Arena

Inside the research agency, we did more negotiating.

Mostly Chief Lim Chul-ho and Chairman Maglun did the negotiating, Cha Ji-hye and Dana translated their lively English conversation so I barely understood the flow of the conversation.

The main thing was that in return for bringing back animals from Arena, how much can you give us?

What we wanted was not just a cooperative relationship through with words.

We wanted the examinees under the Maglun family to change from their current status into an attack group.

Chief Lim Chul-ho, aside from that, also wanted the option of a technical partnership with the Maglun family since they were the best in the world when it came to the practical applications of majeong technology.

Chief Lim Chul-ho was originally from the Jinseong group so in that regard he was seeking these types of practical interests.

Cha Ji-hye, who had been listening, told me in a low quiet voice.

“The deal is slowly moving forward. The Maglun family will provide some limited technological knowledge but will still need to consider giving Jinseong group the corresponding technology to actually be able to use the knowledge efficiently.”

“That easily?”

“The Maglun family focuses mostly automobiles, aeronautics, and ships, so it doesn’t really overlap with the Jinseong electronics that deal with electronic IT.”

Then again, that made sense.

Nowadays, IT stuff goes into cars too so working together could be a good business opportunity.

“If this partnership, which would benefit both groups, comes to fruition then since you are the glue that holds everything together, you can ask Jinseong group to give you dividends.”

Of course I could do that.

The person bringing animals back from Arena was me.

If there are benefits because of me and the subsequent technology they build using my majeong, they would have to pay a satisfactory amount as well.

‘Well, to be honest, I have enough money that’ll it’ll rot before I can use it all and I don’t really have anywhere to use it.’

Already, Jinseong group was working with the government and preparing to harvest majeong through ranching. And since I own 40%, I held the biggest stake in the company.

Through that alone an enormous amount of money would come in to probably make me the richest person in the world.

I don’t really have much greed left in me at this point, but it’s still not right to let them place the spoon on for free!

(TN: This is a Korean saying. It’s like when someone goes through all the work to prepare the food for dinner and then someone else comes by and puts down a spoon and then claims the credit for everything.)

“What should I ask Chairman Park Jin-seong for? Because honestly I really don’t need money.”

“Ask him for shares in Jinseong electronics.”

“Aha, that’s a good idea.”

From what I’ve heard, when the rumors were circulating and the stock had fallen to record low, he had gotten a lot of Jinseong electronic stock.

After that, through my treatment, he got better and once he returned, the stock shot way up and he saw great benefits.

He’ll have lots of shares then so I think he must have enough to give some of them to me.

“Should I ask for a small amount? Like 0.5%?”

“That doesn’t sound that small but he’ll have no choice but to give it to you.”

Well, that’s not that important.

My interest is that by doing this, how many of the Maglun examinees will start actively targeting the exam.

Since it won’t do if they just say they’ll work hard towards reaching the final exam but ignore it altogether.

I have to attach a condition where I can clearly see the results of their actions.

I thought it over carefully.

Then all of a sudden, I looked at the black haired man sitting across from me, Dana Litalin.

‘That’s it!’

I just had a good idea. I knew what condition I had to attach to the deal.

I slightly raised my hand and asked to comment.

Everyone looked at me.

“I have one condition as well. I need evidence that your side is working to attack the exams.”

I said in Arena’s language.

For Chief Lim Chul-ho, who couldn’t understand Arena’s language, Cha Ji-hye translated.

I pointed to Dana and said.

“I want proof that Mr. Litalin has cleared the upcoming exam.”

Dana’s face looked surprised. Then he smiled and translated it for Chairman Maglun.

Chairman Maglun said something with a slightly concerned face, Dana shrugged his shoulders.

“Okay.”

Dana willingly agreed to it.

“Until we have proof that Mr. Litalin has cleared the exam, we will table the deal.”

“I don’t know if I can provide you proof but if clear the exam, you will probably be able to tell.”

“……?”

Dana smiled as he said.

“The five high priests. I’ll erase two of them from the world.”

“…… excuse me?”

For a moment, I doubted what my ears had just heard.

“You probably know already that their organization has a deep connection with the Aman Kingdom?”

“Yes but……”

“If two high priests disappear, you will definitely feel the aftermath. Odin of the Nordic exam group that you are close with will definitely feel that unexpected change.”

Dana was right.

Odin was a big player with a close relationship to the royal family so he’ll hear about that kind of news quickly.

But I couldn’t believe anything more than that.

How confident must he be to be able to claim such things?

“Is what you say true?” f𝓇𝘦𝒆𝘄𝑒𝗯𝑛𝗼ѵ𝙚l.𝒄𝘰𝓶

“Honest. It is not an expression of confidence but I can promise you that because I have a sure way to do so.”

“Not one but two…… that’s really possible?”

I couldn’t help but ask one more time.

“Something of this level isn’t that difficult for me.”

I realized for the first time what kind of person this Dana Litalin was.

Ranked first in the world based on how much karma he had.

He was strong enough for the great Chairman Maglun to keep him by his side like his shadow, a man that warranted that much trust and confidence.

Eventually, I would just have to wait and see if his promise to kill two high priests would be fulfilled or if it would just end as boasting.

But it didn’t seem like he’s bluffing.

It just got me get more curious about him.

