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Chapter 124: Star, The Team Formation (5)

1. Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Ingots ×32

2. Thousand-Year Cold Iron Bars ×126

3. Black Gonoh Iron Ores ×61

…

72. Ice Chains ×5

…

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ gasps upon seeing more treasures than she expected.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ commends the Yetis for accumulating this many treasures across multiple generations.]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ smacks his lips, desiring the treasures.]

“I’ve brought enough, right?” Chang-Sun asked.

“… You actually did manage to do something unbelievable.” Choi Bu-Yong dumbfoundedly chuckled after checking the [King’s Treasures], which Chang-Sun had opened, through a skill.

When Chang-Sun threw Bu-Yong the [Everlasting Ice Crystals] and told him to make new metal supports, Bu-Yong seriously considered the option of hammering Chang-Sun’s head since the metal supports and castings that were used to make Chang-Sun’s arms required a lot of work. However, Bu-Yong couldn’t help but feel passionate after seeing the [Cold Irons] that would nicely complement the [Everlasting Ice Crystals]. To make things better, the [Cold Irons] Chang-Sun brought were [Thousand-Year Cold Irons] and [Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Irons], not just ordinary [Cold Irons].

The [Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron] was a legendary metal. A fingernail-sized ingot of it was enough to make a sacred weapon. Hence, Bu-Yong inevitably desired to feel the metal and make masterpieces that others would never be able to create. Since Chang-Sun brought so many of this legendary metal…

‘I’ll be able to finish making the other weapons that I had to put on the back burner due to the lack of materials,’ Bu-Yong thought.

Among the weapons Chang-Sun had requested, some of the ones that Bu-Yong had almost finished designing were a saber and shield. However, he decided to make those later because they required too much iron. It seemed these irons were more than enough to make them and still be able to upgrade the Nameless Spear for the first time, though. Unlike most ordinary blacksmiths, Bu-Yong would immediately wake up if he could pound more metal. Therefore, he felt bewitched by these metals. In the end, he had no choice but to admit he had to play into Chang-Sun’s hand, so he felt like cursing. Gritting his teeth, Bu-Yong growled. “Fucking bastard.”

“So you’re not gonna do it?” Chang-Sun asked.

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it, you son of a bitch!” Bu-Yong screamed.

“I told you to call me C.E.O.” Chang-Sun reminded Bu-Yong.

“Alright, Mr. Fucking C.E.OOOOOO!” Bu-Yong was so angry that he looked like he was about to throw his hammer at Chang-Sun. Chang-Sun quietly hid behind a pillar.

While Bu-Yong panted, Baek Gye-Ul elatedly murmured, “Upgrade… my spear too…!”

The spear he was holding right now was already incomparably better than all the weapons he had used until now, yet it was still getting an upgrade using the [Frost Monarch’s Breath] and the [Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron]. It was honestly a wonder how Gyeo-Ul’s legs hadn’t turned into jelly yet. Meanwhile…

“Tell me, Choi Hyeong-Gil, if you need anything!” Choi Hyeong-Gil spoke slyly, like a subject bowing deep to his emperor during an audience. When he saw the inventory list of the [King’s Treasures], he couldn’t calm his pounding heart.

So?many [Cold Iron]...! Top it all off, he can even spare two [Frost Monarch’s Breaths]! I don’t know what in the world he had accomplished in ‘Yeti Hill,’ but I have to befriend him! I must!’?

Hyeong-Gil yelled in his thoughts.

There were more than weapon materials in the [King’s Treasures]. The collectors who enjoyed gathering luxury goods from many races would go nuts if they saw the craftworks in the [King’s Treasures]. It also had some items that looked like good research materials and so many invaluable treasures that it would be very difficult for an ordinary Player to take care of them. Hyeong-Gil, who was running a trading company, was more than capable of solving that problem.

‘From what I’ve heard, the Tyrant is also the one who killed the two boss monsters… so I must make him my client,’ Hyeong-Gil thought. His plan was to maintain his connection to Chang-Sun even if it meant suffering a huge loss right now. If necessary, Hyeong-Gil was willing to become his personal sponsor. ‘Inviting him to the gathering seems like a good idea.’

While Hyeong-Gil was deep in thought…

Clang! Clang!

Clang!

Chang-Sun turned his head to Bu-Yong, who had started working on his casting again, so Hyeong-Gil naturally turned his head in the same direction. The sounds of him working on metal was clearer than ever, but it also sounded irritated for some reason.

