The Birth of the Deal-Tank
“It was planned from the start, wasn’t it.”
Yoo Min-jeong said.
“Bingo. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to fall for it. You have no idea how thrilled I was that it was you. It’s like I finally got payback for that old humiliation today. Don’t be too disappointed. We lost a dealer, and you lost a buffer. That’s all. As Yoo Wan-seop’s daughter, you could probably smash monsters with one arm tied behind your back, right?”
An Seong-ho said with a sly grin, deploying his barrier as he backed away step by step.
Yoo Min-jeong glared daggers and started to follow, but she soon halted. The poison was stronger than expected—if she kept moving, it would spread through her whole body.
Panting heavily, Yoo Min-jeong squeezed out her mana to float a sphere of light into the air.
An Seong-ho’s team vanished into the darkness beyond.
Yoo Min-jeong collapsed to her knees.
Choi Muhyun spread his barrier around her.
Kim Jun forcibly dragged over the dealer with broken arms and legs.
“…What the hell are you doing?”
Choi Muhyun asked, his voice thick with anguish.
The dealer was poisoned and couldn’t even stand properly, the buffer was dead, they had no way to detect approaching monsters, and even if they blocked attacks, they had nothing to kill with.
“The test isn’t over yet.”
Kim Jun was resolute.
Yoo Min-jeong, inspecting her blackened left arm, looked up at him. Sometimes, she envied that iron will of his.
How was he built like that to stay so calm? Was it because he was a carrier? Did he have no idea what Raider pride even meant? Did he have nothing to lose?
Kim Jun extended both hands forward.
“Huh?”
Resting on his palms was a shimmering stone, its colors shifting moment by moment.
“That’s an Awacum.”
Choi Muhyun recognized it.
Kim Jun knew full well the carrier had deliberately dropped it, but with the enemy team’s dealer right there—broken limbs but mind intact—he couldn’t reveal the truth.
“Looks like they dropped it.”
“No time to grab it, I guess.”
Choi Muhyun nodded.
Kim Jun, who had knocked out An Seong-ho’s team dealer with a punch to the jaw, sat in front of Yoo Min-jeong holding the Awacum. He held out the core.
“Try eating it.”
“…What?”
“You know Awacum is the raw material for awakening enhancers. That also means it’s a recovery and healing agent. Sure, there might be side effects. But this is just the simulator.”
“……”
Yoo Min-jeong glared at Kim Jun.
In the real world, it’d be a gamble, but here? It made perfect sense.
Why didn’t I think of that?
Suddenly, Kim Jun wondered what he was really seeing. Somehow, it felt like he was perceiving something different—broader, deeper.
I want vision like that.
Making up her mind, Yoo Min-jeong drew her dagger from her waist and scraped the Awacum’s surface.
The flakes that fell like crumbs changed color over time. She dumped them into her mouth and waited for the change.
In the meantime, Kim Jun stripped the unconscious dealer of his clothes and basic gear like daggers and bandages. He left only the essentials covered.
Choi Muhyun watched curiously.
Kim Jun sat there, fashioning something from the dealer’s clothes. Soon, the leather became a crude pouch that could hold three or four cores. He slipped the Awacum inside and slung it over his shoulder.
Even after a few jumps, the Awacum didn’t budge. A makeshift fix, but it worked decently.
Choi Muhyun was impressed.
“I’ve got something for you to do.”
Kim Jun stood before Choi Muhyun.
“What?”
Kim Jun grinned and whispered. Choi Muhyun’s eyes widened.
A moment later, Choi Muhyun nodded slowly.
At Kim Jun’s request, Choi Muhyun woke the enemy dealer with a few slaps laced with emotion. It was enough.
Kim Jun sat a short distance away, scraping the Awacum’s surface with his knife and pocketing the shiny core fragments separately.
Who knows what might happen.
He glanced at the dealer. Panic was written all over his face.
This simulation had no exit except death. It was an official test, so logout was disabled.
The dealer’s eyes fluttered open. Seeing Choi Muhyun, he trembled—realizing his clothes were gone.
“W-what the…?”
“Your name.”
“My name?”
“What’s your damn name?”
