The Worth of a Ten-Won Coin

The first thing that caught Kim Mu-saeng's eye was the prompt signaling he had satisfied the bonus objective.

"Thirty-three thousand… That's surprisingly few."

At the same time, the reality of what it meant to climb the Mythic Tower struck Mu-saeng anew.

On the 5th floor, the standard clear condition was met the moment a climber acquired five golem cores. From that instant, the countdown started, giving you five seconds before being whisked away. If that was the case, how did one surpass it?

"Kkyakyakyakyat! A splendid metric illustrating just how primitive human beings truly are!"

"Well… rather than primitive, it just means people rarely have the luxury to think of loopholes when their lives are on the line."

The solution was simple: just don't pick them up right away. All you had to do was carefully harvest the cores without triggering the inventory intake, pile them up in one spot so you didn't exceed the requirement prematurely, and then scoop them all up simultaneously. Once you knew the trick, it was child's play. It looked like nothing more than a cheap exploit.

Yet Mu-saeng knew better than anyone the vast gulf between knowing a trick existed and actually having the composure to pull it off.

'There are well over a million Awakeners worldwide, and out of all of them, only thirty-three thousand managed this…'

On the lower floors, where climbers were still trembling novices barely adapting to the Tower's brutality, few would ever dream of exploiting systemic blind spots to optimize their growth. Viewed from that perspective, the fact that roughly three percent of all Awakeners had discovered this loophole wasn't small at all. If anything, it was surprisingly high.

'Besides, a metric showing how primitive humans are? Does that mean there are towers on other alien planets, and those towers boast a much higher percentage of bonus clears? Hmm.'

Mu-saeng's thoughts wandered into broader territories, though it wasn't something worth pressing Wahsh on right now. If the strange designation the duck had uttered upon his arrival referred to Earth, then Wahsh, as the Administrator in charge of Earth's sector, likely had enough on his plate without Mu-saeng needlessly provoking him about other worlds.

"Whatever, that's other people's business! Now then, let's see what's next—"

More than anything, there was still the main prize to inspect. What kind of reward awaited him for neutralizing the Guardian left behind by Sorcerer Maia, the self-proclaimed 'Mama'?

"…Wait, what? That's an awfully ominous message. This feels completely different from the other hidden clear notices, doesn't it, Wahsh?"

Mu-saeng remembered every single hidden condition prompt he had unlocked so far. Usually, they sounded almost congratulatory, or at least read like cautionary maxims essential for surviving the climb. But this…

"A lingering fragment of the sorcerer's will, no doubt. Kkwak!"

Wahsh dismissed it flippantly. Why did it feel like the duck was deliberately dodging a deeper conversation?

"Hold on a second. 'I shall be waiting'? Look at my status window, there's literally a trait called Mark of Mage Maia stuck under special conditions! Doesn't this mean some insane disaster is going to trigger when I hit the 55th floor?"

"Hmph. Let it trigger. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Hey, hey, honored Administrator! You can't just brush it off like it's somebody else's problem!"

What did he mean, what's the worst that could happen? The prompt was practically dripping with murderous intent, gritting its teeth and promising bloody vengeance. Any fool could see catastrophe brewing on the horizon.

Wahsh casually pushed up his black horn-rimmed glasses, wiping a lens with a stubby wing. "And just how many have cleared that one, Kim Mu-saeng?"

"Don't change the sub—"

Mu-saeng tried to snap back, but his voice hitched in his throat.

Even Mu-saeng could only stare in stunned silence at a number that operated on an entirely different plane from the previous bonus clear.

'The second.'

In the twenty-nine years since the Tower first pierced the heavens, across all the millions of Awakeners worldwide who had thrown themselves against its walls, only one single person before him had ever accomplished this.

'It makes sense. The trigger never activates inside practice dungeons. Discovering it by chance here in the real Tower was next to impossible… Hell, even with all my years researching online forums and sherpa archives, I've never heard a whisper of this condition.'

First, finding the trigger was nearly impossible. Second, even if someone stumbled onto it by accident, it was hardly a blessing. That construct was a Guardian left behind by the supreme Sorcerer of the 55th floor. Even Mu-saeng, with his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stats doubled by Steel Bone, had barely scraped through with his life. For any ordinary climber, meeting that condition wouldn't be an achievement—it would be a sudden, inescapable death sentence.

