After finishing the Q&A session, Klaus went backstage. He walked with a smile on his face. There, Terry was waiting for him with his hand raised.
Clap!
They did a high five.
"How was it? My tip worked, right?" asked Terry, raising a brow.
Klaus smiled. "Honestly, I didn't expect it to work."
Lifting his head, the flamboyant man laughed so loudly that the sound echoed in the room. Terry put his arm around Klaus' shoulders like a close friend even though he was not, and Klaus let him.
The flamboyant man started bragging about his experience as the host and guild master of the Golden Hammer. Klaus remained silent, letting Terry ramble on to his heart's content. This presentation was successful thanks to him after all.
He did not know what would have happened to the presentation if he had not gotten Terry's advice.
After Terry was satisfied with bragging about himself, Klaus spoke his mind. "You know, I'm not afraid of anything in this world. I often face life-and-death situations, but strangely I feel nervous when speaking in front of people. Do you know why?"
"It's natural," Terry replied. "Because you're never used to it."
Klaus raised his eyebrows. "You mean?"
"Maybe you're brave enough to face hundreds of fierce-looking men, but you'll get nervous when faced with a hot woman. Or maybe you're not afraid of death but sad when you see someone you love die. Habit is the key."
Klaus nodded. It made sense to him.
"However," Terry continued. "The main reason you feel nervous is you're fighting for something."
A female staffer approached them, wanting to talk to Terry. While the flamboyant man chatted with his subordinate, Klaus gazed into empty air.
Terry's words reminded him of his previous life. Deeply buried memories resurfaced, bursting out flashes of the past.
Klaus found himself in the darkness. He saw a reflection of his former self, a man dressed in black and covered in blood. His white hair fell to his waist, and his eyes looked blank. The man was expressionless. There was no sign of the spirit of life within him.
The old Klaus was always alone. He never really wanted anything. Becoming stronger for him was a necessity to survive. He was an empty shell. Inside was only a black heart that could feel nothing but hatred and anger.
If Klaus met his old self, he would feel sorry for him. That man really had no one.
But the Klaus of today was different. He had everything. He had loving parents, a younger sister who relied on him, and a place to come home to. Klaus was no longer alone and had something to care about.
In this second life, he fought for something other than himself for the first time. Fighting for the people and things he cared about.
"This is what is called life."
Terry called out to him as he waved in front of Klaus' face.
"Hey, Klaus. Are you okay?"
Klaus gasped. He shook his head momentarily and said, "Ah, nothing. I just remembered something. By the way, do you have time? I want to talk about something."
Terry pursed his lips. "Sure. But give me 30 minutes. I need to take care of a few things."
After that, Terry left with the female staff, and Klaus walked to the exit with a smile.
...
The hall was filled with people. Some were discussing business partnerships, and some were doing interviews. As Klaus walked out of the auditorium, whispers echoed in his ears. Everyone in the room was talking about him.
A group of journalists approached him. They surrounded Klaus and asked him questions. Overwhelmed by them, Klaus asked the journalists to ask questions individually.
After fifteen minutes of answering them all, the journalists let Klaus go. Then, a man wearing sunglasses and a group of men in black suits came. The man spread his arms as he drew close to him.
"My, my. Look who is the star who defeated the Morning Star and the House of Blacksmith. Haha! You're really amazing, Klaus." Jacob exaggeratedly flattered Klaus.
Rubbing the back of his head, Klaus pretended to be humble. "Thank you. Mister Jacob."
Suddenly, Jacob put his arm around Klaus' shoulders. The man pulled Klaus as he walked through the hall; they attracted the attention of the people around like a magnet.
"Uh, how should I put it, huh. Klaus, I'm actually looking for a friend, you know what I mean, right?" Jacob wiggled his eyebrows.
Of course, Klaus knew what the sunglasses man meant. In fact, he was waiting for him. "You want to be our business partner, right?"
Jacob smiled broadly. The sunglasses man gently punched Klaus on the shoulder. "I like smart men like you."
"I would have wanted to look for you too if you hadn't come to me."
Naturally, Jacob raised his eyebrows. His face said he was curious.
When Klaus invited Jacob to a comfortable place to talk, a group of men in neat suits approached them. Klaus was familiar with one of them, a middle-aged man with graying hair.
Smiling kindly, the gray-haired man greeted Klaus. Meanwhile, the carefree expression on Jacob's face disappeared as he saw the middle-aged man.
"Excellent presentation, Klaus. You stood out among the other representatives. The grandson of the Lee Family cannot be underestimated."
"Thank you for your praise, Director Logan."
Even after the dungeon breaks in South Houston, Klaus had yet to meet that man. The sight of his face was enough to make Klaus disgusted, but at the same time, he felt relieved.
Director Logan then greeted Jacob. Although the gray-haired man made a friendly face, Jacob only quirked his lips. Seeing their reactions, Klaus learned that their relationship was not good.
"I didn't expect to meet the Guild Master of the Divine Ursine Alliance here. Do you have an appointment with Morning Star?" asked Director Logan, raising his eyebrows.
"I don't have any relation with them. So you can rest easy."
It was clear that Director Logan had just given a code, asking if Jacob and Vincent were in cahoots. It was not good news if the two major guilds in the US were making an alliance,
After their brief pleasantries, Director Logan returned his attention to Klaus.
"Well, Klaus. You remember what we discussed back then, right?"
Klaus raised his eyebrows. "Yeah. I remember it very well." His words sounded bitter.
Director Logan grinned. "I have good news for you. The central Awakener Association rejected the request for exclusive dungeon raiding rights for the Sons of Thor. And they've also seen your presentation. They are very interested in the Elemental Gun."
Klaus raised his eyebrows. "Wow, really? I love to hear that."
"Haha. Me too. So, can we talk for a while?"
"Sorry, Director Logan, but my friend and I have some business," Jacob interrupted.
The man with the sunglasses was genuinely unhappy, and Logan couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, is that so?" Director Logan looked at Klaus. "Is this something important, Klaus? Because I want to talk to you. It's urgent."
Klaus smirked. "I'd really like to chat with you, but Jacob and I need to discuss something important right now. Sorry, Director Logan."
Logan opened his mouth wide.
While the gray-haired man was disappointed, Jacob smiled triumphly.
"We can talk another time," Klaus continued. "Excuse me, Director Logan."
Klaus then left. Jacob clicked his tongue to taunt Director Logan before he and his men caught up with Klaus.
Squeezing his hands, Director Logan held the anger in his chest.
"I'm glad that you chose the right partner," Jacob said.
"AI don't like him anyway."
Klaus had not forgotten how the Awakener Association had unilaterally canceled their contract. He still could not forgive them. He would be okay with whether they would change their minds. Because the current key holder was him.
Thanks to the Elemental Gun, Klaus had definitely obtained the exclusive right to raid the dungeon.
