047. Contract (2)
The white silver guild’s team leader’s office with piles of paperwork piled up like a mountain.
“Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… It’s hard.”
Lee Ha-yeon, the team leader of the newly opened ‘Challenger Management Team’, let out a low sigh.
I couldn’t help but sigh as I looked at the papers that I couldn’t see the end of.
Even though it was already the fourth day since she returned from the Tower of Trials, her complexion did not improve.
‘Because from the day I came back until now, I couldn’t even take a break and just worked.’
If it were the others, they would have enjoyed the things they couldn’t enjoy in the Tower and rested
.
“We need a team to identify and manage the ‘challengers’ who have returned from the current ‘Tower of Trials’. Clearly, this will lead to revolutionary changes.”
It was not different, but to prepare for a new and changing world.
She saw the Tower of Trials not only as a disaster, but as a new opportunity.
The Tower of Trials was obviously a place with great risks, but it was also a place that gave a certain reward.
also.
‘The Tower of Trials is not a place where only Hunters go.’
Even ordinary people who do not know anything are summoned to the Tower of Trials.
This was confirmed inside the Tower of Trials.
Even when entering the tower, all abilities are reset only for Hunters.
Then, if ordinary people enter the tower, it can be used as a stepping stone for awakening…
‘If those people survived, they must have become stronger.’
If you can capture them and bring them back, that’s an unconditional benefit.
It is the same even if it is not an ordinary person, but a Hunter who has lost his ability.
‘Challengers can climb the tower while receiving rewards from the Tower of Trials…’
Even if the ability is initialized, it will grow enough to fill it.
This too could be said to be a prediction close to certainty.
It was clear that if he identified the challengers in advance and built up a crush on them or recruited them, he would definitely benefit later.
For that reason, Lee Ha-yeon created a new ‘Challenger Management Team’ and became the team leader.
Currently, all kinds of methods were used to identify and recruit those who became challengers.
Of course, it wasn’t all easy and good things like I thought.
“…Even though the challengers are hiding, I never thought it would be this difficult to recruit them.”
The challenger thoroughly hid their information and did not reveal it openly.
‘It would be nice to be able to go back to the tower and take over, but there’s still time left to return…’
It’s a situation that can only be said to be in the midst of mountain climbing.
And…
except for a few people, most of them thought well and acted, so the number of challengers accepted was barely two digits.
Even they are all challengers on the not-so-strong ‘easy’ difficulty.
There are not enough challengers to see the preoccupation effect by exploring the unknown world of the Tower of Trials.
“…In times like this, it would be nice to bring only one challenger of the same difficulty level.”
If you are a challenger who has acquired a certain amount of power, not a fool,
you will definitely have a desire to climb the tower, and you will try to become stronger that much.
Just like the man Lee Ha-yeon saw on the 4th floor did at that time.
“Come to think of it, I don’t know what he’s doing.”
A man so powerful that it would not be an exaggeration to say that he cleared the 4th floor alone.
I suddenly remembered a man who showed off a feat that even skilled hunters had no choice but to face.
I haven’t talked to that guy much since I added him as a friend on the 4th floor.
At the time, perhaps because of the shock of the murder, he was quiet, but…
‘I didn’t talk much until I returned.’
Because of his excellent skills, he could have returned to the top right away and returned to the top.
‘The more I think about it, the more I feel like a talented person…’
That ridiculous growth might be growth, but most of all, he had no affiliation.
A case where an aspiring hunter was summoned to the tower and was able to become stronger.
That’s why Lee Ha-yeon couldn’t help but feel the regret more deeply.
“Should I have made an offer to take over once before…?”
It was a moment of regret, wondering if I should have made a proposal when I broke through the 4th floor ordeal.
Wheein-!
“…?”
The smartphone lying face down on the desk vibrated and caught Lee Ha-yeon’s attention.
‘what? Surely there is no one to contact at this hour?’
Lee Ha-yeon reached out her hand to check whether it was a spam message or not.
“…uh?”
Then, the moment I found out who the owner of the message was…
“This is Han Seong-yoon, whom I met on the 4th floor. Lee Ha-yeon, if you’ve returned, can I meet you for a bit?」
“….”
She couldn’t help but stare at the message, forgetting to breathe.
***
After sending the text, I put my smartphone in my pocket.
There was something at a loss as to what to do
if I couldn’t reach you, but…
It wasn’t something to worry too much about.
Right now, I have resolved what I want, and it would be nice to think about affiliation later.
The reason I just sent a message to Lee Ha-yeon was just to ask if there was a place that could sign a contract on the terms I was thinking of.
‘It doesn’t matter whether I receive it or not.’
But…
the moment she leaves the cafe thinking about what to do if Lee Ha-yeon doesn’t answer.
Ugh-!
“?”
As if such worries were meaningless, the smartphone in my pocket immediately rang.
“what.”
After sending the message, Lee Ha-yeon immediately replied as if she had read the text.
“Sure! We can meet at any time!」
But for some reason, it feels like a strangely hilarious phrase, is it just an illusion?
Anyway, it wasn’t bad to feel the vitality in the writing.
“You have returned. Then can we meet now? I bought the cheapest hearthstone and I don’t have much time left.”
Then, it was the moment when I was about to write a message and send it as it is.
Tring-!
“I’ll go right away if you tell me where you are!”
I laughed at the text message that arrived before I even sent a new reply.
‘This person is impatient too.’
I thought maybe he might have picked the cheapest hearthstone like me, but…
it’s not important, so I deleted the text I was writing and sent a new message.
