Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Why Is My Brother Here?
After feeding the elixir to the suit-wearing team leader using Reverse Probability Manipulation.
We opened the door leading to the first-floor hall, just as planned.
And right then...
⚙ SECURITY REPORT ⚙ Static—! -VIP position confirmed. Current location: table in front of the first-floor lobby. -VIP position confirmed. Current location: railing in front of the fourth-floor armament shop. -VIP position confirmed. Current location: railing in front of the sixth-floor training room. "Positions confirmed. Commencing VIP escort." Static... The voices of the team members I'd sent out first came through the in-ear security device plugged into the suit-wearing team leader's ear.
Following the gazes I felt prickling at me, I could see them keeping their distance while watching over us.
"Mr. Yi Ron. I'm sorry, but to avoid pinpointing their locations, please don't look toward the guarding team members."
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I just felt the stares and..."
"You're sensing them from quite a distance... You must have sharp instincts."
"Well, it's a perk of the job."
Anyway.
After that, just as the suit-wearing team leader advised, I did my best to ignore the gazes from the security team.
"You can now look around freely. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
With her permission granted, we began slowly exploring the surroundings.
Floors 1 through 2 were open rest areas where anyone could relax.
I saw climbers buying snacks like coffee, bread, and ice cream.
I saw climbers pulling books from shelves installed here and there and reading them.
I saw climbers killing time at tables, fiddling with their phones.
Each resting in their own way.
Most were recovering their depleted mana.
"I've thought this before, but this place feels just like a big department store."
"It pretty much is. I hear they modeled it after the department store with the highest foot traffic in the country to accommodate as many climbers as possible."
"Really?"
If the doctor went out of his way to reference it for the design, it must've been impressive.
Maybe I should take the kids there sometime?
"But it's gone now."
"Huh? Why?"
"The tower appeared right on top of it."
"No way..."
"Yes. They failed to update to a new floor, monsters poured out, and the aftermath of the battle wiped it clean off the map."
"That's awful..."
The tower's location changes every first of the month.
In that deadly roulette of booms and busts, it just didn't survive.
It was a sadly common tragedy after the tower appeared.
"It was a huge incident around this time two years ago. You didn't know?"
Around this time two years ago?
Hmm... What was I doing back then...?
I think I was bombing interviews, working night shifts at a convenience store, and getting chewed out by rude customers...
Saying that might chill the team leader's gaze, though.
Better come up with a plausible excuse here.
"I was sick and holed up in a closed-off place, cut off from the outside world. So I'm pretty out of touch with current events."
"...Pardon? Oh...! I... I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'm all better now."
It was a hasty excuse, but it wasn't a lie.
I really did have mental health issues.
And because of that, shuttling between my closed-off home and nearby part-time gigs left me clueless about the world.
Maybe my answer caught the team leader so off guard because it was the last thing she expected?
"...I'm sorry for asking such an insensitive question."
Her face screamed 'I just asked something I shouldn't have!!!'
To lighten the increasingly awkward atmosphere, I suggested heading to the next floor.
"Really, it's okay. Floors 1 and 2 don't seem to have much else to see, so let's go to 3."
"Ah...! Yes. I'll guide you."
Her expression soured in real time, but only for a moment.
She was a pro—she switched back to a determined face to finish her job, had a quick chat over her in-ear, and then...
"Let's move."
She'd already repositioned security by then.
We followed the team leader up to the third floor.
The third floor we arrived at.
If floors 1 and 2 were for resting and enjoying amenities.
Then floors 3 and 4 were lined with shops selling gear for climbers.
The items for sale were quite varied: weapons, armor, accessories, magic tools, and more.
"The vibes on 3 and 4 feel a bit different?"
"Yes. Third floor has shops selling relatively affordable off-the-shelf items, while fourth floor has renowned artisans' works or high-value pieces."
Hmm... So third floor is like discount general stores for climbers' needs.
Fourth floor is custom gear workshops and luxury boutiques?
I got the gist of the layout.
But one thing puzzled me.
With the Exchange around, why bother with physical stores?
So I asked about it...
"Taxes."
"Taxes?"
...She nailed it without hesitation.
And her explanation went like this.
"As you know, Mr. Yi Ron, climbers earn income incomparable to regular folks.
And earning that much means owing that much in taxes."
"True enough."
"But in the early days after the tower appeared, that wasn't smooth.
There were tons of ways to dodge taxes via 1:1 trades or Exchange loopholes. Paying them made you look like a fool."
