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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 84: Expansion (1)
As the small boat drew near, Fafnir approached.
Where his eyes should have been, blazing blue flames flickered.
The undead's assimilation had deepened, and the energy emanating from his entire body intensified.
"Have you reached 5 Stars?"
【Yup. You noticed right away, huh.】
Fafnir smirked, his lips curling slightly in pride.
It seemed he had sufficiently replenished his spirit power thanks to the mana stones absorbed during the process of sweeping up the Rerik remnants.
He looked so natural it was doubtful he was a corpse.
It was a smile he could only show because he meticulously controlled the muscles in his cheeks, solidified by spirit power.
'Amazing, as always.'
His ability to manipulate spirit power was extreme.
Considering that Park Haneul's peak in life was 6 Star, this was a feat bordering on impossible.
It just didn't feel real because the only thing he used that ability for was smiling.
【Master. You've brought another strange undead, haven't you?】
"From now on, the Skalar will be in charge of coastal defense."
【Hmm. Sounds like a strong name.】
"Don't get competitive about undead names."
【Well, I think Fafnir is a pretty good name too.】
‘What's with this guy, getting competitive about the names of the dead?’
Yoojin immediately brought up the main topic.
"When did those Manhunters start attacking?"
[Changed Manhunters → Manhunters]
【Three days ago.】
"You held out well. They weren't easy."
【Haha. You told me to hold out, so I gritted my teeth and did it.】
‘Excuse me, sir. But this wasn't a power difference that could be overcome with willpower alone.’
A dubious glint flashed across Yoojin's eyes, and Fafnir laughed awkwardly.
【They watched us for a long time. I think they thought the Reriks were still here.】
"Indeed. With the thick fog, they must not have known the island had fallen."
A cargo ship large enough to transport monsters.
Even if the Reriks' accuracy was poor, it would be difficult to miss such a large target.
Even with defensive magic deployed, there were limits.
【If the attacks like today's had continued for three days, it would have been a bit difficult.】
"That's unlike you. Spouting such weak words."
【You told me to protect the island. In times like these, I have to judge calmly.】
Fafnir muttered petulantly.
What if Jo Yeongjin, a 6 Star Hunter, had attempted a reckless landing?
Fafnir, who had recently ascended in rank, could possibly stop Jo Yeongjin, but only by sacrificing himself.
He had the innate racial advantage of being a Draconian.
Thanks to the [Martial Artist] trait, his stats were effectively doubled.
With his dragon scales and his ability to manipulate dark aura, which was not inferior to Jo Yeongjin's, he had a chance.
'The problem is the rest of our forces.'
The Revenant played a crucial role in hunting the mutated Reriks.
Although incomplete, it could handle aura and had excellent physical abilities, making it almost 5 Star level.
The main force of the Manhunters consisted of 5 Star Ogres and 4 Star Troll monsters.
But what if they had crossed the sea without exhaustion and faced Ogres?
'The Revenant wouldn't stand a chance.'
They were outnumbered and outmatched in quality.
It was the fog generated by the Black Spire that obscured their vision and led them to misjudge the situation.
The Manhunters' cautiousness had backfired on them.
【By the way, that was a refreshing declaration of war.】
"It's a fight we can't avoid anyway. No need to be humble."
【Haha. A new enemy. I'm looking forward to it.】
"You won't be disappointed. They're quite formidable."
【That's what I hope for.】
‘Yes. That's what I expect from one of my subordinates.’
After handing over control of the Skalar to the Black Spire near the coast, they set off for Ground Zero.
＊ ＊ ＊
Milky Way Pub, Inner Area.
For some reason, the VIP room, usually accessible only to a select few, was bustling with people.
"When is he coming?"
Kang Minyeong muttered, stuffing her mouth with the expensive snacks laid out on the table.
A man and a woman sat facing her.
The Im Jaebaek siblings looked around with uneasy expressions.
"I never thought I'd set foot in Ground Zero in my life."
"It's better than the Seagulls, at least."
"Even better than wearing a diving suit."
The Im siblings, who had just set foot in the infamous Ground Zero for the first time.
Still, compared to when they were stuck in the labor camp or with the Seagulls, their current situation was much better.
