Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The First Decision
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Bong Min-hyuk was a sophomore in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Hanook University.
His nickname was 'Dotem'.
A nickname taken from the name of a computer game unit that conceals its appearance.
A student with zero presence, quietly coming to school and quietly disappearing.
He never attended department retreats or sports festivals.
He only studied at the library.
He wanted to graduate quickly, get a job, and lift his family up.
And repay the debt he owed his older brother.
Even Min-hyuk knew all too well about Players.
He had even thought about considering it himself, if he ever awakened.
Not that he would actually do it, but he thought he might consider it.
He himself knew he would ultimately not do it.
But wait, did his brother awaken?
And he said he's even active as a Player?
That alone was shocking enough to make him faint, but what? An elite contract?
Wait, his own flesh and blood, was getting his back beaten by their mom?
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Oww! Oww! Oww!"
"You damn brat! How could you make such an important decision alone without consulting your family?"
"You would've opposed it anyway!"
"Did you even ask? Did you?!"
"Yikes! Stop hitting me. Tsk! Should I activate my shield?"
"What? A shield? Are you crazy?"
Truly, that was his brother.
His brother knew very well that if he exaggerated his screams, he'd get hit less.
"Ack! Aaaack! Aaaaaaack!"
His mother, Hong Geum-ja, who seemed to have gotten tired from hitting him, was breathing heavily.
Seizing the opportunity, Min-hyuk asked Joo-hyuk.
"Bro, c-calm down and tell me. You awakened, and on top of that, you're saying you're actively playing as a Player?"
"Yeah."
"And you're saying the government even requested an elite contract?"
"Yes."
"Holy shit, that's unbelievable."
"It is."
His father, Bong Cheol-su, was also astonished.
Wasn't this his son, who was even more timid than him?
"You... are you really my son?"
Joo-hyuk, who was in a bad mood from getting his back beaten, saw his father just watching without intervening.
So he decided to get a little snippy.
"Well, maybe I was switched at the hospital?"
Bong Cheol-su scrutinized Joo-hyuk's face from every angle.
It was an exact copy.
They looked so alike that people had always said they couldn't deny paternity.
"Then there must be something wrong with your mind."
"Haa, I guess so, huh? Must be genetic."
"I didn't raise you to be this brave. Your father is disappointed in you."
"Yeah. ...Is it because of Mom's genes?"
Zing!
Joo-hyuk's mother glared at him.
Still, perhaps feeling sorry for hitting him, she sighed, "Hoo."
"Joo-hyuk-ah."
"Yes, Mom."
"By any chance... my lawsuit, Dad's rehabilitation treatment, Min-hyuk's scholarship... are these all related to your elite contract?"
"...Yes. Honestly, I didn't know either. I didn't think they'd go this far."
He hadn't requested the Bureau to do these things, but it was still something that happened because of him.
"What you mean is... the Bureau people did this to look good to us, so they could sign an elite contract with you?"
"Um, probably."
"I see."
Was he going to get scolded?
Was he going to get hit again?
"I'm sorry. For surprising you all."
Hong Geum-ja didn't answer.
Instead, she seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.
"Joo-hyuk, how is it?"
"What is it?"
"I mean being a Player. Is it worth trying?"
His mother's question.
He pondered it once more.
"It's been okay so far."
"That... are you confident you won't get hurt?"
Let's see.
Kosak, who protected him excessively.
The savage warrior Gobang, who threw himself into battle without regard for his own body.
Once the cooldown was over, he could summon another Summoned Being.
So,
"I'm confident. Confident I won't get hurt or die."
"...Really?"
Was he serious or not?
Hong Geum-ja looked into her son's eyes for a long time.
He was serious.
Having raised her son for so long, she could tell just by looking at his eyes.
In truth, when she first heard he was active as a Player, her initial emotion was surprise rather than anger.
Him?
Her eldest son, who would jump in fright even if a Chihuahua barked, was climbing the Tower?
And on top of that, he was being recognized by others.
A subtle feeling.
She was angry, she felt sorry for him, and she was also proud.
So,
"Then go for it. Sign the elite contract too. It's better to do it with the government's support if you're going to do it anyway."
At his mother's declaration, his father and Min-hyuk objected in unison.
"Have you lost your mind?"
"Mom! No way. Don't you know how dangerous being a Player is?"
"That's right, Min-hyuk is correct. So what if I don't get rehabilitation? I'll call the hospital right now. Let's pretend it never happened."
"I'll return the scholarship too. I'm taking a leave of absence next semester anyway."
Even though his father and younger brother objected, once his mother made a decision, the game was already over.