"That bad?"
"Yes. From the government's view, climbers were raking in cash without paying up, leaving shortages for infrastructure, rebuilding destroyed facilities, maintaining public order, and so on. Inevitably, they squeezed regular citizens instead, putting not just our country but every nation worldwide on the brink of collapse."
Hmm... Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing about that in school.
Something about 'they should've taxed moderately, but overdid it and tanked the country'—school was buzzing with it.
Though back then, I was more focused on novels and webtoons than that stuff.
If my fuzzy memories are right, then...
"That's when the 'National Climber Taxation and Public Responsibility Accord' came into being under international law. It offers governments the maximum benefits possible, but if you still dodge taxes, you're branded an international criminal."
...Ah! Right, that was the name.
Basically, 'Still not paying? We'll make you a global deadbeat and cut off access to all national infrastructure.'
Surprisingly, most climbers accepted it.
And the reason they did...
"Most feared that if nations collapsed, all their hard-earned money would turn into worthless scraps."
...Apparently.
The world got harsher after the tower in so many ways. It's just tragic.
Anyway.
"After that, various climber-related laws passed, and shops in this building get all sorts of tax exemptions."
"So buying or selling here means less tax than the Exchange takes?"
"Exactly."
That's why trends lean toward physical stores for domestically available items.
This place stocks pretty much everything, plus plenty of foreign shops, so it's popular on days off.
With that in mind...
"I'd like to see some gear suitable for a 50th-floor major climber. Warrior class, main weapon is spear."
For Park Hyun-soo, who'd safely completed the mission I assigned.
I figured I'd browse the shops and maybe gift something decent if I spotted it.
"In that case, gear from a well-known blacksmith would be best. Very expensive, but durable enough to last."
"'Very' expensive? How much are we talking?"
"Named blacksmith gear is rare, so even high-floor climbers hesitate at the prices."
"I see."
I'd been using the Exchange a lot lately.
But only for alchemy materials.
I'd hardly ever bought gear myself, so her idea of 'expensive' didn't quite click.
"I'll guide you to the fourth floor."
Wondering just how pricey it could be, I followed her to the fourth floor.
Unlike the friendly bustle of the third floor.
This place was packed with upscale luxury vibes, with only a handful of people visible.
"Here we are."
We'd been walking, soaking in the posh atmosphere, when...
[Lee Kang-cheol's Forge] "This shop is run by an artisan specializing in warrior gear."
Soon, we arrived at her recommended spot and stepped inside.
The interior welcomed us with swords, spears, axes, blunt weapons...
All sorts of cold arms and armor made from monster hides.
"Seo Yun-ah. What brings you here?"
A muscular old man who seemed to be the owner approached.
He recognized the team leader and scanned us over before speaking.
"Perception-blocking sunglasses... You've brought a VIP, huh?"
"I can't disclose details."
"Even so, introduce them since they're in my shop. How else can I tailor the tour?"
"I don't have authority for that."
"Heh... No authority from you? Must be someone really important."
But here's the thing.
Listening quietly to their exchange...
"Show us gear suitable for a 50th-floor major warrior. Main weapon: spear."
"Combat style? Main skills?"
"Can't say."
"Seo Yun-ah, that's not enough info for custom gear. You know my stuff isn't off-the-shelf."
...It was starting to look like I was the one hiding my identity.
Did she think the gear was for me?
"I can't reveal VIP information."
"Then sorry, but I can't sell to unknowns."
Yup, nailed it.
They seemed friendly enough.
But both were so steeped in professional ethics, they weren't budging an inch—no appeals to sentiment, just glaring it out.
Like they'd break before they bend.
"Haa... Enough already."
To mediate before things escalated.
I stepped forward, inserting myself between them.
"Huh...? That voice...? Ron, is that you?"
"?"
A familiar male voice called from the back of the shop.
I turned, and two familiar figures waved happily at us.
"It is Ron! Then those on your arms must be Lulu and Arin?"
"Oh my~ Are those perception-blocking sunglasses? So cute~!"
"...Hyung Heon-gyu? And Ga-ram?"
What?
Why were these two here?
"What brings you guys here?"
"That's what I want to ask. What are you doing at my dad's forge, Ron?"
"Your dad...?"
Wait... Come to think of it.
The shop was [Lee Kang-cheol's Forge], and hyung's name is Lee Heon-gyu.
Which means... they're father and son?