Chapter 156

The Supreme Commissioner Meeting (2)

‘The Ministry Spirit’s prediction was only based on Earth’s past capabilities!’

Just as the system wasn’t omniscient, the Ministry Spirit couldn’t have predicted it until my current situation.

‘There’s no reason to stop at ten structures if more is possible!’

I would create a lot of

I asked the Tongel commander a question.

“How much discount can you give us?”

Each race of the Union seemed to have a manual on what to do in those situations.

Did it mean that situations wherein favors between member dimensions had to be resolved happened that often?

Just then as well, the Gorangsha commander decided immediately on the spot to hand over the new minute metal golem to us.

Tongel was no different in that aspect.

“I’ll give you this much discount rate. It’s paying it forward for the favor, so it’s set at the lowest margin. I’m sorry, but I had no intention to test the water in the first place, so negotiation is impossible.”

There had long been a plan to produce more Tactical Fortresses.

Therefore, it was confirmed through Adam how much the materials required were in advance.

Of course, the numbers and items had been recorded in my head without a hitch.

Due to that, I could check the original and discount price offered by Tongel, and I felt assured that it was indeed an unconventional offer.

“If it’s this much, wouldn’t it be better just to reduce the quantity and give it to us for free?”

The Tongel shook his head firmly.

“That’s not possible due to the laws of our species.”

Was it because of pride, after all?

Regardless, I accepted it quickly because it was interpreted as a sincere enough offer from them.

“Trade currency is experience points, isn’t it?”

The transferrable points equaled to a key currency between dimensions.

The starfish agreed.

“Of course, it is.”

“Well… I’ll request this much for the initial quantity.”

When he heard the quantity I proposed, he replied as if he were agitated.

“Despite the discount that we’ll be giving you, this is still a considerable amount, though…”

He tested the water as if it’s unexpected.

“Are you the leader of that world or something? These are not Experience Points that a single individual can acquire. Much less for someone from a dimension that had just entered the Main Quest even!”

I replied with a shrug.

“By no chance will you get a bad check, so don’t worry about it.”

He had no idea.

On Earth, my colleagues and I had monopolized the Screening Quest, which was substantively the easiest way to earn points.

Since I had eaten up all the points meant to be shared with the Awakened beings of one dimension….

Even if I exchanged them for items or information in the process, there was still more than enough.

Adam also added to that, and there were also the points I received as rewards for the Main Quest I just finished.

‘According to what I heard, those who are stronger and more terrible than the slave traders that invaded Taiwan aren’t too rare. To prevent anybody from looking down on our world, we have to make sure to leave our mark.’

It was a decision made considering the far future after getting rid of Mercadius.

Also, since the Red Gate could also appear on Earth, we had to prepare better defense methods.

The Earth’s Awakened beings wouldn’t get stronger overnight, and even if the Union sent reinforcements, there might be another mistake like what just transpired.

Considering that, I decided to invest a lot of my points in constructing more Tactical Fortresses.

“Alright, I’ll deliver it to your dimension as soon as we are supplied. Just for you, the delivery fee will be waived.”

Then as he nodded like that…

“By the way…”

He quickly changed the topic as if he was waiting for the compensatory trade conversation to be finished.

“Your name is Seo Jin-Wook, right? Do you, by any chance, have plans to work as a mercenary?”

“Do you own a mercenary business as well?”

“Of course. I don’t know if you know, but operating as a mercenary is, in some cases, a faster way to get points than through quests.”

Pointing at my finger, he said.

“You can’t be an Elite warrior since you were chosen by a god… but it’s a waste of combat power to be tied up in one dimension. Many species need outside forces for the reason of not being able to ask the Union for support. They could invite you them for a high price. What do you think?”

I shook my head.

“Thanks for the offer, but right now, I’m busy with our world’s work.”

The tasks on Earth were troublesome enough. There was no time to go around solving troubles at other dimensions.

Therefore, I didn’t intend to do mercenary works unless requested or ordered by the Union.

