Chapter 27: Chapter 27

[Translator - Night][Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 27: Temporary Return (3)

A piece of paper labeled as a sponsorship contract.

The amount written on it totaled 5 billion won per year, including the signing bonus and monthly sponsorship payments.

The contract stated that the Daehyun family's Hunter Business Division would fully support Hunter Kim Jiho, both financially and materially.

There was also a clause crossed out by Kang Shia, which read something like, "In the event of an unavoidable situation occurring to the Daehyun family, Hunter Kim Jiho will consider providing assistance."

At first glance, it seemed entirely non-binding.

It was truly a sponsorship contract desperate to give money to me.

“I wish I could offer even more, but unfortunately, this is all I’m allowed. I’m launching a new Hunter business division, but there’s been significant opposition... My budget is limited because I also need to invest in other ventures. Given that, I can’t dare expect help in return. Please, just accept the money and don’t worry about anything else.”

“Wait, just the money?”

“Yes. There’s absolutely no obligation. I’ll just send the funds every month. We’ll even handle the taxes for you.”

“Hmm… Is this some kind of hidden-camera prank? You’re even wearing TV-worthy makeup today.”

I looked around.

I didn’t see any cameras or lenses.

No signs of anyone nearby either.

How are they filming this?

As I scanned the surroundings, Kang Shia covered her mouth and laughed.

“Pfft. What hidden camera? No TV station would dare upset Hunter Kim Jiho and risk facing the consequences.”

“I’m not that kind of person, though…”

“Hmm. Jiho, you need to be a bit more self-aware of your position. What kind of world do you think will come in a year?”

“A world where elves and dwarves withdraw, and humanity must fight the forces of chaos with Earth’s own strength.”

Kang Shia clapped her hands together.

“Yes, exactly! Even if we restore the abandoned world, B- to C-rank dungeon portals will still appear. A B-rank portal, for example, would spawn monsters on par with High Elf Liana. Right now, there’s no one on Earth capable of subduing her. Honestly, if the supporters from other worlds were even slightly more violent, we might’ve ended up under an elven regime.”

Her words suddenly reminded me of the alternate version of myself from another world.

In that world, were Earth’s neutral faction supporters goblins or orcs?

Those creatures would likely have been more violent.

If that were the case, was that era’s Kim Jiho shaped by a more aggressive Earth?

If so, the atmosphere of that world would have likely been very different from the peaceful Earth we know now.

There wouldn’t have been elves shooting commercials or humans cheering for them.

“B-rank dungeons mean monsters equivalent to Liana’s level will appear… If guns don’t work, and they’re spiritual monsters, only high-ranking Hunters will be able to deal with them. Those Hunters will become incredibly valuable.”

“And one of them is you, right?”

“Yes. I had anticipated as much, but hearing your level today confirmed my suspicions.”

“So, are you really giving me money without any ulterior motives?”

When I asked, Kang Shia smiled playfully.

“Well… maybe just a little ulterior motive. But judging by the vibe, I’m the first to support you like this. If you ever need help, wouldn’t you at least consider my request? Just a little?”

“Hah, seriously. I’m the type who doesn’t turn down free money. But what if nothing happens after all this?”

“That would be even better! You don’t worry about getting life insurance because you’re afraid you won’t die, right? The best-case scenario is that nothing happens.”

Hmm.

So, she’s treating this like insurance.

A sponsorship contract offering a signing bonus of 2 billion won, monthly payments of 250 million won, and a total of 5 billion won.

There wasn’t a single demand on me—just a requirement to write my name and account number.

Is my value really worth this kind of unconditional support?

I couldn’t help but feel doubtful.

Still, since they’re offering, I might as well accept it.

“I’ll do my best to help you out if something ever happens.”

“Just hearing that makes this contract a success.”

“Hah… But does your family even approve of this contract?”

“They’d probably oppose it if they knew. But this amount isn’t significant enough for them to care, so it’s fine!”

She waved dismissively as if the amount was trivial, sipping her wine with an air of elegance.

Wow.

That’s actually kind of cool.

Lately, she doesn’t just seem beautiful—she radiates a certain charisma.

[Pollux scolds you, saying there’s nothing cool about her.]

[Pollux advises you to view her with a clearer perspective.]

Turning that off would genuinely be a disaster, old man.

Ignoring Pollux’s grumblings, I continued enjoying my conversation with her.

She seemed especially interested in the planet Kevrian, even asking if she could move there if Eshtar ever fell.

When I told her dying wasn’t worth it, she explained that the Chaos Lord’s magic would reset Eshtar, allowing her to choose a new planet.

I tried to dissuade her, saying it’d just be more suffering, but she remained highly intrigued.

Would leveling up on Eshtar be impossible then?

Should I hit level 50 on Kevrian first?

After we finished the meal, I offered to pay, but Kang Shia declared, “As a celebration for our sponsorship contract, I already covered the bill.”

At that moment, her charisma reached its peak.

I not only enjoyed a great meal but also rode in her car back home, just as I received a call from Lee Jinseong.

-Jiho, what are you doing?

"I’m on my way home."

-Housewarming party at your new place?

"Sure, bring some booze. I’ll send you the address."

Is that guy still in Eshtar?

Alright.

Let’s hear his opinion, too.

When I got home and waited, the guy who came with alcohol and snacks kept saying how great the house was while looking around.

“So, you became a special-class Soul Mediator and got gifts from the gods? That thing above your head is a phoenix?”

