Capitalism
First, the item synthesis began.
“Please... please...”
The phrase “one more try” is as legendary on the gambling tables as it is in life.
It was proven without a doubt in the synthesis gacha as well.
After exhausting an incredible eighty-plus junk items, what remained were exactly five rare items.
“...If I had just sold the rares separately, I’d have made billions.”
I truly felt the terrifying power of gambling for the first time today.
This was the thing that simply wouldn’t let you stop.
“Hmm... I wonder what to do. Should I try repairing these leftovers?”
Only five rares left, and Mr. Kim Cheolgeun was already suggesting I stop.
But I still had one last hope.
The [Unique] Rotten Hellhound’s Jaws that Hansik, the skeleton soldier I had inserted into the Honey Pot, had looted.
If that repaired, it would still be something left, right?
Of course it would. There were still plenty left.
Even without the remaining magic stones, I could easily buy a house in Gangnam with one lie alone.
Seventy-three low-grade, forty-eight mid-grade, and five high-grade magic stones.
After all expenses, including Mr. Kim Cheolgeun’s labor fees, of course, with a small discount here and there.
Based on the market price at the time, that came to 2,530,990,809 won.
Twenty-five billion. That’s the number.
“...Really?”
“No regrets?”
“Can’t eat?”
“...Still, with five rares only, the chance of hitting Unique is 4.95%. And the chance of Legendary is just 0.05%.”
I gulped down my saliva.
I must have been addicted to the gamble.
The 0.05% Legendary felt more tempting than the 4.95% Unique.
It always happened like this before synthesis.
You always felt like it might work.
But I had seen plenty of Hunters who lost their favorite rares in the Huntred and threw in the towel.
This world was never easy.
I folded my hands together.
I prayed to every skeleton soldier.
The five items were laid out on the synthesis table.
If I handed the rares directly to Hansik, I might even be able to defeat Goblin and Fire Beetle.
Then the freelance work would be over...
But my reason was already lost to the addiction.
“Yes, let’s do it!”
“Then, last rare item, five of them. Synthesis time.”
I shook my clasped hands and silently chanted “please, please” hundreds of times.
The wealth item began to spin and glow.
I blinked my eyes open and saw...
Blue.
Thud.
I collapsed onto the floor.
That color was rare.
I had sacrificed five rares to get one rare.
It was empty.
“Hold on. This synthesis thing isn’t easy. The odds are honest, after all. But you did get one Unique, didn’t you? I can’t promise success, but I’ll repair it with all my heart.”
[(Unique) Rotten Hellhound’s Jaws]
Unique, but the name and appearance were strange.
The item name was literally “Jaws.”
And it looked like a dog’s mouth.
This wasn’t a byproduct. It was an actual item.
I had no idea how to wear it.
If I put it on my neck, it becomes a necklace. On my arm, a bracelet.
But who would even wear that?
Equipment isn’t just about performance. Design matters too.
If this was a fake denture, I’d never sell it.
Who would wear a dog’s fake teeth in their mouth?
But it was my only remaining hope.
“Please repair it for me, Mr. Kim.”
“It might take some time. Most of all, I need the bones and sinews of a mid-boss level Kelberos. Luckily, there are items listed on Huntred right now, so I ordered them. They should arrive tomorrow morning.”
“Please let me know the moment it’s repaired.”
“Where are you going?”
“To Seoul. My father is alone there.”
“Wah... don’t be too disappointed. There are days like this, and there are days like that. You did get one Unique, didn’t you?”
“Well, yes...”
That was the Eye of Oculus.
The more you use it, the stronger it becomes.
‘Doosik, stay positive!’
Yes, stay positive.
This had been an extremely fruitful week.
Actually, thinking about it, I had already reversed my entire life.
And right now I had magic stones worth over 2.5 billion won.
I had won the lottery.
It was impossible to be happy while only thinking about what I lost.
And look at Hansik wearing that shabby cloak around his neck like a scarf.
[(Legendary) Cursed Royal Guard Captain’s Cloak]
Even just looking at the Legendary item makes your stomach feel full.
“Thank you, Mr. Kim. Thanks to you, my specs have improved a lot.”
