The next morning, the Black Blade Guild was buzzing. Tae-oh quickly found out why: Gong Ji-woo (the E-Rank he 'encouraged') had passed his Mana Circulation Test perfectly on his first try that morning.
"It was the Young Master Han's words!" Ji-woo was overheard proclaiming to a cluster of wide-eyed Hunters. "He told me unnecessary effort is still effort! I realized I was focusing too much on perfection and not enough on throughput!"
Tae-oh nearly choked on his breakfast juice. Throughput? That was a sarcastic jab at corporate jargon, not a spiritual revelation!
The Guild Master, Han Tae-oh's adopted father, was delighted by the sudden evidence of his son's 'hidden wisdom.' He summoned Tae-oh into his massive, obsidian-plated office.
"Tae-oh," the burly Guild Master boomed, a rare smile on his face. "I am impressed. You were right about the boy. He needed not a master, but a strategist to unlock his potential. It seems your talent is not on the battlefield, but in logistics and management."
Tae-oh, internally panicking at the unwanted attention, tried to look contemplative. He furrowed his brow and adopted a serious, pensive expression—the one he used when reviewing a complex bug report.
[Passive Skill: Gaze of Leadership (Low)] Activated! Perception: "Deep, Contemplative Wisdom."
The Guild Master's smile widened. "I have a task for your... strategic mind," he continued. "The supply lines for our F-Rank Gate Raids are a mess. We are losing 15% efficiency on low-grade core acquisition alone. Fix them. Optimize the procurement of low-grade mana cores. Consider it your new assignment. Your desk is next to the Quartermaster."
A desk? Paperwork? Financial data? Tae-oh's inner salaryman, though eternally cynical, felt a strange, familiar flutter. This was a challenge he understood. No death flags, just Key Performance Indicators.
A chime rang in his mind.
[Quest Alert: Optimize Black Blade F-Rank Logistics.]
[Goal: Increase Low-Grade Mana Core Efficiency by >10%.]
[Reward: Virtue Points +50. Unlocks Skill: Basic Audit.]
Tae-oh snapped back into villain mode. This wasn't heroism; this was pure self-interest. Fifty Virtue Points! That was five times the amount of his pathetic motivational speech. This was his chance to earn a massive VP payout without getting blood on his silk pajamas.
He bowed crisply, adopting a tone of professional commitment. "Understood, Father. I will initiate a full Business Process Audit immediately. We must eliminate the statistical anomaly."
The Guild Master clapped him on the shoulder, a brutal show of affection that nearly cracked Tae-oh's ribs. "Good. Go. Show them the sharp mind of a true Han!"
Tae-oh stumbled out of the office, his new quest burning in his status window. Finally, a challenge suited for a corporate slave. I'm going to beat the apocalypse with a perfectly optimized supply chain.