You're Really Something
By the time Chairman Chun Haeil arrived on the scene, all preparations had been completed. It showcased Victory Academy's adherence to protocols.
The instructors were ready for a potential gate wave, even including first-class hunters, as an S-rank gate wave was a serious matter. Medical teams had also erected makeshift buildings for immediate injury treatment. Yet, the key individual was conspicuously absent.
"Where could he be?" Haeil wondered as he noticed the swarm of uninvited reporters. Despite the crowd, the crucial person was missing. Haeil began searching for this specific individual, who had been promised everything.
"Why hasn't the gate opened? Has the opener not arrived?"
"He's here, but he insists on speaking with you, Chairman," Ryu Hyemi responded, leaving Haeil puzzled.
Why delay when immediate gate opening was crucial?
"Please, let's avoid any inappropriate remarks in front of the chairman," the opener interjected and interrupted the conversation. Struggling to contain his frustration, Haeil urged him to proceed. But the opener's demeanor sharply contrasted with the urgency. His casual body language and gum-chewing were unimpressive. Were it not for his gate-opening abilities, he'd seem no better than a common thug.
"I mean… I was told I'd be compensated for my services, but my demand is quite high. I've been quite busy lately, and my rates have increased. Ah, I have to be careful with my choice of words, as they might offend you, chairman…"
"Is this conversation so important that it requires such haggling? Don't you know people are trapped inside?""In situations like this, aren't casualties expected? While I respect the value of life, your students are just another concern to me… Oh, please don't glare at me like that… I feel like the ground is about to split open. I'll clarify the terms immediately."
Despite Haeil's evident frustration and activated skills, the opener remained composed, even feigning fear. Confident in his position, he calmly retrieved a document from his pocket, laid it out, and managed a smile.
Chun Haeil was seething; he wanted to kill the man standing before him. He envisioned ripping out each of the man's irritating teeth and pummeling him until dust clouds rose. Each second wasted by the man felt like an utter waste of time.
"Proceed quickly, and you'll get what you want."
"Alright, here's the deal. I'll charge a separate fee for the trip, and you'll settle the rest only after I personally open the gate. Should there be any extra costs, you're covering them. No installments, all upfront. Clear? If I can't get it open, I won't take a dime, not even for the trip!"
Concerned he might erupt in anger, Haeil simply nodded. Meanwhile, the man celebrating internally thought, "Ah… I'm truly a genius, aren't I?"
The Open skill, which enabled the forceful opening of gates, was a rarity. Typically, main skills like this couldn't be duplicated, yet about ten individuals possessed the Open skill. The high demand for this skill had elevated its value. It bestowed immense power upon its holders. Even with an audacious claim like, "Hire me or everyone dies," the opposition would invariably yield.
Kang Taemin aspired to amplify this power further.
Money indeed defines one's status.
Taemin recognized he'd underestimated his worth. Isn't it said that great power brings great responsibility? To uphold such responsibility, he needed substantial funds.
While the contract explicitly stated he'd forgo payment if he failed to open the gate, it was merely a lure. He'd never faltered in opening gates. The strategy was to deliberately insert such a clause to feign incapability, and extract additional payment. Yet, as he prepared to activate his skill and open the gate, an unsettling feeling washed over him. Typically, even a minimal activation of the skill would unveil a hint of the gate's interior. Now, though, there was nothing.
Well, it's still just a gate.
Whether an S-rank or F-rank, the Open skill treated all gates equally. There were no added complications; it was all a facade.
What if it truly remains shut?
Encountering this for the first time, he rapidly envisioned the direst outcome. Should the act linger unresolved for a minute, catastrophe loomed.
"Ah, looks like I might need some equipment…" With composure intact, Kang Taemin activated his sub-skill.
[Activate Folk Village Background! Create a stage of a folk village most suitable for the current situation!]
It was a skill he acquired by chance while working part-time at a folk village. Initially unsure of its use, he found it perfect for embellishing the Open skill. However, this would only buy him a brief moment.
"Viriviribarabubumbataya, open the gate…" While speaking, he silently prayed for it to open. Even now, camera flashes were going off like mad, as reporters captured and broadcasted the current situation.
