“Ah, what a shame. If only your brain had been a bit quicker, you could have grabbed our Siren’s sturdy lifeline instead of clinging to this rotten rope.”
As the sense of doom washed over him, Davy John tried to bolt from the spot, but he was no match for Platy’s iron grip.
Sigh—!
“Cough….!”
Davy John turned to dust and vanished.
Platy watched him disappear, and the masked figures nearby showed not a hint of emotion in their eyes.
For these people, it was as routine as sleeping or eating.
With nothing but mechanical expressions, as if merely completing a task, they left the house without delay.
No sooner had they exited than a masked man approached Platy.
“Thank you for your work. With this, we should be able to focus on growth for a while.”
Platy didn’t bother to reply, and Betty, standing beside him, gave instructions for their next move.
“How pointless. If you have time to say things like that, get ready to take care of those Thousand Hands Arhat Guild bastards next, and deal with that guy at the same time.”
“I’ll do as you say. And…”
The masked man remained rooted in place even after receiving the order, causing Betty to furrow her brow.
“And?”
Betty’s gaze was so sharp it seemed she might strike at any moment, but knowing this was something that had to be reported, the masked man continued.
“A Player suspected to be ‘Star’ has appeared in Shinaga.”
Before Betty could ask, she turned her head.
Platy, standing behind, nodded slightly, confirming what the masked man said, prompting Betty to ask another question.
“How bright?”
“At present, it’s estimated to be Third class star.”
“Give me the data.”
As if expecting this, the masked man handed over a document he’d already prepared.
Betty flipped through the documents and asked, “Looks pretty good to me. What should we do about him?”
Platy gave a wry snort, as if amused.
“You’re not really asking because you don’t know, are you? If you are, I’ll take it as your intention to resign from your executive position.”
Betty hurriedly spoke up.
“He’s controlling Summons with impressive skill and sense, all while moving himself with outstanding proficiency. There’s no way this guy is only Third class. At this level…”
Summoners who handled Summons usually found it hard enough just to stand still and command their creatures.
It was only natural.
Even if you could play while watching one or two Monitors, once it increased to three or five, things got complicated and you ended up missing more than you gained.
Besides, there was a limit to the brain’s capacity.
But this User was breaking all such common sense.
His skill and sense went far beyond the norm, and taking all of this into account—
“He’s First class…”
That was the thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.
The ‘Star’ sought by Siren, the so-called ‘Star’.
Not all Super Rookies were on the same level, and Siren referred to those at the very top as ‘Stars’ and categorized them by class.
Until now, the only First class in Siren’s history had been the Master, Platy.
Given how prideful Platy was, any comment along those lines might offend him, so Betty couldn’t help but tread carefully—but contrary to her worries, Platy spoke first.
“He’s a first class Star, like I once was.”
At Platy’s words, the masked man’s eyes lit up.
Platy, after all, had once joined the 12th-ranked Guild for a whopping 500 million contract, and even then, he had only called the Super Rookie there ‘ordinary’ rather than praise him.
If even Platy was calling this one a first class Star, he was truly a Super Player of a different caliber.
Betty couldn’t help but ask the masked man, cautiously,
“Is there any chance this User is the Super Rookie the Heaven Guild is said to be training lately?”
“Less than 1%.”
“On what basis?”
“Not just Heaven Guild, but every Guild in the top 100 is desperate to buy this guy’s info right now.”
Heaven Guild might be running a smoke screen, but even so, the fact that all top 100 Guilds were moving made it highly credible.
At the very least, there was no way the likes of Cheon Ae Group’s Purgetory, Hades, or Baekhwayo Ran would miss the identity of a Super Rookie raised by a rival Guild.
In other words, this User was a true Newbie, a fresh face in Shinaga.
A smile kept creeping up, the corners of her lips rising.
‘They say life is like a wheel of fortune—good luck has finally come my way.’
After recently losing the Transcendental Skill Rune—something only obtainable as a Hidden Piece in Eren Port—to some no-name, Platy, the Master, had been in a foul mood.
But to gain a talent of this level was enough to sweep away that frustration.
“Send someone to make contact with him right away.”
The masked man bowed his head and spoke.
“I’m sorry, but we’ve already tried to make contact… There’s just so little information, it’ll take some time to track him down.”
It was disappointing to hear, but with Siren’s informants planted in every Guild, there was no risk of losing the information war, so there was no need to be anxious.
Of course, given the importance of this person, they couldn’t just wait around, either.
“The only way to catch up to the current front-runner is for our Siren to monopolize all the latecomers. So we absolutely have to either recruit that Star or crush him. You get what I mean?”
The masked figures nodded in unison.
“If he refuses, I’ll order you to handle it as usual.”
***
At some point, everyone has received a gift, or perhaps given one.
Of course, your heart pounds and flutters when receiving something—but it’s even more nerve-wracking when you’re the one giving.
No matter how much you consider the recipient, you never know how they’ll react or how things will turn out, and if it doesn’t go as you’d hoped, both the giver and receiver can’t help but be disappointed.
Sometimes, it can even cause bad feelings between people, so you have to put your heart into even a single gift.
That’s why Yeo-hyeon steeled himself, determined not to show any sign of disappointment.
“It’s just a gift. Let’s not make it such a big deal.”
Yeo-hyeon clutched the present in both hands, taking a deep breath as if to calm his nerves.
