Chapter 99: A Contract with World’s Best (1)
He used the business card of TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant.
Soon, a virtual chat window and keyboard appeared.
Kyung-joon quickly typed and sent his message.
[Chat window with TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant]
▶Kyung-joon: I’d like to discuss a business opportunity. Would it be possible to meet sometime if you’re available?
After sending the message, he closed the status window.
The chat window would reappear when he received a reply.
While waiting, Kyung-joon decided to study in advance for the next semester.
“I’ve roughly memorized the subjects I need to while riding the carriage, so I guess I’ll do some math after a long time……”
Ding!
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: Yes! ㅂ The waiting song for D12 has been written.
Even before 3 seconds had passed since Kyung-joon closed the chat window, a reply arrived.
An incredibly fast response time.
“The typos are crazy.”
Moreover, it was full of typos as if it was written in a great hurry.
Soon, a properly written reply arrived.
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: I apologize for the typos. When and where can we meet? I’ll make myself available to your convenience.
▶Kyung-joon: I’ll go to the World’s Best headquarters. Can I go now? If I leave now, I think I’ll arrive within 1-2 hours.
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: Of course. Please come up to the 5th floor as soon as you arrive. I will let the staff know in advance.
▶Kyung-joon: Okay. Then I’ll see you soon.
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: Yes! Come this way!
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: (bowing emoticon)
“Oh. You can use emoticons too?”
Kyung-joon was a little surprised by the unexpectedly modern chat window.
It wasn’t like it was KakaoTalk.
“For some reason, receiving something like this makes me feel like I should use an emoticon too?”
Just then, Teemo intervened in front of the status window.
< (╬Ò‸Ó)!>
<Master, you can’t lose either. Master must also send a unique emoticon to take the initiative.>
Emoticon!
It might seem trivial, but it was a very important element that could determine whether one was an insider or an outsider depending on the situation and the appropriate use of emoticons.
Furthermore, TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant, whom he was about to meet, was a business relationship.
As Teemo said, it wouldn’t hurt to take the initiative.
“Okay. I have the perfect emoticon for a time like this.”
Kyung-joon unhesitatingly operated the virtual keyboard and pressed enter.
The moment of the century had arrived, as the emoticon was sent to TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
“Finally! Yes!!”
As soon as TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant received Kyung-joon’s contact, he cheered from his spot.
[Chat window with Kyung-joon]
▶Kyung-joon: Okay. Then I’ll see you soon.
It was Kyung-joon, whom he had been looking forward to so much.
Moreover, he was the one who first brought up 『wanting to talk about business.』
He couldn’t help but be happy.
‘After over a month of no contact, I thought he had no intention of talking…… but I was wrong!’
He first met Kyung-joon on Player Street.
The moment TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant saw him, he recognized his talent and immediately handed him his business card.
A business card that allowed him to contact him anytime, anywhere.
It wasn’t just any business card, but the guild master’s card of the Number One Player 『World’s Best.』 He thought he would get a call as soon as he received it.
‘……That’s what I thought.’
A day passed after giving him the card, then two days.
As time passed and it became a week……
There was no contact from Kyung-joon.
Even if he wanted to contact him first, TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant didn’t have Kyung-joon’s contact information.
That’s why he tried to find him himself by asking around.
However, according to PhantomSherlock’s information, Kyung-joon had gone to Beginner’s Village.
‘Even if he did go, why Beginner’s Village!’
How could he go back to Beginner’s Village as a player?
He didn’t know for sure, but he thought he had his own gimmick.
Anyway, he had to somehow get in touch with the unique bread talent he had finally found.
So he decided to use a loophole.
If a player couldn’t go, he could send an NPC instead.
It just so happened that the NPC Wagon was in charge of distribution in Beginner’s Village, and he ordered him to bring Kyung-joon.
However.
Wagon returned after a few days and reported:
━Kyung-joon-nim is away for a while. According to the Beginner’s Village gatekeeper, it seems he headed to the Fairy-Elven Magic Academy.
Fairy-Elven Magic Academy……!
It was the best wizard training institution in the entire world.
He was trying to go there?
No player had ever qualified to go there before?
‘At first, I thought he would be rejected like any other player and come back soon……’
Just like before, a day passed, then two days.
Eventually, even after a week and ten days, Kyung-joon did not return.
Thus, Wagon had no choice but to return empty-handed.
After that, he sent people several more times to get news, but strangely, Kyung-joon was always away whenever TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant sent someone.
‘Is it some kind of precognitive ability that allows him to know when I’m sending people……? The fact that he can go back to Beginner’s Village, and although not certain, the fact that he went to the Fairy-Elven Magic Academy…… gasp.’
None of it was ordinary.
That’s why he was even more tempted.
‘I want him! Kyung-joon! I want to make him World’s Best’s!’
But no matter how much he wished for it.
He wasn’t even being contacted.
To TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant, Kyung-joon was nothing more than a pie in the sky.
‘But it’s different now……!’
TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant, who had finally secured a promise to meet the Kyung-joon he had been longing for!
He, who always maintained his dignity as a guild master, began to write a reply he would never have otherwise.
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: Yes! Come this way!
▶TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant: (bowing emoticon)
Originally, his way of speaking in the game was always 『~kun,』 『~do it,』 『~da.』
But to Kyung-joon, he lowered his head first.
TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant could kneel even to an elementary school student if it meant securing talent for his company.
He knew very well what was more important than mere pride.
Ding!
“Hmm?”
‘I thought he would end the conversation without a reply?’
He had sent the bowing emoticon with that thought.
TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant, whose interest was piqued, immediately checked the reply.
▶Kyung-joon: ^o^
Kyung-joon also sent back an emoticon, just like TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant.
“……”
Seeing the ^o^ emoticon, TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant became very confused.
What on earth did this emoticon mean?
Did it mean he liked it?
Or did it mean he didn’t like it?
It seemed like a cute emoticon……
What was this unknown feeling of frustration welling up from his core?
……He didn’t know.
“Hmm.”
TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant was starting to get even less of a grasp on what kind of person Kyung-joon was.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Bustling!
Chattering!
The World’s Best headquarters in Plovdiv was always crowded with people.
Whether it was the dressing room, the checkout counter, or the product display shelves.
But there was one place, and only one, where there was not a single person.
It was the stairs leading up to the 5th floor of the headquarters.
Unlike other stairs, these stairs only connected to the 5th floor.
You couldn’t get to the 5th floor by any other stairs.
<Master, I think we need to go up there.>
“Yeah, I think so too.”
Kyung-joon walked towards the stairs that were unnaturally devoid of people.
And the moment he stood in front of the stairs.
“Hello.”
Kyung-joon greeted.
To an empty wall.
Of course, there was no answer.
If there had been anyone around, they would have chided him, asking if he was seeing things.
But Kyung-joon continued to smile brightly at the empty wall.
Immediately, something amazing happened.
“……I’ve been waiting, Kyung-joon-nim.”
Swoosh
A figure suddenly appeared from the wall that was thought to be empty.
A man dressed in black from head to toe, except for his eyes.
He was one of the members of the 『Phantom Thieves』, the secret unit belonging to the World’s Best company.
Narrowing his eyes, he asked.
“How did you know?”
He had received orders from TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant to greet Kyung-joon when he arrived.
The words ‘greet him’ must have had several implied meanings.
World’s Best had been established less than two years ago, but thanks to the guild master’s incredible skills, it had already reached the level of a major company.
They needed to look the part, so he decided to test Kyung-joon a little.
For example, as Kyung-joon was about to climb the empty stairs, he would suddenly appear from behind and greet him.
However.
“Haha, well……”
His strategy was easily seen through by Kyung-joon.
Still smiling, Kyung-joon said.
“Because TheWorld’sGreatestMerchant said he would let the staff know.”
His words had a slight bite to them.
As if asking, even if it was the guild master’s order, was it okay to play such a prank?
It felt like there were bones in it.
“You built a company this big as a former player, I didn’t think you’d forget or lie. I naturally thought a staff member would be waiting as you said.”
Then, Kyung-joon added.
“Ah, but it was so stealthy that I almost passed by thinking there was really no one there. As expected of the Number One Player. You’re really good.”
“……”
It was a lie.
This Kyung-joon didn’t hesitate for a moment to greet him.
As if he knew he was hiding there from the moment he saw the wall.
Kyung-joon walked towards the stairs and greeted him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
‘To think my 『Presence Erasure』 would be so easily seen through……’
He was a member of the Phantom Thieves with the unique job 『NoPresence』.
He had such a lack of presence that, once, when he was riding a taxi in real life, the taxi driver took him to a driver’s restaurant.
Naturally, it was worse, not better, in the game.
Furthermore, his rare skill 『Presence Erasure』 had recently leveled up to unique grade.
Rumor had it that less than 10% of players had a Unique skill yet.
But.
To think he had seen through his stealth at a glance……!
‘……Does he have a unique detection skill or something?’
It wasn’t a wrong explanation.
In fact, the reason Kyung-joon was able to detect his presence was thanks to the same Unique skill, 『Multi Mana Control: Nano.』
It was thanks to this skill that he was able to find the hidden magic circle in the library.
He had found it by detecting the faint mana radiation leaking from the magic circle.
This time was no different.
Kyung-joon thought to himself.
‘There was natural radiation leaking from the wall. So I saw it right away.’
Naturally, the headquarters building wasn’t made of ordinary wood.
Since the building was constructed with special wood, the naturally occurring mana radiation was also bound to be higher.
Kyung-joon could see it all.
But what if there was a person standing in front of that wall?
Naturally, the leaking mana radiation would be blocked by that person, wouldn’t it look strange?
It was extremely simple logic.
So, not wanting to drag it out unnecessarily…
Kyung-joon decided to end the situation.
“I’m sure the others next to you think so too, right? That your guild master wouldn’t lie.”
Swoosh
As soon as Kyung-joon said those words, nine more Phantom Thieves popped out from the wall.
There was no need to maintain the stealth that had already been discovered.
“……”
They couldn’t answer Kyung-joon’s Zen-like question.
Eventually, NoPresence reached out his hand towards the top of the stairs.
As if to escort him.
“……Then I will guide you to the Guild Master.”
“Yes.”
He had tried to take the initiative, but instead, he was the one who had been played.
The Phantom Thieves, all disheartened, began to escort Kyung-joon.
To the 5th floor of the headquarters, where only executives were allowed.
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