Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

The Great Mage Who Games (2)

"Why the hell is this guy suddenly calling now and acting up?"

Sung-hwan, who didn't have a good impression of JM, immediately spat out a curse.

It was only natural.

After all, they had been working behind the scenes on Unique's hunters, and it was these guys who had snatched up Lee Sung-yun this time.

"Should I answer this or not?"

"Please answer it."

I said calmly.

Chief Yu Dong-suk was probably flustered right now.

He'd just managed to poach Lee Sung-yun, who he thought was Unique's core, only for Shin Ah-yeon to pop up out of nowhere.

Sung-hwan pressed the call button, his face twisted in annoyance, clearly reluctant to answer.

"Hello, sir. This is Chief Manager Yu. Have you been well?"

"I could have been, had you not taken our hunter."

"'Taken your hunter'? That sounds serious! All we did was leave our contact info to give the hunter more options."

Chief Manager Yu replied in a smooth, oily tone to Sung-hwan's blunt words.

In reality, Chief Manager Yu hadn't used any illegal methods; he'd only offered better terms.

Still, there was nothing good about forcing a hunter under contract to break it and follow you.

"So, what is it?"

"I watched today's broadcast. How on earth did you get in touch with Shin Ah-yeon? I heard she never goes out and is a complete recluse."

"Just get to the point."

"It's nothing major; I just called with a proposal."

"A proposal?"

When Sung-hwan asked, sounding wary, Chief Manager Yu responded as if he'd been waiting for the question.

"You know the program 'Dungeon Exploration Team'? It just so happens two spots have opened up. We thought it'd be great if Sung-yun and Shin Ah-yeon appeared together. They're both from Unique, so wouldn't the chemistry be great?"

"What? Dungeon Exploration Team?!"

Dungeon Exploration Team wasn't quite top tier, but it was a long-running show with a steady fanbase.

It was also the perfect platform for hunters confident in their skills to show them off—almost every skilled hunter dreamed of appearing there at least once.

"Jung-woo."

After hastily ending the call, Sung-hwan quietly called me over.

"... This is a trap, right?"

"Of course."

It was an obvious trap no matter who looked at it.

Especially for me, who knew the show well, I could guess exactly why Chief Manager Yu made that proposal.

"Of the two open spots, one is probably a reserve."

"A reserve?"

"Since Dungeon Exploration Team deals with dangerous situations, sometimes something happens to a hunter during filming. If that happens, their footage is edited out, so they bring in extra hunters to fill the gaps."

Of course, despite this, there were more than enough hunters eager to get in, but except in case of accidents, those reserves never even made it on air.

They're just there as stand-ins.

'Their goal is either to create a situation to approach Shin Ah-yeon, or to use the filming as a chance to crush her.'

Sung-yun, who had a grudge against Ah-yeon, was the perfect candidate.

'He's probably chalked up his previous loss to carelessness.'

After all, at the time, Ah-yeon's magic power was far less than Sung-yun's.

He'd know Shin Ah-yeon's strength wasn't what it used to be, so this time, he'd go all out.

"So, do we refuse?"

"No."

"What? Are you seriously telling me to take this? There have to be lots of other offers pouring in right now!"

Just as Sung-hwan said, causing this much of a stir on cable was no small feat.

There were already several news articles online.

"She's ranked third in Naver's real-time search! At this rate, she'll soon hit number one!"

Director Song hurriedly chimed in.

Shin Ah-yeon's cable broadcast appearance created more buzz than expected.

Considering the show had just ended, the speed at which her name climbed the rankings was astounding.

Most likely, this was because the show's main viewers were active Internet users.

'Originally, the show I wanted her to appear on was something else.'

I never expected an offer from Dungeon Exploration Team here.

To be honest...

This was perfect.

"A trap that's plain as day can be used to our advantage."

"... So you want me to accept?"

"Yes."

I smiled at Sung-hwan, who looked dissatisfied.

"It's time to move to the next stage."

We'd achieved our goal more perfectly than expected.

The stage I'd originally prepared was different, but since a better platform landed in our laps, there was no reason to ignore it.

'You can't afford to underestimate a former S-rank hunter.'

JM must have thought they had the situation under control and would gain from this.

It would have worked on an average hunter.

But S-rank hunters were never 'average'.

That was true even for 'former' S-rank hunters.

***

"Excellent decision. We'll inform the Dungeon Exploration Team, so you needn't worry!"

Chief Manager Yu hung up, beaming at Unique's representative, Choi Sung-hwan's answer.

"How'd it go, Chief Manager Yu?"

"Oh, sir! They agreed!"

"Really?"

At Chief Manager Yu's reply, JM's President Bong Jun-shik smiled, nodding in satisfaction.

"If only we'd contacted her right away instead of Sung-yun, things would have been easier. Good thing we've got a chance now."

Chief Manager Yu quickly agreed with Jun-shik, but inside, he felt differently.

'He was so pleased when we stole Sung-yun.'

A B-rank hunter could pull their weight in any guild or agency.

Now, just because Shin Ah-yeon had gotten some attention, he was talking like this.

It was Bong Jun-shik who'd sneered at the start of the show, calling her a washed-up hunter turned clown.