“Well, then, that’s that.”

He was lost in thought for a while as if it was a shame.

“Are you the type of person who keeps mysticism, secrecy… or something like that? Do you not want others to know as much as they can about your battle abilities and all that?”

“No, it’s not that at all.”

“Then is it okay to spread some words to the dimension? About what we saw today, that is.”

Of course, it was okay.

That’s what Commissioner Bachurka wanted as well.

The higher my interdimensional reputation was, the stronger the Union’s cause would become to support Earth and me.

Of course, Tongel had a reason for suggesting that, too.

“I’m just trying to be prepared in case you change your mind someday.”

“I thought so.”

“Once the rumor spreads, potential buyers will be interested, and the market price should go up even if you’re not doing mercenary work right now.”

Even though the time of sale was undecided, he intended to leak the product specifications first.

Their strategy was to increase interest and demand in markets as much as possible, even before the release.

They stuck to that even though the provider wasn’t even considering it.

“I don’t know what’s going on in your hometown right now, but the initial turmoil is bound to clear up over time. With the Union in contact, political and social changes can occur much faster than expected. After your world has settled, the points you’ll be getting will become unsatisfactory. Find us then. I’ll do my best to promote you for that day.”

“Well, as you wish.”

Eventually, it went as Bachurka intended.

The scene where broad-footed merchants spread my story around each dimension was clear in my eyes.

*

A few days after Seo Jin-Wook killed the beast at the Gorangsha’s dimension…

Bachurka attended a meeting with some of the highest-ranking officials among the commissioners in the Union.

“Then, we will begin the Union Supreme Commissioners’ meeting.”

The gatherings were of seven different aliens, none with overlapping races.

After several agendas were raised, discussed, and processed, Bachurka took out the prepared agenda.

“The following is about special support and nurture for the Earth dimension’s Awakened.”

It wasn’t unfamiliar news even among the supreme commissioners because Bachurka had already laid the groundwork.

One nodded as if he had heard of it.

“You mean the Awakened who was said to be chosen as the next incarnation of Igras-Sho.”

“That’s right.”

Bachurka explained her plan to other commissioners.

Seo Jin-Wook’s special ability was needed to capture Mercadius, who had a mental manipulation ability that existing items couldn’t block. However, various support was required to foster him so that the operation could proceed smoothly.

“Everything is to capture Mercadius, to understand the dangers thoroughly, and to figure out how to prepare against their species in the future.”

Bachurka continued, emphasizing her point.

“It is the will of the system to lead more dimensions to the Main Quest and to make them prosper, and the Union is an alliance of those who sympathize with that will. The race that brings a dimension the tragedy of the extinction of life is bound to be our common enemy.”

One of the beings present spoke as if to correct that phrase.

“But we haven’t explicitly agreed that it’s our ‘common enemy’ yet.”

“Yes, that’s because we’ve never captured or identified Mercadius alive. But if we take advantage of this opportunity…!”

Bachurka insisted that she was very wary of the Mercadius’ danger and that the Union should suppress them by all means, as soon as possible.

However, as she told Seo Jin-Wook, not all races in the Union thought so.

A race that was the exemplary case of not being in favor of Bachurka opened its mouth.

“I wonder if the concern is too much, Bachurka. It is hard to agree to your statement willingly.”

Bachurka swallowed her sigh and looked at the supreme commissioner who had said those words.

The opponent was the supreme commissioner of the ‘Adgon’ species.

‘Adgon’ was one of the pillars of the first five races to form the Union.

Four of the five races, except Adgon, were destroyed and disappeared for their own reasons, so they were the only species to continue their existence as of that moment.

Naturally, the influence of their breath within the Union played a substantial role. The Union’s decision tended to lean a lot depending on the choice of the supreme commissioner elected by them.

“Bachurka, as you said, nothing has been identified yet about the dangers of Mercadius.”

“But if you look at the cases of the destroyed dimensions…!”

