Payment

I opened the door.

The broker stepped inside and gave me a light bow.

“Did something good happen? You look cheerful.”

“No, not at all. I was just fighting until a moment ago.”

“You were fighting? With who?”

I answered curtly and sank down into the chair.

The broker looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if he didn't understand what I meant.

His gaze naturally drifted to the strange ring on my finger.

“I've never seen that ring before.”

“Oh, this? I picked it up in the tower. I don't really like it, though.”

The broker didn't pry further and took a seat opposite me.

“All right, then. I'll begin the report, President.”

The broker said as he took a tablet from inside his jacket.

Just hearing that title made every hair on my body stand on end.

“No, I told you to stop using honorifics. And what is this 'President' business?”

“Why do you say that? Aren't you the President now? Kim Hanbyeol, President of One Star Management.”

“Pfft, your naming sense is seriously awful....”

“Isn't it kind of folksy and nice?”

The broker grinned. His face was full of mischief.

This middle-aged guy was definitely teasing me on purpose.

I let out a resigned sigh.

“Good grief, do whatever you want.”

“Very well, President. Then I'll report on the orichalcum sale you asked me to handle last time.”

The broker's expression turned serious again.

He began explaining while showing me the tablet screen, filled with charts and graphs.

After hearing the whole explanation, I nodded. I was satisfied.

“So China likes this stuff that much? Then can't we just dump all of it on China at once? I'd like to wrap this up quickly.”

I said, sounding bothered. I hate complicated stuff.

But the broker shook his head.

“President, we must never do direct business with Chinese guilds.”

“Why not?”

“China's big guilds aren't just groups of hunters. They're massive, state-backed corporations—and plunderers, too.”

The broker's voice sank low.

“The volume we have now is more than enough to catch their interest. If we tried to deal with them directly... they wouldn't see us as an equal partner. They'd see us as prey.”

“Prey?”

“Those bastards would eventually try to swallow us whole, even if they had to resort to a few illegal methods.... The difference in scale between us and them is just too huge. Once they bite, all that's left is to be eaten.”

“I have a question.”

“Yes?”

“If we wanted to trade with them on equal footing... no, from a higher position. So they wouldn't even dare think about swallowing us.... How much firepower would we need?”

“Let's see? If China has four S-ranks, then I suppose we'd need about that much?”

“I'm still a long way off, since it's only me for now.”

Firepower on the level of four S-ranks, huh. I etched that sentence into my mind.

When I nodded seriously, the broker chuckled.

I guess I must have looked like a child daydreaming.

“Why are you laughing? I'm being serious!”

“Ah, I'm sorry.... I didn't realize your ambitions were that big.”

“Ugh, forget it. Anyway, what do we do now? If direct trade is impossible?”

“Of course, I already found all the methods.”

The broker flashed a confident smile at my question.

“We need to change strategies now. Instead of trying to catch one big fish, we'll cast out several lines.”

He swiped the tablet screen to another page and showed me a table. It listed the names of several guilds.

“We'll make individual contact with mid-tier guilds, split the stock into several batches, and sell them over time. That way we can hide the total amount flooding the market, stir up competition among the guilds to drive the price up, and, most importantly, prevent the price from crashing by releasing everything at once.”

I was impressed by his plan. As expected, a professional really was different.

“Please take care of it for me.”

“Of course. And I'd like to suggest one more thing.”

The broker said.

“For this deal, there's no need to take only money. What about taking payment in kind, meaning items?”

“Items...? Well, I don't think there's anything I need....”

I answered half-heartedly.

I already had two pieces of legendary-grade gear.

There wasn't much that would even catch my eye.

“Of course, they're not ordinary items. I've already narrowed down a few candidates that could help you, President.”

The broker flipped the tablet screen again.

Three item descriptions appeared on the screen.

“The first is a custom artifact commission voucher. It's a chance to commission an item with the function and form you want from the best craftsman in the country.”

“That's a bit vague.”

After all, I'm a mage, and I wasn't sure I needed any gear.

Could he really make something more suited to me than my current staff? I didn't think so.

“The second is a Rune of Growth. A rare item that raises a skill's rank by one level.”

“Oh, this isn't bad.”

My eyes sparkled.

What if I turned Insight Eye or Mineral Devour, both brimming with potential, into Rainbow skills?

That would give me three Rainbow skills.

A pretty tempting offer.

“And the last one is this.”

The broker pointed to the final entry.

There was a single photo on the screen.

It looked almost like some kind of egg.

“What is this?”

Just as I tilted my head in confusion,

the Sandworm wrapped around my finger reacted violently.

The ring vibrated strongly.

[The Sandworm advises that you absolutely must choose that item!]

I was startled by the sudden reaction and looked at my finger.

For it to want something this badly? What on earth is that rock?

***

The next day, I woke up late to the sound of the front doorbell.

