Chapter 16: 16 – Setting Examples

Shin Sang-Ah and Yun Seora stood up in shock while Yun Sungjin and Yi Seol-Ah moved towards Hyun Sangmin. But before they could- "Don't! Get back!"

That guy waved them down.

"...Hey Bro-" Hao Win called out to me. But before I heard him, my body was already moving.

A man stood in front of Hyun Sangmin. Grinning at him rolling in pain, the man lashed out with his foot, kicking Hyun Sangmin's midriff.

"Gah-!"

"Mister Hyun!" Yi Sungjin grit his teeth and stood up. But before he could-

"I... Said... Don't!"

"But-!"

The man laughed and crossed his arms. "You should listen to your amigo, kid."

Standing beside him, there was a young woman that seemed vaguely familiar. But why-

[Oh Minyoung]

Survivor from Area 1. Passed the Tutorial after scrounging up coins and killing the last survivors. Entered minutes after you.

Ah.

I understood now. But... It still didn't make sense.

I was certain that there weren't any other survivors other than us-

The sound of drawn steel. The man leaned down, placing a knife at Hyun Sangmin's neck. "You should have quietly offered an apology when I asked you nicely Amigo. Now the pretty lady's mad and I'm a bit annoyed at my boys being killed off in the Neutral Zone. Today... is not a good day."

"Step back."

Silence fell in the area.

The man paused and looked up at me. Then, with a slow smile stretching across his face, he said, "Well, well, well." A husky voice that must have been intimidating to others. Seeing me approach, he held out his hands and said, "If it isn't the Rookie himself. Stepping forward for his friends, I see."

Hyun Sangmin looked at me and shook his head. "No. Boss, don't-"

"Boss? Hoh?" The man looked at me again and said, "So this Rookie thinks he's a big shot now, having a kid like that as his subordinate."

I narrowed my eyes and kept walking forward. "I said step back."

The man paused and then wiped his smile off his face. "I don't think so. You see..." He waved his knife around and said, "I heard rumors about someone offing my little kids in there. Something about a hit after they planned to have some fun with a little oriental girl?"

Yun Seora paled and quickly stood up, backing away. Yi Seol-Ah and Yi Sungjin closed ranks on her, with Shin Sang-Ah flanking.

Sungjin glared at him. "So you were the one who invited those-!"

"Kid." I glanced at him and said, "Shut up."

He flinched and looked at me. "H-Hy-"

I glared at him, loosing my killing intent.

His eyes widened and he took a step back.

"Ho?" The man smiled. "Seems like you're not that dumb. That's fine. I'll leave a kid like that out of this. But you, little rookie... Mm. I suppose I'll hear you out." He smiled, like it was the most magnanimous act in the world and said, "Come. We're all friends here, right? I'll-"

"I will ask you one question. Is it true? Were the ones who attacked Yun Seora your men?"

He paused and then shrugged. "I don't know who this oriental chick is, but my boys did die trying one out. But so what?" He grinned. "Is the little Rookie ma- Kuh?!"

I loosed my killing intent and stepped forward again.

The man narrowed his eyes and roared, forcibly putting strength back in his body. "You... I'll admit, you seem pretty good. But you know, this ain't a game out here, Amigo." He stepped forward too and cracked his fists. "You might have been a big fish in there, but out here... you're swimming with sharks."

I grinned and tilted my head. "Really now? Because all I see in front of me is a little guppy."

"Heh." The man raised his fist. "You asked for-"

"W-Wait! Boss don't-!"

Hyun Sangmin must have realized my killing intent first and tried to stop me.

But it was too late.

I stepped forward again. A faint flicker in the sunset. That was all that could be seen.

After that, I was standing behind the man.

He froze, fist still frozen in mid-air. His body didn't move, but his eyes spun. "Im-"

That was the last thing he said before his body fell to the ground.

Screams started, but before they could fully erupt, I released my killing intent.

[Imminent Demise activated.]

Silence fell over the banquet area, broken only by the sloshing sounds of viscera staining the ground.

I flicked my sword to the side and said, "Is there anyone else who thinks that a 'big fish' like me shouldn't swim with the sharks? Because I'd love a demonstration- Ah. And just for the record." I nodded my head towards Yun Seora and the others. "Those guys are under my protection. If there's any other smartasses who want to try and touch them, why don't you step out now so I can take care of you all in one go?"

Silence again. But then a few people started moving.

"A brat like yo-"

Lighting struck, turning the person who talked into ash.

I grinned and held up my right hand, crackling with energy. "Anyone else?"

This time, the silence lasted.

I swept my gaze around the crowd, scanning for any potential threats.

Specifically, for their colors.