“Yeah.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“And you took on the hardest planet, died only once, and hit level 34 in a single day?”

“Yup.”

“And Kang Shia begged you to take her money, signing a contract for 5 billion won?”

“Exactly.”

Jinseong sighed deeply as he looked at me, then mixed soju and beer in a 1:1 ratio and downed it in one go.

“What kind of messed-up game is this? The balance is completely broken! So, all those rumors going around were about you... I figured it might’ve been you when I heard about a Novice switching to a special class.”

“What kind of rumors?”

“That a High Elf personally came looking for someone, Elves and Dwarves bow down to them, and the gods favor them. Stuff like that. But everyone dismissed it as nonsense.”

I guess it’s because Elves and Dwarves treat me with such respect, calling me ‘Soul Mediator’ and all.

Well, I’ve got the skills to back it up now, so I don’t feel the need to hide anything anymore.

“By the way, Kevrian, huh… From the sound of it, it’s a complete war zone. Man, I want to go. I just need a red horse first.”

“Do red horses even exist?”

“There’s this Spirit Stone that can summon a Spirit Horse. For Spirit users, it’s just a regular mount, so they call it a dud and sell it cheap for 8 billion.”

8 billion is cheap?

Seriously?

This industry’s inflation is ridiculous.

Equipment was expensive, too…

“Hey, 8 billion? What, is that someone’s kid’s name? Just get some gear instead.”

“Making money isn’t that hard if you’re in Eshtar. All you need to do is find a D-rank dungeon. Our guild is pretty strong, so getting into dungeons is easy.”

“Are Mana Stones and dungeon cores really that valuable?”

“Dungeon cores are the main ingredient for the Elves’ elixir of youth. As for D-rank Mana Stones, they’re being researched as clean energy sources, in addition to weapon use. Basically, they’re priceless right now. Demand far outweighs supply.”

So that’s why this guy wasn’t too shocked when I mentioned Kang Shia offering 5 billion.

He made such a fuss when I said I switched to a special class and got a phoenix and skills from the gods.

“Who knew there was so much money in it. Is Eshtar the better option? But leveling up seems more important right now.”

“Yeah, I think leveling up should be your priority. They’re saying the world might end in a year. What’s the point of money if that happens? Getting as strong as possible should come first.”

Right.

I might’ve been momentarily distracted by all the money floating around, amounts I’d never even dreamed of before.

If we don’t restore the broken world, the Lord of Abyss could descend on Earth, ending everything.

At that point, money wouldn’t matter.

“I think it’d be better to aim for a C-rank promotion on that hardest planet. You’re already getting sponsorship money, so focus on leveling up. Eshtar’s getting overcrowded, and leveling up there is getting harder. If you hit C-rank, sponsorships like Kang Shia’s will pour in. If you even manage to be the first in the world, it’ll be a jackpot.”

“Yeah, leveling up is more important than money right now.”

“Of course. The tutorial period is almost over, and Earth’s players are still stuck at D-rank. Governments must be panicking. If a C-rank emerges, countries will be throwing money at them.”

Both Kang Shia and Jinseong, who are in Eshtar, are advising me to prioritize leveling up.

Looks like they’re right.

The next day, I went to the association’s upper floors again to gather more information, but everyone’s memories were all over the place and not very helpful.

They weren’t entirely wrong, but the details were off in subtle yet significant ways.

It turned out most people in the Korean branch were low-level players on Kevrian.

The more skilled ones were in branches of powerful countries like the U.S.

‘Guess I’ll have to give up on gathering information.’

I stood at a crossroads.

Should I go to Kevrian?

Or should I move to Eshtar after dying there?

Kevrian offers a lot of experience points, and I’d be the sole recipient of the gods’ blessings.

Though the guide has become unreliable, it still has some information about the planet.

However, the difficulty is said to be impossible, and there’s no money to be made.

Considering the ultimate goal is to restore the broken world, staying here isn’t ideal.

On the other hand, Eshtar has easier difficulty and is great for making money.

It’s peaceful, so I wouldn’t have to live as if I were being chased. Sёarᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

The monthly reset system is both an advantage and a disadvantage...

But the competition is fierce, and it’s hard to earn experience points.

Hmm...

I was undecided when I left Kevrian, but now I feel like I need to reach C-rank as soon as possible.

My heart was set on Kevrian.

I decided leveling up was more important than money.

“Are you really going to Kevrian?”

The next day.

Alena, the Elf, came fully armed and asked me again.

“Yes.”

“Eshtar would suit you better...”

Her opposition wasn’t as strong as it was initially.

“I’ve decided to prioritize leveling up.”

“Well, Eshtar is too competitive. And other planets aren’t great for leveling either... Alright, at this pace, you’ll become a high-ranking Hunter in no time.”

“Yeah. I need to hit C-rank soon.”

After the guides became useless, I had debated whether to keep trying Kevrian.

But Eshtar didn’t seem like it would help solve the broken world before leveling up either, and Kevrian is way better for that.

Using the money I received from the association and Kang Shia’s deposit, I learned 10 3-circle spells at 500 million won each, leaving me 5 billion in the red.

Watching money come in and go out in real-time was heartbreaking, but I convinced myself it was an investment.

After thoroughly preparing for battle like before, I initiated the transfer to Kevrian, the broken world.

This time, I resolved not to leave until I reached C-rank, focusing solely on leveling up.

Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the challenge.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]