Which meant that in the entire history of the Mythic Tower, only one person had ever uncovered this secret and lived to tell the tale outside. Though clearly, they had kept their mouth shut.

"Still, getting only plus six to all stats for a feat like that feels pretty stingy. And on top of that, I got saddled with some creepy curse mark… wait, whoa?!"

It wasn't a direct reward from the system's hidden clear. Rather, it was the fruit of his painstaking, life-or-death surgical work during the fight. A sudden cascade of text forced Mu-saeng's complaining jaw to drop wide open.

"Ma-ma-ma…"

The stat gains didn't even register. Mu-saeng's eyes bulged as he read the description of the new skill over and over again, and slowly, helplessly, the corners of his mouth curled into an irrepressible grin.

Trickle.

Park Hyun-gu's hands trembled visibly as he carefully poured coffee into the delicate ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠paper cups.

"I… I don't know if this suits your tastes, but please…"

"Thank you. We will enjoy it."

"Ah, yes, of course!"

Even though he was the host welcoming guests, Hyun-gu kept bowing and hunching his shoulders, adopting the lowest possible posture. It wasn't just him; the entire office of Omkim Inc. was frozen in an suffocating, electric tension. And understandably so.

The two individuals sitting across the table were monsters of the Awakener world.

"Like I mentioned earlier, Mu-saeng seems to have entered the Tower, so…"

"Yes, we are aware," Yoon Pyo replied smoothly. "Our field agents spotted Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng vanishing from the public lobby."

"R-Right, exactly. That's why I'm wondering if there's really any need for you to wait here… I already sent Mu-saeng a message, and I forwarded your contact details as well, Director Yoon. I just feel terribly guilty wasting the precious time of such esteemed figures…"

Geumseong Guild.

Head of the Raid Division and direct aide to the Chairman: Yoon Pyo.

"There is no need to lower yourself so much, CEO Park," Geum Soo-ah chimed in, offering a gentle smile. "Both Director Yoon and I came here personally because meeting Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng is our highest priority. We determined that seeing him takes precedence over everything else."

And beside him sat Geum Soo-ah, Deputy Head of the Raid Division and the beloved daughter of Geumseong's founder, Chairman Geum Byeong-cheol.

Short of Chairman Geum himself, these two were undeniably the most powerful and influential figures in the entirety of Geumseong Guild.

"Y-Yes, yes, I understand. In that case, I can at least keep you company until Mu-saeng returns—"

"The Vice Head speaks the truth," Yoon Pyo interrupted gently. "If the CEO of this company fusses over us to this degree, it only burdens us. Please, feel free to attend to your regular duties and pay us no mind."

Yoon Pyo maintained an impeccably polite, professional tone out of genuine respect, but it did nothing to soothe Hyun-gu's frayed nerves. How could it? Neither of them understood what was screaming through Hyun-gu's head right now.

'Then just go home, you lunatics! He went into the Tower, who knows when he'll come out?! Why are you camping in our tiny office?! It's almost quitting time, you bastards, we want to go home!'

Wait here? What if Mu-saeng didn't check his phone until tomorrow? Were they going to sleep on the cheap office sofa? Just leave already!

Of course, Hyun-gu couldn't voice a single syllable of that aloud. If the strict constraints of the Nevada Treaty didn't exist, Yoon Pyo and Geum Soo-ah possessed enough raw firepower to vaporize Omkim Inc. and everyone inside it in under three seconds flat.

Naturally, the sky would split open before such a thing happened. But standing before beings who possessed that terrifying absolute might, it was human instinct to cower.

"Well, if you insist on staying by our side, CEO Park, there is one thing I would love to ask you."

Seeing how terribly stiff the air had become, Geum Soo-ah decided to intervene. Watching Hyun-gu jump in surprise, she softened her expression into an amicable smile.

"In cash terms, how much do you believe Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng is worth?"

The question was half-joke, half-probe to test the waters.

From Soo-ah's perspective, it was a perfectly calculated move. 'CEO Park Hyun-gu is like a real brother to Kim Mu-saeng. With a bond as tight as theirs, Mu-saeng definitely told him about my acquisition offer. And judging by Mu-saeng's pragmatic nature, financial and management decisions are almost certainly handled by Park Hyun-gu.'

