Ex-level Player With the Greatest Civilization of All Time - Chapter 74

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74

Outside the Gate, stepping out into the world for a change.
Food, clothing, and shelter had all been taken care of, more or less.
And since I’d been interacting with Baek Jin-seong and the others in the Tower, I hadn’t really felt the need to go out.
“Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I’ve visited the Guild Association.”
Three months ago, maybe?
After taking the Player evaluation and selling Kinol’s Thunder Flute, I hadn’t been back since I started buying up Mana Stones.
So naturally, my visit to the Association today was to hunt down Resonance Stones.
No matter how scarce they’d become on the open market, the Association would be different.
It was a place with a peculiar habit of stockpiling everything first and asking questions later.
Besides, Resonance Stones had proven their worth in everyday applications.
They miraculously boosted energy transmission efficiency.
So the odds of them keeping a constant inventory were high.
Of course, there was no guarantee I’d find the quantities I needed.
The Association was by far the most likely place in Korea to have the largest stockpile of Resonance Stones, so naturally I’d start here.
“If I can’t get what I need here….”
Even if I didn’t relish the thought, I’d have to look elsewhere.
I’d already exhausted Kang Seong Guild.
For a company with decent standing in the domestic market, they’d still fallen short.
I’d have to reach overseas.
“Did I arrive too early?”
The appointment at the Association was set for noon.
But when I got off at Association Station and checked the time, it was only eleven.
I’d aimed to arrive a comfortable thirty minutes early, but public transportation always had this problem.
Either too late or too early—never quite right.
Buzz and murmur filled the air.
As I checked the time and was putting my phone away, I suddenly sensed commotion around me.
For a moment, I thought someone had recognized me….
‘That’s impossible.’
I had Cognition Obstruction, after all.
And sure enough, the disturbance wasn’t about me.
“That’s Cha Seon-ah, right?”
“Wow, she’s gorgeous.”
“But why’s she out front of the Association? Who’s she waiting for?”
At the center of the commotion stood a familiar face.
Cha Seon-ah—the person I was supposed to meet here today.
‘Isn’t it still an hour away?’
I found myself double-checking the time.
Just to be safe, I pulled up our message thread, but the appointment time matched what I remembered.
Noon was when I’d do a joint meeting with Association staff about Resonance Stones, then afterwards negotiate unit prices for by-products.
Of course, one could ask the question.
If that were the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to set a meeting for after the negotiations, rather than having her accompany me to the Association meeting in the first place?
But there was a reason for it too.
For some reason, she’d wanted to be present at the Resonance Stone negotiations, and I’d found the arrangement convenient as well—it saved time that would otherwise be wasted between meetings.
‘Well, if today’s meeting were something where crucial information was being exchanged, I wouldn’t have thought twice….’
But in reality, it wasn’t like that.
The fact that I wanted Resonance Stones was already information she possessed.
Anyway, circling back to the main point—I found her early arrival puzzling.
She was the one waiting for me.
Yet she couldn’t have come by public transport like I had.
The fact that she’d already arrived seemed a bit odd.
“You arrived early.”
I approached Cha Seon-ah, who stood at the center of everyone’s gaze.
Caught between the crowds, she fumbled for a moment because of my Cognition Obstruction, then realized who I was half a beat late.
“You arrived early too, Neia.”
“I try to keep my appointments, generally speaking.”
“So do I. Guess we’re alike that way.”
I felt the weight of their stares and spoke up.
Through Cha Seon-ah, they were beginning to piece together that I was Neia….
“In any case, we have some time to kill. Why don’t we push the schedule up? We could grab coffee nearby and talk….”
Originally, I’d planned to do this after the Resonance Stone transaction with the Guild Association.
But wasting time felt like throwing money away.
And if I entered the Association too early, before the scheduled time, that would be an imposition on them as well—so I suggested it. But Cha Seon-ah flatly refused.
“I’d prefer to keep things on schedule. The Guild Association first. Then Kang Seong Guild. That’s fine, isn’t it?”
“…Well, if that’s what you want.”
Since Cha Seon-ah was immovable, standing around here looking blank seemed worse than just going inside to wait.
“Early as it is, let’s head in. To the Association.”