“There’s no proof of how the species was led to their destruction.”

“We can assume if we look at how the Elite warriors’ minds were manipulated this time. Won’t it be that it controls the mind of the target race to lead to its destruction? It could be explained with this how the dimension they appeared in was destroyed in the end, even if there is no record that the Mercadius directly slaughtered the intellectuals.”

“That’s also a hypothesis. And there are many cases where the dimension was destroyed even though Mercadius was not observed. To say that the two cases must correlate….”

The Adgon argued that there were too few cases, and Bachurka was saying on the contrary that it was enough.

The reason for the disagreement was that there was no evidence.

Bachurka wanted to take that opportunity to capture Mercadius and secure evidence.

On the other hand, the Adgon race commissioner was wary of giving Seo Jin-Wook excessive support, who had only once shown an active performance.

“Bachurka, I’ve said a few times already that if Mercadius were such a dangerous race, the system would have reflected that in the Main Quest. Like putting up an experience point to alert the danger of a Red Gate as it quickly increases its occurrence.”

However, even if you look at the list of Main Quests, there are no such quests as “Mercadius extermination.”

The Adgon race argued based on that.

“According to the interpretation tentatively agreed upon by the member dimensions, the system is ‘good’ and guides the Awakened beings to our perpetuation and prosperity. And the system leaving them unattended means that Mercadius is not critically dangerous.”

After a heated discussion between the seven alien races was exchanged…

As differences between them were unlikely to narrow, the Adgon race suggested.

“Well, then… How about this?”

He spoke as if he had taken a step back.

“The saying that the reason why the Awakened cannot be affected by the mental control is because of Igras-Sho’s blessing… Let’s leave it like that. I doubt it’s because of another reason, so I’ll move on.”

He continued.

“However, even if the Union hands him several powerful items, it will be of no use if the user’s ability to use them falls behind.”

“That’s already been proven by the case of the Red Gate…!”

“That’s not enough. So I’ll make a suggestion here. What if Seo Jin-Wook, the Awakened, comes to the Union Headquarters and directly gets his combat capability measured? So that we can objectively identify that he is a young leaf that we can support.”

Bachurka nodded.

That was a reasonable suggestion.

But then…

“And, if he had just entered the Main Quest, his unique skill must be in a state that had never evolved, right?”

She didn’t ask Seo Jin-Wook, but it was more likely.

“I think so.”

“Then we’ll have to put another condition on the line. I want him to show us the minimum qualifications.”

“I see what you mean.”

“Yes. If we send him away with all sorts of rare items with him and dies in vain, causing them to be destroyed, it won’t only be his loss, but also the Union’s. How would a man who has never evolved his unique skill be prepared? He should at least show some sincerity.”

Grasping where the story was going, Bachurka agreed with the other party.

It wasn’t too much to ask, even for her.

The Adgon race Commissioner continued.

“The hurdle to pass to strengthen the unique skill is the ‘one-person quest.’ What the Union can provide in particular could be teleportation scrolls, coordinates, and experience points consumed in the process. We’ll give him that much, so he’ll have to upgrade his unique skill first before he comes here.”

The Adgon species commissioner spoke one after another of the conditions that they thought of.

“Only after having done so must we measure his combat capabilities. That way, we can identify his true potential. Skills are as important as Mana when it comes to measurement. If he unleashes his unique upgraded skill before us, our judgment will be defined.”

The Adgon species commissioner seemed to desire to check what Seo Jin-Wook’s unique skill was.

Although the case was slightly different, seeing one’s unique skill was also an essential procedure for selecting an Elite warrior.

And only when all those steps had been completed would Seo Jin-Wook receive superior support than that given to the Elite Warriors.

‘This much is a reasonable proposition.’

Eventually, Bachurka agreed, and the remaining commissioners agreed as well. Bachurka would forward to Seo Jin-Wook the words exchanged in the meeting.

When the plan was passed unanimously in that way, no one noticed a strange light passing by the Adgon race’s eyes.