"Everyone, quiet. In all my life, this is the first time our Joo-hyuk has actively decided to do something like this. Even if I can't support you,"
Ooh! The mood was getting good.
"Mom, think about it again. It's dangerous!"
"Does everyone who becomes a Player die? That's an old story. Nowadays, they all live well and eat well."
"Ah, no, that's true, but..."
"And is the outside world safe? You almost burned incense after slipping on an icy road even though you were being so careful."
"Umm..."
"Min-hyuk, have you forgotten when you were 10 and got hit by a bicycle, bleeding profusely and fainting? If it had been a car that hit you, would you have survived?"
"That's... too harsh."
"Joo-hyuk is an adult. He's responsible for his own life."
And then.
"Joo-hyuk."
"Yesss!"
"I may seem like a bad mother pushing her child into a dangerous place, but I'm proud of you. Your talent must be something else for the government to go this far."
"Hahaha, I am a bit... outstanding, I guess,"
"But know this! If you get hurt, you'll die! And if it seems like it's not working out, terminate the contract immediately."
"Understood. Safety first, unconditionally."
"What's with the speech?"
He had gotten his family's permission.
Now he had to make the call.
Joo-hyuk dialed Team Leader Jeon Gwang-il's number on his smartphone.
"Team Leader."
- Have you decided?
"Yes, let's sign the contract."
- I'll send a car immediately.
Finally, an elite contract.
His heart pounded.
Joo-hyuk signed the elite contract at the Bureau office.
His hand trembled, shake, shake,
Could he have ever imagined he would sign such a contract?
"The annual salary is 2 billion won."
"I'm sorry. The initial annual salary for a Player receiving an elite offer is 2 billion. You could get much more, but..."
"...In exchange, I have to reveal that I'm the S++ grade record holder, right?"
"Procedurally, yes."
It was a government agency run on taxes.
They needed a basis to inflate the salary.
"Hmm, keep it a secret that I'm the S++ grade record holder. Please!"
"That's what we want too. By the way, I hope you're not upset that the benefits are similar to other elite Players."
"Oh, not at all!"
2 billion was more than enough.
He had his Magic Stone income separately.
What if his identity was exposed and his personal details were made public?
His face would be spread on TV, in the press, on SNS, his family would be flustered, it would be hard to go outside...
Just thinking about it was terrifying.
That's why he hadn't even told his family that he was the S++ grade record holder.
He would hide it for as long as he possibly could.
The reason he was only accepting the base salary wasn't just that.
He had attached many conditions when signing the contract.
Points Kosak had mentioned.
He would decide on climbing un-conquered floors unconditionally.
Absolutely no interference from outside.
No filming of conquests either.
He had already disclosed that his Trait was Summoning.
However, he would not reveal the existence of his Summoned Beings.
Also, he would accept security, but his private life must be guaranteed as much as possible.
No one could enter his home without permission.
Security CCTV only outside the home.
"Oh! The loan you took out to buy the alloy gauntlet shield has been cleared."
"...Again?"
"What do you mean, again?"
"Ah, nothing."
It was strange.
Whenever he took out a loan, it just naturally disappeared without him needing to repay it.
Smile Cash was like that, the Player Shop was like that.
Was this a divine revelation that he could just borrow money recklessly?
"If you need any other equipment, please request it anytime. Rental is also possible."
Generous support.
Meticulous care.
Thus, Joo-hyuk was reborn as an elite Player.
The move was decided quickly too.
It wouldn't matter if it was late, but the Bureau wanted him to move immediately.
A separate personal residence for him and a separate residence for his family.
Since many elite Players made such requests, it passed without issue.
However, the personal officetel was free lease.
The family apartment was registered in Joo-hyuk's name as a reward for joining the elite team.
All related procedures were handled by the Bureau.
"It's an 18-pyeong (640 square foot), two-room officetel. Home appliances and furniture are included as options, so you can move in immediately."
"..."
Was this a palace or something?
It was insane, insane.
So clean and pleasant.
Had he ever even seen a house like this?
"...There aren't any hidden cameras, right?"
"Absolutely not. There definitely aren't. It would be a huge scandal if they were discovered. The Director would have to resign if caught. You can even call an agency to inspect it if you wish."
Sorry for seeming suspicious.
"Also, since this officetel is a residence provided by the Bureau, many Players live here. Almost the majority."
"Are they all Players affiliated with the elite team?"
"There are also general contractors. They bought the apartments and moved in. Because safety is guaranteed."
"...I see."
It would be easier for security to have them all in one place.
"All residents are people with verified identities. There are many good people, so it might be nice to get along with them."
Get along?
Ugh, that's a burden.
The move began.
He thought he didn't have many things to bring, but when he actually started, it was completely different.
