Two Houses Aren't Enough
“Of course that was a joke. I need some rest too. Clearing the fifth floor of the Magic Tower left me pretty tired.”
“Understood…. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”
Team Leader Kang’s conviction that Choi Junseok was someone who could never truly relax had only grown stronger.
“Um… may I ask one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“How did you clear the fifth floor in just six seconds?”
“Did I?”
“You did.”
Choi Junseok feigned ignorance with a straight face.
“Was it the power of your summons? But if they’re an assassination type…”
“Now, now. Don’t dig too deep. It’s a state secret.”
‘A state secret…’
Well, it was a secret. Several agents had already been reassigned just to protect his identity. Aside from a handful of the nation’s highest decision-makers, access to any information about Function was strictly forbidden.
Yet he was one of the very few people in the Player Management Agency who actually knew Choi Junseok’s true identity.
Even so, no matter how he looked at it…
An F-grade skill called Inventory Master that sounded utterly useless.
‘How in the world did he set consecutive records with something like that?’
With that lingering question, he watched Choi Junseok’s retreating back.
“Mom, let’s move tomorrow.”
It was around 12:30 a.m.
He had come home late, but because his mother often worked night shifts, the hour didn’t feel particularly unusual.
Her eyes widened as if they might pop out.
They could finally leave this container that barely qualified as a home?
“I-is that true?! Really?! The Player Management Agency is providing it?”
“That’s right.”
“What kind of skill did you awaken to receive treatment like this?”
“No way!! Is it true, oppa?! Oppa! Don’t tell me you’re the one who cleared the fifth floor too? The internet is going crazy right now!”
Choi Junseok quietly nodded.
It had only been five days since he started climbing.
Yet the profit he had earned, converted to Korean won, was already enough for two houses.
Of course, they were only government-owned rental units, but it was still enough to escape this miserable container-turned-shelter.
Honestly, even Choi Junseok found it hard to believe he had earned this much in less than a week of tower climbing.
These days, a three-room officetel in Seoul easily cost over 1.5 million won in monthly rent.
And he had asked for two units. That meant 3 to 4 million won in rent alone.
All for clearing just five floors.
A smile threatened to form when he thought about what kind of rewards awaited him on the middle and upper floors, but he kept his expression neutral.
For now, he simply nodded seriously at their questions.
At the same time, seeing his family made everything feel real.
‘This is my official debut as a player.’
The crown came with its own weight.
Beneath the glory and wealth players received lay an ugly underbelly to their society.
That meant these two could now be in danger as well.
He had to protect his family from the jaws of reality.
The countless obstacles they would face wouldn’t come from inside the Magic Towers.
The real battlefield for players was in the real world. Having once worked as a porter, Choi Junseok knew that all too well.
“No matter what, you must never tell anyone that I’m the player called Function.”
At his grave expression, both of them nodded with solemn faces.
“This isn’t just a casual warning. If… it gets out that I’m Function, everyone will be in danger.”
“Why?”
“Because the people who fear and watch players the most are other players—especially the Five Great Guilds.”
“…”
“If they find out I’m Function, they won’t leave me alone.”
“…Is it that serious?”
His younger sister, who didn’t know much about player society, thought her brother was overreacting.
At the same time, Junseok’s mother spoke up.
“What if you reveal your identity and join one of the Five Great Guilds? Wouldn’t a big company like that protect you?”
Lee Jun-hui’s eyes sparkled.
The Five Great Guilds.
Just being affiliated with one meant an annual salary in the hundreds of millions was nothing.
And that wasn’t all.
Quarterly incentives based on tower-clearing performance alone could exceed the yearly salary of a mid-sized company.
Plus, as specially employed workers, their tax rates were different from everyone else’s.
Normally, earning in the hundreds of millions meant 40 to 50 percent went to taxes, but players only paid half that.
However, Choi Junseok firmly shook his head.
“I hate to say this myself, but… I’m not an ordinary player. If I join one of the Five Great Guilds, the other guilds will come after me to kill me.”
No matter how advanced modern law and investigation techniques were, stabbing someone in the back inside a Magic Tower was trivial.
Even without entering a tower, quietly disposing of a single person was far too easy for them.
Would they try to recruit the unpredictable Function?
Or would they simply shoot him dead and pretend he never existed?
The established players in the Five Great Guilds would naturally choose the latter without a second thought.
