Chapter 153

When Seojin called them, Haydall's biggest worry was that Odie, in her excitement, might provoke Seojin and cause him to dismiss them. That would ruin the carefully planned livestream and dash the small hopes of their CEO.

But as the situation unfolded, Haydall felt relieved.

'Thank goodness. As expected, our Hyesun is a pro.'

At least when it came to work, Odie Park was more professional than anyone. Fortunately, in her mind, Seojin seemed to be categorized as a colleague in crafting a drama.

"I'll prepare any character you wish. I'm confident in anything!"

"Don't you worry about your image?"

"Not at all! Any character can be made appealing with just a few charming points. It's okay for the character to be a bit weird or cold… though that might be a bit tricky."

Right now, Seojin and Odie Park were engaged in an interesting conversation.

Odie Park, showing off her acting skills, seemed to have caught Seojin's interest.

'This is so much easier than I thought!'

For the first time in a while, Haydall felt completely like a third party, just observing the situation.

"The fact that this is a game is the most important thing! A space completely separate from reality, so what I mean to say is that… adopting a certain shtick isn't strange!"

"Ah, so no matter what character you take on, you'll pitch it as part of the concept?"

"Exactly! That's it!" Odie Park excitedly explained.

The fact that she would soon be undertaking quests with Seojin, and the prospect of standing on a stage with him filled her with more excitement than any shooting she had done before.

"So just tell me anything you want! Or leave it to me if you're not sure! I'll make sure you shine in any role…"

Truly a professional. Odie Park provided quite the detailed direction.

She listed the types of characters that could highlight Seojin in any situation, emphasizing that the character must not be a nuisance.

"It has to be a character that helps Seojin, not as Kim Hyesun, but as the game character Odie Park. But the character must not be too competent. As long as the character meets the few essential conditions…"

"Odie."

"Yes?"

Her eyes widened in surprise. Seojin greeted her with a trusting smile.

"I trust you. Please plan it out. Not just for yourself, but also guide me on what I should or shouldn't do in front of the camera."

"O-of course! I'll plan it out perfectly! As soon as possible!"

"Thank you. Jose will prepare you a quiet space to think."

The silver-haired young man, Jose Allai, led the way.

Odie Park, flushed with excitement, followed him.

"When talking about the camera, she becomes a completely different person."

"Our Odie has always been a bit like that."

"At first, I thought she was rather strange."

"She's always been a bit strange. But she has a really kind heart. She's been an actress since she was young, so she's a bit awkward with interpersonal relationships…"

"So it seems."

"Thank you for seeing her in a good light."

Seojin chuckled at Haydall's polite response.

"A situation like this is unimaginable outside, right?"

"Huh? What do you mean…"

"She's never been on a variety TV show once."

"Yes, not yet."

"A top-tier actress catering to an ordinary person like me, it feels strange."

"Ah, well…"

Haydall smiled awkwardly.

"Entertainers are just people too. It's just image management to limit external activities, not some elitist mindset."

"Image management, you say."

"And to call you an ordinary person, well, in today's world, high-ranked gamers are almost like celebrities, aren't they? Especially you Seojin. You're a unique case," Haydall calmly stated.

He was right. Most rankers in Midgard already enjoyed significant popularity through live streaming. Especially since his opponent was the almighty Anti-Mainstream.

Understanding the potential impact of it, Haydall had suggested to the CEO to give it a try.

"If it was just simple fanship, our CEO wouldn't have approved it. He has big expectations for this."

"He's coming this evening, was he?"

"He cleared his schedule for the whole week. Adjusting to your convenience."

"What about his level?"

"He'll probably have to start from character creation."

"Then he'll need this."

Seojin opened his inventory and took something out. It was an experience capsule received as a reward from the last world quest.

"This is…"

"Using just two of these will get him straight to level 100. I think the threshold is 20 million EXP?"

"…You had this? I've been staring at the auction house all day trying to find these."

He knew it was hard to find, even with money, and the CEO had instructed to pay several times the market price if possible. And yet, Seojin just casually tossed them out.

"Good timing. I had a few stashed away."

"You have more of these? Even selling one would fetch a fortune… I'm honestly surprised."

"When I need quick cash, I sell them. But right now, I don't have any urgent expenses to take care of."

Haydall realized with a bit of regret that one of their bargaining chips had been lost.

'He's not in need of money, huh.'

The CEO's vast financial resources had always been his greatest weapon. But Seojin's reaction suggested that it wouldn't have much of an effect on him.

'Right, he was the same during his Blue Dragon days. Better to think his temperament from back then still holds true.'

During his prime in Asgard, approaching him with half-baked offers would likely backfire.