Nothing, nothing... and then a few that turned yellow as I looked at them.

"Hmph. We've got some scheming bastards here." Staring at the latest group, I snapped my fingers again.

Lightning crackled and more piles of ash emerged.

With that, the last of the yellow lights faded away.

"...Nothing else? What, isn't there anybody brave enough to raise their voice against this big fish?"

I waited, expecting a stunned silence. But then a sharp female voice called out. A familiar one.

"Me, you motherfucker."

I blinked, removing my killing intent at that familiar female voice. "Huh?"

Before I could turn around, a bag flew at my face. Chanel, the expensive kind.

I flinched and dodged it. But then in the next moment, a stiletto heel spun around towards my cheek.

I dodged that too, but at last a karate chop landed on my head.

"Gah! What the heck is that for?!" I winced and looked up at Kim Hannah.

"You!" She grabbed her purse and swung it at me again.

Seeing that she was mad, I decided to let her hit me.

"Are! A! Big! Headache! Gah!"

A hurricane of blows that would have been lethal if she was using an actual weapon instead of a purse. Even then, it still stung.

After a while, she let out a long breath and then shook her head. "Whatever. You're lucky that you grew so fast..." She swept her gaze around and said, "While I don't agree with how this kid acted, I'll say it now. If any of you have complaints, file them straight to Sinyoung. Got it?"

A series of silent nods.

"Good. Now, as for you..." She shifted her gaze and looked at Oh Minyoung. "Who's her Contractor?"

A man stepped out. "I-I am."

Kim Hannah turned towards the guy and gave him a quick once over. "You're the one?"

He quickly nodded his head. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

Kim Hannah adjusted her purse around her arm and said, "I'd like you to leave her to me. I'm sure you know why."

The man's head nodded like a bobble head. "Y-Yes, ma'am. I got a call this morning."

Kim Hannah tilted her head and hummed. "Is that so? Well, we wouldn't really do something like this, but my company president is very unhappy at the moment, you see?"

"I completely understand. She's his daughter, after all."

"Excellent." Kim Hannah nodded and said, "I'll explain to her about the cancellation of her contract. As for the compensation, it will arrive as we promised."

The man bowed ninety degrees and then made a quick retreat.

After that, Kim Hannah let out a deep breath and muttered, "Dammit. I knew I should have got here sooner." She glared at me and said, "But did you really have to make enemies as soon as you stepped out of that place? Wasn't it enough to do that on Earth?"

"You know my rule. Kindness with kindness and-"

"Malice with malice. I know. But... Fuuuck." Kim Hannah shook her head and said, "Whatever. You're treating me to lunch back on Earth later. Understood? No matter what happens after this, I'm holding you with that debt."

"Fair."

Kim Hannah nodded and then glanced over at Yun Seora at the others- No, at Oh Minyoung. "Mm. Shin Hansung. Take her back to the carriage and clean up this mess."

A man walked out from the crowd- No. A youth with curly hair and an amiable smile. He sighed and said, "Leaving me to do the dirty work again?"

"Oh?" Kim Hannah adjusted her purse and said, "Then should I do it?"

Shin Hansung held up his hand and said, "Fine, fine." He walked over to the bisected corpse on the ground and flicked his hand, causing the body to sizzle and fade into the ground. After that, he walked over to Oh Minyoung with a bright smile. "Now, Missy. Things will be a lot simpler if you come with me quietly. So would you do that please?"

Oh Minyoung's eyes flitted around the surroundings, searching wildly. But after a while- No, on seeing my steady gaze at her body, the strength left her body and she nodded.

"Good!" Shin Hansung grabbed her arm and quickly began pulling her along. After that, he waved at Kim Hannah and said, "Be back in a bit!" As he passed us though, I heard him mutter, "And this is why you're still unmarried."

"That bastard..." Kim Hannah gnashed her teeth and then calmed down. "Hah. Calm. Gotta be calm." As if trying to hypnotize herself, Kim Hannah said those words and then looked to me. "Have you eaten yet? Should we talk after you get something?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"Thought so. Then..." Kim Hannah walked over to a nearby table and swept the plates onto the ground. After that, she gestured towards the opposite side. "Take a seat."

I did.

Kim Hannah nodded and started to speak... but then she glanced off to the side.

I did as well and noticed Yun Seora standing there.

Kim Hannah put on a polite smile and said, "Miss Yun Seora? I'm sorry, but we have to discuss some private business between Jihu and I. Family concerns, you know?"

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Yun Seora bit her lips, clearly not believing her.

Kim Hannah waved her hand and said, "Shin Hansung shouldn't take long. Why don't you take a seat at an empty table and wait for him?"

