Two Conditions

No matter how bad someone's mood is, when they get slapped with cash, they'll always crack a smile. Yato, who was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode any second, suddenly calmed down when a stack of money was waved in front of his face.

Frozen, he tried to process what was happening. Then he noticed the smirk on Akira's face.

"What's this?" Yato asked.

"Think of it as a down payment if you agree to join my team."

"I thought you were broke."

Akira didn't answer. He just waved the money in front of Yato's face, his eyes following the movement of the cash. Seeing how hypnotized Yato was by the stack of 10,000 yen bills, Akira could tell how desperate Yato was for money.

Shaking, Yato was really tempted to grab the money. But just as he reached out, Akira pulled it away. The look of disappointment on his face when the money slipped away was obvious.

"You joining my team or not?" Akira teased.

Gritting his teeth, Yato was torn about the offer. On one hand, he really needed the money. On the other hand, he didn't want to be a pro player again, afraid Akira would trap him in a long-term contract. He hated working for other people.

Back then, Yato quit before his contract ended because he could afford to pay the penalty. He was rich. After leading Quantum Esports to win the 20XX Regional Championship, he gained popularity and tons of endorsements. His side business also took off.

But now, he wasn't sure if he could make the same fortune as before. And Akira wouldn't let him walk away easily this time.

"How much is that?" Yato asked.

"One million."

Yato swallowed hard when he heard the number. Meanwhile, Akira grinned.

"You can count it if you don't believe me."

As soon as Akira handed over the money, Yato snatched it. He immediately started counting the bills, one by one. He even sniffed them, not ashamed at all. Haruki, watching from the side, frowned.

"Shit. It really is one million yen," Yato muttered.

"Of course. You think I'd give you fake money?" Akira clicked his tongue repeatedly.

Then suddenly, Yato fell silent. He didn't move a muscle, standing there like a statue. One hand gripped the money tightly, while the other trembled as it clutched his arm.

Akira didn't say a word. He let his former teammate think over the offer. He knew Yato too well. Even though the guy was greedy, he never rushed into decisions. That's why Akira was so eager to recruit him.

After a long pause, Yato finally spoke.

"Shit. You got me. I'll join your team."

Hearing this, Akira grinned. He knew he'd get Yato on his side. But he couldn't celebrate just yet.

"But on two conditions," Yato added.

Akira narrowed his eyes. "Spit it out."

"First, I want a contract no longer than one year, with a salary of 1,500,000 yen per season."

Akira scoffed. "You think you're a professional baseball player? This is esports. One million per season. Two-year contract."

"I'm not an amateur, Akira. One million per season, one year."

"750,000 yen per season, one year, with nine hours of practice a day. Overtime not included. That's my best offer."

"Deal."

Haruki was dumbfounded as they negotiated, not expecting them to reach an agreement so quickly.

"So, what's your second condition?" Akira asked.

"Let's have a private match. I want to see how good your team really is."

Naturally, Akira was surprised, his eyebrows shooting up. Haruki was too.

Normally, the team sets the terms for the recruit, not the other way around. It was like a job applicant interviewing the HR department.

"Hey! Did I hear that right? We're supposed to be testing you! Not the other way around!" Haruki blurted out.

Yato ignored him, his eyes locked on the man in front of him. Meanwhile, Akira just burst out laughing, leaving Haruki confused.

"You really haven't changed, Yato. Alright. I accept your 'test,'" Akira said. "But since there are only three of us here, I can't do a full team match."

"Oh, you brought another friend. Okay, then. 3v3. Domination mode. Crackdown map. We can do it now. You've got plenty of money. Renting private PC rooms is no big deal."

"Sure."

After setting the match rules, Akira and Haruki left the messy room. As they walked through the lobby, Haruki let out his frustrations to Akira.

"Why are we even recruiting him?" Haruki asked, frustrated. "We should be the ones giving the test, not him. Who does he think he is? I really just wanna punch him. We can find someone better."

Akira laughed. "That's just how Yato is. He's asking for a test first because he knows I'll give it to him."

Haruki frowned.