Clank— Clang…
The heavy iron door leading out of the VIP room swung open with a resounding noise.
"Everyone looks well."
Yoojin strolled in, greeting them casually.
Blue flames flickered outside the door.
【Master. I can't go in, can I?】
"Well, you'll have to wait outside."
【That's so unfair.】
"Or do you want me to chop off your legs and bring you in? I can reattach them later."
【That's a rather tempting offer.】
Fafnir and Yoojin's chilling banter.
The Madam chuckled softly and then spoke.
"We can't allow such barbaric behavior in our pub."
"That's a bit rich coming from a place where the door keeps running away..."
"Yoojin, would you please be quiet?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Poking at her sore spot caused the Madam's composure to momentarily crumble.
It was rare to see Ms. Oh Hyunjeong lose her cool like that.
‘To achieve such a difficult feat... I'm proud of myself!’
〔It seems like an Evil God constellation would have been a good match for you.〕
'Shut up, constellation.'
〔Come to think of it, why didn't you make a contract with them?〕
'I didn't want to hand over my soul.'
Evil God constellations take a portion of their contractor's soul as a token of sponsorship.
It was similar to the contracts with demons often seen in novels and movies.
'The additional contract terms were absurd, too. When it became unavoidable to have an all-out war with the Romanov clan, I hurriedly visited the Babel Tower to contact the Evil God constellations.’
What did those guys say back then?
〔Sacrifice 100,000 unripe souls.〕
〔500,000 heads of the righteous.〕
These were the conditions they offered in exchange for their blessings.
‘Crazy bastards. Sacrificing babies? Asking for the heads of innocent people? And that was just for a 1st stage blessing. They demanded even more sacrifices for stronger blessings.'
〔Those are conditions that ordinary little humans couldn't even dream of fulfilling. Do the Evil God constellations have no intention of having sponsors?〕
'If my realm had been 9 Stars at that time, I could have easily met those conditions if I had wanted to.'
〔Judging by your words, you didn't receive the blessings of the Evil God constellations.〕
'I have my own standards, you know. The time when I felt aversion to killing had long passed. But I haven't broken down to the point of massacring innocent people just to gain a bit of power. Besides that… It was too late.'
〔Too late?〕
'Even if I received the blessings of an Evil God constellation, I wouldn't have been able to handle it as skillfully as Dmitri.'
Odin, the creator of rune magic.
He was a perfect match for Dmitri, who had reached the pinnacle of magic.
‘On the other hand, the Evil God constellations who reached out to me were all incompatible with my nature. Even if I received their blessings, it would take time to adapt. So I simply chose to fight with the power I'm familiar with.'
〔Khahahaha! A masterpiece! A splendid answer that satisfies my heart.〕
Kronos's boisterous laughter made Yoojin frown.
‘Thinking back to the old days makes my stomach churn.’
Yoojin pushed the thoughts echoing in his head aside and focused on the people in front of him.
"Executives of Black Company, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Some nodded their heads.
Others looked at him with curiosity and suspicion in their eyes.
‘Now then. Shall we begin our business discussion?’
＊ ＊ ＊
It was Im Jaebaek who spoke first.
"Um, Mr. Yoojin, if it's not rude, may I ask a question?"
"Of course."
"I want to know what you want me to do."
"From now on, you will be in charge of the Ground Zero branch of the company."
Red Spider's businesses.
The bloodstone and Black Herb farms were the biggest source of funds, but there were also several other smaller businesses.
Well, they were small in name, but in reality, they were large enough to support an entire organization.
'It must be quite a task to maintain hundreds of members.'
There were over 200 Hunters belonging to the Red Spider.
Considering that a Hunter's income far surpasses that of ordinary people, it's easy to calculate how much Red Spider had to earn.
Work that couldn't be entrusted to the undead.
"Oh my. Can we trust someone we've only known for a short time?"
"Don't worry. He's resourceful, and he owes me a great debt, so he won't neglect his duties."
He had a knack for business.
And his potential as a Hunter was incredibly high.
Above all, the biggest factor was that he was trustworthy because he had a clear sense of gratitude and obligation.
"...I'll do my best."
Im Jaebaek replied in a heavy tone, unable to hide his feeling of burden.
