Arena

We returned home and put Marie to sleep first. Then I brought up a particular problem with Cha Ji-hye.

“Are you saying you want to create alliances with other nation’s agencies using the livestock you bring back from Arena?”

I nodded my head at Cha Ji-hye’s question.

“Based on England’s recent actions, I was thinking we should start trying to build alliances before we end up creating more enemies.”

Currently, the countries supporting Attack Group examinees that were trying to achieve the final mission were just the Nordic Exam Group and the Korean Arena Research Agency.

That was because the Nordic Exam Group was founded by examinees like Odin, and Korea, through me, has gotten a new way to harvest majeong so they were giving their full support to the Attack Group.

‘It’s a pity but it can’t be helped.’

It’s not that I didn’t know how valuable a system to get majeong without the help of examinees was.

But in the whole world, how many political capitalists had invested in this business that was directly related to Arena?

I have to offer a satisfactory alternative so I can pull them in to cooperating with us in clearing the missions.

The next day, I called Chairman Park Jin-seong and told him my idea.

-We’ll probably have to.

“How unexpected. You’re agreeing with me?”

-An energy monopoly is only possible when you have enough strength. Otherwise, you have to share with others.

“Right?”

-If you want to forge a cooperative relationship you’ll have to contact America first.

“And the Nordic Exam Group too.”

I haven’t forgotten my loyalty to the Nordic Exam Group.

I couldn’t possibly leave out the Nordic Exam Group that helped me clear the missions from the beginning.

-Okay. Anyway, just know that I’ll be contacting America first.

If it’s America, it’ll be the Maglun family.

Before, I had cured chairman Maglun’s incurable disease and therefore had a good relationship so I should be able to receive a positive reaction.

After ending the call, Cha Ji-hye said in a low voice.

“But there is something else we have to consider.”

“What is that?”

“The investors may approve but it is unknown whether the examinees will accept it.”

“Ah, yeah. Well there’s nothing we can about that.”

It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought of that already.

We would be able to get majeong in our world too and not just in Arena!

This meant you wouldn’t necessarily need examinees to obtain it.

Which would mean it’ll break the vested rights of the examinees who have made money so far by collecting majeong.

The examinee groups, like the Chinese examinees, who have focused on making money, would strongly oppose this change.

They would probably try to interfere with my missions in any way possible to maintain the current system.

“So I have to gather more strength for the attack group examinees instead.”

It was a given but there were examinees who no longer wanted to continue with the exams. There was no way there weren’t any examinees who didn’t want to face dangerous situations in Arena.

On top of that, the examinees that did the exams for money were veterans that have already grown enough and had the power to protect themselves.

Inexperienced examinees who still found it difficult to protect their own lives needed help. If I could get them to join my side, it might be able to create a pretty strong attack group.

***

Chairman Smith Maglun was spending his days peacefully.

He had no worries.

The Arena business was going smoothly and those rival Chinese examinees that posed the most threat to him was half destroyed.

Even in his personal life, every day was going by smoothly.

All his children were living their own lives well and he too was spending every day enjoyably.

After he received treatment from Kim Hyun-ho, his sex drive was revitalized. He brought over beauties every day and was able to enjoy pleasure of a man.

‘I thought that I was done as a man after getting old but this is perfect. If it gets bad, I can always get treatment from him again.’

He could pay the treatment fee, no matter the cost. As head of the Maglun family he had all the authority and wasn’t burdened by cost.

Now what Chairman Maglun wanted was to maintain the status quo and keep everything running smoothly.

He was resistant to any variable that could cause a ripple to his day to day life.

It was because he was old enough now to enjoy the experiences of life.

But as life always does, an earthquake rolled in to disturb his peace.

“What did you just say?”

Chairman Maglun doubted what his ears had just heard.

-I said we have a way of getting majeong without going through an examinee.

The English coming through the cell phone was broken and had an awkward accent.

The person calling was none other than leading global conglomerate, Chairman Park Jin-seong of Jinseong Group. One of few people in the world who could make a direct call to Chairman Maglun.

“What you just said…you’re not bluffing?”

-I have no reason to lie.

“Just how is it you say you have a way to get majeong without going through an examinee? Are you saying there is a way to personally go into Arena?”

-Not at all. But there’s no need to go to Arena.

“How so?”

-Kim Hyun-ho.

“……?”

A familiar name popped up.

An examinee that Chairman Maglun knew very well.

-That’s as much as I’ll say for now.

That was enough.

Many inferences began to float around in Chairman Maglun’s head.

Examinee Kim Hyun-ho had just recently emerged as a world ranker.

That name that came out of Chairman Park Jin-seong’s mouth, Kim Hyun-ho, could get majeong without going into Arena.

The reason that Chairman Park Jin-seong had revealed the existence of this golden egg laying goose meant he wanted to make a deal.

What does he want from me?

Then he connected Kim Hyun-ho as an attack group examinee. One that was clearing his missions at a fast pace and would eventually reach the final mission of the exams.

Having figured out the gist of things, Chairman Maglun replied.

