Chapter 32
Mason pondered for a moment.
“Why should I?”
“Aside from our excellence?”
“Right.”
Masika gave a faint smile.
“You want to fight. As soon as possible.”
Mason smiled too.
“You know me well.”
“I do. We’ve… been interested in you, Mason, since the National Cemetery incident.”
Mason’s official stats were made public because of his fight with Eric Yoon.
However, the Under Dark Legion had been watching Mason since the National Cemetery, and they had more time to investigate and review him than others.
“If you start building a raid team from scratch, it’ll take at least six months. Not to mention dealing with non-combat related tasks, securing investors, raising funds, and all that complicated paperwork.”
“You’re saying I won’t have to if I join forces with you?”
“Yes.”
Just because the Under Dark Legion members were wiped out didn’t mean their assets disappeared. The Under Dark Legion was well-equipped with raid team buildings and various assets.
All they needed were players.
“If that’s your strength, I assume you know your weakness as well?”
Masika bit her lip.
“…We have too many ranged dealers.”
Twenty-five ranged dealers and five to eight healers, essential for any raid team. Once they were in place, there were only seven to ten slots left.
They also needed a certain number of mages with versatile adaptability.
That left four or five slots.
Having only four or five close-combatants meant that even a small mishap could lead to a catastrophe.
The very catastrophe the Under Dark Legion had experienced.
“How about reducing the number of ranged dealers by five?”
“That’s not possible. It would diminish our strength, which is stable and high damage output.”
“If you maintain twenty-five ranged dealers, the burden on the rest of the members will be too heavy.”
“That’s true.”
Masika looked at Mason.
“Then wouldn’t it be better to fill those remaining slots with exceptionally talented individuals who can handle that burden?”
Mason looked intrigued.
If the burden was to be shifted to the rest of the members, it would naturally fall most heavily on the main tanker.
It was provocative. A provocative proposition, interesting enough to catch his attention.
Masika gazed at Mason.
“We’ve already hired an agent. If you become our main tanker, Mason, we can complete the raid team within a week at the latest.”
Seeing Mason lost in thought, Masika added,
“You hate tedious paperwork, don’t you?”
Mason carefully considered Masika’s words.
Ultimately, her argument was simple.
Mason spoke,
“Give me some time to think.”
Masika started to say something but then closed her mouth.
She was the one with a lot to offer, while Mason had nothing but himself.
But Mason was the alpha, and she was the beta.
It wasn’t wise to bother someone known for hating to be bothered.
She took out a business card from her pocket.
“If you promise not to forget my proposal and this business card…”
“I promise.”
Masika got up from her seat.
๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑
Mason sat alone, lost in thought.
‘It’s a dangerous proposition.’
Even if he could get advice, the decision had to be his own.
Take over Masika’s Under Dark Legion or build a new raid team from scratch.
Honestly, there were many tempting aspects to it.
The twenty-five ranged dealers were disrupting the balance of the raid team.
By specializing in offense, their defense was weakened.
They, immobile in their formation, had to be covered by the remaining fifteen members.
And since half of them had to be healers, it effectively meant seven or eight people were responsible for protecting everyone else.
Especially in raids known for their numerous variables.
It was dangerous. A dangerous proposition.
‘But why am I excited about this offer?’
No matter how he analyzed it, it was an offer overflowing with risks.
Yet, Mason couldn’t let go of this proposition.
The reason was simple.
‘It’s because we could become the strongest raid team.’
The strongest firepower, achieved by sacrificing balanced team composition. If that firepower could be reliably supported, they could become the strongest raid team in existence.
Of course, they would be theoretically strongest, but in reality, incredibly dangerous.
But… if there was a theory that they could become the strongest, there was no reason to avoid it, was there?
Mason was someone who had vowed to defeat the strongest enemies.
To confront the strongest enemies, he needed the strongest raid team, and now that strongest raid team was right before his eyes.
This was also a challenge.
One that Mason had to overcome.
“…”
Mason made up his mind.
๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑
Masika arrived at the Holy Knights headquarters less than fifteen minutes after receiving the call.
It seemed she was staying at a nearby hotel, not in Gwangju.
“Have you made your decision?”
Masika wasn’t someone you could call impatient or hasty, even in jest. It was just that her anxiety about this situation had surpassed even her inherent composure.
Mason spoke in a calm voice,
“I haven’t confirmed anything yet. I just thought I needed to state my conditions.”
“You’re setting conditions… which means you’re quite interested in my proposal?”
“Yes.”
Masika’s expression showed visible relief.
She asked Mason,
“Tell me your conditions. I’ll consider them.”
Masika had come here prepared to empty her entire fortune if necessary.
‘No matter how much he asks, I can even take out a loan to match it.’
Masika knew Mason’s worth. His presence alone would attract a flood of investment proposals. If she factored in the investments he would bring, she was confident she could offer a contract worth hundreds of billions.