“Good to see your expression is bright again. People have to live brightly, you know. When you come back next time, I’ll give you a full Busan tour. Because of you, I made some money. Hahaha.”
The labor fee I paid Mr. Kim Cheolgeun today alone was nearly 100 million won.
Five low-grade magic stones per synthesis. Sometimes he’d give four or three as a discount, but the number of syntheses made up for it.
Mr. Kim Cheolgeun was a business that never lost money.
The law of the gambling table: the one who opens the table ultimately wins.
The skeleton soldiers finished cleaning up, and I chatted with Mr. Kim Cheolgeun until the magic stone exchange office opened.
I bought back three dead Perilocos from the Honey Pot Trojan Horse operation, set them as food for the skeleton soldiers, and settled the account.
The remaining balance in my Huntred account was 2,532,342,559 won.
A truly mind-blowing number.
But seeing the numbers didn’t feel real.
Not at first.
“Hehe.”
No, only at first.
You don’t truly know the power of money until you use it.
I pulled out exactly 500 million won from the Huntred account and transferred it to my personal account, then rushed to the Haeundae Bentley showroom like a madman.
Like buying a single green onion at the market.
“This one, please!”
“Eh?”
Four hundred and twenty million won.
Bentley Continental GT.
“Well chosen, sir! 6.0L W12 engine, 635 horsepower. Zero to sixty in just 3.7 seconds...”
The dealer’s endless car specs didn’t reach my ears.
Bentley Continental GT.
I had already decided.
It was just beautiful. The moment I saw it, my heart stopped.
It felt like staring at an incredibly beautiful woman.
Graceful, yet intense.
Her snow-white body, as smooth as pearls, sparkled like the moon on a starry night, and the 22-inch chrome wheels looked just like a woman’s ankle bone in fancy high heels.
“Transfer complete. Please give me the car key.”
“R-right now? If you purchase a displayed vehicle, there are options and such...”
“No. Perfect as is. I’ll take it. Right now.”
Thump thump.
This was it!
This was capitalism.
That’s why everyone chases money!
The dealer handed over the key with a dazed look.
“T-thank you!”
“Have a good day!”
I took the key and sat in the driver’s seat.
When I closed the door, it felt like entering another world separated from everything outside.
Soft, cricket-ball brown leather wrapped around me like a woman who had sprayed on expensive perfume.
I pressed the engine start button. A deep, powerful W12 engine greeted me with a low rumble.
Drr drr. The front glass doors of the showroom opened, and the dealer bowed.
“Thank you! See you again!”
I returned the greeting, and with a loud roar, I left the showroom.
I lightly pressed the accelerator, and the car was already sliding across the road.
The gazes of people passing on the Haeundae road followed me like spotlights.
‘Who could be in a car like that?’
Something I had always wondered while staring out the bus window.
Today, I was the one riding it.
[(High-grade Magic Stone) has been added to [(Legendary) Tigrial’s Bundle].]
“I earned enough for the car.”
I grinned, my lips stretching to my cheekbones.
I turned the left blinker on, and the car behind me suddenly slowed.
Even on the road, there were ranks.
‘Go ahead.’
Thank you.
Boooon.
* * *
[Seoul]
In Busan, a lot of things had happened.
I had leveled up, obtained loot, and gained money and people.
Hyung Tae and Mr. Kim Cheolgeun.
“Dad!”
“Oh, Doosik? Did you have a nice trip?”
My father glanced back at me, then searched for Hansik.
“Summon.”
Hansik, who had failed the Trojan Horse operation into the Honey Pot, was summoned again.
He had always been particularly bad at entering the Honey Pot.
Maybe he did it on purpose?
Who knew?
Anyway, the re-summoned Hansik greeted my father with a light bow using just two fingers.
“Hansik, I hope you’ve been well?”
My father skillfully returned the greeting.
Why did it feel so intimate?
“Nothing hurt? What is this rags again? Sniff sniff. You need a wash.”
“That’s a Legendary item, Dad.”
“You can’t just throw it in the washing machine.”
“Can I wash it?”
Well, it was still fine even after soaking in the acidic water of Kelberos.
Hansik had come home and was constantly checking the dust piled up everywhere.