"That way, he can pick the map and the game mode. He doesn't want to play by my rules," Akira continued. "This guy hasn't changed a bit. He's always two steps ahead. That's exactly why we need to recruit him, Haruki."

Hearing the explanation, Haruki nodded in understanding.

Akira then told Haruki to get ready in his room, while he went to Daiki's room to let him know about the sudden match and to grab the small bag he had left with Daiki. Afterward, he headed back to his own room.

Once inside, Akira opened the small bag. A controller with a PlayStation layout was neatly tucked inside.

"Alright, buddy. We're gonna fight together today."

Akira turned on his PC and connected the controller. As the monitor displayed the desktop, he quickly launched Rex Regum Online. Soon after, he entered the main menu, and an invitation popped up.

[YATOGAMI-chan invites you to a "Private Match - Domination"]

[Do you want to accept?]

[Yes/No]

Inside the room, there were already three players. One username was in the silver rank, while another was in the Grandmaster rank. Based on the rank difference, Akira knew the other two players were boosters. They were using their client's accounts for the match.

"Yo, Akira! Where's your team?"

A voice from the VOIP channel echoed through Akira's headset. It was Yato.

"I'm inviting them now."

"Good. I'll give you ten minutes to set up your build."

Akira chuckled when he heard that. "You're acting like a boss. But fine. Enjoy it while you can."

Yato's laughter boomed through the headset before he muted his mic. Not long after, Daiki and Haruki joined the room. Akira quickly switched the VOIP channel to team chat.

"Akira, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you, Daiki. How about you, Haruki?"

"Loud and clear. So, what's the plan?"

Akira grinned.

"Alright. Daiki, use the Clandestine armor kit on your character. You know what to do."

"Roger that!"

"And Haruki. Can you go with Skirmisher?"

There was a long silence on the headset. Haruki didn't respond for quite some time, which made Akira a bit anxious.

"Yeah, I can. Daiki trained me on that armor kit yesterday."

"Good. I trust you can handle it." Akira smiled, feeling relieved. "I'll send over the build for your character."

Then, Akira's fingers started flying across the keyboard. The mechanical clicks echoed through the room as he typed at lightning speed. The rapid tapping finally ended with Akira hitting the "Enter" key.

"Don't worry, Haruki. With that build, you'll be unstoppable."

"Yeah. I won't let you down, Maxfit."

Akira could hear the excitement in Haruki's voice.

"Now it's my turn to set up my build."

[WEAPON - Deagle Pistol Level 40 (MAX - Legendary)]

[Module Slots: 5/5]

[Equipped Modules: Piercing Bullet Lv. MAX (Firepower ATK +32%), High-powered Bullet Lv. MAX (Firepower ATK +61%, Recoil +60%), Electric Conductor Lv. MAX (apply stun with 30% chance, Electric Damage +30%), Electric Bullet Lv. MAX (Electric Damage +30%), Roll Master Lv. MAX (Speeds up bullet reload by 30% after rolling.)]

[ARMOR KIT - Rook Lv. 40 (MAX)]

[Module Slots: 5/5]

[Equipped Modules: Strong Physique Lv. MAX (HP +200%), Iron Defense Lv. MAX (DEF +98%, HP +98%), Indomitable Lv. MAX (DEF +160%), Focus Lv. MAX (Cooldown -25%), Horse Lung Lv. MAX (30% faster sprint, with a 10-second cooldown.)]

[COMPONENT]

[Reactor: Non-Attribute Lv. MAX (Legendary)]

[Auxiliary Power: Turtle Lv. MAX (Legendary)]

[Processor: Turtle Lv. MAX (Legendary)]

[Sensor: Turtle Lv. MAX (Legendary)]

[Memory: Turtle Lv. MAX (Legendary)]

[Bonus component stat: HP +646, DEF +10000, Fire Resistance +10000, Skill cost -15%, Skill cooldown -15%]

"All set."

Akira asked Haruki if he was ready, and the kid replied with a confident yes. Then, Akira switched the VOIP back to the main channel.

"We're ready, Yato. Let's start!"

"Alright then."

Soon after, the game began loading, and the screen faded to black.