However, she didn’t understand Mason’s true nature.
“First, except for the ranged dealers, assemble the best possible members for the rest of the team.”
“Of course.”
“Second, let me decide which monsters we raid.”
“…You’ll at least discuss it with us, right?”
“Yes, naturally.”
Mason fell silent after that. Eventually, Masika, unable to contain her eagerness, cautiously asked,
“Then, about the signing bonus and profit share…”
“Money? Just give me something reasonable.”
Mason said casually.
“I only need those two conditions met.”
Masika fell into thought.
‘It’s the raid leader’s prerogative to choose which monsters to hunt anyway. And if we make him the leader… we can recruit the best members.’
Masika wasn’t someone who left everything to chance. She acted only after investigating, reviewing, and obtaining confirmation.
Yet, she was confident.
‘Just because Mason is here, people will flock to join our raid team.’
In fact, she had already secured verbal agreements with several famous players. They promised to transfer from their current raid teams if she secured Mason.
‘It’s fortunate that he’s not greedy for money or shares, perhaps because he’s from the Holy Knights.’
It was an offer that required no deliberation.
Masika nodded.
“Alright. Let’s contract under those conditions.”
“Okay.”
“Then, let me show you the list of members I’ve recruited…”
Mason stretched out his hand, stopping Masika.
“We agreed to bring in the best members, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“There are some people I want to recommend.”
“…”
Masika felt a sense of foreboding.
‘Could it be…?’
Mason said with a neutral expression,
“Seo Yeonhee and Deroa Ranieri. A master of unconventional warfare and the strongest mage I know.”
“Deroa is possible. But Seo Yeonhee is impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because she’ll become an enemy of the Heavenly King.”
“Are you sure?”
“…Probably.”
No one knew what would happen if Seo Yeonhee was included in the raid team. Because no raid leader had been foolish, or brave, enough to include the Heavenly King’s archenemy in their team.
Except for Mason.
“Probably isn’t certain.”
“But…”
Mason reached out and stopped Masika’s words.
“I’m somewhat close with Kacha. I can go ask her. What I want to ask you is, if it weren’t for the Heavenly King issue, would it be okay to have those two?”
“If the Heavenly King issue is resolved, yes.”
“Good.”
Masika decided to let it slide for now.
If Mason was willing to step up himself, there was no need to stop him.
After all, both of them were top-level players.
“And, one more thing.”
“…What is it now?”
“We’re going to have one more main tanker.”
That was the conclusion Mason had reached.
If the raid team lacked flexibility and solidity due to the twenty-five ranged dealers, they could simply increase the number of tankers.
“…We have Mason.”
“Is there a law that says a raid team can only have one tanker?”
Even the Holy Knights had three max-level tankers.
Because their damage and healing were lacking due to structural issues.
Conversely, it meant that the reason the raid team could sustain itself despite structural issues was because they had multiple tankers.
“But…”
However, there was another reason why raid teams other than the Holy Knights only had one tanker.
Money.
The main tanker was usually the raid leader and received the largest share of the profits.
Adding another main tanker meant halving the raid leader’s earnings.
Of course, that other main tanker would also only get about half of the earnings they could get as a raid leader of another team.
“I didn’t ask you to reduce the ranged dealers, so you have to respect my opinion.”
“…I’ll try.”
“You’ll have to do better than try.”
Mason grinned.
“I haven’t signed anything yet.”
Masika sighed.
It was something she would have to get used to.
๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑
The next thing to do was to persuade Yekaterina.
‘Will it work?’
Despite his bold statement to Masika, he couldn’t be sure if she would accept Seo Yeonhee.
It was true that Yekaterina was favorable towards Mason, but it was also true that she was merciless towards those she considered enemies.
Yekaterina wanted Seo Yeonhee, which was why she hadn’t eliminated her.
But allowing Seo Yeonhee to gain power could be a separate matter altogether…
Mason called Yekaterina.
“Kacha? It’s me.”
Yekaterina answered the phone with a hint of delight in her voice.
“…”
“Yes, I have.”
Mason wasn’t surprised. In fact, he would have been surprised if she hadn’t anticipated it.
“I thought I needed your permission.”
“Can I recruit her?”
“I understand.”
If Yekaterina had accepted Seo Yeonhee, she wouldn’t have been wandering from camp to camp. It was because she wasn’t accepted that Seo Yeonhee couldn’t find a raid team.
“Let’s make a deal.”
Yekaterina spoke as if amused.
“I’ll ensure Seo Yeonhee won’t harm you.”
Mason was silent for a moment.
“No, it’s different. What I mean is…”
Mason briefly recalled Seo Yeonhee.
The determination and bloodlust she had shown when she encountered Yekaterina at the National Cemetery.
