And this wasn't just any project—it was tied to the Martial Alliance itself.
There was even a rumor that the Alliance Leader had personally visited the company.
If this fell apart right here?
The fallout would be more than he could handle.
"Very well. Then—fifty hours of gaplay within the month, and we'll pay seventy million Won. Would that be acceptable?"
"Young Lord's—pardon, Mu-yeong's streams are only going to grow from here, and Newtube itself is just now beginning to explode in popularity. Rather than the present, wouldn't it be wiser to look at the future and invest accordingly?"
"......Seventy million Won. Seventy million—would that work? That is the absolute maximum I can offer."
The Iron Blood Witch sent a Transmitted Voice.
—That felt like he truly squeezed out the last of what he can give.
—Then let's wrap it up here.
He'd extracted more than double the original amount—a resounding success.
Mu-yeong smiled broadly and signed the revised contract.
Only then did Park Seong-jun's face, which had looked half-dead, finally return to sothing resembling normal.
"I look forward to working with you. Oh—and since we've signed the contract now, this is sothing I'll share with Mu-yeong ahead of everyone else......."
He cupped his hand over his mouth as if telling a secret.
"A Sparring Tournant is scheduled to be held one month from now."
"......A Sparring Tournant?"
"We're planning to hold it on a grand scale in partnership with the Martial Alliance. Total prize money—a staggering one billion Won. A massive tournant where first place alone earns seven hundred million."
Seven hundred million.
Mu-yeong's eyes went wide.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. Starting tomorrow, announcents and promotions will begin. Registrations will open through the hopage in a week."
"What are the entry requirents?"
"Open to absolutely everyone—no restrictions whatsoever."
At Park Seong-jun's words, the Iron Blood Witch raised her hand slightly.
"Wouldn't the tournant beco too chaotic, then? Back in the Martial World, only those of the sa generational standing would face each other to determine results. But with no age restriction, it sounds like even masters of a previous era could participate."
"Correct. That is precisely the intent of this tournant."
"Pardon?"
"Since the Great Unification, there hasn't been a proper Sparring Tournant, has there? Everyone's been itching for one—and this is the signal flare that finally scratches that itch. The whole company is on high alert because of it right now. Ha ha!"
The mont Park Seong-jun finished speaking, countless plans began turning in Mu-yeong's head.
First place. First place, no matter what.
I'll have to pour even more into training for the ti remaining.
Mu-yeong slipped his phone under the table and opened KaKaotalk.
[Mu-yeong]: Tonight. Get ready to head to a training hall right now.
.
.
.
.
—This is your in-flight announcent. Our aircraft will shortly be arriving in Seoul, so please fasten your seatbelts.......
Swiiish.
At the announcent, a woman with long silver hair removed her sleep mask.
It was a breathtaking face—one that seed to brighten the very air around her just by being revealed.
A flight attendant making her rounds to wake the first-class passengers caught sight of the woman's face and flinched.
Snapping out of it, the attendant spoke quickly.
"Bing Ye-hwa. We'll be arriving at Incheon Airport shortly. Please keep your seatbelt fastened until the aircraft has co to a complete stop."
"Got it."
Bing Ye-hwa gave a nod, then turned to look out the window.
The skyline of Seoul reflected in her sapphire-blue eyes.
So Mu-yeong is here.
A man who had coldly ignored every sparring request she'd sent, no matter how many tis she'd tried.
She wasn't particularly upset about it.
A person of that caliber of Martial Prowess had every right to.
Paaat.
Bing Ye-hwa quietly blood an ice flower in her palm.
He's the first man I've ever t who can match my father's strength.
And soone who appeared to be around her own age, at that—how was that even possible?
For her—soone who had defeated every warrior in the Northern Sea Ice Palace—he was an enigma.
In the end, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she'd bolted.
To et Mu-yeong in person.
Not that she'd snuck away without a word.
She'd left a short note so her father wouldn't worry.
So it would be fine.
After all, she'd written:
[Going to have a match with Mu-yeong, back soon]
Paaat!
She burst the ice flower again and settled back against her seat.
She murmured just low enough for only herself to hear.
"Just wait a little. I'll be there soon."
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