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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter: 147
"So that reaction means... You already knew about Astra?"
Diorama read Hanbit's expression and turned his gaze toward Luna.
Luna gave a small nod and placed her smartphone on the table.
"Raphina and I mentioned helping with the Snow Drake raid, right? We're planning to recruit the raid members through Astra."
Displayed on the screen was an app featuring a star-shaped logo.
Judging by the UI and the number of recent posts, the community seemed much more active than Hanbit had expected.
"But… isn't Astra invite-only? I’m not part of the early advanced players."
"You don’t need to worry. This is a special privilege given to sponsors."
"A privilege?"
"Yes. When Astra was first established, the sponsors who provided funding each received an invitation. That was over a year ago, but I can use it whenever I see fit."
Apparently, Astra had been created under the leadership of an early advanced player named Grace.
Since there was no initial funding, they had gathered sponsors to help lay the foundation.
It seemed they had been particularly focused on attracting the most talented advanced players.
"But… do you really think Grace will accept him?"
Raphina, who had been quietly listening, voiced her concern.
Luna had a similar reaction.
"Yeah… I can’t really imagine that.
If it’s that sharp-tongued perfectionist, they’ll probably just reject him outright."
It wasn’t speculation—it was near certainty.
Hanbit, now curious, asked the two of them, "What kind of person is Grace?"
"An elite supremacist, maybe? They give off this vibe that they refuse to associate with anyone they consider beneath them."
"Ah…"
From Luna’s description, Hanbit could already picture them.
It wasn’t unlike the typical noble class behavior found in fantasy worlds—except now, it was happening in modern reality.
"Grace may be picky about people, but you should be fine, Black Dragon. You're the one shaking up the entire RP world right now. I’ll personally make sure you’re accepted."
"…Boss, aren’t you just going to get cursed at again?"
Raphina sighed, looking genuinely worried.
Hanbit couldn't help but wonder—just what had happened between them and Grace?
"You don’t get it," Diorama declared confidently. "If Grace is cursing me out, that’s actually a good sign. It means their rationality is breaking down."
His assured expression made it clear—this man was no ordinary businessman.
"But in the end, all of this depends on whether we strike a deal, right? What do you think, Black Dragon?"
Luna turned to Hanbit, awaiting his answer.
The reason Vestige was offering an invitation as part of the reward was clear.
They wanted information beyond just the Bell Mora Episode.
"I'm fine with selling the episode strategy. The 1.5 billion won offer is also reasonable. But the real prize here is…"
"Wait a moment!"
A voice suddenly interrupted from the meeting room entrance.
Hanbit turned his head—and was met with a familiar face.
"…Yeonwoo?"
An unexpected arrival.
He walked straight over and greeted everyone.
"Joo Yeonwoo, CEO of DD Studio. Sorry for being late."
"Hello, I’m Raphina."
"So you actually came? I’m Luna."
Brief introductions were exchanged.
Hanbit turned to the seat beside him, where Yeonwoo had settled.
"What’s this? I thought you weren’t coming."
"You didn’t check your phone, did you?"
"My phone?"
Hanbit reached into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone.
He had set it to silent mode, but there were 20 missed calls.
"…I had a bit of a situation."
"I figured as much after seeing the mess outside the subway exit. Either way, it's good you made it on time."
Yeonwoo was supposed to take part in the negotiations with Vestige as well.
However, a previously scheduled business trip to Japan had been moved up, forcing him to miss the meeting.
Seeing him here now—had that trip been canceled?
"Good to see you, Roper. We were just about to get into the details of the deal."
"Likewise. Feels like it's been a while since someone called me Roper. Can you catch me up on the situation first?"
"Of course."
Diorama briefly summarized the conversation so far.
Since only the conditions had been laid out, the real discussion was just beginning.
"So, if we provide Vestige with the necessary information, we’ll receive an Astra invitation in return."
Yeonwoo nodded, quickly grasping the situation.
The 1.5 billion won deal for the Bell Mora Episode strategy was just bait.
The real negotiation revolved around the valuable information they wanted.
"Yeah, there’s no need to beat around the bush."
Diorama, who had no intention of hiding his motives, nodded in agreement.
With a smooth motion—
He pulled out a large map from a box beneath the table and spread it out.
"This is an RP map created by Vestige ourselves.
Not bad, right?"
"…Not bad? This is way beyond that."
"This is… impressive."
Yeonwoo and Hanbit leaned in to examine the map, both visibly surprised.
The terrain was detailed to an extreme degree.
Major locations were meticulously labeled, along with verified information—this was practically a treasure trove.
"We had a lot of our staff working on this together…"
"I’ve seen this a few times, but it still amazes me.
If my sister saw this, she’d lose her mind."
Raphina boasted modestly, while Luna, despite having seen it before, remained in awe.
Watching their reactions, Diorama chuckled.
"Even I think this was one of our smarter decisions. Since Adventurer A’s Guidebook didn’t provide enough details, we took matters into our own hands."
He pointed to a spot on the map—
A city located on the outskirts of the Bastia Union, in the eastern part of the continent.
Another starting city—Bell Mora.
"As Raphina probably mentioned, Vestige has been focusing on Bastia. Unlike Raven, which follows a set path, we chose a different route—
betting on its potential."
It was a logical strategy.
A reasonable decision, but a difficult one, given the limited amount of available information.
‘A low-expectation investment, huh…’
The difference between Raven and Bastia was clear.