What if the gate-opening was delayed further? What if, while he pocketed all the money, the delayed opening led to casualties? There would be no turning back. An opener who couldn't open the gate on time was meaningless. Instantly, he knew the plummeting image would be captured on video.
[A Catastrophe Born from Greed, Opener Kang Taemin Kills for Money]
He could already anticipate the yet-to-be-released headlines.
If it comes to that, it's truly over.
Feigning an incantation, he pushed the skill to its limit.
Please! Please!
Had his prayers been answered? Finally, the scenery inside the gate began to appear. Now, all he had to do was conclude his words and fully open the gate.
I'm on the rise!
Just as he was about to dramatically extend his arms to finish speaking, something happened. The gate suddenly expanded, and a man with white hair emerged.
———————————S-rank Gate Cleared!
Concept:: Classic Masterpiece [Don Quixote] Perfectly Cleared.
Death Toll:: 0
Top Contributor:: Baek Taeyang
Please give a big round of applause and congratulations!———————————
"What is this?"
"Cleared…?" Kang Taemin couldn't believe the current situation. ‘The gate has been cleared? Before I even opened it?'
[Kang Taemin, Obsessed with Money, Negotiates Until the Gate is Cleared]
[The Opener Incident, Missing the Timing Due to Greed; Netizens Rage]
The headlines were already forming in his mind. A dark cloud seemed to cast a shadow over his life.
I can't believe this…
It didn't take long to grasp the situation. Reporters were shouting from a distance to provide real-time updates.
"Mr. Kang Taemin! What happened that you couldn't open the gate before it cleared?"
"They say the negotiation process took a long time!"
"Did you intentionally wait for Chairman Chun Haeil to arrive to ask for more money?"
"Just say something! Mr. Kang Taemin!"
"You can't open the gate, can you?"
Ignoring the awakeners who couldn't get close due to fear, the reporters bombarded him with questions, even using megaphones.
++++++++++++++++
Is all this fuss really about Kim Minsoo?
———————————Achievement Unlocked! [You're Really Something, LOL] (1)
Perfectly seized the rewards that were originally meant for Kim Minsoo.
Diminished the main character status of Kim Minsoo!
Reduced the status of [Protagonist Kim Minsoo] by 3%!———————————
It was a clichéd storyline. A protagonist who effortlessly solved the changed difficulty of the gate.
At the level of a dime-a-dozen story… No wonder it started with a pure love story and would likely drift into a harem scenario.
Shortly after I appeared, everyone inside the gate began to emerge. Lee Minjoon neatly placed the weapons I had scattered on the ground into a case and brought them out, which was a bit unexpected.
Why the meticulousness…?
Supply weapons could easily be reissued. As someone who graduated from Victory Academy, he would surely know that, which made it all the more puzzling.
"We'll discuss details later, but you really did well."
"Yes, thank you."
"Let's start by checking for injuries."
Medical staff were bolting over as if someone had lit a fire under their feet, even though there was zero urgency. Their rush was supposed to be a precaution, anticipating rapidly worsening injuries, but let's be honest—it was all for show.
No one's really hurt, anyway.
Even after the intense brawl, my injuries were merely superficial. Everyone in the safe zone was as pristine as cotton; they had said all they needed to.
I've figured it out.
By snagging Kim Minsoo's leading role this round, I had an epiphany. My initial plan to micromanage every detail to thwart his harem aspirations was unnecessary. It turned out I just needed to strike decisively without doing much.
Look at his expression.
Despite his best efforts to manage his expression, Kim Minsoo couldn't mask his souring demeanor. Others might misinterpret it as some profound emotional scar, but I saw it for what it was—an entirely different face.
Green with envy, are we?
Just by looking at Kim Minsoo's face, I could read his true feelings. His face, distorted in anger from being outdone, was genuinely laughable. Yet, thinking that he could only wear such an expression for a while made me pity him.
[So Yoomin]
I need to quickly separate Yoomin from Kim Minsoo and make him entangled with other women. There's no need to intervene from start to finish.
I can just deal the final blow.
To think I was agonizing over a problem that could be solved by just barging onto the stage the author had set.
Today is the day to push first button.
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