But the moment she became an internet sensation, he flipped his attitude instantly.

'And Shin Ah-yeon had only just joined Unique!'

She'd joined just before Sung-yun left, so there hadn't even been a chance to approach her.

'Damn it, who knew that kind of show would blow up like this.'

Recently, Chief Manager Yu hadn't even been checking the Internet out of rising irritation.

No matter what community he browsed, Shin Ah-yeon's name would pop up.

==

Title: Just saw Shin Ah-yeon's broadcast—is this real?

No way;; she's seriously so good. Isn't she basically a pro?

Did she just do nothing but game for three years?

Reply

ㅇㅇ: Looks like she played LON occasionally, but her main game was World of Acrather.

⌎AyeonLove: For real?

⌎ㅇㅇ: Yeah, if you turned it on, she even shows up in the king's postgame scene. Supposedly a ranker.

⌎AyeonLove: Whoa, is this for REAL?

==

Most reactions online were like this.

She'd already become a meme on some gaming sites.

The rumor was GGN was desperately trying to get Shin Ah-yeon back for another appearance, and even major network variety shows were eyeing her.

'... Whatever. I'll make contact and recruit her this time.'

Choosing a game broadcast for her debut probably meant her abilities as a hunter weren't what they once were.

Even Sung-yun had said so: despite a little friction with her, her magic power was so low he thought he could win.

'I'll approach her through Dungeon Exploration Team and make an offer.'

If Chief Manager Yu offered her B-rank hunter treatment, it'll tempt her—since Unique wouldn't ever offer that.

But if she rejects...

'Dungeons are places where accidents happen.'

Dungeon Exploration Team was the perfect show for Chief Manager Yu's scheme.

***

"Dungeon Exploration Team? Weren't we only doing gaming shows for a while?"

"You'll keep doing those. But there's no reason to limit ourselves to just that, right?"

I'd chosen to put Ah-yeon on a game broadcast for a few key reasons.

'To change Shin Ah-yeon's established image.'

"Great Mage Shin Ah-yeon" is a grand title, but for Ah-yeon now, it was just a shackle.

Sure, there are people who'll cheer for her, but only temporarily.

The moment she failed to show her old skills—or even if she surpassed them—people would soon get bored.

'Her Great Mage image is already spent.'

If she were to keep pushing the same concept, people would just get tired of her.

That's why I chose cable TV.

Network television would demand "the former Shin Ah-yeon", so cable offered relatively more freedom.

'It was all about the gap.'

A noble Great Mage suddenly playing games?

And performing at top level in the trending AOS game, League of Nova?

'No one can resist that.'

People who watch game broadcasts are usually active in online communities too.

Once they saw Ah-yeon, there'd definitely be a reaction, and it'd become major internet publicity.

My calculations had all been right.

'... In truth, it's going even better than expected.'

Even I hadn't expected such an impact.

I'd just wanted to refresh her image and create a "gaming hunter" concept—if I'd achieved even that, I'd have called it a win.

'And it's easier to get additional shows on cable too.'

This put us in a position of power with PD Oh—he couldn't ignore our demands, and it'd be easier to get Ah-yeon on other shows.

GGN was essential for managing Ah-yeon's image, so it was better to secure an advantage now.

In fact, PD Oh had already sent me a list of shows to consider for Ah-yeon, basically begging for her appearance.

That was possible only because Shin Ah-yeon wasn't a simple celebrity—she was a hunter.

A hunter could always walk away from the media without consequence.

"So, you're saying it's time to show her as a hunter too."

"But I've only just started 3rd-circle magic. My magic power is still pathetic."

"Don't be melodramatic."

I grinned and patted Ah-yeon's shoulder as she deliberately tried to sound tough.

She was probably still uncomfortable about returning as a hunter, hence her reaction.

Just 3rd-circle?

That was more than enough.

"3rd-circle" was just a label—Ah-yeon's magic control was at a level few could even dream of.

'I'm only teaching her theory at this point.'

My main discipline wasn't magic, but Ah-yeon's growth was jaw-dropping.

A genius at a level not even seen in the homeland of magic.

That's Shin Ah-yeon.

"Ugh, I still feel burdened... When's the shoot?"

"In about ten days. A C-rank dungeon opens in Daejeon then."

"They got that? The station's really pulling strings..."

"A show like Dungeon Exploration Team can do that."

I shrugged, and Ah-yeon studied my face for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.

She seemed to realize I wouldn't back down no matter what.

"Aw, guess I'll miss this Wednesday's raid. So, I just show up—no special prep, right? Oh, are you coming too?"

"Of course. But you can't just show up empty-handed."

"Huh? Is there more?"

Ah-yeon looked at me in puzzlement, and I grinned and whispered in her ear.

As she listened in silence, her eyes grew wide and she blinked blankly.

Her gaze seemed to ask if I was serious.

"... You actually want to see me die, don't you?"

"Don't be melodramatic."

"This isn't melodrama, okay?!"

Ah-yeon blushed bright red, shouting at me as if I'd lost my mind.

So unfair.

This is all for your own good, you know.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
What did he whisper?
【「(°ヘ°)?】