Chapter 148: Movement (4)
The Ranker’s Palace’s reception room. To be precise, the reception room of player Kim Shimun. In the luxurious room, a blonde woman sat at an elegantly set table.
“Hmm…”
Olivia scanned the room with sharp eyes.
‘Everything in here is expensive… but it’s all worth its price in performance.’
Good items are inherently costly. They require expensive materials and the craftsmanship of skilled artisans.
Usually, those who purchase such items give some thought to aesthetic appeal, no matter how small.
‘There’s no extravagance at all.’
From the delicate teacups to the interior décor, there was only the understated elegance that comes from using high-quality items. There were no elements of ostentation or luxury.
And such a home’s atmosphere often…
‘Indeed. He has little interest in luxury.’
…reflects its owner’s personality. As she pondered what kind of person Kim Shimun might be, her eyes turned to the door.
“He’s here.”
Sensing the presence outside, Olivia took out a cushion and lipstick from her bag, quickly touching up her appearance.
Just as she put the cosmetics back in her bag,
Click.
“Sorry for being a bit late.”
The door to the reception room opened, and a handsome man with striking features entered.
Seeing him, Olivia quickly stood up.
“Not at all. You should rest after your recent arena. I’m the one who should apologize for intruding.”
She bowed her waist just deep enough—neither too deeply nor too briefly. Kim Shimun’s eyes twinkled slightly at the sight.
‘A Korean-style greeting?’
Typically in the U. S., especially in business settings, a handshake accompanied by a name or introduction is customary.
But to bow without hesitation?
Moreover, “I was impressed when I saw your personal broadcast…”
Was she speaking Korean directly and not through a translator?
“Seeing you in person is even more impressive. The arena’s technology doesn’t fully capture your handsomeness.”
And so fluently, too.
‘As expected of the head of recruitment for American Dream.’
She hadn’t introduced herself yet, but Kim Shimun knew exactly who this woman was. It was inevitable.
‘No wonder she recruited so many rankers in my past life.’
When Earth was reduced to just the U. S. and China in his previous life, it was Olivia Denson who ensured the U. S. had more players than China, wasn’t it?
Although in terms of top rankers and quality, China was superior. Despite their rivalry, Sword Saint Kim Shihyuk and Spear King Zhang Liqiu were in the same country.
“Haha! It’s flattering to hear that from a beauty like Ms. Denson.”
Kim Shimun smiled naturally and reciprocated the compliment.
“Flattery…”
Olivia’s response momentarily faltered. Perhaps she was a bit surprised. She blinked for a moment, then looked directly at Kim Shimun.
“Excuse me, but do you know me?”
She hadn’t yet properly introduced herself. Seeing the curiosity in Olivia’s eyes, Shimun smiled gently.
“How could I not know the famous head of recruitment for American Dream, and a top-rank Diamond ranker?”
And then, “Of course, the bigger reason is that you’re rumored to be incredibly beautiful.”
He added playfully, winking one eye.
“Ah…”
Caught off guard, Olivia couldn’t hide her surprise and averted her gaze. Remembering her nickname ‘Winter Queen’ from the arena, it was a reaction completely out of character, yet her beauty made even that attractive.
However, it didn’t seem everyone shared the same sentiment.
“Ugh!”
Behind Olivia, a blonde man, who had been standing quietly, let out a strange groan and clamped his mouth shut. But it was too late; everyone in the reception room had heard him.
Olivia sharply turned her head toward him, and the man hurriedly straightened up.
“….”
“….”
The heavy silence lingered.
The longer the silence stretched, the paler the man’s face became. Lee Yujeong, who had entered the room with Kim Shimun, noticed Olivia’s expression and allowed herself a small smile.
“Ms. Denson, please, have a seat.”
Kim Shimun quickly stepped in to rescue the poor man.
Slowly, “… My apologies. It was rude of me to keep you waiting like this.”
Turning fully toward Kim Shimun, Olivia offered an apology, before facing the man behind her with a piercing gaze, then turning back to Kim Shimun with an intellectual smile.
As Kim Shimun took his seat, she also sat down.
“I gather you’re not one to enjoy beating around the bush, so let’s get straight to the point.”
Olivia’s straightforward approach earned a smile from Kim Shimun.
“As expected of your reputation. You must have such finesse to be the head of recruitment for American Dream.”
“You flatter me. If anything, it’s the credit of my exceptional team members rather than mine.”
She skillfully downplayed herself while elevating her staff, a subtle nod to the excellence of her organization.
Yet Kim Shimun could tell, Olivia’s words weren’t entirely calculated.
‘As I thought, despite her cold exterior, her character hasn’t changed from my past life.’
Even back then, Olivia Denson, despite her nickname ‘Winter Queen’, was a woman with a lot of affection for people. A bit peculiar was that this affection wasn’t just for charity or relief work; it sometimes manifested as an obsession with recruiting talents she took a liking to.
‘Well, it’s probably how she became the head of recruitment for a colossal guild like American Dream.’
Therefore.
“Then let’s get straight to the point. I believe you already know why I requested this meeting, Kim Shimun-ssi.”
