Chapter 128. Veteran Corporation Shareholders’ Meeting (Part 1)
Yawning stretched through the air.
“Damn. This is ridiculously boring.”
The guardians minding the entrance to the cathedral had faced extended tedium. It was a location notorious for its abundance of traps, effectively leaving it devoid of player activity. Moreover, with the upper floors of the tower being continuously unlocked, major guilds diverted their focus to exploring the unknown dungeons and mazes on the fourth and fifth floors.
Then, without warning…
A red spark flickered in the darkness.
Someone had arrived—and done so without making a sound. Normally, such silent navigation through the traps would warrant attention. However, the guards, dulled by weeks of monotony, overlooked the significance.
“A rare guest, I see.”
“Come on out. No point in hiding your magic power; we’ll find you anyway!”
With steel clashing and swift movements, the guards drew their weapons. Sharp blades pointed outward.
“Heh, loyal soldiers, indeed.”
“Fools, baring their fangs without knowing their place,” remarked a strikingly beautiful man and woman, both with long silver hair and crimson eyes. Their chilling aura was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
The man’s eyebrows furrowed into a scowl. They seemed irritated by the weapons aimed at them.
“Skipping the formalities?”
“No need to explain to these trifles.”
As the cold words echoed, a rapier was unsheathed. From the blade, adorned with a unique pattern, emerged a blood-red aura.
“Well, killing a few should lure out the one in charge,” remarked the female nonchalantly without intervention.
“What rubbish do these insignificant creatures babble about? Can’t they see they’re outnumbered?”
“Start by taking an arm each; then, lock them up like pigs!”
“And try not to kill any by mistake. I insist on seeing these two beg for mercy.”
About twenty guardians charged in, spewing curses as they advanced. Yet, their efforts were in vain. Not a single blow reached the silver-haired man. Instead, the delayed gleam of his blade was followed by thin sprays of blood.
There were only the chilling sounds of flesh being carved. Rather than simply stabbing, the guardians found fist-sized holes punctured through their hearts—every single one without exception.
Unable to even react, let alone see the attacks coming, twenty guardians crumbled where they stood.
The man leisurely licked the blood from his sword, savoring its flavor with eyes softly shut. However, his expression soon twisted with disgust.
“Ugh, fitting of lowly humans to have such cheap blood.”
“Even creatures like these are better than livestock, but humans with truly delicious blood are so hard to find,” they mused, as if at a gourmet review.
Another voice interjected at that moment:
“How regretful…”
A smooth reply followed as Hosenbelt emerged from the shadows.
“Oh, shadow transfer, eh?”
“It’s quite useful. Seems like you’re the one in charge here,” the man’s red eyes shimmered, indicating his surprise. Such stealth in using a transfer skill was rare.
“Well, yes, you could say that. But what brings the nobles of the night to such depths? Surely, you haven’t come to pick a fight with just the two of you?”
Hosenbelt’s tone was pleasant, showing no sign of tension despite being aware of the power his guests held. He maintained his composure, a rare sight these days.
The vampires seemed to appreciate this ease, dissipating the murderous intent they had raised. Instead of being offended by Hosenbelt’s demeanor, they found it appealing. The two vampires who arrived were no ordinary hounds but skilled hunters.
“We have no intention to fight,” confirmed Hosenbelt, dissipating the power he had gathered as well.
The tension eased, and the vampires spoke:
“We serve Lord Amulram from the Decaserus family.”
“A prisoner managed to escape detention on the first floor, causing us to descend here.”
They shared their reason for coming and continued:
“Faint rumors reach us about relics being gathered. Specifically, relics from the eleventh floor.”
“Oh, don’t be alarmed. We have no interest in your congregation’s relics. Rather, we’ve come with a proposal: help us, and in return, we shall grant you your desires.”
The two vampires made a significant offer. Hosenbelt’s lips curled into a curious smile.
“…That’s quite the interesting offer.”
***
Ninety days had passed since the sixth floor opened, with the seventh floor now accessible. A week had passed since then when an announcement was made:
[The Veteran Corporation’s shareholder meeting will be held shortly. All employees involved should gather at the ‘Turtle Rock’ behind ‘Moon Lake’ on the first floor of the Trial Tower by 14:00.]
[If you decide to ignore this message, we will come to find you, and should you dare ignore us… Well, you might want to watch your step at night. Heh.]
A polite and courteous notification was sent out to those marked with the ‘Soulbound Mark’ — either enslaved or owing a significant debt to Jinhyuk.
As six hours passed, the time approached 2:00 PM. People, both men and women, began to gather one by one near Turtle Rock behind Moon Lake.
Jinhyuk, already waiting, opened his arms in welcome.
“Thank you, everyone, for being punctual. You’ve saved me the trouble of seeking you out!”
He was prepared to punish even a second’s tardiness with meticulous penalties, but to his disappointment, everyone honored their appointed time.
“What have you done to accumulate so many slaves…?”
Melena, one of the previously infamous guardians, sighed. Even she, once feared, couldn’t help feeling sympathetic, given the number of players who had experienced Jinhyuk’s wrath.
Jinhyuk suggested they introduce themselves to foster familiarity among those less acquainted.
First up…
Park Hana, an early employee now excluded due to the Black Crow Guild’s fall. Then Ho Tae-sik, a junior employee at the Awakener Association and the second shareholder.
“This is Ho Tae-sik from the Awakener Association’s HR department. Nice to meet you all.”
Next to him were a man and woman also connected to the central national museum, Min Jeong-Woo and Lee Yuri—volunteers who fervently wished to be here despite not bearing the mark.
“…Those damn maps and masks kept me up all night. Can you just let us go, please?”
“People can choose to leave the company, of course,” Jinhyuk responded.
“Really?” they asked hopefully.
“Yes! I want out! Please, let me go!”
Well, if they were that desperate…
“You could leave with a small severance if you die. Shall I proceed with that?”
Jinhyuk toyed with a newly acquired toothed dagger from his spatial inventory. A pang of regret surfaced at the thought of possibly overplaying his hand at the Grey Temple but quickly dissipated. Everyone faces their share of bitterness in life after all.
“We’re good! I’ll stay committed!” they hastily affirmed, reassured there were no further resignations.
Jinhyuk introduced Kim Hee-Woong from the Black Crow Guild and others, including Melena from the Ma’in Association—an entity universally seen as humanity’s foe. The atmosphere tensed at the mention, but the attendants quickly recalibrated, considering Jinhyuk’s unpredictable nature.
But the revelation of Andria, one of the fifth-floor boss monsters, attending the meeting plunged the gathered group into disarray. Confusion and fear skyrocketed, echoing the question: What kind of company is this?
With introductions out of the way, Jinhyuk clapped his hands, ready to commence the long-awaited shareholders’ meeting.