Just what skills does he have and to what level? How strong is he?

***

Just like that, the first round of negotiations with Chairman Maglun was finished. Chief Lim Chul-ho would be responsible for doing the more detailed negotiation.

More detailed plans would be mediated between the Korean Arena Research Agency and the Maglun Research Agency. For me, the Maglun family becoming a friendly ally and not becoming an enemy like England was be enough.

After dealing with the Maglun Research Agency was the Nordic Exam Group.

They were originally a friendly nation so there wasn’t much negotiating needed.

In the case of the Nordic Exam Group, Odin contacted me first.

-I heard from Marie. She said you took out a grand eagle from your virtual space.

He must have heard while talking to Marie on the phone.

“Yes, I was actually going to call you first.”

I suggested to him the method of harvesting majeong by ranching from livestock I bring from Arena to here.

-That’s what we were thinking as well which is why I called. Could you do that for us?

“Of course. But I do need an appropriate price.”

I also added that I was in the middle of negotiations with the Maglun Research Agency.

-Hm, we do have our own majeong application skills but we don’t have anything to put forth like the Maglun family as a negotiation card.

I thought for a moment then said.

“For now I would like if you could provide the synthetic muscle suit and the radio/transmitter comm devices that the Nordic exam group has created to the Korean Arena Research Agency.”

-Understood. Those are things we can only use because of your skill anyway so we can always provide those.

“Hm, other than that I don’t really know. It’s a business that the Korean government and Jinseong group are partaking in so I can’t just give it to you……”

-First of all, as you know, more than any other examinee group, we focus our efforts on attacking the exams. For the examinees in Korea, we can offer them a lot of aid as well. If you look at the world rankings, our examinees are far stronger than Korea too.

That’s true.

The Nordic exam group was an organization made up of examinees from north European countries and also, due to focusing on clearing the exams, the average capability of their examinees was far superior to Korea’s.

On top of that, they had the benefit of being far more trustworthy than the Maglun family.

There was the promise that Dana Litalin made but basically, how focused they would actually be on clearing the exams was still an unknown.

-And in regards to basic sciences we are also superior to Korea. We can cooperate there and I can offer that.

“Anyway, I will tell Chief Lim Chul-ho so let’s make a deal.”

-Tell him in good light. Thank you.

“Will do.”

Then just as I was about to hang up the phone I suddenly recalled something and quickly said.

“Ah, hold on!”

-What is the matter?

Asked Odin suspiciously.

“You know Dana Litalin right?”

-How could I not?

“When we were first making the deal with Chairman Maglun……”

I told Odin about how Dana promised he would kill two of the high priests.

-Two high priests?

“Yes, it didn’t sound like he was bluffing.”

-Hm, I mean for Dana Litalin such a thing might be possible.

“Really?”

-I don’t know for sure but among the living examinees, he could be the person who has been through the most exams.

“Even though he’s so young?”

-I haven’t heard that he bought karma with money, so seeing as how he has that much karma, isn’t it reasonable to say he has cleared that many exams then?

“I guess that’s true.”

-He is a person in a veil, there’s not much known about him. There is no one who has seen him in Arena either. Other than the speculation that his main skill is some type of magic, there is nothing else. But with him, I would guess that of all other examinees, he is the closest one to the end of the exams.

“So you’re saying for now, I should trust him?”

-Yes. If two high priests die, I will definitely know. Currently, our Nordic exam group members are focusing on surveying the Aman kingdom, so if something unexpected comes up, we’ll be able to know about it right away.

“Alright. Then in the next mission, please keep an eye out on the atmosphere in the Aman kingdom royal family.”

-Will do. Anyway, I’ll see you in Korea in a bit.

“Yes.”

I finished the call and I contacted Chief Lim Chul-ho and told him about the Nordic Exam Group.

They were a trustworthy ally so give them a good deal, I pledged on their behalf and they said they understood.

Not long after that, not just Odin but a whole group from the Nordic exam group landed in Korea.

They visited the Korean Arena Research Agency and they made a deal with Chief Lim Chul-ho.

I partook in it as well with Cha Ji-hye. And I had no choice but to divulge the information to Chief Lim Chul-ho that my virtual space was able to take electronics into Arena because of the radio/transmitters and muscle suits.

I eventually would have had to reveal it in order to give the synthetic muscle suit and radios to Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk so we could work together in Arena.

Chief Lim Chul-ho looked straight at me and sighed as he said.

“We’re in the same boat now so I would appreciate if you would let me know these kinds of things and not hide anything.”

“Yes, I don’t have another hidden skill.” 𝗳𝘳𝒆𝘦𝑤𝐞𝚋𝗻𝚘𝘷𝘦𝙡.𝑐𝐨𝘮

I answered as I scratched my head.

Anyway, the first deal with the Nordic exam group went well.

I figured I could leave the detailed plans to the Korean Arena Research Agency.

When Odin returned to Denmark, he forced Marie to come back with him.

Marie threw a tantrum saying she didn’t want to go back but eventually she got dragged back in Odin’s clutches and left Korea.

I think it was Odin being considerate towards me and Cha Ji-hye.

‘Whew. Finally. Now we can live comfortably.’

The complicated stuff was dealt with for the time being, and now for the remainder of the rest period, I thought I should just relax and enjoy myself.