If she asked playfully, she might glean the true thoughts of Hyun-gu—and by extension, the thoughts of Mu-saeng himself. Even if she didn't get a concrete figure, getting Hyun-gu to pitch Mu-saeng's value while Yoon Pyo listened would be immensely beneficial. Regardless of what Chairman Geum thought, Yoon Pyo still seemed skeptical about Mu-saeng's true worth. This was the perfect chance to open the director's eyes.

Through complex mental calculations, Soo-ah had managed to steer the conversation toward a mutually beneficial topic under the brightest possible guise.

Or so she thought.

"He's like a ten-won coin, really."

"…Excuse me?"

"You know how it is! Too petty to give away to someone else, but keeping it in your pocket just weighs your pants down. That's what he is. Honestly, the only reason he survives out there is because I stick with him. We're two useless ten-won coins rolling around together, bwahaha!"

"Ah… n-no, wait. Ahaha… Is that so?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Facing a man who took a multi-billion-won valuation probe as a literal joke and fired back with self-deprecating humor, Soo-ah was left utterly speechless. He treated it like a joke? In front of prospective buyers who were willing to value their company at over fifteen billion won?!

'What iron nerves… No wonder he can stand side by side with Sherpa Kim.'

She swallowed dryly, thoroughly impressed. If only she knew that Mu-saeng had never breathed a single word to Hyun-gu about Geumseong's fifteen-billion acquisition inquiry, she wouldn't have been sweating so profusely. Hyun-gu wasn't playing 4D chess; he was genuinely cracking a joke because he had no clue what she was talking about.

As Soo-ah's gears spun furiously in confusion, Yoon Pyo smoothly cut in.

"Then what if we were to take both Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng and you, CEO Park? In fact, what if we took the entirety of Omkim Inc.? If it is too precious to hand to strangers yet too heavy to carry yourselves… slipping into Geumseong's deep pockets might be the ideal solution."

Yoon Pyo laid it out bare, far more direct and brazen.

He had never been strictly against recruiting Mu-saeng or acquiring the company. If it could be bought, they would buy it. The only question was whether the price tag was reasonable.

"…Pardon? What are you saying all of a sudden—"

"Ten billion won."

Yoon Pyo ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was testing the floor. He wanted to hear the baseline directly from Hyun-gu's lips.

"We will purchase both of your shares for ten billion—"

And Park Hyun-gu delivered his answer.

"Pffft-spfffffffft—! Cough, hack! O-Oh god! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Napkins! Where are the napkins?!"

By spraying a mouthful of hot coffee directly across Yoon Pyo's stoic face.

Soo-ah gasped in sheer horror, and Yoon Pyo froze like a statue, coffee dripping down his nose. It was an 'answer' of historic proportions.

Kim Mu-saeng had answered Geum Soo-ah's fifteen-billion-won pitch with a bored yawn. And now, Park Hyun-gu had answered Yoon Pyo's ten-billion-won offer by spitting coffee right into his face.

To the two executives, the message couldn't have been louder or clearer: 'You offered fifteen billion before and now you dare try to lowball us at ten? Don't insult us!' It was ruthless, merciless retaliation against bad-faith business etiquette.

Of course, Hyun-gu, who had harbored no such grand thoughts, was currently pale as a ghost, frantically grabbing wet wipes and tissues to scrub down the terrifying director.

"A-Are you alright?! I, I mean, what you just said caught me so off guard—"

"I apologize," Yoon Pyo said, slowly bowing his head.

Hyun-gu, who was genuinely convinced with zero exaggeration that his life had just come to an end, blinked in absolute shock.

"…H-Huh?"

"It was never my intention to act in bad faith," Yoon Pyo said, voice calm despite the coffee stains soaking his collar. "We shall revisit the financial specifics when Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng is present. However… please remember this one thing: what it truly signifies that our Chairman is personally seeking out Sherpa Kim."

"That's… well…"

Hyun-gu stood frozen, still completely lost.

Yoon Pyo, the iron-willed Raid Director of South Korea's undisputed number-one guild and personal aide to the living legend Geum Byeong-cheol, looked him dead in the eye.

"If Sherpa Kim Mu-saeng leaves an impression that satisfies the Chairman… Geumseong will spare no resource on earth to support him."

This wasn't about an acquisition. It wasn't about buying out corporate shares.

Looking into the profound weight of Yoon Pyo's gaze, Hyun-gu finally understood why Geumseong had come all this way.