* * *

Kang Seong Guild.
One of Korea’s largest guilds.
But lately, its position had been rising rapidly.
It was most evident in the stock price.
Four consecutive trading days at the daily limit.
And even after the special materials’ first public reveal, the stock trajectory remained bullish.
Of course it did.
Stock prices reflect public sentiment.
Before, the rise had been driven by news alone.
Now that substance had been revealed, interest had simply exploded…
“Up another fifteen percent today?”
Cha Sung-hun had been in an excellent mood lately.
Everywhere you looked, all anyone talked about was Kang Seong.
The momentum felt real now.
And it wasn’t just the stock price.
Collaboration inquiries came flooding in every single day.
Because of it, the representatives of other guilds—competitors, really—had even begun making personal visits.
These normally unhurried types were suddenly desperate.
Jun-ho from Nakwha Guild.
Min from Myeongseong Guild.
Beom-sik from Baekho Guild had all paid their respects.
And that wasn’t all.
Foreign companies eager to strike partnerships were numerous as well.
Major processors—names you recognized just by hearing them.
People with whom, in ordinary times, even a meeting would have been difficult to arrange. Now they came seeking him out.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to call this the golden age of his life.

[Kang Seong’s taking the top spot domestically, right?]
[Who could’ve known Kang Seong would become the people’s stock…]
[All hail Kang Seong! Let’s get that money printer running.]
[If I bought Kang Seong all-in right now, would that work?]
[Should’ve bought it back then!]

And that wasn’t even the half of it.
The public took pride in Kang Seong as a national accomplishment.
There was a bit of bubble, admittedly, but by current standing alone, they stood above Cheongwol Guild.
In fact, coldly speaking, given the current trajectory, it wasn’t unrealistic.
If they could secure exclusive contracts like this repeatedly…
They could widen the gap by as much as the current distance, and then some.
‘Though I hope the Resonance Stones haven’t earned us anyone’s ill will…’
Recently, Neia had been making inquiries through Baek Jin-seong several times over.
Questions about Resonance Stone supply and availability.
Cha Sung-hun had mobilized every connection he had to search, but he’d hit a wall and had been forced to disappoint her.
He hoped this wouldn’t damage negotiations for the next special materials contract…
“All I can rely on is Seon-ah….”
For today’s meeting with Neia, he’d sent his daughter, Cha Seon-ah.
There was a reason for it.

[Is Cha Seon-ah really dating Neia?]
[Why do people keep saying this?]
[What’s going on between them?]
[But it does seem suspicious, doesn’t it?]
[I saw them meeting just the two of them in front of the Guild Association earlier.]

Similar rumors had been circulating lately on the Community and even in online news articles from time to time.
Though he’d been told no one had asked him directly about it, matters between men and women were always ambiguous.
Cha Sung-hun harbored quiet hopes.
She was his daughter, but Cha Seon-ah was truly beautiful.
If only he could take Neia as a son-in-law for Kang Seong.
That dream scenario—where he’d essentially gain Neia, who had no Guild affiliation, as family—would become reality.
Cha Seon-ah herself didn’t seem to dislike the idea, so he waited for good news to arrive.
When Cha Sung-hun checked for any similar news, his expression grew complicated.

“Killer of Kang Min-hyuk Remains Unidentified.”
“Tower Trial in Korea Flashing Red. Another Gate Crisis Looming?”
“Cheongwol Guild Stock Plummets Following Kang Min-hyuk’s Death. Guild Dissolution on the Horizon?”

No wonder—articles about Cha Seon-ah and Neia were nowhere to be found.
Instead, coverage of Kang Min-hyuk’s death dominated everything.
“Hah… well… all sorts of things happen, don’t they?”
That Kang Min-hyuk, who’d returned defeated after getting the better of him not long ago.
The arrogant bastard that he was.
He hadn’t wished for the end to come like this.
No matter how much Kang Seong had needed to overcome that obstacle, he couldn’t simply rejoice at another man’s death.
Even with his reservations, the stability that Kang Min-hyuk provided to the domestic scene had been considerable.
It was certain that the approaching Tower Trial would starkly reveal the loss of that strength.
Either way, his feelings were complicated.
“Still, this is definitely an opportunity…”
If he thought about it positively, Kang Seong was now facing a market gap.
Cheongwol, having lost its pivot point in the wake of such a strong rival’s demise, was now destroying itself.
It was convenient to expand their influence without obstacles.
That’s what Cha Sung-hun hoped for.
He wished for Cha Seon-ah to bring good news again, whatever form it might take.

