“…Could you explain your reason?”
After thinking it over, Chief Choi calmed himself.
He wasn’t trying to force anything, carefully avoiding causing any discomfort to Kang Hyun.
“I don’t like being tied down.”
Kang Hyun answered honestly.
He had no qualms about exploiting the system when it suited him, but putting on a mask wasn’t something he could stomach.
“You must be concerned about the mandatory clauses, such as restrictions on foreign travel or personal sanctions. I can have those removed under my authority—”
“I still refuse.”
“Then how about a non-binding preliminary agreement with room for future adjustments—”
“No.”
“…You just want freedom, don’t you?”
As expected, he was sharp.
It was refreshing to have a conversation with someone so perceptive.
“If I have to be bound by something, I’d rather not receive anything at all.”
“With support, your growth could accelerate significantly.”
“I can handle it on my own. I always have.”
It sounded arrogant, but Kang Hyun had earned the right to say it.
He had proven himself time and again.
Perhaps Chief Choi sensed that confidence.
He couldn’t refute it.
“…Are you really willing to give up all these benefits?”
“Yes.”
Give up? Not quite.
In time, everything always fell into his hands anyway.
What mattered was that everyone wanted Kang Hyun.
No one could replace him.
In the end, they would be the ones clinging to him.
Concessions weren’t something you begged for.
They came when the other party couldn’t wait to hand them over.
Life had taught him this lesson well.
‘I wish I’d known this in my previous life when I was younger.’
Still, in this second life, he could act with foresight.
Thanks to the experiences of his past life.
Returning from death had changed his perspective.
Reincarnation wasn’t such a bad deal.
“Is there truly nothing you want from the nation?”
“Nothing.”
“It doesn’t have to be material.”
“Hmm.”
“We could offer special privileges, honorary titles, or even limited public authority. The state can provide such things as well.”
“That does sound tempting.”
“Oh!”
To be honest, there was something he wanted.
‘A diplomatic position to Thea.’
With that, or rather because of that, he could move freely in Thea.
‘There are loose ends I need to tie up after dying so suddenly.’
Unfinished promises before the final battle.
The people who begged him to return.
The home that waited for him.
And also, the comrades’ hometowns he’d sworn to visit once peace was achieved.
No, before that…
‘There’s a chance my comrades are still alive.’
Even if they weren’t, he ought to visit their graves.
So, he needed to go to Thea.
A diplomat’s authority was essential.
But right now, it wasn’t feasible.
‘There’s no way they’d grant it already.’
A diplomat represented the nation.
At a minimum, he needed to prove his rank.
His identity still had to be concealed.
And besides, those intangible perks…
“They’ll end up in my hands eventually.”
“…”
Chief Choi fell silent.
He seemed to sense that persuasion was impossible from Kang Hyun’s last words.
“…It can’t be helped, then.”
“Oh, you’re not going to push further?”
“There’s no point in forcing things that won’t work.”
“I thought you’d appeal to patriotism and demand sacrifices.”
“Haha, I get that a lot. But…”
Chief Choi’s posture relaxed slightly.
“Patriotism isn’t something you can demand. It’s something that arises naturally.”
“Wow…”
He wasn’t as rigid as Kang Hyun had initially thought.
The more they talked, the more he seemed like a decent person.
Perfect as a liaison with the government.
‘That’s enough for today.’
He had plugged any leaks about his identity
and forged a positive connection with the government.
Kang Hyun stood up from his seat.
“Well, I’ll be going now.”
“Wait, just like that?”
“We’re done here.”
“W-Wait! Even if you won’t sign a contract, at least take this!”
“Hmm?”
Chief Choi handed him something.
###
Ding!
“Oh, the money’s in!”
“Cash!”
Kang Hyun and Aden huddled close, staring at the phone.
The mana stone exchange funds had finally arrived.
Things had been so chaotic back then that they hadn’t even checked how much it was.
“Let’s see how much~”
“Checking now! Drumroll please~”
Opening the account!
“Wha—?!”
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“One point two… million?!”
“What?!”
Deposited: 12.8 million won.
All earned in just over a week, from six uses of the Word of Power 【Stop】 in a dungeon.
“Y-You must be reading it wrong! Maybe it’s 1.28 million? Let me see!”
“Hey, keep your hands off the sacred account!”
Aden reached for the phone, but Kang Hyun held it high behind his back.
“One of those times, I cleared the dungeon by myself!”
“How’s that just you? If I hadn’t stopped them, you’d have been roasted alive!”
Aden lunged to grab the phone, burying her face in Kang Hyun’s chest, which reeked of mana.
The distinct milky scent of an elf wafted through.
What a sneaky tactic.
“Just let me see it!”
“You little—!”
It was a shame about the taxes.
If he had signed the contract yesterday, 50% would’ve been tax-exempt.
‘Well, at least there’s this.’
Leaving Aden, who was gleefully staring at the phone,
Kang Hyun pulled a card from his wallet.
A platinum card.
It offered a 90% discount at state-affiliated Awakened supply shops.
Chief Choi had handed it to him in the end.
Saying he could use it as much as he wanted.
Of course, the discounts were all debt.
If Kang Hyun renounced his Korean citizenship, he would owe the state.
Unless he naturalized?
Effectively, it was free money.
No interest. No repayment deadline.