He looked so eager to clean.
“Hansik, get to work.”
My father had done some cleaning, but it wasn’t up to a professional housekeeper’s standard.
Hansik started roaming around the house like a puppy with a loose leash.
With the Butler skill activated, his body was light.
He immediately listed all the tasks and assigned priorities.
He lined up the laundry that my father had piled crookedly, matched the washing temperatures perfectly, sorted them, emptied the dryer, crushed the cans and bottles in the recycling bin to reduce volume...
He did everything effortlessly.
“Did you have a good time in Busan?”
“Yes. Dad, this is a gift.”
I handed my father a shopping bag.
When he opened it, his mouth fell wide open.
“What is this? What is this? Eek, this is... the... the... Elixir of Youth?! That’s not possible! It’s ridiculously expensive!”
“It’s not expensive. Ten thousand won per pill.”
“It’s good for your body. Take one every day. You have to take care of your health.”
“Where did you get the money...”
“Dad. I got a job. I came to Busan because of that job.”
“A job? Did you graduate from the coding academy and get hired? New employee orientation?”
I scratched my head.
My father had never wanted me to be a Hunter.
It was dangerous.
But not using this power would be a huge waste.
“Dad. I can now summon three skeleton soldiers.”
“What? Really? ...Wait, could it be that Doosik...”
“Yes, Dad. I went through the gate.”
My father’s face froze.
It was a mountain I had to cross someday.
I understood my father’s feelings all too well.
Hunters were dangerous. Too many Hunters died.
But I... I didn’t want to waste the power given to me.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t say anything... But Dad, my ability is summoning type, so I don’t have to fight directly. And I made a lot of money. Do you know how much? Don’t be shocked.”
“I don’t need anything like that.”
My father tossed the Elixir of Youth onto the table like it was garbage.
“If it’s not dangerous, why doesn’t the average Hunter life expectancy reach sixty? I just want you to keep doing what you were planning to do. Dad can earn money.”
My father was stubborn as ever.
But there was a saying...
“Dad.”
Most problems you face can be solved with money.
I took the Bentley car key out of my pocket.
“I bought a car today with the money I earned from the gate.”
“What? Only for a week of work?”
“If there’s anything you want, Dad, just say so. Anything you want to do? I’ll make it happen. If carpentry is too hard, you don’t have to do it, Dad.”
“This world isn’t all about money! They said sudden wealth brings disaster. Even if you can earn a lot as a Hunter and make big money right now...”
“Wait, isn’t this a Bentley?”
If money could solve the problem,
then it was because that money was insufficient.
“Dad. I earned 2.5 billion won.”
“W-what?”
“I said 2.5 billion! 2.5 billion! 25 with an 8 after!”
My father’s eyes widened, and his pupils trembled.
“Dad. I know what you’re saying. But I’m different from other Hunters. I don’t even see or spill a drop of monster blood, but I made 2.5 billion.”
“I-is that true?”
“Yes.”
My father sat down in the dining chair with a thud.
“T-twenty... five... hahaha, 2.5 billion...”
“Actually, I could have earned even more, Dad. And right now, money is still being earned. Dad, I can do anything you want!”
As I tried to persuade him, my voice grew louder without me realizing.
“Sorry. I’m not angry.”
[(Low-grade Magic Stone) has been added to [(Legendary) Tigrial’s Bundle].]
“I... I didn’t know. I had never thought about such things.”
“Dad. I want to be a Hunter. Maybe I can even reach the top of the Hunter industry.”
It was an exaggerated way to persuade my father.
But my father began to tremble.
“Dad. I believe this is my path and my destiny.”
“Doosik has grown up.”
“I awakened because of Mom’s wish. And since the power has come into my hands, we can no longer live ordinary lives. Dad, I won’t do anything dangerous that would make you worry. I will never be unfilial and die before you. So please believe me and watch over me.”
Was that permission?
My father took my hand.
And he gently touched the Bentley car key in my hand.
“Hehe... a Bentley...”
“Dad, you don’t have to work hard anymore. Think of it as the second half of your life! Tell me anything you want to do or have. Understand? We’re rich now. Is there anything you want? Anything at all?”
“A Bentley...”
“Yes?”