* * *

The five-day vacation that Executive Director Oh had promised came to an end.

<Personnel Appointment Annoucement>

The new personnel appointment is as follows.

Name: Lee Chang-Sun.

Department: Future Strategy Department.

Current Position: Department Member.

Personnel Appointment Details: Promotion (Team Leader).

When that announcement was uploaded to the Clan’s intranet out of the blue, the jaws of all White Tiger Clan members dropped.

“Huh…!”

“He’s getting promoted to team leader?”

“He’s getting promoted this quickly? It hasn’t been that long since he joined the Clan. Other probationers have just gotten assigned to their departments and have been getting their asses kicked…!”

“Well, he’s just called a probationer, but he’s different from those rookie probationers. Your comparison doesn’t make any sense.”

“Still…! Phew! He joined the company much later than I did, but his position is higher than mine. What’s up with this world…”

“He’s that good. Clans value talents, not how many years a Player has been with them. Besides, I heard he already warned the Clan that he’ll resign immediately if they tried to use how long he had been a member of it as an excuse to stop him.”

“Gosh! His spirit! I envy him.”

More and more employees began to discuss the announcement, so almost no one got their work done this morning.

“The Future Strategy Department has a team? I never heard of it. I thought they usually work individually.”

“You naturally haven’t heard of it. There wasn’t one in the first place.”

“Then…?”

“Don’t you see it? The higher-ups made one to flatter Lee Chang-Sun.”

“Woah! He’s in a totally different league!”

Chang-Sun’s worth was already very high, so people already expected his value would increase incomparably higher after clearing ‘Yeti Hill.’ However, they never thought the White Tiger Clan would make such an unconventional personnel appointment, considering they had a relatively strict hierarchy. Hence, the news of Chang-Sun becoming the team leader of the Future Strategy Department, which was a pillar of the White Tiger Clan like the Raid Department, was very shocking.

“The personnel appointment shocked the people quite a bit, didn’t it?” Executive Director Oh asked as he chuckled while receiving reports from Department Head Shim Geon-Ho.

Slightly turning around in his chair, Executive Director Oh glanced past his office window and looked at the Teheran-ro, where people busily moved around. Wondering how he should answer Executive Director Oh, Geon-Ho stopped making reports for a short moment and recalled what Chang-Sun had said in ‘Yeti Hill.’

“Don’t get cheeky.”

“You never know how someone could accidentally cut off that thing on top of your shoulders in a white snowfield, right?”?

At the time, Geon-Ho thought this rookie who had become famous out of mere luck was just blabbering, so he was really surprised when Chang-Sun returned alive from ‘Yeti Hill’ and even made outstanding achievements. Geon-Ho now knew how wrong he was.

‘He literally might just bite my head off someday,’?Geon-Ho thought.

He assumed Chang-Sun already knew he had gone after his life. Although Geon-Ho hadn’t left any tangible evidence, he would have a conviction that Geon-Ho was involved. No, Geon-Ho was certain that Chang-Sun was definitely going to bring him down even if he didn’t have one, considering how Chang-Sun kept trying to impress Executive Director Oh. They had certainly gotten off on the wrong foot.

‘If I knew things would turn out this way, I would have made him my subordinate when he was first assigned to my department…!’?Geon-Ho bitterly thought.

He initially tried to put down Chang-Sun to improve the department’s morale, but that ended up creating a huge mess. Unfortunately, no matter how much Geon-Ho regretted it, nothing changed. Even if he were to extend an olive branch now, Chang-Sun wasn’t the type to accept it. Since things had already turned out this way, Geon-Ho planned to get a drop on Chang-Sun one way or another.

Considering Executive Director Oh aggravated the rivalry between Geon-Ho and Chang-Sun as well, Geon-Ho concluded that the Clan would abandon him if he failed to defeat Chang-Sun. Geon-Ho quickly organized his thoughts and slowly nodded. “People are shocked, but they’re not opposing much since he’s made a significant contribution to the Clan and shown the potential to become a ranker within the shortest period. In fact, young employees are looking forward to seeing his future performance while being envious of him.”

Geon-Ho put effort into leaving his personal feelings toward Chang-Sun out because he knew why Executive Director had brought it up, and he didn’t want to get swayed by him.

Smiling enigmatically, Executive Director Oh turned back completely in his chair and looked outside the window. “Is that so?”

