Ch.159159. Kim Sol-i

Kim Sol-i is a vibrant 26-year-old who majored in contemporary art before transitioning to become a space designer.

“I think I might have some talent?”

When stressed from her studies, her escape was Farming World, and she was more interested in the housing system than the farming or hunting mechanics. She typically played by installing mods and decorating her base, becoming a complete herbivore user who never touched the hunting aspect of the game. It wasn’t particularly unusual—many people played like Kim Sol-i and completely ignored the hunting elements.

The problem was that without hunting, it was impossible to obtain materials from high-level biomes, which created significant limitations for housing. Even with mods to craft items, eventually one would need to explore private maps, but some designs were impossible even there. So Kim Sol-i had once attempted to hunt in a low-difficulty map and cultivate it herself. That experience made her realize that the veteran players of Farming World were truly insane.

So when she saw Kim Su-hyun’s map, she thought he was the craziest of the crazy.

Anyway, after practicing her design skills in the Farming World community and discovering that her artistic sensibilities matched many people’s tastes, she gained confidence. Her career after college graduation was on an upward trajectory. Her sensibilities attracted overseas clients, and though she had only been working for 1-2 years, she was gaining recognition and winning awards.

Kim Sol-i was certain: “I’m going to succeed.”

She would become a globally recognized designer. And then she would make a lot of money.

Typically, artists have such ambitions for fame—becoming world-renowned artists or designers.

But Kim Sol-i didn’t care much about that aspect. The reason she promoted herself and worked hard was for one thing only: money.

“Money is everything.”

Artists know. Time has passed, and eras have changed. It’s a well-known truth that an artist’s work only gains value after their death. What’s the point of starving for art your whole life if only your family or descendants get to live well after you’re gone?

Having never forgotten how her parents struggled to support her through her impoverished childhood, Kim Sol-i prioritized making money now. That’s why she focused on lucrative space design projects rather than her own exhibitions.

And now, a blank check was placed before her.

“How much can I write on this?”

Kim Sol-i’s tone became respectful. The man she had thought was just a game addict she met online was actually about to become her employer.

The reason space designers work as freelancers isn’t complicated—they don’t have consistent employers. If someone provided steady work every month with a corresponding salary, there would be no need to hustle twice as hard finding clients.

She did wonder if he was messing with her. If the man before her hadn’t been someone whose YouTube videos occupied ranks 1-10 on the trending list with over 10 million subscribers, she might have stormed out when he offered her a blank check without even knowing she was a space designer.

But his reasoning made sense. Many Farming World players had sent her messages asking her to design their maps, though she had declined. In truth, she had thought about working on a map like the one belonging to the man before her.

His self-made mansion and surrounding landscape, though somewhat awkward, showed clear signs of effort. If only she could refine those imperfect areas. Looking at the rare materials he had managed to incorporate—materials she couldn’t even attempt to gather when cultivating her own map—she had wished it were hers.

And now this person was asking for her help.

“Write whatever amount you want. That will be your annual salary.”

“…Annual salary?”

With trembling hands, she wrote numbers on the blank check.

1..0..0…..0…0…..0..

It had been her dream. A rather unrealistic one that she had only dreamed of once as a child. Who would have thought she’d actually get to write any number she wanted on a blank check?

1,000,000,000.

One billion won.

What is a blank check? It’s a check where you can write any amount you want. Since it’s meant for the recipient to determine the amount, you can write whatever you like. Of course, writing 1 trillion or 10 trillion would be a direct expression of not wanting to do business.

She considered adding another zero.

It was common knowledge that the hunter Kim Su-hyun was actually a farmer-hunter who had earned over 2 trillion won just from item auctions. To someone like that, 10 billion? Wouldn’t that be pocket change?

But Kim Sol-i considered her own value. Though she was a successful space designer, she had only just started, with an annual income of about 200-300 million won. After paying comprehensive income tax in May, she’d earn about 100-200 million. Even this was extremely good for a new designer. Without even building experience, if she maintained her skills, she might earn up to a billion won in 5-10 years.

Thinking about how much she would need to focus exclusively on this man’s project for several months to a year without taking other work, Kim Sol-i concluded that 10 billion won was appropriate.

100 billion would be, by her own admission, an unconscionable amount for her services.

She briefly regretted not starting with a zero and writing 50 billion instead, but she didn’t want to change the number now as it would feel like misrepresenting her value.

“If there’s another opportunity like this next year, the price might go up. My experience right now is… huh?”

As she put down the pen, Kim Su-hyun took the blank check from the table. What? Is he taking it back? But then he took the pen and added another zero.

“…Excuse me?”

“Let’s make it 10 billion for this year. How can you focus solely on the farm with just 1 billion? If you need anything, don’t use your personal money—tell him. He’s the farm manager. I look forward to working with you.”

The blank check returned with another zero added, making it 10 billion won. With Kim Su-hyun’s signature, this check was now effectively worth 10 billion won, pending bank verification.

She couldn’t remember how the rest of the meal went down her throat.

She had arranged this meeting through personal connections with the chef whose restaurant she had helped design. Even when the chef came to greet them at the end, she couldn’t recall what she said in response. She was only conscious of the 10 billion won check in her possession, and after parting with Kim Su-hyun, her head was so foggy that she had to rush to the bank.

“Would you like to deposit the full amount?”

“…Is this really a valid blank check?”

“Yes. If you want to withdraw cash, you’ll need to wait a bit.”

“Please deposit it.”

Only after the money was deposited and she confirmed on her phone banking app that her assets had increased by 10 billion won did Kim Sol-i grasp the reality of the situation.

“What kind of person is he…”

She understood he was a successful hunter with a lot of money. But why her specifically? And what was all this about Farming World?

“Could he be…?”

She briefly wondered if he was trying to seduce her, but that didn’t seem right. He was a somewhat famous hunter and currently in the news—she had looked him up when traveling abroad—with rumors linking him to Seo Hyo-ju. While Kim Sol-i wasn’t lacking in confidence, she was a woman who could make objective judgments.

“I don’t understand…”

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of the situation. She had to take it at face value—exactly as Kim Su-hyun had explained. There really was a dungeon like Farming World, and he wanted her to decorate it.

“I’ll have to understand.”

After all, incomprehensible hobbies of the filthy rich were something artists encountered from time to time. And looking at the numbers in her account, her doubts vanished.

“Even if I’m being dragged onto a shrimp boat, as long as I return alive, I’ll understand. Yes indeed.”

What should she do with this money first? To calm her confused mind, Kim Sol-i headed straight to the department store. She had recently been planning to splurge on a 15 million won luxury bag with her earnings, but today’s visit felt different.

“Miss, I’ll take that one instead of the bag I had on hold.”