"I should deliver this. Do you need me for anything else right now?"

"No, go ahead."

"I thought as much."

"Alright then. I'll call if I need to return… No, wait. Sir Pike."

"Yes!"

At Seojin's call, a royal knight hurried over. It was the same knight who had initially guided Seojin here.

"Could you please escort these people for now? They're my colleagues, and Ironblood might be targeting them. Ah, and explain the situation to them. Not outside, but in here."

"Understood!"

The response was decisive.

They too had realized how Seojin could be of help to the prince.

Haydall stood up energetically.

"We'll see you this evening. I'll bring the CEO. And about the payment for these capsules…"

"Forget it. You've come all this way for my convenience."

"Isn't this too precious to just let go?"

"I still have plenty of them."

At this point, there was nothing more Haydall could say.

"We gratefully accept it."

"Call if you need anything."

"Yes!"

Haydall left energetically.

'How will he take this?'

Watching his retreating figure, Seojin pondered.

He had just given away two EXP capsules for free, something that could cost hundreds of millions of won each if sold.

'I hope he really sees them as just freebies.'

Haydall's astonishment wasn't exaggerated. This item was indeed very expensive. The CEO had even apparently instructed to purchase them at several times the market price if necessary.

"Those are really expensive, right?"

"They are."

"You wouldn't have just given them away for free. What are you cooking this time?"

Flappy, having finished her work, returned and playfully questioned Seojin.

"Those people are the kind you can give such things to."

"Why?"

"Because whatever they receive, they return it several times over."

Flappy's opinion was accurate. Seojin wasn't the type to give away things meaninglessly. Rather, he was more like a swindler who gave 1 gold and got back 10.

And from his Asgard days.

He remembered the policy of the guild Great Red.

"Repay grudges double, debts tenfold."

And with that gift, Seojin had just indebted that guild leader to him.

"We have to take care of every little thing like this. That way, I can buy tasty things for my Flappy and give you more presents, right?"

"Of course, of course."

Flappy rubbed her hands together, smiling.

Seojin, chuckling, wondered where she picked up that habit. Flappy sneakily asked,

"So, when do I get my present?"

"I'll set a date. Once I check what I've got and deal with that one matter in the underground dungeon. How about that?"

"Of course, it's great! Long live our Seojin!"

The Source of Life. A gift worth 1.2 billion won. But the price hardly compared to the results Flappy had achieved so far.

"Rest for now. I'll be back after I'm done."

* * *

In the underground prison, the assassin that attempted to kill the king was still tied up in the same spot. The only differences were that his body was now clean, without any scars, and he was sprawled out, unconscious.

In front of him was Roth, groaning and sweating profusely.

"What's the situation?" Seojin asked.

"Oh, you're here," Roth noticed Seojin's arrival and stopped what he was doing.

For about an hour, Roth had been mentally exhausting himself by continuously arguing with his assigned demon.

"It's not black magic, I heard," he said.

"Really?"

"Yes, demons don't lie… so it's certain."

After making a pact with a demon, warlocks were able to use their power. The most important thing for them isn't their level or skills, but the level of the contracted demon. The power difference between a level 100 and 150 warlock could be insignificant if the demon's level is high.

"So, what is it then? Something like hypnosis?"

"I'm not sure."

"The demon doesn't know?"

Roth shook his head in slight frustration.

"It seemed like it knew."

"But it won't tell you?"

"…It said it would tell me, but in return I must pay a price."

And this was one of the drawbacks of being a warlock. The more powerful the contracted demon, the stronger the power they could wield. However, if the user's level was insufficient, they could be ignored or mocked when they made a request.

"No choice then. If it wants one, it gets one. What does it want?"

"It's not serious. Though, it seems to enjoy watching me get frustrated. It asked for the lives of 300 people."

"NPCs, right?"

"Yes. Adventurers don't count," Roth confirmed.

Roth was right; this was a tease. If he truly offered it, it would be beneficial for the demon, but if not, it would enjoy watching the contractor struggle to find answers.

"If the demon has decided this, no half-hearted measures could change its mind."

"Can you do a possession right now?"

"Yes, I can. Shall I?"

"Let me talk to it directly."

Roth's face lit up. He had seen Seojin handle demons skillfully on Churai Island.

"I dialed the pain senses to zero so you can hit it a bit. I'll call it now."

Seojin smirked.

'He must have been really annoyed.'

Seojin had no intention of speaking to it gently. He prepared a golden necklace and wore a badge given as a gift from Master Ferguson.

Then.

"You give up your body so easily? Are you out of your… Aaaaagh!"

As the demon appeared, Seojin first unleashed a burst of holy light.