This was something he could never have imagined doing back when he was Baek Jun-su, and even now, as Cheon Yeo-hyeon, who had returned by possession, it was meaningful to give a gift to his family.
What he had prepared wasn’t very expensive.
Nor was it some grand gesture.
Of course, for a Necktie and a Brooch, they were quite pricey, but for a member of the Cheon Ae Group household, it might not be impressive at all.
After all, the real power behind the number one conglomerate Cheon Ae Group, his parents alone had personal assets exceeding 100 trillion.
“Whew… haah.”
With a deep inhale and exhale to steady himself, he pushed open the dining room door.
The bright light of the chandelier hanging in the dining room and the warm greetings filled the air.
“There you are, our youngest. Come in.”
“Oh my, our youngest son Yeo-hyeon is here.”
Now, he could respond with a genuine smile, not a forced one.
“Yes. I’m glad to see you both looking healthy again today.”
“Haha, just seeing you gives me energy. Come, sit down. You must be hungry.”
Normally, he would have sat down right away at his father’s words, but with the gift in both hands, he couldn’t help but hesitate.
It was only a small change in their usual family dinner, but his family didn’t miss it and started to ask.
“What’s wrong, son? Are you feeling unwell again?”
“Should we call the doctor right away?”
Worried that a misunderstanding would cause a fuss, he hurriedly held out the wrapped Necktie and Brooch in his hands.
Maybe because it was so sudden, or maybe because he wasn’t used to it, he found it hard to get the words out.
“Uh…”
As he handed over the unopened gift box, his words trailed off, and the family’s attention focused on Yeo-hyeon.
“What is it?”
He had once envied the simple happiness of sharing moments at the table, but now that it was happening in reality, it felt awkward and somehow embarrassing.
“Should I just say it’s a small gift? No, is that too weird?”
But there was no way to take back what he’d already started.
With no choice but to push forward, he squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
“It’s a Necktie and a Brooch. I thought they’d suit you, Dad and Mom, so I bought them.”
Jeongseok and Myeong-hoe’s eyes went wide with surprise.
“You didn’t use a card, did you? Where did you get the money to buy this, youngest?”
“I got lucky while doing ASA. There’s a Golden Monster that gives a lot of gold. I caught it and made some money. Of course, it might not be much in your eyes… But I wanted to give you something with money I earned myself for the first time.”
A short silence fell over the dining room.
“Are they going to disapprove of making money through games because of their age?”
He started to regret not preparing a better explanation, but just then, a booming voice echoed through the room.
“Hahaha! I never thought I’d get a gift from our youngest!”
“Dear, look at this. Doesn’t it suit me? Who did he take after to have such good sense? It’s perfect for me!”
They were even happier than he’d imagined, and not knowing how to react, he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“It’s not a lot of money, really. So you might not like it, but I’ll try harder next time.”
Jeongseok waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t say such things, son. Who cares about brands or price? Like you said, maybe it’s cheap. But just because I get something expensive, do you think I’ll automatically be happy? What matters is that our youngest gave it to us. When it’s from your child, even a pebble becomes a gem and a spiderweb turns to silk. This is a precious Necktie to your father.”
“Your dad’s right. I’m happier than if I’d gotten a Diamond.”
It wasn’t just empty words.
Both of them beamed with joy, genuinely happy.
“Hey, you’re better than me. People think making money with ASA isn’t easy, but our little brother is amazing! Isn’t that talent?”
“Really, Oppa’s just lucky if he gets his investment back. I never thought our youngest would have a knack for this.”
Embarrassed by all the praise, he tried to act modest.
“I’m only just over Level 10. It’s not as big a deal as you think, Nuna.”
“What’s Level matter? If you’ve already cashed out at a low Level, that’s an achievement!”
“If Oppa says so, then it’s true. Our youngest is amazing~.”
With a sheepish grin, he scratched the back of his head and replied,
“R-really? Haha.”
His father, Jeongseok, asked seriously,
“What about Yeo-il or Yeo-wol? If you really have talent, why not focus on ASA?”
The weight of a question that could decide his future as a career made it hard to answer, and doubts began to swirl in his mind.
‘Is it really possible to make this a job?’
Sure, two years of experience and some hidden talent had come to light.
‘But up till now, I’ve just been a frog in a well.’
He was right.
He wasn’t a proven expert, nor had he ever faced so-called talented Rankers or Super Players, so he had no way of knowing how he’d compare.
Just as his worries threatened to spiral, Jeongseok spoke first.
“Don’t overdo it. I’m not forcing you, nor do I intend to. I just wanted to support you as a parent because it seemed like you’d found something you enjoy. Above all, your decision comes first.”
Jeongseok’s face was as warm and gentle as sunlight.
Thanks to that, he was able to answer more comfortably.
“I’ll think about it seriously and let you know.”
Watching, Yeo-il and Yeo-wol chimed in playfully.
“Our youngest has really grown up.”
“Right? It feels like just yesterday you were running around and scraping your knees, and now you’re worrying about your future.”
Myeong-hoe added with a playful smile,
“My, Yeo-il, have you forgotten what you were like as a kid? Your brother used to cry all the time…”
“Mom, that story is supposed to be a secret…”
Using Yeo-il’s embarrassment as an excuse, laughter began to fill the dinner table, just like any other evening.