Chapter 296. Proof of Worth (2)

[Congratulations!]

[You are the first in Sector 13 to defeat a dragon-type enemy.]

[You have acquired the title Dragon Slayer!]

The first time Eun-Ho had encountered a dragon, it had been an artificial one. Still, he had defeated it, killed it, and earned the title Dragon Slayer.

The second time, it had been the former chairman. Eun-Ho had poured everything he had into that fight, won, and taken the company for himself.

On top of that, he had gained the title God Slayer. Therefore, there was nothing left for him to fear. At least, that was what he had thought.

Sssss—

A figure slowly emerged from a hazy, mist-like glow. The moment Eun-Ho saw it, he had no choice but to reconsider that thought.

[You have encountered an Ancient God.]

An indescribable pressure bore down on him. Even though the being stood right before him, it felt impossibly distant, as though it existed in some unreachable realm.

[Pay your respects to the Primordial Guardian Dragon.]

Before they knew it, their bodies had moved.

“Keugh!” Jae-Hyuk groaned.

With a strained sound, Jae-Hyuk’s massive, boulder-like frame collapsed to the ground. Ji-Eun also gasped and fell, as though crushed under an unseen weight.

Without realizing it, Eun-Ho lowered his head. His body bent of its own accord. As his right knee touched the cave floor in unwilling reverence, he understood.

This wasn’t forced suppression, but pressure born naturally, accumulated over eons beyond counting. The being was unlike those who had become gods through the System.

This is a real god.

Now he understood what those grand titles Ancient God and the Primordial Guardian Dragon truly meant.

“You are...” Golden hair flowed like molten gold. A woman’s form, as if stepped out of a painting, turned toward him. “You are a child who does not reveal your inner thoughts easily.”

The moment he met her blue eyes that seemed to contain the entire universe, something heavy lodged itself in his stomach. “I...”

Although Eun-Ho had never intended to speak, his mouth opened naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

[Defense Mechanism - Activated]

[You are partially resisting the God’s Authority.]

The words spilled from him like a cough. “I’m... hoping to... secure shares... through...”

Eun-Ho tried to swallow them back, but it was too late.

“So you intend to swallow the company whole.” The woman slowly blinked. Her calm expression suggested she had grasped everything from those fragmented words alone. “That’s enough.”

At that moment, a faint, translucent mist escaped from Eun-Ho’s mouth. The suffocating presence in his stomach had been this.

He frowned. “If you had asked properly, I would have answered.”

The woman simply studied him in silence.

“Now that I think about it...” For the first time, her porcelain-like face showed a trace of emotion: displeasure. “You reek of an unbearable stench.”

A stench? Oh.

He was still a mess, drenched in the blood and sweat of the fiends. It seemed their Guardian Dragon preferred cleanliness. Well, what could he do? He had only fought as the Tower demanded and carved a path forward.

Eun-Ho shrugged. “It was a rough journey getting here.”

The goddess frowned even deeper. “What are you talking about?”

“You mean the smell of blood, don’t you?”

She raised her slender hand and flicked her fingers. “Tsk. That too, but...”

At once, the blood and grime clinging to him lifted into the air and vanished. What remained was the red armor beneath, and the pristine white blade in his hand.

The Guardian Dragon’s gaze sharpened, as if charged with electricity. Her gaze lingered on the treasured blade once sealed away by the former chairman, along with the armor said to be crafted by the Sun God.

[Red Flame Divine Sword]

- A sacred blade forged by the Sun God, carved from dense flames blooming alongside sunspots.

- It contains a red core and a golden corona within its edge, and it chooses its own master.

- Attack Power: 50-100 and increases critical hit rate by ten percent.

- Unique Skill: Black Sun Explosion(Lv. 9)

[Sun’s Armor Set]

- An armor set forged from the Sun God’s remaining power. Composed of the full-body armor, Kavacha, and the golden earring, Kundala.

- Warning: As this item is engraved upon the soul, it cannot be removed.

“Did that stubborn old man meddle in the mortal world again?”

“Do you mean the Sun God?” Eun-Ho asked.

The Guardian Dragon fell silent, as though sinking into thought. “Then the Undying has...”

It was unclear whether she was speaking to herself or listening to something beyond his hearing.

“So this is how it was always meant to be.” She gave a slight nod. “And the company? How is it going?”

“It’s running just fine,” Eun-Ho answered.

Her brows twitched, her lips twisting in clear disbelief. “Hah. A company without the Undying still has anything left to function?”

“It’s not a company that collapses just because one chairman disappears,” Eun-Ho said.

Leaders set direction, but it was the countless employees who carried out the work. Their unseen efforts gathered together to keep the massive machine running.