Yun Seora frowned and looked at me. "Mister Jihu-"

"Could you do that, Miss Yun Seora? I really do have something private to discuss with Kim Hannah."

She still looked reluctant, but after that, she nodded and walked off.

The moment she did, Kim Hannah reached over and latched onto my arm. Moving her head directly beside my ear, she said, "Listen carefully. I'll show two contracts. When I place my hand on a document and start talking, you have to be skeptical of everything I say. Understand?"

I nodded and then leaned in as well, saying in a soft voice, "Thanks for telling me. I was really worried about my family, but if it's like that, I don't have to worry too much now."

Kim Hannah looked a bit confused, but then her eyes widened just a hair, realizing my plan.

"Noonim! I'm back~!" A joyful male voice called out and then Shin Hansung slipped into the seat right beside Kim Hannah.

The Sinyoung director didn't need to fake her irritation at that and said, "And why are you sitting here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He smiled and said, "I want to see the skills of my famed senior at work!"

Kim Hannah pushed him over, clearing the space between them and said, "Stop with the unfunny comedy routine and finish up your own business. Miss Yun Seora's waiting for you over there."

"I know, I know. But there's plenty of time, isn't there? Besides, both him and Miss Seora will sign with Sinyoung anyways."

Kim Hannah narrowed her eyes. "And how do you know that?"

Shin Hansung widened his eyes. "Is it not like that?"

"Don't think for a moment I don't know why you're here." Kim Hannah glared at Shin Hansung and said, "I already know why the higher-ups sent you here with me. But I believe I've already explained my position enough times by now."

"Well-"

"Scram."

Shin Hansun held up his hands. "Fine, fine." The young man appeared to quickly give up. But almost immediately after he walked away, he came back, dragging a table next to our own. Then, plopping himself beside Kim Hannah, he waited for Yun Seora to come over.

She did, and then she took a spot directly beside me. Her eyes quickly glanced at me before looking forward again.

Kim Hannah frowned. But before she could say anything, Shin Hansung put on a professional face and looked at Yun Seora.

"I've kept you waiting, Young Lady. I'm sure you're curious about why I'm here instead of the Director, yes?" A nonchalant voice, not bothering about the onlookers or eavesdroppers.

Yun Seora lowered her head.

"Right. Well," Shin Hansung said. "The Director was embarrassed pretty badly. I'm sure you can guess why. Ah, and I'm also here to convey a message from the president."

Yun Seora looked back up, light returning to her eyes. "Directly from him?"

Shin Hansung nodded. "Yes. It's not that long though. You know how our president is like."

Yun Seora nodded.

The youthful man cleared his throat and said, "Then I'll start. First of all, I congratulate you on entering Paradise. To be honest, I did not wish for you to step foot into this world, but now that things have turned out this way, I shall respect your choices."

Yun Seora bit her lips.

"However. Your actions during the Tutorial and the Neutral Zone proved to be rather disappointing. If not for that young man's aid, you wouldn't have cleared the Neutral Zone. Your older sister is most embarrassed by you."

Hearing that, Yun Seora flinched.

"I won't say anything long. If you want to stay in this world, show me that you're prepared." Shin Hansung stopped and then placed a dagger on the table. "When you get to the carriage, you'll find that woman. Remember her?"

Yun Seora nodded. "Yes."

"Kill them in front of the President and Lady Yun Seohui. With your own hands."

Yun Seora was quiet.

I frowned. Going that far...

Shin Hansung continued speaking. "The President added that you shouldn't even dream about coming to Sinyoung if you can't do that much. He said he would even use force to make you go back to Earth."

"Seora-" I started to speak up, wanting to assure her. But before I could, she nodded her head.

"I'll do it."

"Miss Seora?"

She looked at me briefly and then shook her head, grabbing the dagger.

Shin Hansung smiled and pulled out a document, placing it in front of her. "This is a temporary contract. As soon as you perform the task assigned to you, it will come into effect."

Yun Seora took her time perusing the contents of the contract.

I did the same.

Thankfully, it wasn't anything complicated or sly. In short, it said that she would be supported throughout her growth and gain avenues for going through the ranks in accordance with her efforts.

Despite the shady situation, it wasn't one that trapped her. And my insight confirmed my reading of it.

Yun Seora nodded and signed the contract with a pen. Afterwards, she stood up and said, "Then, right away, I should-"

"Ah, wait a minute." Shin Hansung raised his hands and said, "I can vouch for you, but the condition was to do it in front of the President. I'm sure you want to be sure, right?"

Yun Seora nodded and sat back down.

"Phew." Shin Hansung sighed and then glanced over at us, as if saying it was our turn.