* * *

Byun Ki-hyuk.
He had been quite busy for the past two days.
For obvious reasons—Kang Min-hyuk’s death.
A key national asset had been assassinated.
And in what was essentially his own sanctum—the Guild’s administrative office.
This wasn’t something to simply brush aside.
An incident that had brought serious disgrace upon the Guild Association.
He’d been happy enough until landing Neia’s contract and being promoted to association director.
But now it felt like his responsibility had only grown heavier.
And that a major incident like this would explode right when he held this position—what else could it be?
The Guild Association’s prestige had hit rock bottom.
His anxiety about the next Tower Trial was overwhelming.
Two days of relentless chaos had nearly drained him completely.
“I’m dying here, really.”
Byun Ki-hyuk slumped in his chair and let out a long complaint.
But that lasted only a moment.
He soon straightened himself and gathered his wits.
Today held an appointment that might matter even more than Kang Min-hyuk’s affair.
“What time was the meeting with Neia again?”
“There’s still about an hour remaining, sir.”
As he was caught up dealing with Kang Min-hyuk’s situation yesterday.
Neia had suddenly made a request to visit through Baek Jin-seong.
Until now, she’d been so passive that she’d delegated even contracts to intermediaries—if she were coming in person, it had to mean something serious.
So he’d prepared.
A report on what business she might have at the Guild Association.
“Did you look into it?”
“Here it is.”
Byun Ki-hyuk took the file and reviewed the documents.
It was all speculation, but Neia’s possible reasons for visiting had been narrowed down to roughly three scenarios.
The first of these was…
“A request to suspend the effects of the contract we made before… That’s the worst case.”
He didn’t even want to think about it.
Of course, he had no intention of complying willingly.
Now that Kang Min-hyuk had disappeared.
Was she going to renege on the contract he’d barely managed to get her to sign?
This was the kind of incident that wouldn’t be surprising even if a convoy of trucks showed up at the Guild Association tomorrow.
All he could do was pray it was something else.
And so he considered the second possibility he’d identified.
“She needs something…”
They were estimating it would be equipment-related, most likely.
Taking the recent incident with the Red Emperor as an example.
The hypothesis was that now that safety alarms were going off, she was about to make demands.
Based on information gathered through mobilizing the nation’s intelligence apparatus.
Baek Jin-seong had quietly purchased equipment outfitted with Survival-type Skills.
It seemed he’d actually used those effects in his recent clear as well.
“This one’s better, at least.”
Honestly, she was basically coming to shake them down.
But compared to the first scenario, it was more manageable.
That was precisely why the first assumption was the worst—but looked at another way, the second scenario at least left room to steer toward a different request and wrap things up on a positive note.
“The last one would be her expressing dissatisfaction with the Guild Association…”
The Association had been careful all this time not to provoke him unnecessarily.
Still, there was a possibility that Neia had grown dissatisfied with the Association’s actions anyway.
In fact, during his long time in the Player Support Department.
He’d learned that Players’ complaints were genuinely relentless.
The better they performed, the pickier they became.
There was a real possibility Neia wouldn’t be any different.
“Well, I’ve got the general picture anyway.”
Once he identified the rough scenarios and ran some simulations, he could plan his responses accordingly.
He just prayed it wouldn’t be the first option.
He really didn’t want to see a massive protest erupt at the Guild Association.

“Director!”
He was sitting with his eyes closed, trying to organize his thoughts.
When another staff member rushed in urgently.
“Come on, you didn’t even knock…”
“She… she’s arrived! Neia has arrived!”
Now that he thought about it, skipping the knock made sense.
“What? Already?”
He checked his watch.
There was still about fifty minutes left—this was much earlier than expected.
“Where is she?”
“She just entered the lobby, so she’s probably heading to the reception room now.”
Byun Ki-hyuk stood up urgently from his desk.
He asked as he moved immediately.
“The best reception room on the fifth floor—you know which one?”
“Yes, I’d already made sure to direct her there.”
Byun Ki-hyuk arrived at the reception room entrance and drew a deep breath.
He resolved to give his best effort regardless of what she was asking for, and stepped inside.

And there was Neia before him.
“I didn’t mean to rush you by arriving so early.”
Byun Ki-hyuk let out a bitter laugh.
He hadn’t even mentioned it, and here he was hearing about it already.
‘Still… the atmosphere I’m picking up from her is different from your average player.’
Neia’s first impression deviated sharply from the typical elite players he knew.
Among Players, many gave off a sharp, intimidating edge.
By comparison, Neia carried herself with a certain gentlemanly grace.
‘But why did she come with him?’
Cha Seon-ah sat in the adjacent seat.
Byun Ki-hyuk recalled the recent articles that had linked her with Neia, and he nodded to himself without resistance.
There was a chance it could be true, he supposed.
He let the passing thought slip away and took his seat.
Then he asked.
“If I may, what brings you to the Guild Association today?”
Neia’s answer diverged somewhat from the report Byun Ki-hyuk had been reading just moments before.
Though if he had to say so, it carried a similar thread to Case 2, but it veered entirely from what he’d anticipated.
“I’m looking to acquire Resonance Stones. A great many of them.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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