Kim Shimun smiled lightly, well aware of her purpose.
“You’re here to offer me a guild recruitment proposal?”
“That’s correct.”
Schrrk.
Smoothly pulling out documents from her briefcase, she had clearly given attention to detail— the entire guild application form was in Korean.
She pointed to the section labeled “Signing Bonus.”
Interestingly, the amount field at the top was blank, with no figures filled in. But asking why it’s blank was a question for novices.
‘Interesting.’
Kim Shimun internally admired this and, perhaps it was evident on his face.
“As you can see, the signing bonus section is blank.”
Olivia’s smile deepened slightly.
“Typically, the amount is filled in after negotiations….”
“But in my case, it’s different?”
“Sharp as always. Yes, this blank field means there will be no negotiation element.”
In other words, “You’ll give me whatever amount I ask for.”
“Yes.”
Olivia nodded briefly.
“Hey, what if I ask for, say, 10 trillion? 100 trillion? How would you handle that?”
Kim Shimun offered a half-joking smile.
However, had he underestimated American Dream?
“10 trillion could be transferred to your account within a month. As for 100 trillion…”
She seemed to genuinely deliberate, lightly tapping the table with her long, elegant fingers.
After a momentary silence, she spoke.
“It would take at least three months, at most half a year. After that, it can be transferred in installments or as a lump sum, depending on your preference.”
“…….”
100 trillion.
An incomprehensible amount, regardless of how one looks at it.
To offer that to an individual player, even one of Platinum rank?
‘Is this why they call it the land of a thousand trillion dollars….’
A nickname once used humorously on the internet now felt remarkably real.
“Well… that was a joke, you know.”
Indeed, the financial prowess of the world’s strongest nation was on a different level.
As Kim Shimun laughed, “Even as a joke, I’m conveying that such a request wouldn’t be impossible for you, Kim Shimun-ssi.”
Olivia naturally wore the practiced smile she had honed over the past decade.
“We are this sincere about you, Kim Shimun-ssi.”
“Thanks to that, I’ve confirmed it very well.”
Offering a sum like 100 trillion to just a Platinum player. This alone showed how seriously American Dream approached him.
“Of course, the conditions we prepared don’t end here.”
She quickly pointed to the application form.
“The signing bonus is just the most basic condition in any recruitment. We wouldn’t merely try to impress Kim Shimun-ssi with just a signing bonus.”
Despite discussing a sum as large as 100 trillion, Olivia moved her finger over the middle part of the form without hesitation.
“Upon joining American Dream, you will be allocated 5% of the guild’s shares.”
“5%?”
“Yes. That is just the minimum.”
As she indicated, the middle part of the application stated ‘5%~’, with the next field left blank.
“Up to 15%, and if desired, I can allocate up to 18% with my authority.”
‘Unbelievable…’
Kim Shimun barely managed to contain his shock.
Indeed, ‘18% is nearly equivalent to the Guild Master, isn’t it?’
As if on cue, “For reference, the current Guild Master holds exactly 21% of the guild’s shares.”
Olivia solidified Kim Shimun’s thoughts.
“I believe you understand the significance of this.”
15% of the guild’s shares. Up to a maximum of 18%.
American Dream is considered one of the world’s strongest guilds, rivaled only by Continental. Holding just 5% of shares in such a guild was already unimaginable.
But offering up to 18%?
Moreover, ‘The 5% is probably justifiable, but the rest would have to come from someone else’s shares.’
Anything beyond the 5% would mean reallocating shares from existing holders to him.
‘This is an insane offer. Not only for generations to come but even as a player, this would secure the best possible life.’
American Dream, along with Continental, stands as one of the strongest guilds globally.
Given that most of their revenue comes from arena by-products and items, they likely deal in a wide range of high-quality items, from rare materials to SS or even SSS-Rank items.
Holding 18% of such a guild’s shares?
Essentially, unless the Guild Master personally intervenes, he would have free access to the guild’s resources and items. Even currently, the lowest-grade item held by Derick, the guildmaster, is S-rank.
‘With such items, he would clear arenas with solid performances.’
Naturally, better performances yield better rewards. The more challenging the arena, the greater the rewards. One would inevitably grow stronger.
‘It’s like money making more money.’
A self-reinforcing cycle. And Olivia had laid this offer on the table. Kim Shimun couldn’t help but chuckle.
“This is… more than I ever imagined.”
He was utterly sincere. Both as an ordinary person and as a player. A position that would place him at the pinnacle in an instant.
Even more so, “Right now, I’m just a Platinum rank. No matter how good my performance has been, isn’t this offer a bit too generous?”
Considering his Platinum status, the conditions were indeed almost unbelievable. Olivia nodded, empathizing with his skepticism.
“I completely understand your feelings, Kim Shimun-ssi. Even while preparing these conditions, I questioned myself several times.”
Olivia acknowledged as she nodded. But that was all.
“However, after reviewing your data and broadcasts, I decided it wasn’t excessive.”
She answered firmly.