And if he ever signed on with the government, the debt would be wiped clean.
It was practically a bribe to ensure he wouldn’t leave for another country.
Not a bad deal.
“Disciple, stop staring at the account. Let’s hit the dungeon.”
“Ooh, a dungeon! Yes, Master!”
Time to clear today’s dungeon and go shopping afterward.
###
Chief Choi sat with his head in his hands, deep in thought.
‘…He won’t be able to ignore our support forever.’
F-rank zones were manageable, but E-rank was a different story.
Between ranks, there were walls.
Unlike F-rank, which was a beginner zone, E-rank marked the beginning of true awakened activity.
‘Solo Perfect Clears at that level are absolutely impossible.’
He would undoubtedly need either a team or support.
Both were areas where the state could step in.
And if they could sneak in some irresistible benefits…
“It’s here! A Perfect Clear notification!”
“What?!”
Could it be E-rank!?
Was that even possible?
He turned his attention to his team’s chatter.
“Wow, that stamina is unreal.”
“Seriously. Has that guy ever skipped a Perfect Clear, even once?”
“Didn’t do one yesterday. Maybe he was tired?”
One staff member casually checked the internet’s response.
“His progress is already at 100%, but people still go crazy every time there’s a Perfect Clear notification.”
“Turn off the comments, rookie. Those’ll be full of hate soon enough.”
“Yeah, most of them will be bashing us.”
“Not much we can do. We need to find him quickly….”
Chief Choi flinched but stayed silent.
He had to minimize any chance of information leaking,
at least until they secured a contract.
“By the way, Chief, any progress on locating the Perfect Clear Awakened?”
“You were so busy just two days ago, but today—”
“Hold on! What’s the rank for this Perfect Clear? Don’t tell me it’s E-rank!”
To cut off the chatter, Chief Choi abruptly stood and shouted.
“It’s F+.”
“…Oh, I see.”
Chief Choi sighed in relief.
His team burst into laughter at his reaction.
“Come on, Chief. Don’t expect an E-rank Perfect Clear.”
“Yeah, solo Perfect Clears are only possible in F-rank zones.”
“You can’t do E-rank without a team.”
“Haha, true enough. Let’s find him quickly and pair him with a capable team.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be possible.
‘He knows it himself, which is why he hasn’t attempted E-rank.’
By now, he was probably hitting a wall and feeling discouraged.
Time to reach out and sway him a little.
Chief Choi pulled out his phone and dialed, filled with thoughts of how to nudge support into place.
###
Kang Hyun emerged from the dungeon.
“This sword’s no good anymore.”
The short sword he’d been issued upon registration.
It wasn’t just worn down—it was on the verge of breaking.
“Let’s use the platinum card to get a new one.”
“Good idea.”
But awakened gear was notoriously expensive.
Maybe just window shopping for now.
First, he checked the rewards.
“Ah, we got a dud.”
Dried Sacred Water Elixir.
“It used to be really good. Now, my stats don’t go up with this.”
The elixir’s effects only worked when his mana was at F-rank levels.
‘I’ll save it for later, maybe process it into something useful.’
Kang Hyun, an elixir specialist.
There were many ways to use elixirs.
He could mix multiple ones to amplify their effects
or just sell them for a high price.
‘Elixirs are so rare, they should fetch a good price.’
For now, he decided to keep it.
“F-rank rewards are starting to feel underwhelming.”
“Yeah. Let’s go for E-rank tomorrow.”
“Really!? But the difficulty…”
“Hold on, I’ve got a call.”
Ring—
He answered the phone.
“Yes, Chief Choi?”
[It’s nothing urgent. I just saw the Perfect Clear alert pop up.]
“Yes, I just cleared it.”
[Ah, great work. You mentioned you’d call before attempting it, so I thought I’d check in.]
Kang Hyun hadn’t been permitted to tackle E-rank dungeons yet.
But now?
The matter was settled.
One call to Chief Choi, and he could get approval.
No solo record, no extra hassle.
A seamless one-touch reporting system.
A privilege no one else in the country had, reserved solely for Kang Hyun.
“No need to bother busy people for something as trivial as an F+ dungeon.”
His gear was on its last legs, so he’d held off on E-rank today.
“I’ll call when I go for an E-rank dungeon.”
[Haha. Thank you for letting me know. By the way… is there anything else you’d like to say?]
“Anything else? Hmm….”
Was there?
“Ah, thanks for the card.”
[Oh… the card, yes, I’m glad you’re using it. But also… uh….]
“What?”
He heard a faint mumble, something about “feel free to take more if it’s too much trouble….”
Too quiet to make out clearly.
What was that about?
[Ah, never mind. Seems it’s not time yet.]
“Not time for what?”
[You’ve worked hard. Rest well!]
Click.
The call ended.
As always, Chief Choi’s voice brimmed with energy.
“Speaking of which, should we go weapon shopping?”
“Yes! I’ve always wanted to check out an awakened gear shop!”
“Why’s that?”
Kang Hyun hailed a taxi with his phone.
“Those shops are like luxury boutiques but on steroids. Just seeing the stuff is exciting!”
“There’s plenty to look forward to. Ah, here’s the taxi.”
“A taxi! The symbol of extravagance!”
“…I’ll make sure we don’t go hungry, so tone it down, will you?”
The two headed to the store.