On the intercom screen, I could see a delivery courier. It was a hunter-only rocket delivery service.

“That delivery got here insanely fast.”

I muttered as I opened the door.

After going through a complicated identity verification process, I was able to receive the box.

The box was heavier than it looked.

I placed the box on the living room table and carefully peeled off the wrapping.

Inside was a rock shaped like an egg, surrounded by shock-absorbing material.

The item's name was Spirit Essence. Its attribute was Earth.

I heard it was so rare on the market that money alone couldn't get one.

I reached out and picked up the stone.

“So... why did you tell me to choose this one?”

I muttered, turning the stone over and over. I didn't even know how to use it.

There was no instruction manual included.

Then the Sandworm wrapped around my finger reacted.

[The Sandworm explains that it can raise the rank.]

[The Sandworm insists that you should give it to your first creation, or to itself.]

“Can't I just eat it?”

[The Sandworm says a piece this small wouldn't help much.]

I fell into thought for a moment.

Then I shouted toward one side of the room.

“Unit One, come here!”

It was the new room Unit One had moved into after the last fire incident.

A moment later, with pattering footsteps, Unit One ran over.

The moment it saw me, it rubbed its body against my leg.

I lifted it up and set it on the table.

“Which one should I give it to?”

Unit One tilted its head and stared at the rock.

Sandworm, on the other hand, wriggled even more vigorously to sell itself.

[The Sandworm promises that if it consumes this, it can be of even greater help to you.]

[The Sandworm stresses that its potential can't be compared to that of a sand doll.]

I let the Sandworm's claims go in one ear and out the other.

Then I looked back and forth between Unit One and the Sandworm. The choice wasn't that hard.

I held out the essence to Unit One.

“Here, you eat it.”

[The Sandworm expresses strong doubts about your decision!]

“There's something called seniority. You're the junior, so be patient. You should yield to your senior first.”

At my words, the Sandworm fell silent for a moment.

Unexpectedly, it didn't complain any further. The Sandworm curled back up quietly like a ring.

Meanwhile, Unit One carefully accepted the essence I held out.

And then brought it to its mouth without hesitation.

Nom nom nom.

Watching the little creature nibble on the stone was pretty adorable.

The essence vanished into its mouth in an instant.

Right then, the change began.

Wooooong-!

“Oh?”

Brilliant light burst from Unit One's body.

Its entire body was bathed in gold, and its form seemed to blur and fade away.

I watched the scene tensely.

The light continued for a few seconds before gradually fading.

Everything returned to normal.

Unit One was still standing there, staring blankly.

“…Huh?”

What changed?

I narrowed my eyes and thoroughly examined it.

There was no visible change at all.

Its size, shape, even the safety helmet I'd put on its head—all of it was unchanged.

There was only one subtle difference I could feel.

Its thoughts and intentions felt a little clearer than before.

It was like one unseen wall between me and it had been torn down.

That was all.

“That's... it?”

I muttered in disbelief.

I'd used such a precious item, and that was all the change I got?

Maybe I should've given it to the Sandworm instead.

Just as I was sinking into disappointment.

The Sandworm on my finger suddenly uncoiled in a flash.

Then it whipped out like a lash and struck Unit One's torso dead on.

Crack!

With a sharp cracking sound, Unit One's body split clean in half.

I couldn't believe the scene unfolding right before my eyes.

“Unit One!!!!!”

A scream burst from my mouth.

What the hell? Has it lost its mind? I'll tear it to pieces right now.

Rage swallowed me whole. Losing all reason, I reached out toward the Sandworm.

But before my hand could even touch it, something amazing happened.

Sssshhhh....

Sand began pouring out from the two halves of Unit One's split body.

Then, like magnets, they drew toward each other and began sticking back together.

The severed body returned to its original form in an instant.

“What...?”

I stood frozen there, staring blankly at the sight.

Unit One, now whole again, was also looking itself over in disbelief.

It moved its limbs around and touched its belly, and only after confirming that it was fine did it seem to let out a sigh of relief.

Then the Sandworm's will flowed into my head from where it lay on the floor.

[The Sandworm says that your creation has now become a basic elemental spirit and gained limited resistance to death.]

[The Sandworm says that, with its current vessel, ten is the limit.]

Ten lives.

I was left speechless by that incredible ability.

[The Sandworm advises that if your creation wants to grow stronger, it should be fed more essence of the same kind.]

[Or, obtaining a higher-grade essence would also be a good method.]

I nodded.

[The Sandworm strongly insists that since it yielded this time out of respect for seniority, the next essence must be consumed by itself.]

I looked down at the Sandworm wrapped around my finger like a ring. A moment later, I snorted out a laugh.

“All right, the next one's yours. I promise.”

I agreed without hesitation.

I was starting to like this strange ring quite a bit.