Haegyeom Yi finally reached a conclusion after much deliberation.
'It's not impersonation.'
The viewer he'd pegged as a total troll up until now turned out to be an employee of the Korea Awakening Management Bureau?
Of course he'd assumed it was fake.
But after giving it more thought, the odds were much higher that it was legit.
'A million won is a hefty sum just to mess around like that.'
There was zero benefit to impersonating anyone for this.
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! I know it's sudden, but we really want to sign you on with the best possible terms!]
'...So this is real?'
Of course, even if it was real, it was still absurd.
A bureau employee who'd been spamming comments telling him to quit just moments ago suddenly flips and wants to recruit him full throttle?
Sure, the SSS+ clear had triggered a global announcement, so maybe that explained it. But absurd was still absurd.
And then.
'The real Korea Awakening Management Bureau...'
Haegyeom assessed the situation and quickly drew his conclusion.
'This is looking good for me.'
—He could exploit it.
In the current setup, he held all the cards, and they were desperate.
Korea was bleeding hunter talent left and right, so they'd cling to any promising prospect. Even if he played a little hard to get, they wouldn't walk away easily.
With his mind made up, Haegyeom furrowed his brow and spoke quietly.
"You spent all that time telling me to quit like a madman, and now this?"
He let his irritation show plainly.
"What makes you think I'd listen to a damn thing you say?"
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! A-Ah... please! I get that my toxic comments might've upset you...! Just one private meeting, please! I'm begging you!]
"Hmmm."
As he strung them along, they started scrambling with excuses, their own feet burning under them.
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! Um... honestly, up until now, it seemed like you should look into something else...]
"..."
On that point, well.
'Nothing to say to that.'
Even Haegyeom himself had thought he could never clear the first floor and was ready to quit and find another path.
'...So that's why there were all those vaguely pushy toxic comments?'
Not the most likable approach, but he could understand it.
They probably didn't want him risking his life on what looked like a lost cause.
Anyway.
That was that, and this was this.
Haegyeom kept his expression stone-cold as he asked.
"So?"
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! Pardon?]
"Whatever your situation is, I'm still pissed. Trying to buy me off with cash at the last second."
Was he just supposed to forgive their behavior because he understood it?
Sadly, Haegyeom had never lived in a world soft enough for that.
'Gotta exploit their mistakes.'
If.
They really were from the bureau.
This would let him rack up even more debt on their side.
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! S-Sorry! That wasn't my intention...! And the money shows our sincerity! We absolutely want to sign you to a top-tier prospect contract!]
"Top-tier prospect, huh..."
It was a wildly generous contract for someone unverified, based solely on that SSS+ clear.
But.
'I can squeeze more out of them.'
With his experience as a hunter manager, Haegyeom knew.
This wasn't the time to bite on their offer.
"By the way, why keep sponsoring in 1,000-won increments? If that's all you got, just chat."
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! B-But I'm a civil servant... And this is the only way to talk with voice!]
? What the hell was that?
"So, you're saying a 'top-tier prospect' contract doesn't come with much cash?"
...Pow!
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000,000 won! We have money! We do! But you need to see the actual terms first!!!!!]
'Whoa. A million won?'
Not bad for a few words.
"Got it. Give me your contact info."
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! 010-XXXX-XXXX! B-But your contact, Hunter...?]
"Mine?"
Haegyeom smirked as he continued.
"I'll call you, obviously."
In other words.
He had to ghost them hard.
"Thanks for the sponsorship. Catch you later. Exiting Salvation Tower."
['Korea Awakening Management Bureau' has sponsored 1,000 won! What!? Hey? Wait, you...!]
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Back in his semi-basement rental.
Haegyeom sat tapping his knee, sorting through the situation.
"Global announcement went out, huh..."
When he'd planned to conquer the tower using the hatchling now bunking in his inventory, he'd figured it'd go well.
He'd even hoped as much.
But this... it had gone too well.
"Gonna attract a ton of aggro."
All sorts would come crawling out of the woodwork.
Recruiters hungry to sign him.
Jealous haters.
Skeptics doubting the whole thing.
And probably some who'd try to kidnap or assassinate him.
'Probably not "probably." Pretty damn certain.'
To gangs or rogue villains, he was prime prey.
Low-floor hunters with promising unique abilities were exactly that to them.
"At least anonymous mode was on..."
But Haegyeom had kept Tower Stream's anonymous mode active.
His name hadn't leaked in the global alert, and even his sole viewer hadn't seen his face.
"No one can pin down my identity right now."
That was his judgment.
"So table that issue for now."
He shoved aside worries that weren't immediate.
And then.
"The bureau, huh."
He eyed the note with the contact info he'd jotted down right after logging out.
"High chance it's real."
He'd unexpectedly opened a line to the bureau.
And honestly, if he played his cards right on the contract, the bureau beat corporate guilds.
But.
"...No rush right now."
He wasn't planning to call yet.
A contract would mean support for tower climbs and such, but...
'Not sure it'd help me much.'
No matter how he sliced it, standard support wouldn't do him any good.
"Better to jack up my value first, then sign."
Haegyeom nodded.
No urgency at all.
Pocket the contact as insurance and climb the tower to bulk up—much smarter.
So, the real priority was...
"Tower climbing."
Tower climbing.
To grow as a hunter.
To boost his stock even higher.
To protect himself from villains.
Whatever reason he picked, it all boiled down to climbing the tower.
And.
The key to Haegyeom's climbs was, of course—
"...This little guy."
—The hatchling.
The Red Dragon Hatchling snoozing away in his inventory.
"Grateful he let me house him here, and he's helping out great so far, but..."
He was a bit uneasy too.
His unique ability was Inventory Master, not a summoning type.
If the hatchling suddenly bailed on helping him one day, he'd be screwed!
The best fix for that was...
"Build up some goodwill."
Tenant welfare!
Pamper the renter, build trust, and those worries would vanish.
Haegyeom opened the tenant management screen.
Above the curled-up sleeping hatchling, its status floated up.
[Status]
[Tenant: Red Dragon Hatchling]
[Status: Grateful, Hungry, Fatigued, Sleeping, Recovering]
"Hm."
Fatigue would sort itself out after sleep.
Inventory's shift to residential use added a 'recovery' effect, no doubt there.
But hunger.
"...What does he like? What does he even eat...?"
What to feed this guy?
A quick internet search turned up zilch.
Obviously.
"No way dragon-raising guides exist!"
No choice—Haegyeom resolved to stock up on everything.
Fruits like bananas, mangoes, blueberries, dragon fruit.
Meats: beef, pork, chicken.
Bugs: crickets, mealworms.
Even regular pet food.
"No matter what you like, one of these has gotta work!"
Luckily, the surprise sponsorships had padded his wallet nicely.
He could snag whatever he needed.
Gazing at the adorable sleeping hatchling in his inventory, Haegyeom muttered.
"...Right?"
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