Seeing that, Kim Hannah spat out a groan and then pulled out two bundles of contracts as well as a pen. Placing them on the table, she nodded and said, "First of all, good job." She looked at me for a bit and then said, "And thank you. For keeping the promise of negotiating with me first."

I nodded. "I don't go back on my promises."

Kim Hannah smiled and then promptly put on a professional face. She spread out the two documents and then slid them towards me.

The one on the left was plain and simple, summarizing up a series of conditions with Kim Hannah written on the top.

As for the one on the right, it was riddled with clauses, ambiguous wordings, and legal traps. And as expected, Sinyoung was written on the top.

Kim Hannah looked at me and said, "You already understand why survivors leaving the Neutral Zone sigh a contract immediately, right?"

I nodded. "A means of getting support and backing for development since we need to catch up... or something like that."

Kim Hannah nodded. "That's right. Then, should I start with Sinyoung's offer first?"

She placed her hand on the document and then started her sales pitch. It was the typical business spiel. A large signing fee, support in three areas: finance, equipment, and training.

In short, it was an attractive honeypot. All the benefits, supposedly unprecedented... but for four to five years. But not only that, an expectation of reciprocation after that was done.

It was a perfect presentation. Skillfully layered and mitigating all the downsides while highlighting the benefits.

Shin Hansung let out a squeal of admiration when she was finished and said, "Oh my! Hannah Noonim, your sales pitch is great!"

Kim Hannah gave him a cursory glance and then lifted her hand away from the document.

Seeing that, I glanced at the other one.

"Oh. As for this contract..." Kim Hannah hummed and said, "Well, I don't have anything too particular to say."

Seeing that as my cue, I nodded and said, "Why *are* there two contracts for me anyway?"

"Mm?" Kim Hannah played coy and said, "Didn't I tell you? That golden stamp wasn't Sinyoung's property."

I nodded. "You did mention that."

"That's right. I got it directly from a temple... Specifically, from the Temple of Gula."

It was the same. The setup was the same. Realizing that, I said, "So then... Will this be like contracting directly with the gods, with you as my middleman? Since it was from the gods themselves."

"Mm..." Kim Hannah frowned and said, "Even I'm not sure. All I heard back then was that there would come a time where I would have to use it so I should hold onto it carefully. And from all you've done, I guess that time had come." She shrugged. "Though you'll have to ask Gula herself for clarification. But anyway... You've browed through this contract already, right?"

I nodded.

It was a stark difference. The financial support, equipment... everything was inferior. In truth, it didn't even amount to a quarter of what Sinyoung was offering.

To anyone else, it would be a clear choice. After all, the weight of a powerful organization was indeed heavy. How could a single person compare?

But...

[And the most important of all, I promise you complete freedom over your own actions.]

"You'll see that what little support is mentioned there comes from under my name, but it's a pale comparison to Sinyoung's."

So she said. But they also weren't a piddling amount. To put it into comparison, it was like being slotted into a CEO position of a 401k versus joining a startup. The former came with all sorts of benefits... but also stress. The latter didn't have as much financial compensation, but the potential was there as well as the absolute freedom of making your own time and decisions.

"It can't be helped, right?" Kim Hannah shook her head. "The support implied on this contract is no more than Sinyoung acknowledge all your accomplishments, past, present, and the future. They'll also try to keep an amicable relationship with you for the foreseeable future. That's all. So if you want more than that, sign over here." She slid Sinyoung's contract over.

"Wow." Shin Hansung exclaimed and said, "Noonim is making sure of everything. I definitely have to make a glowing report personally back to the Director."

Kim Hannah glared and said, "Keep your pie-hole shut. Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"

"Yes ma'am!" The youth snapped a salute and said, "Pie-hole! Shut!" He made a show of zipping his mouth shut and tossing the zipper.

I stared at the contracts.

It was a no-brainer. At least, it should be. But-

'Why is that one glowing blue...?'

Kim Hannah's contract was glowing gold, as expected. But the contract on the right...

I glanced at it and then-

"Tch. So you really sided with him as well...?"

A sleazy man, clutching his arm.

"Tough luck, Father." A beautiful and doll-like woman on my right, smiling. "But that's what my hero wants."

"Unni." Yun Seora stood on my left. "We should finish it."

"Right, right..." The young woman on my right turned to look at me. "Then, shall we end this play, my hero? Or should I say... President Sinyoung?"

The vision shattered, leaving me more confused then ever.

That was... the Destiny Severance.

"Mister Seol Jihu?" Kim Hannah called out to me, her voice professional. But at the same time, I could sense it. A faint trace of doubt and disappointment.

Curious. I was really curious about why I got that vision. About the path that would emerge if I signed that contract.

So I...

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