Parallel World: Ultra-Low Price Korea (2)

...Huh?

Just as the long, beautiful fireworks display was winding down, a quest window appeared before my eyes. It was the "Guide for Parallel World Travelers" series quest that sent you traveling to parallel worlds. A relatively familiar type of quest. You were given three keywords, and whichever one you chose would transport you to the corresponding parallel world.

A world very similar to the one I lived in, yet in some ways completely different. A world with entirely different common sense and standards from the original world I came from. The "Guide for Parallel World Travelers" quests were exactly that—traveling through such parallel worlds.

But this quest felt a little different.

The quest itself appearing out of nowhere wasn't surprising. What caught my attention was something else.

"There's... only one keyword?"

At the bottom of the parallel world travel quest, where the keyword choices normally appeared, there was only a single option: "Ultra Low Price." It didn't even qualify as a choice anymore. Normally there were three keywords to pick from. So why was there only one this time?

After thinking it over for a moment, I had a pretty good guess.

"Ultra Low Price."

It seemed like a keyword related to money. And just moments ago, I had been talking about money. The gorgeous fireworks show that cost thirty-five million won had made my part-time wages feel pathetic by comparison. I must have wished for a little more money. Whether it was coincidence or not, every quest so far had been tied to my wishes or desires. Even if they ultimately circled back to lust...

Anyway, after chatting with my roommate Taeyoung about money, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it seemed the quest had generated with only the parallel world related to that topic available.

"That aside..."

The unusual part wasn't just the single choice. It was the quest reward. In the reward section of the quest window was something I had never seen before.

"Item... Enhancement Voucher?"

I had completed over ten quests by now, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the rewards had always been the same: 5 CP and a General Reward selection. Points to spend on the reward choices. I had used the General Reward selection to obtain various useful items. But this time it was different. I still received 5 CP, but the quest reward listed an "Item Enhancement Voucher" instead.

If I had to guess... did it mean I could enhance the items I currently possessed?

"Hmm..."

It was a quest that sparked curiosity in more ways than one.

-Piuung. Bang. Per-bang.

While I was reading the quest window, the university festival fireworks had already ended. Only a faint, hazy smoke lingered in the night sky where the display had been.

"Whoa. Sitting in the dorm room was actually perfect for watching the fireworks, hyung."

"Huh...? Yeah..."

I answered Taeyoung absentmindedly. I had lost all interest in the fireworks. My entire attention was focused on the quest window floating before me. Still seated, I slowly raised my right hand. My index finger drifted toward the single keyword choice at the bottom of the quest window.

[ Ultra Low Price ]

A single option. I pressed firmly on the "Ultra Low Price" keyword.

-Flash.

A brilliant light filled my vision for an instant. When it faded, I found myself sitting in the same dorm room chair as before.

A flood of text windows filled my vision—the usual situation upon arriving in a parallel world. I calmly read through the notifications.

"Prices are one-thousandth?"

The words registered, but I couldn't quite grasp the reality of it. Then—

"Hyung. You're already sitting by the window to watch the fireworks? There's still plenty of time before they start."

"Huh?"

I was seated in the chair, facing the window. Outside was the pitch-black night sky, and beneath it the relatively lively scene of the university festival. It looked no different from what I had seen earlier through the window. Yet Taeyoung's words made me pause.

"The fireworks... are starting soon?"

"Yeah. Isn't that why you sat over there?"

"When do they start?"

"Nine o'clock."

Looking more closely at the night sky outside the window, I noticed something different. There was no hazy smoke. Earlier, after the fireworks ended, thick clouds of smoke had lingered in the sky. Now there was none. The fireworks had started around 8:30 before, but here in this parallel world they apparently began at nine.

"What's the difference?"

I had thought the only difference was the prices, so the changed start time sparked a strange curiosity. But it didn't last long.

Recalling one of the earlier notifications, I pulled my chair back to the desk and opened the drawer to take out my wallet. When I opened it, I saw roughly 352,000 won inside. Six 50,000-won bills. Five 10,000-won bills. Two 1,000-won bills. One 500-won coin. And some loose change.

What caught my eye were the 100-jeon, 10-jeon, and 1-jeon coins. It reminded me of the Dangbaekjeon incident from modern history class, but these were different from the ones in the textbook. The square hole in the center was the same, yet they had a relatively modern design.

I picked one up. Even seeing it clearly with my own eyes, it didn't feel real.

(10 jeon)

"Ten jeon? So one won equals 100 jeon? But is this actually money...?"

Suddenly, Taeyoung's shocked voice came from behind me.

"W-whoa!!"

He asked in a startled tone, "H-hyung. Is that... really money?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Whoa..."

When I turned around, Taeyoung stood there with his mouth hanging open in shock. He looked at me with wide eyes.

"C-can I touch it?"

Taeyoung's abnormal reaction left me bewildered. Without thinking, I took a 10,000-won bill from my wallet and handed it to him.

-Rustle.

The 10,000-won bill passed from my hand to his. His hands trembled violently as he received it. His expression was almost reverent. A gasp escaped his lips.

"W-whoa..."

"Why are you acting like that?"

Taeyoung's unfamiliar behavior made me uneasy. With shaking hands, he held the bill as if it were sacred. In a trembling voice he said, "Whoa... I never thought I'd actually see one in real life. Only in dramas."