More than the value of rewards, what mattered was how much access one had to the Holy Kingdom.
That gap would take a long time to close.
"Do any of Vestige’s early advanced players have origins in Bell Mora?"
"We have two. They’ve been giving it their all, but lately, it feels like they've hit a wall."
As representatives of Bastia, they had poured time and effort into the city.
But their recent progress had been frustratingly slow.
"They’re currently undergoing the Expedition Corps’ verification process, right?"
"Yes. Like those from Raven, they’re currently stuck on the eighth episode."
Players who completed their nation's storyline could be nominated as Expedition Corps candidates.
After undergoing verification, they would become full-fledged members—gaining official influence over the world.
The well-known advanced players were all struggling with this verification process.
"So, what kind of information are you looking for?" Yeonwoo, after listening to the conversation, asked the question.
Diorama shifted his fingers and pointed to the northernmost area of Bastia.
"What we need is a solution to the stalled episode. Beyond that, we’re looking for guidance on how to move forward."
"…Guidance?"
The need for a solution was expected.
However, the mention of guidance was a bit vague.
Hanbit turned to Diorama.
"When you say guidance, do you mean you want consulting?"
"Yes. We want to ensure we don’t fall behind the Raven players while also taking advantage of starting in Bastia."
Vestige’s RP business wasn’t just limited to advanced playes; it also included a large number of regular players.
Since most of them were based in the Bastia Union, they wanted to maximize their advantage there.
"Of course, this is just our ideal scenario. If you don’t have the necessary information, we can adjust the terms of the deal. However, in that case, we wouldn’t be able to offer you an Astra invitation."
Diorama’s words weren’t meant as a provocation.
Even if Black Dragon possessed unique information, there were bound to be limitations.
Diorama wasn’t the type to waste time chasing after empty promises.
"Hmm."
Hanbit paused to think.
There were multiple reasons why he wasn’t willing to reveal everything he knew.
The pace at which he progressed compared to other advanced players—the gap that would form if they advanced too quickly.
His knowledge was the benchmark for the value of information, and maintaining his first-mover advantage was crucial.
Regardless of whether it was Raven or Bastia, once a player became part of the Expedition Corps, their influence would extend across the entire continent.
"To put it simply— I have all the information you're looking for. And it's detailed enough to make a deal."
"…I see."
At that moment, Diorama’s demeanor shifted.
Even though his eyes weren’t visible, his voice and posture conveyed a sense of determination.
His commitment to RP and the growth of his players was clear.
"What do you think?"
"It’s a tough decision. Depending on what Hyung shares, Vestige’s advanced players could grow significantly."
Yeonwoo nodded, then glanced at the invitation lying on the table.
After a brief pause, he turned to Diorama.
"To be honest, I’m not sure how valuable an Astra invitation would be for Black Dragon. That community shares RP-related information, but most of it is probably already in his head."
"…I can’t argue with that."
The Vestige representative accepted the statement without resistance.
Even though Astra was an exclusive community for advanced players, its primary purpose was information exchange.
And it was unlikely that Hanbit didn’t already know everything about RP.
"What do you think, Luna?"
"Me?"
Hanbit suddenly turned to Luna.
She picked up a piece of candy from the table and answered.
"Personally, I think it's worth it. The real value of Astra is that it’s made up of verified advanced players."
"You mean it’s useful for networking?"
"Not just that. The stronger Black Dragon’s position becomes, the more you’ll be able to leverage your influence. Just like how we gathered raid members for Snow Drake, you could recruit people as resources when needed."
Rather than focusing on RP-related knowledge, Luna emphasized the value of the advanced players themselves.
It was true—having access to a pool of vetted talent would be extremely useful.
Building good connections along the way would be beneficial in the long run.
"But exchanging this for the information you're asking for? The value doesn’t really match up. For someone like Black Dragon, who already has all the RP knowledge, this would be a half-baked reward."
Luna stated bluntly that the deal wasn’t fair.
Even in front of Vestige’s representative—who frequently interacted with her friend Rapina—she showed no favoritism.
"It seems the terms were definitely in our favor.
I thought this was a significant trade item, but I should have evaluated it more carefully. I apologize for the oversight."
Diorama admitted that his judgment had been lacking.
"No need to apologize. It's just that my situation is a bit… unique."
A single Astra invitation—granted to early benefactors.
Using it as a bargaining chip wasn’t an easy decision.
For some, this was an opportunity worth paying a fortune for.
For some reason, Ranger’s face came to mind.
"So, how should we structure this deal? If there's something you want, Black Dragon, we’d like to prepare it for you."
Rapina, like the others, was eager to obtain Hanbit’s knowledge.
She genuinely wanted to help her company and colleagues overcome their struggles.
"Hmm…"
Holding the key to the decision, Hanbit paused to think.
The simplest solution would be to ask for more money.
Whether it was resources from Tower of the Vortex or other expenses, there were plenty of places that required funding.
But it felt like a waste to use this opportunity in such a straightforward way.
"…?"
At that moment, something caught Hanbit’s eye as he glanced at the map.
Memories from the past surfaced naturally.
Turning to Diorama, he asked, "Vestige’s advanced players—are they currently looking for clues here?"
"That’s right. They’ve been logged in since this morning, working from our base camp in this area."
Diorama nodded and pointed precisely to their location.
After confirming the spot, Hanbit broke into a grin and stated his condition.
"Then… can I borrow them for 24 hours?"
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Jjescus ]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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