Chapter 112

Contract terms have taken effect.

Contract terms have taken effect.

…

Numerous players were crumbling into dust on the border between Shahav and the desert. Each and every one of them, from master trackers to fighters that could steamroll the most difficult dungeons, and even Hansen himself, couldn't even lay a finger on Seojin before they met their end.

"Just you wait, just you wait! Your account will be suspended in a few days since you abused the bug!"

"Bug, my ass."

Seojin couldn't hold his laughter back upon hearing Hansan's last scream.

'So… he really thinks it's a bug.'

Judging by Robert's reaction, it was clear that this man didn't even know the existence of the contract. That led Seojin to one clear conclusion.

'So, he really is just another Henrite… a token idiot.'

-They're all dead. No one's hiding… it's over.

-Good job. You made things much easier for me.

Flappy flapped her wings over toward Seojin as he handed her a high-quality magic stone for her hard work.

"I look forward to the rewards."

"Don't mention it. Eat that while I finish this up."

"Don't worry about me."

Seojin turned his eyes toward the chat screen again.

-So, fifty thousand?

-That's too much. There's no way this little incident is worth that amount of gold.

-Oh yeah? Take a break for three months then.

-You're not a fool.

-Yeah, that's why I'm asking. I'm being reasonable here.

-I would agree with your terms if they were reasonable. Make a realistic suggestion.

-Realistic, huh?

Seojin shook his head and called Robert's bluff. The contract they had signed back on the Churai Islands made it clear that Robert would be banned from the game for ninety days if he breached the terms of it, and Seojin had demanded fifty thousand gold as the price to let him go this time. Of course, that was a huge amount, but Seojin did not think it was excessive in the slightest.

-Well, I'm damn serious. I'll turn the chat off and apply the penalty if you spew nonsense again. Will you give me fifty thousand gold or not?

-…Even we can't produce such cash right away.

-When did I say cash?

Robert had designed his guild using a perfect pyramid structure. He had even concentrated all of the power on himself because he didn't trust anyone else, and he'd even gone as far as to seat idiots in the other positions of power.

'He can't be sure that Ironblood will remain stable if he's away for three months.'

Perhaps Robert was weighing up the damage of the two options inside his head. Which would do the least amount of harm? His absence, or fifty thousand gold.

-… You mean you're accepting items as well?

-Why do you sound so surprised? You've done that before, right?

-Will you send them to the King?

-None of your business. I'll be satisfied with a couple of valuables.

-Valuables?

-Five thousand gold in cash, and everything else has to be legendary gear. If you try to cross me, you'll take three months of unpaid vacation. The due date is… Tomorrow. Oh, exactly until noon tomorrow. I won't take any excuses.

"…"

-That's impossible. I need at least a week….

-Enjoy your vacation then. Gotta go, I'm busy. Contact me again and you'll take three months off.

Seojin closed the window. He had the upper hand in this situation, so Robert had no choice but to meet his demands.

"Maybe I could've been a bit bolder…"

Seojin did some quick math and erased every last bit of regret from his mind as he remembered that fifty thousand gold already was five billion won.

'Let's not be too greedy.'

He couldn't afford to scuffle any longer either, he had things to do.

"Berg."

The elf was looking at Seojin as if he was fed up. Turning back to him, Seojin opened his mouth calmly.

"I think I've proven my abilities, fortunately."

"Are you really a good human being? You, who constantly mocks your enemies and leads them into cowardly traps?"

"So, do you think good men always have to endure suffering and laugh everything off?"

"Well… your actions were not good… at the very least…"

"Then maybe I'm not a good human being, I'm just trying to be as humane as possible. Do you know why Ironblood came after me?"

"I don't know, and I don't care to know."

"I once resided in a human village called Berne."

Seojin slowly scanned his audience, making sure that they were all hearing him.

'This kind of atmosphere should be fine.'

Stance: Unpromising Persuasion

Effective: 11. 5 minutes

Seojin activated his skill for the first time in Shahav and looked directly at Berg.

"Do you want me to tell you?"

"…"

It was a silent approval, as Berg couldn't bear to tell him to stop. He was curious about the light Flappy gave off, why the human was so obsessed with this job, and everything else on top of that.

"…Let's start with Berne."

Seojin gladly satiated his curiosity, starting off at the very beginning.