Choi Muhyun’s hand cracked across his cheek. The dealer’s head snapped back, fear blooming in his eyes.
“…Baek Seung-tae. I-I had no personal grudge. We just… couldn’t pass on our own, so we came up with that plan…”
“No hard feelings here either.”
Choi Muhyun grinned.
After a few threats, Baek Seung-tae spilled everything obediently.
Through Choi Muhyun, Kim Jun learned all about Baek Seung-tae’s team—their specialties, tendencies, even things words couldn’t capture.
Once the truth was out, one punch from Choi Muhyun logged Baek Seung-tae out. Dead.
Yoo Min-jeong stood.
“How you feeling?”
Choi Muhyun rushed over.
But Yoo Min-jeong’s gaze was on Kim Jun.
Kim Jun had sorted Baek Seung-tae’s belongings properly before slowly walking toward her.
“You’re a genius.”
It was Yoo Min-jeong.
Kim Jun blinked in surprise.
Choi Muhyun’s jaw dropped. Such words from the prideful Yoo Min-jeong?
“And it looks like heaven’s on our side.”
Yoo Min-jeong raised her arm. The blackened skin had turned white again.
“Whoa!”
Choi Muhyun exclaimed.
“More importantly… after choosing the dealer over the buffer and completely losing that buffer detection sense, it’s back. I can feel what’s happening all around me. Like I’ve become a buffer myself.”
“Must be the Awacum.”
Kim Jun’s expression wasn’t bright.
“What’s wrong?”
“You might’ve lost your dealer power.”
At that, Yoo Min-jeong tried summoning a Fire Arrow, but her mana shattered inside her. Like striking a wet match—failure after failure.
It was bewildering. Eating Awacum crumbs had turned her from dealer to buffer?
“It’s temporary. This is virtual space.”
Kim Jun brushed off her worry.
“So… we lost a dealer but gained a buffer.”
Choi Muhyun said.
“What now?”
Yoo Min-jeong set aside her team leader pride. Not the time for that.
“It’s time for the world’s first, strongest ‘Deal-Tank’ to step up.”
Kim Jun grinned at Choi Muhyun. His expectant gaze held no deceit.
“Deal-Tank?”
“A tanker with dealer-level firepower.”
“……”
Choi Muhyun’s eyes glazed over.
Yoo Min-jeong’s mouth fell open.
Damn, he’s really something.
A few words, and Kim Jun had boosted Choi Muhyun’s confidence sky-high. Like a seasoned psychiatrist hypnotizing a patient.
She’d seen Choi Muhyun’s Geumgangkwon firsthand, so she knew he could pull dealer duty. But the issue was he was their only tanker.
Since dungeons first opened, Raider attack styles had been similar. Defend then strike—proven highest success rate.
Deal-Tanks were tough because pouring everything into defense left no room for immediate attack. Most monsters exposed weaknesses right after striking.
For a tanker to deal, they needed another tanker to hold the line.
Kim Jun glanced at Yoo Min-jeong, eyes saying he already knew.
“You’ve got a way?”
“We’ve got the universe’s strongest carrier here.”
“……”
Yoo Min-jeong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
* * *
Silent, tedious, dangerous march.
A refined voice broke the quiet.
“How’d you know?”
Yoo Min-jeong, advancing slowly into the dark, turned slightly to Kim Jun beside her.
At the question, front-runner Choi Muhyun glanced back at her.
“Sorry. Thought you meant me.”
Choi Muhyun faced forward again.
“Know what?”
Kim Jun asked.
“That the dealer from An Seong-ho’s team wasn’t injured. You knew.”
“You really knew?”
Choi Muhyun twisted back again.
“Carried him fast without a single groan. Tested by running—same. Broken or cracked bones would hurt too much even from jostling.”
Kim Jun explained.
Choi Muhyun and Yoo Min-jeong exchanged looks.
Nothing special on the surface. Basic observation turned spot-on hunch.
When An Seong-ho struck, Choi Muhyun was blocking, but Yoo Min-jeong glimpsed beyond. The carried dealer had tried to kill Kim Jun.
Kim Jun, forewarned, hoisted him piggyback-style and slammed down, then dropped his own weight to amplify the impact. Result: broken limbs.