Then within a few seconds Lee Ha-yeon’s reply arrived.
“All right. I’ll be heading there soon. Please wait for a moment.”
I just told him the location, but the message cut off with the words that he would be leaving soon.
“It must have been closer to here than I thought.”
Well, I didn’t tell you when it would arrive, but…
Judging from the fact that it would be coming soon, I didn’t think I would have to wait that long.
It was around the time when I wondered if I would have sat in a cafe and waited for about 10 minutes.
With my daughter…
Suddenly, the door of the cafe opened and I heard exhausted breathing.
When I turned my head, there was a beautiful woman with a proud impression in a black suit.
“Han Seong-yoon…?”
Baek was Lee Ha-yeon, a hunter belonging to the guild.
In disbelief, she came over and sat down.
“…When did you return? I thought he died in the tower long ago. I thought you didn’t reply to my message because you returned early.”
It was as if he hadn’t even thought I’d be here.
It was worth it.
Because of my irregular behavior, such as returning once on the 5th floor and climbing the tower, I would not have known where I had disappeared.
‘I don’t know if I even received a message, but I didn’t even get that one…’
Certainly, Lee Ha-yeon must have been embarrassed.
“I went back from the 5th floor due to circumstances and went up to the 8th floor. It is today that I returned. And the message is… sorry. I guess I didn’t read it because I wasn’t in a hurry.”
Of course, I was aware of the message itself.
But I just couldn’t reply because I wasn’t in a situation where I could answer.
“No, I am not apologizing. But on the 5th floor, why…?”
“It’s difficult to go into detail, but there were personal circumstances.”
“…I see. Well, that’s probably not what’s important. After all, it’s fortunate that both of them came out of the tower alive.”
Lee Ha-yeon, who smiled softly, immediately stiffened her expression as if she remembered something and opened her mouth.
“Then are you not going to climb the tower anymore?”
Lee Ha-yeon asked me with an expression asking if she had stopped climbing, but…
“That’s not it.”
Without any hesitation, I immediately gave the answer to the question.
Climbing the tower was decided before the 8th floor.
‘It’s too late to quit.’
The moment I felt the joy of growing and winning on my own.
The option of not climbing the tower and not becoming stronger is as good as gone.
“I plan to climb the Tower of Trials more. Whatever it is, the Tower of Trials is an attractive place to me. That’s why I said I wanted to meet Lee Ha-yeon this time.”
“…?”
“There is not much time left until the current return, so I will speak directly. I needed to belong.”
“When you say you need to belong…”
“You need a place where you can clear dungeons while going in and out of the Tower of Trials.”
In other words, Lee Ha-yeon had one request.
“I said I wanted to see you because I wanted to ask if it was possible to arrange a guild.”
“…”
The moment Lee Ha-yeon heard those words, she became quiet.
Deeply I was disappointed by the attitude of contemplating something.
‘Is it too much?’
I didn’t expect much, but it was a pity that it turned out like this.
It was because it seemed that if a guild was recruited anywhere, it would be possible to induce them to have no restrictions on their behavior by attaching conditions.
‘The Hunter Association is a group that insists on unconditionally joining something like an emergency call.
It is different from the Hunter Association and the Guild, which give great force to their hunters.
A guild is a place where conditions can be attached, whether it’s an entrance exam or whatever.
That’s why I was going to ask Lee Ha-yeon if she could introduce me to the right guild, but…
Somehow, the reaction wasn’t very good, so it seemed impossible.
‘Can’t I help it?’
It was then.
“…What Sungyoon Han wants is a guild that allows you to enter the dungeon freely and understands entering and exiting the Tower of Trials?”
Lee Ha-yeon, who had been sitting still, said that and then continued.
“Then I guess I can help.”
“Is it possible to arrange a guild?”
“Um, it’s similar, but it’s a little different.”
“…?”
“Currently, I am serving as the team leader of the ‘Challenger Management Team’ in the Silver Guild.”
“Challenger management team…?”
“It’s a team that finds and recruits the challengers who were summoned to the Tower of Trials.”
It’s a challenger management team.
‘Has that already been made?’
It was unexpected.
To create and operate a challenger management team in a situation where even the Hunter Association can’t properly identify the challenger…
‘No, maybe it’s natural.’
Rather, the Hunter Association could not properly identify the challenger, so it could be regarded as an opportunity.
If the Hunter Association identifies all the challengers, they will try to make them belong to the association, so the guild side recruits the challengers before that.
“If you come to my team, I think I can meet the terms of the contract to some extent. Of course, it will be difficult to match the money, but…”
After hearing Lee Ha-yeon’s additional explanation, I narrowed my eyebrows.
‘What should I do…?’
Money doesn’t matter.
Only 1.2 billion was obtained by selling the right to occupy the gate.
If it’s not enough, you can sell the items you brought from the tower, so there’s no shortage of money.
However…
‘The key is that the challenger’s management team adjusts the condition.’
As a challenger who had to enter and exit the Tower of Trials, the terms of the contract were as important as it was.
Baek had to know what conditions the guild could meet and whether those were conditions he could not regret later.
‘If none of them are met…’
For now, you’ll have to quit joining the guild and climb the tower again.
Anyway, if the existence of a challenger is clearly revealed later and its value is proven, you will be able to belong unconditionally.
‘But I’m just doing this because I don’t want to wait.’
At that time, Lee Ha-yeon, who was sitting and looking at me, cautiously asked me a question.
“What would you like to do?”
After thinking about it, I slowly opened my mouth and began to answer.
“I am….”