With a faint scoff, the Guardian Dragon flicked her finger again. “I suppose I will see for myself.”

Swoosh—!

Then, a screen unfolded across the cave wall.

“That’s...” Eun-Ho murmured.

A familiar conference room appeared. The front window he had once destroyed and repaired was intact, and employees sat gathered around the table.

—Next is the interim review on Utilizing Idle Resources in the Company Cafeteria. Wait, we already have pre-orders?

—Yes! Even though we told them it’s not available yet, people are going crazy. Some are even offering extra money just to buy employee portions! The Fairy Grass Jelly and Perfume Coffee package are especially popular.

—We might run short on specialty stock. Check if we can secure additional supply.

—Yes, sir!

Laughter filled the secretary’s office as the meeting went on.

—Assistant Manager Oh! These numbers are wrong!

—Huh?! That can’t be! I checked them properly. Here’s the raw data.

—Seriously?! Has the profit margin improved this much?

—I told you. It more than covers the wage increases.

The accounting team’s eyes gleamed as they reviewed the dense figures.

—Is it even possible to legalize the Arena?

—He’s the kind of guy who makes the impossible possible.

—Well, I thought so. Oh, by the way, if the chairman comes back, could you tell him my blood tastes awful so he wouldn’t want to try it?

Even the arena overseers broke into smiles as well.

That last one was a bit strange, but still, Eun-Ho thought.

The Guardian Dragon’s hollow voice echoed through the cavern. “So you weren’t lying.”

Her twisted smile clearly held mockery, yet her gaze was fixed somewhere far beyond Eun-Ho.

“Hoo—” Her brief sigh swept over Eun-Ho like a passing wind. After a moment, her emotionless voice resounded again. “I must see whether you are fit to lead the new era.”

“Alright,” Eun-Ho replied.

“Let the trial begin.”

It was a trial set by an Ancient God. She was a being who could force his mouth open with a gesture, and perceive all things with a flick of her hand.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

For the first time in a while, tension rose within him, impossible to suppress. Those empty, yet all-encompassing eyes sent chills crawling down his spine.

[The Final Trial will now begin.]

“It will be a deep-level interview.”

What?

***

Just before graduation, Eun-Ho had submitted over fifty job applications in a single semester. He had no parents so he had to survive on his own.

Although most of the applications had been rejected at the initial document stage, he had made it to interviews more than a few times.

“So, Mr. Lee Eun-Ho, what made you want to apply to our company?” an interviewer asked.

Interviews had never been easy for him. There was no such thing as a special motivation for applying to a company when all he wanted was to make a living. Also, he couldn’t exactly say he had been rejected everywhere else and desperately had to pass this one.

Most of the time, he had forced himself to come up with something.

“I spent my entire adolescence as an athlete, maintaining a strict diet,” Eun-Ho said. “Because what I could eat was limited, I constantly thought about what kinds of food were both healthy and enjoyable...”

He had scraped together even the smallest strengths he could find, desperate to tie everything back to his own experiences.

“You do know we focus more on convenience foods than well-being, right? Honestly, our market share isn’t that great either,” the interviewer said.

“Yes, I’m aware,” Eun-Ho replied.

“Then skip the obvious answers. There must be something you expect from this company.”

Even so, getting a job had been difficult.

However, this interview was different.

I can’t afford to fail this one, Eun-Ho decided inwardly.

Tick—

He sat in a pure white space where the ticking of a clock sounded like thunder, muttering, “This place is—”

“This looks exactly like an interview room, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk said.

At best, an interview room was what it was. At worst, it felt more like a courtroom interrogating a suspect.

The three of them sat side by side on plain chairs without desks. Across from them, behind a table elevated on a platform, sat the Guardian Dragon. More precisely, there were ten of them.

[The Final Trial, Deep-Level Interview, will now begin.]

The announcement came before they could even process the situation.

Tick—

“Introduce yourselves in one minute,” said one of the Guardian Dragons.

Of course the first task is a self-introduction, Eun-Ho thought.

“Who will go first?”

Jae-Hyuk blinked blankly. “Huh?”

At that, three of the Guardian Dragons frowned simultaneously.

“Did you come here to play?”

“N-no, ma’am!” Jae-Hyuk stammered.

“You begin.”

The words echoed through the space like a command.

Tick—

Jae-Hyuk, who had been fidgeting nervously, finally opened his trembling mouth.

“Uh... Hello! My name is Choi! Jae! Hyuk! I am twenty-five years old, and I was discharged last year as an army sergeant!” he blurted. “I was raised by a kind mother and a strict father, and I was taught that diligence is the most important value in life, and—”

Tick—

“Stop. One minute has passed,” said one of the Guardian Dragons.