If Kim Jun had taken the hit… they’d all be dead, test over.
No groans from the “patient.”
That one suspicion saved the team.
Yoo Min-jeong almost asked why he hadn’t said—but stopped. Any hint they knew would’ve triggered attack.
Kim Jun’s play was optimal.
What the hell is this guy?
Yoo Min-jeong stole a glance.
Then, movement ahead. No buffer training, so hard to pinpoint monster type or distance.
“Something approaching from 1 o’clock.”
“Raider team? Monster?”
Kim Jun asked.
“Speed says monster.”
“How many?”
“One.”
Yoo Min-jeong eyed Kim Jun. Choi Muhyun could block one or two hits solo, but no chance to strike fatally.
“Can you cast Help magic?”
Kim Jun said.
“Probably.”
Help was buffer basics. With Yoo Min-jeong’s level 6 dealer mage senses and skill, doable.
“Support the tanker.”
“…How?”
“Lure it.”
Kim Jun set down his crude leather pouch and loosened his ankles on the spot.
Memories of first meeting Kim Jun in the dungeon surfaced.
A mere carrier charging into darkness, pulling aggro, herding monsters… haunted her dreams for a while.
He’d do the same here.
Yoo Min-jeong sighed and cast Speed Up twice in a row. The buffs seeped into Kim Jun.
“Whoa, I’m light as air.”
“Be careful.”
She floated a light orb set to follow him.
“When you’re ready, flare a fireball in about five minutes. I’ll bring it then—finish it in one shot.”
Kim Jun looked to the tanker.
“Got it.”
Choi Muhyun nodded.
Kim Jun dashed into the darkness.
The light followed, but barely pushed back five meters.
Running fast with five-meter vision. Monsters likely lurking beyond, claws ready, jaws wide.
Fear stiffening body, muscles.
“Hoo.”
Kim Jun exhaled, purging emotion.
Fail this test, and the guildhouse suffers.
If Go Cheolmin, drowning time in booze, collapsed again… might not rise.
Uramata closes? Everyone scatters.
Worse, other guilds might take a carrier, but nowhere else like here.
Analyzing seven hundred videos, Kim Jun knew carriers’ scorn better than anyone. Guilds like Uramata, masters like Go Cheolmin—rare as hell.
Can’t end here.
Kim Jun slowed, stopped.
Alone in enveloping dark, terror surged. Tangible, formed fear.
Vibration underfoot.
Approaching rumble from afar.
Growing faster.
“Shall we run?”
The Wyresi-saurus’s savage features pierced the dark. Kim Jun veered left.
Its claw grazed his back by a hair.
Beast’s roar battered his ears.
Felt its breath.
Thudding footsteps closing.
Claws poised to rip spine. No—visions in his head.
Can’t lose here.
Legs pushed harder.
Muscles screaming to tear, yet exploded forward. Claw’s whoosh slightly receded.
Stay calm. Straight-line strong. Zigzag weak.
Kim Jun twisted ankles, changed direction.
The charging Wyresi-saurus tumbled, unable to halt momentum, but rose roaring pursuit.
Kim Jun zigzagged free whenever caught.
Then, nearby flare. Red bloom hung in air.
They’re ready.
Kim Jun surged toward it.
Beast’s breath behind.
Clawing earth footsteps.
Clutching air claws.
Thighs bursting.
Ankles twisting to collapse.
Finally, poised Choi Muhyun.
Kim Jun maxed speed, slid between Choi Muhyun and Yoo Min-jeong.
Golden energy blasted at the charging Wyresi-saurus.
Boom!
Immense force twisted its neck 180 degrees, sending it tumbling. Dust rose as the monster convulsed, then slumped limp.
Gasping Kim Jun rose, walked toward it, then collapsed.
Yoo Min-jeong rushed over.
“Lie still.”
Hands on his chest, she cast Healing.
The energy slowly permeated his body.
Choi Muhyun, who’d one-shot the Wyresi-saurus with Geumgangkwon, dragged his heavy frame over, confirmed the kill, and dug for the core.
Thirty minutes of rummaging, no core.