"We can't keep calling you by your name forever, so let's decide on a title for you within the company."
Yoojin stroked his chin and then continued—"
"Ah, Director Im. That sounds good. It has a nice ring to it."
"Uh, um. Thank you."
Im Jaebaek couldn't hide his bewildered expression.
It was understandable.
Considering the atmosphere in the VIP room, it felt like playing house.
However…
No one took Yoojin's words lightly.
Im Jaebaek had some experience in running a business.
In the Seagulls' labor camp, he was called the "chief" for leading the debtors with his innate leadership.
Moreover…
Im Jaebaek had witnessed Yoojin's abilities firsthand in the labor camp.
Even if his words were lighthearted, the weight they carried was clearly different.
"How should we inform Mr. Black?"
"I'll be going in and out of the border area for a while, so tell him to take over slowly."
"We'll be ready on our end."
"But you know..."
Yoojin paused mid-sentence and glanced at Madam.
"Aren't you leaving?"
"Oh my. That 'company' thingy... I'm interested in that too."
"Once you hear it, you won't be able to escape. If you're okay with that, why don't you just stay there?"
"How cold. Aren't you being too harsh with me, considering our relationship?"
"What relationship do we have?"
"We're business partners."
The Madam kept a moderate distance but showed no signs of leaving the VIP room.
'I smell money.'
Black Company.
The joint venture that the man in front of her was going to create.
After hearing the story from the Little Runts team, the Madam was also interested in joining the business.
'Cheon Yoojin. This man isn't someone who will be satisfied with just Ground Zero.'
It had been just over two months since she got to know him.
Back when he requested the [Crimson Lair] raid, she thought he was just a skilled rookie.
But now?
He had become one of the three dominant forces in Ground Zero, chipping away at nearly half of the Red Spider's power.
He even defeated Song Myeongseok, whom the Arhan Guild had been promoting as a rising star.
He had also proven his outstanding healing abilities by curing diseases known to be incurable in this era.
'I must not let him go.'
The Madam was certain.
If this man's realm grew even higher, he would become a giant who could influence the landscape of not just northern Gyeonggi Province, but Korea, and even East Asia.
"So, what do you think? Don't you think I'd make a great business partner?"
"It's a bit less charming when you say it yourself, don't you think?"
"Hahaha. That's just my honest charm."
She wouldn't let a single word slide.
Yoojin twitched his cheek and then returned to the original topic he had briefly paused.
"What I'm envisioning is a business alliance."
The first draft of Black Company, which he had discussed with the Little Runts team and Shin Joonseok.
While listening to the explanation, the Madam raised her hand.
"Wait a minute, Mr. Yoojin. No, CEO Cheon."
"Do you have any questions?"
"About the alliance you mentioned... Isn't this a bit like overextending, trying to do too much?"
"That's not entirely wrong."
The business model Yoojin proposed was a large alliance encompassing everything related to 'Hunters'.
It was an idea to intertwine everything that families, guilds, and even corporations did.
"CEO Cheon, can you handle it?"
"I can."
"You lack the manpower and infrastructure compared to established guilds or companies in society."
"We just need to gather the best Hunters in each field."
One genius leading the field was the same now as it was in the past.
And this was further amplified after the Great Cataclysm.
The military power of one 7 Star Hunter surpassed that of ten 6 Star Hunters.
He had already recruited talented individuals like the Madam, the Little Runts team, Shin Joonseok, and Im Jaebaek.
Black Company's future was bright.
'Could CEO Cheon's Trait be...?'
Yoojin's confident declaration.
For a moment, Madam had an absurd thought.
'Could he see the potential of other Hunters?'
Shin Joonseok and the Little Runts team were all insignificant Hunters until they met Yoojin.
But then...
Ordinary university students overwhelmed the promising talents of Arhan Guild, the top guild in Korea.
And an employee who had been kicked out of a large corporation was now attracting attention for being the first in the world to successfully mass-produce intermediate potions.
Was it all just a coincidence?
'He must be confident.'
Yoojin, who had solved countless problems that others considered reckless.
There must be a solid basis for his seemingly crazy business plan.
"What should I do?"
The Madam stopped probing further.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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