One minute was too short to ramble, yet too long to simply list key points. Jae-Hyuk’s face darkened as he fidgeted like a restless puppy. Ji-Eun’s expression stiffened.

“Um... Eun-Ho,” she whispered, glancing at him cautiously. “We have to do this too, right?”

“Yes,” Eun-Ho replied. “Only one of us needs to obtain the stock certificate though.”

He didn’t know what the Guardian Dragon intended, but their primary goal was to secure shares through those certificates. If even one of them passed, that would be enough. Plus, above all, interviews were often decided by the interviewer’s preferences.

The higher the odds, the better, Eun-Ho thought.

Ji-Eun clenched her fist with determination, straightened her posture, and fixed her gaze forward. “I’ll do my best.”

“Next.”

Tick—

The ticking sound rang out again.

“Hello. I am Kim Ji-Eun, an applicant who always prioritizes both employees and customers,” she began.

Slightly lower than usual, her tone was clear and precise, carrying a sense of reliability. Her posture was straight, her eyes steady.

“While working as an executive secretary at a corporation, I resolved various issues. For instance, when conflicts arose between departments with differing interests. Using that experience, I hope to contribute to opening a new era for the company.”

Tick—

It was not bad at all, but the Guardian Dragon’s expression remained calm. In other words, it hadn’t left any impression.

“Next. The last one.”

It’s my turn, Eun-Ho thought.

***

The Primordial Guardian Dragon found them, frankly, unsatisfactory. Though, she had to acknowledge that their energy was pure, and their achievements were impressive. However, how could these young ones possibly be fit to lead a new era?

“I was raised by a kind mother and a strict father, and I was taught that diligence is the most important value...” Jae-Hyuk said.

The Primordial Guardian Dragon did not agree to what Jae-Hyuk had said. Diligence was not the most important value. In fact, blind diligence was one of the worst traits a leader could possess.

“I worked as an executive secretary at a corporation, where I resolved various issues,” Ji-Eun said.

The Primordial Guardian Dragon thought it was wrong again. A leader’s role was not to resolve issues, but to present problems beyond the scope of individuals, setting grand discourse and vision.

That was why she held little expectation for the final candidate. “Next. The last one.”

Tick—

As the second hand moved, he lifted his calm gaze. “I'm Lee Eun-Ho, currently serving as acting chairman.”

His opening was simple and direct.

“I’m someone who strives to grow rather than settle for where I stand. After joining as a representative of new hires, I established the Labor-Management Cooperation Team and gathered employee signatures to form a labor union.”

Unlike the others, Eun-Ho spoke about what he had accomplished after joining. Up to that point, it wasn’t bad.

“I am someone who can protect the company. I possess the strength to safeguard myself, and I have multiple experiences utilizing individual employee capabilities to rout larger forces with a smaller group.”

For someone who had pushed out the Undying, his strength and strategic ability were undeniable.

“I am someone who solves problems. While serving as Acting Chairman, I identified several systemic issues within the company.”

Then he should explain what those systemic issues are, thought the Primordial Guardian Dragon.

She waited for him to elaborate.

However, Eun-Ho glossed over it. “I resolved them to the best of my ability.”

Got you.

The reason for being vague was obvious. Either he hadn’t done it himself or it hadn’t been anything significant.

How pathetic. And what was that? To the best of my ability?

The Guardian Dragon had seen countless individuals who hid behind such empty phrases. After everything it had taken to build this era, there was no way she would entrust it to someone like that.

“I strive to build such a company. That is all,” Eun-Ho concluded.

It hadn’t even taken a full minute.

He didn’t even use all his time.

“How long have you served as acting chairman?” she asked.

“One week,” Eun-Ho replied.

“So, not a long time.”

Just as expected.

What meaningful problems could he have identified and solved in just one week?

She suppressed the look of disdain that threatened to surface. “You said you resolved systemic issues while serving as acting chairman. What issues, specifically, and how did you resolve them? And among those, explain in detail the role you personally handled.”

At best, he probably reviewed work his subordinates struggled to produce, she thought.

She had seen it too many times—people who simply added the final touch to a prepared table and claimed, “I made this.”

Press him twice, and he would fumble, she thought.

“That’s a good question,” Eun-Ho smirked and continued as if he had been expecting this, “as you requested, I’ll answer specifically and in detail.”

Did he anticipate it? No wait. This was probably intentional.

Like a hunter laying a trap, he had set things up so that she had to ask a follow-up question. Most likely, this was his strongest achievement. The story he wanted to present the most.

This one’s interesting.

The Guardian Dragon’s lips twisted again. For the first time, there was genuine curiosity in her gaze.