"It was a dying town. Berne, a small village in Baron Bolton's territory, was dying. The residents' faces were dark, and all you could see on the streets were fallen leaves. There, I…"

Seojin opened his journal and read the story in a calm, monotone voice. The elves began to waver, even more so when the first story ended. As Seojin started with his tales of Erzebet, they slowly became immersed in his words. It wasn't that touching, but it was an amazing story to those who had only ever lived in the forest.

When it came to the Churai Islands, the elves were shocked by the story of him confronting the demon. They almost cried at the part where Seojin treated people's wounded minds, and when he finally escaped Ironblood' trap, they breathed a sigh of relief.

And now…

"Now, here I am."

…He was in Shahav, the dry desert city.

"You know what I've done here."

He had found the oasis and saved one of their kind through the clues he'd received in the process. He had figured out the existence of the Guardians of Balance. He had also heard what happened in this desert through Jin and Maya, and tried to solve it.

Under the silent pressure of countless gazes, Seojin opened his mouth once again.

"I saved one village."

After a calm, slow beat…

"And I sent the abandoned Holy Knight back to his Goddess."

Making eye contact with elves…

"I expelled the demon, which was trying to invade the continent, out of this land."

He tried to appeal to them by showing how great of a human being he was.

"…It's a clear truth."

"Ah, this adventurer…"

The change started subtly as several elves began to exclaim or sigh, while Seojin simply closed his mouth and waited. They all had the same ability as Maya and instinctively knew that it wasn't just a made-up story, but a strong, true past.

"That was true?"

"It's not a lie?"

They triggered a waver in the other elves as well, creating a domino effect.

Skill effect amplified due to appropriate acting

Skill effect amplified due to appropriate circumstances

Race modification applied

Dharma points applied due to target's race

Seojin had nailed it. He couldn't even sell a tree to those elves with his stats right now, but he could boost his skill effect in many ways other than his stats.

'Berg is quiet too.'

He should have been yelling not to trust the adventurer by this point, but he was only making a subtle face, that could either be construed as an angry or disturbed expression.

"And now…"

At last, his story was over. Seojin made eye contact with each of the elves that were falling for his plan.

"I can tell you for sure. I will return your forest, Salevania, to this land."

"Salevania!"

"You mean we can get the forest back… ?"

A huge tidal wave had rushed into the hearts of the elves, gradually washing their distrust away. The tide put something else in its place instead; hope.

"Our forest…"

A heavy silence fell over the room as the mumble trailed off.

'I'm almost there. I can't just stop here.'

He had to tie up all of the loose ends.

"I'm an adventurer."

Fortunately, Seojin had a way to do so.

"I have one unique ability. I can see glimpses of the future."

"Are you saying that you can predict the future?"

"Well, it's similar. And I saw a forest here. Your home. It will take a long time though. With your help, we can reduce that."

"Maya."

"It's the truth."

Maya answered Berg's question, hitting the final nail right on the head. Seojin really had the ability to bring their forest back.

"It's… I'm speechless."

Berg sighed as he couldn't just blindly refuse Seojin anymore. Elves, as a passive race, had always embraced the stream of the eras and adjusted themselves along with it. Seojin, standing in front of them, was a new era for them.

"…Follow me."

Chapter Progression!

* Made contact with the Guardians of Balance.

* Allied with Berg - leader of the Guardians of Balance.

* Allied with Laiha - key NPC from the Guardians of Balance.

Back in Maya's house, Seojin was now talking to Berg privately.

"There are around one hundred and thirty elves with me, capable of close-range and long-range combat, also capable of elemental spirit magic. Each elf has a different ability…"

"You mean like Maya's insight?"

"Yes, the range of abilities varies. Meet each of them and see for yourself."

"It looks different from ordinary magic."

"It is."

Berg immediately affirmed his thoughts.

"This kind of magic can't be gained by training, it's the embodiment of a strong wish."

All of the elves there had one such ability, every one of them. That was the case with Maya, and with Jin's conditional foresight.

'It's a strange ability. I'm sure I'll have to utilize them in this quest.'

Seojin checked the system window next to him.

Key Clues sorted –

* The forest has returned.

* Elves have strange abilities.

Listed as a key clue, there was no way that their abilities weren't important.

"…The Guardians of Balance was…"

And, finally…

"…formed around the time I was born."

Berg struggled to bring up the story that Seojin was waiting for.