So it took quite a bit of time to move and organize everything.
Yu Cheol-min was South Korea's top-ranked Player, Level 1, and also ranked 2nd worldwide.
After all, he had conquered the notoriously difficult 65th floor and was challenging the 66th.
His Trait was All-Weapon Warrior.
Through Trait Enhancement Runes, he could wield a whopping 40 Trait skills with fire, ice, lightning, and earth attributes.
He could use any weapon.
Multiple AoE skills, finishing moves, ultimate skills.
Each one was powerful.
Thus, Yu Cheol-min had achieved both wealth and fame in South Korea.
To the point where there might be citizens who didn't know the president's name, but none who didn't know his.
But lately, he was in a bad mood.
Because of someone who was setting consecutive S++ grade conquest records up to the 25th floor.
'Who the hell is it?'
Broadcasts and SNS were all about that story.
While he himself was desperately trying to conquer the 66th floor.
'Fuck, with just the 25th floor,'
Was it even comparable from the start?
What would happen if he stopped conquering the 66th floor?
The countdown to the Korean Tower's collapse would begin.
Even though the current Tower was built in a rural village in Gangwon-do, not a major city, and relatively little damage was expected, what if the next Tower appeared near a major city?
Currently, there wasn't a single Player in South Korea who could replace him.
There was one more Player in the early 60s, but that bitch was only at Trait Enhancement Stage 2.
Yu Cheol-min, holding a wine glass, approached the apartment window.
The Han River flowed leisurely in the open view.
The 100-pyeong (3560 square foot) penthouse apartment was where he lived.
Although provided by the government, thinking about it now, he wasn't fully satisfied.
He received the highest salary, but,
'Just this?'
Even China was persistently contacting him through brokers.
An annual salary of 1 billion yuan, 180 billion in Korean won.
A mansion with caretakers, bulletproof cars, private jet provision, treatment at the level of a national leader.
What about Japan?
An annual salary of 20 billion yen, a top-tier villa, assignment of 10 maid caretakers who would grant any wish... he was promised the best treatment and pleasures.
He could go to either place.
Yet they should be grateful he was staying in Korea.
As always, all attention should continue to be focused on him.
The broadcasts and media should praise his devotion to the country and people every single day.
Not some 25-floor S++ grade conquest record.
'Should I just naturalize?'
It wasn't like he could handle the 66th-floor conquest anyway.
It was an extremely difficult section.
After one attempt, he needed to rest for three days due to the mental shock.
The 60s were the beginning of the Undead section.
The 66th floor was infested with those things called Specters.
Ghostly forms that made you shiver just by looking at them, ignoring physical attacks.
Only attribute attacks were effective.
Thinking they were like the common undead in fiction was a huge mistake.
Only those who had experienced it knew how terrifying the demonic energy was.
'How did that American Player bastard catch these?'
Even with accessories and potions that could withstand 'Dark Aura', and a Tower reward weapon item with a light attribute, he failed every time.
At least he was fortunate not to die.
Because he could declare mission abandonment in time.
'Honestly, it seems impossible...'
This was a big reason he was considering naturalization.
He wanted to give up.
It felt like hitting an insurmountable wall.
If things continued like this, the 66th floor was impossible.
He wanted to declare abandonment and park himself in the 60s, but would people stay quiet?
People's nature was to be favorable when you were doing well, but to bite like a pack of dogs the moment you stumbled.
It might be different if he could get one more Trait Enhancement Rune.
But Trait Enhancement Runes had an abysmal drop rate.
He himself had monopolized all Trait Enhancement Runes since the start of his elite contract, allowing him to reach Stage 4 enhancement.
'What if I naturalize?'
China or Japan.
In China's case, challenging the 59th floor.
In Japan's case, challenging the 57th floor.
He could probably conquer them while having fun.
With the condition of just preventing Tower collapse, he could climb once every six months.
"Hmm,"
It was getting more and more tempting.
Shouldn't he just do it instead of just thinking?
'Anyway, there's no hope for the 66th-floor conquest...'
If he couldn't conquer it, he'd get cursed at; if he naturalized, he'd get cursed at...
No.
At the very least, he could be welcomed in the country he naturalized to.
If he went to Japan or China, took it easy, had fun, and received generous support, wouldn't things be better than now?
'I should start pushing for it.'
Pit China and Japan against each other, slowly, leisurely raising his value.
The naturalization of South Korea's top Player.
The world would be turned upside down.
"Kheek, kheek, kheek, that would be fun."
People would realize too late.
The preciousness, the specialness, the irreplaceable nature of Player Yu Cheol-min.
They'd regret, obsess, and wither away simultaneously.