"...A 10,000-won bill?"

"Yeah!"

I felt dazed. For a moment I wondered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if he was messing with me. But there was no playfulness in his voice. He continued, "In dramas, when a chaebol second son opens his wallet confidently, there are usually about five 10,000-won bills inside."

"That doesn't sound like a chaebol second son..."

Taeyoung paid no attention to my expression. "Or at a luxury store they'll casually say 'I'll take this outfit, keep the change' and hand over a 10,000-won bill."

"That just sounds like a jerk."

Unable to understand his reaction, I asked on instinct, "Taeyoung... how much is a can of soda from the vending machine?"

"...About 1 won and 2 jeon."

"Decimal prices still feel weird..."

Even after hearing the answer, it didn't feel real. I pressed further, asking about higher amounts. "How much are sneakers?"

"Huh? Around 45 won...? Prices vary a lot. Limited editions can be..."

Taeyoung was still trembling, clutching the 10,000-won bill. The shaking had spread to his shoulders. I kept asking questions, and he answered quickly while staring at the bill.

"How much is the stone-pot bibimbap at the school cafeteria?"

"6 won."

"...How much is our school's tuition?"

"3,500 won."

"...Do you know how much the fireworks later cost?"

"Probably around 350,000 won? I don't know exactly. Why?"

"..."

I organized my thoughts calmly. "If prices are one-thousandth... then the same amount of money has a thousand times the value?"

Ten thousand won. Multiply by a thousand... "Ten million won?"

Once the math settled in, Taeyoung's reaction made sense. The 10,000-won bill in his hand was equivalent to a ten-million-won check in the original world.

"Come to think of it, I've never actually seen a check in real life."

While I was sorting through the situation, Taeyoung began voicing his awe. "Hyung, the money... it's jade-colored. The color is so pretty... Wow... How can a bill be this beautiful? Wow..."

"Isn't American dollars a similar color?"

Taeyoung kept fussing over the single 10,000-won bill. He wasn't admiring the color—he was admiring the amount. I reached out, took the bill back, and returned it to my wallet. A disappointed sound escaped him.

"Ah! Ahh!"

I immediately pulled out a 50,000-won bill and placed it on his palm. Half to tease him, half to let him enjoy the sight. His hands began trembling again, the shaking growing until a scream-like sound burst from his mouth.

"Waaaaah!"

He took off running around the dorm room, waving the 50,000-won bill. In this parallel world, that bill held the purchasing power of fifty million won back home.

"Even so..."

"Waaaaaaaah!!"

His reaction still felt excessive. He stomped around the room, shouting his impressions. "Hyung! Hyuuuung! The money is gold-colored! No, it's actual gold! Waaaaah!"

"Pfft. Hey, stop it. If you keep that up..."

-Thud.

Watching him sprint around clutching the bill was like seeing a primitive human discovering fire for the first time. "What the hell. His reaction is way too intense."

After about two minutes of frantic running, Taeyoung... fainted.

It was such an absurd sight that I was left speechless. I slowly bent down and retrieved the 50,000-won bill from his hand.

"That aside..."

A parallel world where prices were one-thousandth. I calmly considered what I should do here. As I did, several quest notifications that had disappeared earlier reappeared in my vision.

"If I buy something, I can take it back?"

The text I had glossed over earlier now carried a completely different weight.

"Let's see... I have about 350,000 won right now, and prices are one-thousandth..."

The 350,000 won in my wallet held the equivalent value of 350 million won in the original world. Once the calculation finished, my heart began to race.

"C-calm down..."

I took a deep breath and steadied myself. If I wasn't careful, I might end up trembling and fainting like Taeyoung had.

"What... what should I buy?"

Countless ideas flashed through my mind. Part of me wanted to buy a studio apartment or even a car, but—

"Ah... this damn time limit..."

Could I sign a lease or buy a car within one hour? I felt resignation settle in my chest.

"No, I have to buy something before I go back."

Everything in the world was discounted to one-thousandth the price. Whatever I bought would be a profit.

"Should I just shop online like crazy? Wait, I could buy gold bars online, right?"

I racked my brain, but then the earlier notification came back to me.

"Possession?"

It seemed I had to physically purchase and carry the items. Online shopping was useless.

"For now... let's head out."

I quickly got dressed, adding socks and a jacket over my tracksuit. It made for decent outdoor clothes. With a trembling heart, I left the dorm room and descended the stairs. Even as I went down, my mind kept racing.

"What should I buy? What would be good?"

The further I descended, the harder my heart pounded and the faster my steps became. Before I knew it, the cool night air brushed against my cheeks.

As I walked down the hill where the dorm was located, the vibrant energy of the university festival grew stronger. Unlike me in my casual outfit, many others had dressed up for the occasion.

"Should I head to the back gate?"

There was nothing worth buying at the festival itself. If I needed to shop, the back gate with its residential areas and shopping district made more sense. Worst case, I could stock up on daily necessities for the dorm...

-Step.

My legs froze mid-stride as I passed the fountain. My gaze locked onto a girl standing beside it. Slender figure. Fair, smooth skin. Short, flowing hair. Even from behind, I recognized her instantly.

Ayoung.

It was Ayoung. She stood with her back to me, talking on the phone beside the fountain.