“Why’s that? Honestly, these conditions are too generous even for players affiliated with constellations.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Adjusting her angular glasses, “For an ordinary player, this would indeed be too much. But what if the player isn’t ordinary? For example…”
Her gaze sharpened,
“If the player is affiliated with multiple constellations or has ties to especially powerful ones, the story changes.”
For the first time since the meeting began,
“And I firmly believe you fall into one of these scenarios.”
Olivia looked at Kim Shimun with cold, analytical eyes.
“Impressive.”
A short exclamation, but Kim Shimun’s response, full of genuine admiration, contained no denial.
He had no intention of denying it.
‘Someone like Olivia wouldn’t make baseless assumptions.’
Despite being in the mage class, he showed no weakness and only swept through the arena with its strengths. Plus, he had been a player for just half a year.
Considering his playtime, his level couldn’t be very high. Strength, agility, and stamina stats should be lacking. Yet he held his own in close combat against combat-class players of the same rank.
Considering all this, ‘Her assumption of Constellation involvement makes rational sense.’
Olivia’s speculation was perfectly logical, and it wasn’t wrong.
‘There are already five top-rank constellations showing interest in me.’
Thanks to his unique trait, he couldn’t have a formal patron Constellation, but in practice, the actions of the five constellations towards him were no different from those of a patron.
Wearing a calm smile, Shimun spoke.
“I won’t specify the details, but I won’t deny it either.”
Maybe she appreciated his response, “It was a rather impertinent question. Thank you for answering.”
Olivia bowed deeply.
“No problem. It’s not something I intend to hide, anyway.”
Kim Shimun waved it off lightly.
‘Rin, Shihyuk, Lee Yujeong, Jinwook, and even my uncle likely have a vague idea.’
Anyone with a certain level of influence or position would probably have sensed it. That he was a player associated with constellations. Indeed, in the Diamond rank, many players had ties with constellations.
Watching him quietly, Olivia pulled the application form back towards her.
“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to end our meeting here for today.”
“Huh?”
Blinking at her sudden withdrawal, Olivia smiled—a smile he had never seen in his past life.
“I didn’t expect to receive such an honest response. Thank you, Kim Shimun-ssi. It’s rare to meet someone as genuine as you in this line of work.”
Her smile was sincere, void of the coldness she usually exuded.
That smile.
“I didn’t expect you to accept my offer immediately, Kim Shimun-ssi.”
It was different from her usual business smile.
“And I certainly don’t want to be turned down after just one proposition.”
It was a very clear and genuine smile. Contrary to her “Winter Queen” nickname, Olivia was showing her true feelings.
Realizing that this was her way of thanking him for his honesty about the constellations, Shimun chuckled.
“Understood. So, you’ll be visiting again?”
“Of course. There are still more conditions I haven’t shown you yet. Oh! If you’re interested…”
Olivia rummaged through her pocket. She pulled out a small card that appeared to be from the arena. It resembled the one a middle-aged man named Hu Yunryong had given him shortly after his regression.
There was one notable difference.
“You can visit us at this address as well.”
This one included an address, and it was close by.
“This is in Gangnam, isn’t it?”
“Yes, we’ve just established a branch there.”
With that, Olivia stood up. Kim Shimun, briefly staring at her business card, let out a faint chuckle and stored it away. Olivia’s previously formal eyes curved slightly.
“Since it’s not far from here, feel free to visit anytime.”
“I might just do that. But does it have to be only for recruitment?”
“Of course not. From what I see, you’re someone who will definitely reach Diamond rank, so feel free to drop by whenever you’d like to discuss things as a player.”
Olivia naturally extended her hand.
“I’ll certainly do that.”
Kim Shimun grasped her hand in return.
—
“Orabeoni, are you really considering joining American Dream?”
A clear voice.
Lee Yujeong had approached without him noticing, and Kim Shimun wore a peculiar smile.
“Well, Lee Yujeong, what do you think?”
“Honestly, considering the conditions… I think you should absolutely join. It’s an offer I couldn’t refuse myself.”
As Lee Yujeong said, she was currently one of the top-ranked players in Korea, but even she hadn’t received such an offer.
“I’ve had many recruitment offers from American Dream, but nothing like this. It’s a fantastic opportunity.”
“Indeed, whether for a player or an ordinary person, the terms are extraordinary.”
Kim Shimun nodded. Lee Yujeong mirrored his smile.
“But somehow… I don’t think you’ll take it, brother.”
“As expected, you can’t be fooled, Lee Yujeong.”
Kim Shimun glanced at the business card Olivia had handed him.
“I actually have no plans to join. I told Kim Shihyuk before, you can’t change your affiliation lightly.”
“So you found something about affiliations then. But why did you take the card?”
Usually, declining a scout’s business card is an implicit refusal to join. However, Shimun just smiled mysteriously.
“I just had a very good idea.”
“A good idea?”
He didn’t provide a clear answer.
“Yes, a very good idea.”
Instead, he focused on the densely packed news on his phone screen.
TL’s Corner:
천조국** (Cheon-joguk) – (Land of a Thousand Trillion Dollars, a nickname for the U. S. in the context)