[CEO's Cheat Sheet]
Capital Injection: Injecting funds or assets into a business or project in crisis to save it from bankruptcy.
Talent Acquisition: A corporate strategy to find and recruit highly specialized workers.
Vortigern darted through the howling blizzard like a giant white arrow. His strong, muscular legs didn't slow down at all despite the deeply frozen and slippery ground.
Stephanie gripped the thick white fur on the wolf's neck, completely ignoring the ice-cold wind violently slashing her cheeks. Titus and Rufus had long been left behind, stumbling exhaustedly through the thick snow. Stephanie didn't care; they could catch up later. Her current focus was entirely on one thing: getting back to the castle before the System's lethal timer reached zero.
BAM!
Vortigern leaped gracefully over the ruined iron gates of Winterhaven Castle. Even before the massive wolf came to a complete stop in the courtyard, Stephanie had already jumped off and sprinted up the dark stone stairs to the second floor.
The terrifying sound of ferocious, unearthly growls and loud crashes echoed from the master bedroom.
"Move!" Stephanie shouted when she saw a pale, trembling Vespera hiding behind the half-destroyed door.
The scene inside the room was sheer chaos. The stone floor, previously warmed perfectly by the Ondol, was now cracked and scorched in multiple places. In the corner of the room, Revista was huddled with his massive hands chained to a stone pillar—who knew when the man had miraculously found the sanity to chain himself up to protect the others.
Pitch-black veins bulged grotesquely all over Revista's face and thick neck. His glowing red eyes no longer reflected any human consciousness, only pure, untamed Abyssal madness. A lethal, scorching heat burned the very oxygen around him.
[Warning! Time remaining: 3 Minutes.]
[SSS-Class Asset's Sanity is at 1%.]
"Revista!" Stephanie approached without a single ounce of hesitation.
Hearing that commanding voice, Revista growled fiercely and swung his massive arm blindly. His sharp, blackened claws nearly tore Stephanie's face off, stopping only a few agonizing centimeters from her nose, held back tightly by the straining iron chain.
I didn't execute a hostile takeover in the middle of a blizzard just to watch my primary investment burn to ashes, Stephanie thought fiercely.
She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out the small vial containing the glowing silvery liquid—the Abyssal Suppressant she had just bought for 1,500 WP.
Stephanie stepped forward, completely ignoring the searing heat burning her skin. She forcefully grabbed Revista's tense jaw, making the towering man look down at her.
"Don't be a fool. Calm down," Stephanie hissed sharply, staring straight into those ferocious, feral red eyes. "Open your mouth. I didn't brave a blizzard just to watch you die."
Whether it was due to the tone of her voice filled with absolute, unshakable authority, or Revista's deepest instincts recognizing Stephanie's soothing touch, the monster's jaw loosened slightly.
Stephanie immediately poured the entire contents of the silver vial into Revista's mouth.
The liquid glowed briefly as it was swallowed. Within seconds, a violent reaction occurred. Revista coughed violently, vomiting pitch-black, cursed blood onto the scorched floor. His massive body immediately collapsed forward, falling heavily right into Stephanie's delicate embrace.
The lethal heat slowly subsided, replaced by a comfortable, highly possessive warmth. The terrifying black veins on his face rapidly faded into his pale skin.
[Ding! First Dose of Abyssal Suppressant successfully administered.]
[Curse suppressed to 80%. Imminent destruction threat canceled.]
[SSS-Class Asset (Revista) Loyalty reached Level: Absolute Devotion.]
Revista's ragged breathing gradually steadied. The massive man rested his heavy head completely in the crook of Stephanie's neck. His large, scarred hands weakly returned the woman's embrace, holding onto her dress as if she were his only lifeline.
"You... came back," Revista whispered hoarsely. His deep voice sounded incredibly fragile. "I thought... you threw me away."
Stephanie patted the man's broad, muscular back smoothly.
A smart CEO doesn't write off her highest-yielding asset during a temporary crisis, she mused inwardly.
"A smart ruler doesn't abandon her strongest knight when things get tough," Stephanie replied softly but firmly.
Revista smiled faintly against her skin, a very rare, genuinely gentle smile that inexplicably made his scarred face look incredibly handsome. "Am I... to you... just... a tool?"
"You are my most expensive, irreplaceable property," Stephanie corrected smoothly, her tone leaving absolutely no room for debate.
She let Revista hug her tightly for a few more minutes until the man's breathing was completely deep and stable.
After ensuring her terrifying 'guard dog' was sleeping soundly and safely, Stephanie gently laid his heavy head down near the warm hearth. She stood up and elegantly dusted off her ruined dress.
The curse crisis was resolved. The immediate food crisis was postponed. But, as she looked around this completely dilapidated castle, her perfectionist corporate soul screamed in agony. Leaky roofs, gaping windows, and absolute zero infrastructure. Titus and Rufus were just uneducated thugs, Vespera was just a timid maid.
"I need a specialist," Stephanie muttered.
She opened the glowing System screen. Her current WP balance was exactly 274.5 WP.
[System Menu: Talent Acquisition (Talent Gacha)]
[Description: Summon professional talent from various dimensions to build your territory.]
[Price per 1x Pull (A-Class Pool): 200 WP.]
A bit pricey for our current liquidity, she calculated. But seasoned professionals are always worth paying top dollar for.
"Pull once," Stephanie commanded.
[Deducting 200 WP. Remaining Balance: 74.5 WP.]
The blue screen spun rapidly like a slot machine. A brilliant golden light erupted in the center of the ruined room, nearly blinding Stephanie's eyes. A solid card floated down from the thin air, revealing the silhouette of a short, stocky man with a thick beard and a giant hammer.
[Ding! Congratulations!]
[You obtained an A-Class Employee Card: Ornn Coppervein.]
[Profession: Senior Dwarf Architect (Infrastructure & Mining Specialist).]
[Traits: Grumpy, Workaholic, Paid in Beer.]
The pool of golden light on the floor slowly solidified. A stocky figure with a meticulously braided red beard, wearing a heavy leather apron covered in dark soot stains, appeared before Stephanie. The dwarf carried a massive, steel-forged hammer that was almost the exact same size as his own body.
Ornn blinked, looking around the wrecked, drafty room with a highly critical, deeply judging gaze. He snorted roughly, a puff of smoke leaving his nose.
"By my great-grandfather's braided beard! What kind of frozen junkyard is this?!" Ornn grumbled with a booming voice that rattled the remaining window frames. The dwarf then looked up at Stephanie, resting his heavy hammer on his shoulder. "Are you my new boss? Listen here, Lady. I don't work in places with worse structural integrity than a goblin's pigsty. Where are the blueprints?!"
Stephanie grinned widely. She absolutely loved proactive employees who complained about inefficiency.
"Welcome to Winterhaven, Mr. Ornn," Stephanie said, her eyes glinting with unadulterated capitalist ambition. "Get your hammer ready, because we are going to turn this frozen junkyard into a gold mine."
[Nymphaearoot the Author]: The medicine worked, Revista is safe! And welcome to the team, Ornn the temperamental Architect! True city-building finally begins. What will be Stephanie's first project? Drop your guesses in the comments!