“… Yes, sir.” Geon-Ho nodded.

“It has been so long since our Clan was founded, so I couldn’t help thinking that things might have become too stagnant,” Executive Director Oh said. “Let’s use Lee Chang-Sun as an opportunity to renew the Clan.”

Geon-Ho had to stop himself from resentfully asking why Executive Director Oh decided to start renewing his department first.

“Yes, sir.” Geon-How bowed, but his back was soaked in sweat. The indescribable pressure made him feel suffocated.

“Let’s get back to the point. Be sure to take care of everything regarding the U.S.-related matter. Doing that would allow all department members to go on the business trip without a problem,” Executive Director Oh instructed.

Instead of a select few, all the members were going to be sent to the upcoming Future Strategy Department business trip. Considering the Future Strategy Department’s value, it would cause quite a stir if it were leaked to the people outside the department, but Executive Director Oh wasn’t done dropping bombshells. “People from the ‘Council of Elders’ are going to join us on the business trip, so keep that in mind.”

Geon-Ho’s eyes lost focus for a moment. “... The elders?”

“Why? Is there a problem with that?” Executive Director Oh’s eyes shone.

“No-no! I misspoke!” Geon-Ho apologized and quickly bowed, but his heart still pounded hard.

‘Why would those monsters join us…?’?Geon-Ho wondered.

The Council of Elders had been formed when the Sword Sky Tiger Munseong’s old colleagues retired. The Council was independent of the White Tiger Clan, and they only followed Munseong’s orders. The group was also known as the ‘Pandemonium’ because many quirky first-generation Players were part of the Council of Elders, so even the Council agents had difficulty raising their voices before the elders.

From what Geon-Ho had heard, even Executive Director Oh, the Clan’s second-in-command, couldn’t boss them around. The elders never paid much attention to worldly matters unless it was related to their greed, though, so why were they suddenly heading to the U.S.?

‘I’m pretty sure they’re not going on a trip for pleasure.’ Geon-Ho held his breath.

The trip was already important as it was because it would decide the next ten years of the Future Strategy Department, but Geon-Ho felt like the trip was becoming more and more important.

‘Lee Chang-Sun, the Council of Elders, America… Why do all my problems have to be nerve-wracking?! Shit!’?Geon-Ho thought.

However, he couldn’t object to Executive Director Oh’s order. All he could do now was execute what he was tasked to do. “Yes, sir. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“What’s the next report about?” Executive Director Oh asked.

“The Council’s designation…” Geon-Ho said.

* * *

Squeak!

A limousine slowly stopped in front of the White Tiger Clan head office. Chang-Sun and Gyeo-Ul got off it. Gyeo-Ul was really antsy during his first ride on a limousine, but he seemed to have gotten used to it now. In contrast, Chang-Sun, who had been relaxed until now, hardened. Song Yoo-Jun tiptoed around Chang-Sun, wondering if he had made any mistakes while he drove.

However, Yoo-Jun was not the reason why Chang-Sun was in a bad mood.

‘The egg is showing no signs of hatching,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Over the past five days, Chang-Sun had used every item he had gotten from Hyeong-Gil on the Jigwis’ egg, so the Jigwis’ egg had become a lot larger and the color of its shell darkened. However, that was it. The egg stopped growing or showed any signs of hatching. It didn’t even display any movements. It was as if the egg only looked okay on the surface but nothing was growing inside it.

‘No, that can’t be it. Something is definitely growing inside it… What’s wrong with it, then? Should I wait a bit longer?’?Chang-Sun wondered.

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ advises you to wait a bit more because she is sure a splendid kite will hatch out of the egg.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ asks how she knows that.]

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ pompously says a great Celestial like her can easily predict that.]

[The Celestial ‘World-Encircling Serpent’ wonders if she ate anything wrong.]

While Chang-Sun thought about the Jigwis’ egg and blankly looked at the messages from the Celestials, he arrived at the office of Executive Director Oh, who had summoned him.

Knock! Knock!

“Sir, Team Leader Lee Chang-Sun is here to see you.” Executive Director Oh’s secretary announced Chang-Sun’s arrival.

Through the already-opened door, Chang-Sun went inside the office and met the eyes of Geon-Ho, who happened to be reporting to Executive Director Oh. Chang-Sun and Geon-Ho remained silent, but Executive Director Oh grinned. “Oh, good to see you.”