“That friend sure does have a lot of special skills.”

-I know, right.

“I’ll see you soon in Korea.”

“Okay.”

After ending the call, Chairman Maglun had a lot of thoughts running through his head.

‘It’s possible to gain majeong without going through an examinee?’

That means this is no different than having acquired an oilfield.

A key that could make him like the Rockefeller family who had the most wealth of all of mankind! 𝘧r𝘦𝗲w𝘦𝚋𝐧o𝘷𝘦𝙡.co𝑚

‘Exposing that probably means he doesn’t want to get sick from trying to eat all of it by himself.’

And Kim Hyun-ho doesn’t want to receive any interference while clearing the missions.

And Chairman Maglun was the person with the most power in the Arena business.

‘This will be a good opportunity.’

The single common concern of everyone invested in the Arena business was the uncertainty about its future.

He might be able to get the answer to whether or not they’ll be able to get majeong in the future.

‘Before that thought there’s one thing I have to be sure of.’

Chairman Maglun got his cellphone out again and sent a text to someone.

A moment later,

“You called?”

A black-haired handsome man entered the room.

His name was Dana Litalin.

Of all examinees in the world, he was ranked 1st (publically) for the amount of karma obtained. He was one of the greatest ever recorded.

There may be lots of strong examinees who had not divulged all their powers but formally being acknowledged as the best in the world is still a great feat.

Additionally, just like the hidden examinees, Dana also had many skills that no one had ever seen.

“I called because I have something to discuss with you.”

“Go ahead, sir.”

“Come sit, get comfortable.”

Chairman Maglun gestured to the chair next to the table.

His expression, which was usually always bright, changed to one that was a bit more serious.

Dana sat down at the table chair.

“Has something occurred?”

“Hmm, there has.”

Dana quietly waited for Chairman Maglun to reveal the point.

Chairman Maglun said.

“How long has it been since you’ve worked with me?”

“In real time, it’s already been 14 years.”

“Huh, that long already? Then in your time, has long has it been?”

He was asking about his time included spent in Arena.

Dana answered.

“47 years.”

“Hu…….”

Awe overcame Chairman Maglun’s face.

“You’ve spent that long time with me.”

“Yes.”

“All that while, without causing any problems, you have been loyal and helped me.”

“It is not that difficult a task to be loyal to one’s work and not create problems.”

“It’s hard, it is. That truly is something difficult.”

“I’m sure it differs according to one’s personality. But for me it wasn’t really difficult.”

“Haha, of course.”

Chairman Maglun looked at Dana as if looking at a close friend.

There was a moment of silence.

Chairman Maglun asked again.

“How long has it been since you didn’t clear a mission?”

“Not long ago, I failed 5. It isn’t much but I’ve started stacking minus karma.”

“Tch, you’ve become a corrupt examinee overnight. I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.”

“Probably, if you made really put your mind to it, you could get through the missions faster than any other examinee?”

“Probably.”

“Hmm, then how about clearing them?”

“This mission you mean?”

“All the exams.”

“……”

Dana looked at Maglun with a gaze as if he was asking ‘are you serious?’

“It might be possible to get majeong without going through the exams.”

“That should be impossible. I have experimented many times myself. Ultimately, life forms from our world cannot carry majeong.”

“Yes, I know you’ve tried many times. But it turns out there might be a way to get majeong in Korea.”

“Korea……”

Dana thought for a moment and then said.

“You mean Kim Hyun-ho?”

“…… how did you know that?”

Dana smiled at Maglun who was delighted beyond measure and said.

“He was the examinee with the strange skill known as the flame of life. And he is getting stronger faster than anyone else. I had been thinking he was an examinee with something special.”

“I’ve watched you for a long time but you really are amazing.”

“Not at all. Anyway, seeing how you’re saying this, you wanted to ask me if I’d be okay even if I could no longer be an examinee. Right?”

“Exactly. You, more than anyone, has gained the most from being an examinee. I’ll be going to Korea shortly to make a deal, but before that I wanted to ask for your opinion.”

Dana’s didn’t take long at all to answer.

“It does not matter.”

“It doesn’t matter?”

“Yes, I have all the wealth and honor, and I know that that isn’t all that either. Even if all the exams were finished and I became a common person, I would have no regrets.”

“Really? How is that possible?”

“Even if all the skills I’ve gained so far were to disappear, it’s not like the time passed that I spent as an examinee would disappear as well. After the exams, a new life that follows will be waiting for me. And I’ve got plenty money saved too.”

“Haha, you are better than I. I cannot let go of my greed like you.”

Dana smiled.

“There are difference among people. It is not hard for me to do so.”

“Hahaha!”

Chairman Maglun laughed cheerfully.

After the laughter stopped, Chairman Maglun said.

“If this deal is completed, I plan on appointing you as the CEO of all Arena related business. And I’ll give you shares too. Ultimately, I won’t disappoint you.”

“I trust you. Do as you wish.”

“Thank you.”

Chairman Maglun shook Dana’s hand.

Dana Litalin, as always, had an unchanging smile on his face.