‘But I’m not someone they can control.’
“I’m going to build my own independent force under my name. You could call it a player guild, but putting up a sign and doing business openly would get me killed in no time. So for now, I plan to lie low and gather strength.”
Self-made success.
He was going to give it a shot.
Even he could sense it.
In the end, he would have to form his own guild. He wasn’t the type to work under someone else. Besides, was it even possible to climb alongside other humans? His summons might survive, but ordinary people wouldn’t last long under the Holy Sword’s aftereffects.
If he created a one-man guild and secured his safety, wouldn’t he become the strongest one-man guild?
No matter how skilled the top rankers were, if he summoned the Holy Sword, they would all fall. It was obvious.
“You know that the people who fear players the most are other players, right? High-ranking players live in their own heavily secured villages. Why else would there be only one entrance, guarded by private security from the very start? Those detached house villages and such.”
“I know…”
“Right now the Player Management Agency recognizes me as important, but they said they can’t assign bodyguards yet. It would draw too much attention.”
That was just how government officials worked.
Honestly, the treatment he was receiving now was already special.
Until he proved his worth further—
Until he reached a level where even the Five Great Guilds feared him and the government grew even more anxious about his value—
He had to be as cautious as a serpent about to ascend, wary even of falling leaves.
“So I’m going to slowly reveal my presence to everyone. Anonymously.”
“Does the country not know your identity?”
“No. A very small number of government officials know I’m Function. And they’ve agreed to keep that information under strict security.”
“Because you could become a target?”
Choi Junseok nodded.
“You know that the faction that least wants the Magic Towers cleared to the 100th floor is the players themselves, right?”
No matter how many skills they awakened, it was all possible only because the Magic Towers existed.
Paradoxically, once the towers were cleared to the 100th floor and disappeared, every player would become unemployed.
Or they would suddenly have to fly overseas as mercenaries to climb foreign towers.
“The Five Great Guilds have already grown beyond the government’s ability to fully control them. So… if I want to survive both the guilds and the government, I have to stay hidden.”
Fortunately, his family seemed to understand the situation.
“By the way, moving tomorrow is awfully sudden. What about our belongings?”
“Don’t worry. They said they’ll take care of everything.”
Team Leader Kang had been telling the truth.
As soon as the sun rose, a moving truck appeared in the player refugee village.
Unlike a typical trailer for carrying belongings, this one had an empty space resembling a square container box.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to move the entire container?”
“That’s correct. It’s a container transport truck.”
Next to it stood a large crane that looked like it had been borrowed from a construction site.
The sincerity of how they intended to treat Choi Junseok was clear, but it was unnecessary fuss.
“…There’s no need to go that far. Just give me a few boxes.”
“Excuse me…? Will that be enough?”
Evidently, Team Leader Kang didn’t understand how people lived in refugee villages. He must have been a rich young master.
“You saw it yourself last time. We don’t have much to pack.”
“Well, that’s true. Both officetels we prepared are fully furnished, so you really only need to bring your clothes.”
Team Leader Kang looked somewhat haggard as he spoke.
He had probably pulled an all-nighter nearby. Choi Junseok felt a twinge of sympathy.
“Did you stay up all night nearby?”
“Ah… yes. Some urgent matters came up.”
Those urgent matters were probably related to him.
“Because of me?”
“Not at all. Please don’t worry about it.”
“Well, if you say so.”
“If the other two are awake, shall we proceed with the move?”
His mother had excitedly packed everything the night before, so they only needed boxes.
Goodbye to this wretched container filled with both pain and memories.
To use the bathroom, they had to go outside to the shared facilities even in the middle of the night.
He could endure it, but he felt sorry for his sister and mother.
How much had it pained his late father to see the two of them living like this?
He could almost see his father’s back as he pretended to sleep while swallowing his suffering.
The moving process was simple.
His sister went to school as usual.
Before she left, Choi Junseok openly stared at Team Leader Kang until the man handed over taxi fare and snack money.
Sending the location via messenger meant taking a taxi was no trouble at all.
The movers who had swiftly carried their belongings disappeared like the wind.
“Here’s the spare key. You probably won’t need it, but these are units 1101 and 1102. The move-in cleaning has already been done.”
His mother had tried to stay calm and composed, but after seeing the interior, she couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from twitching.
“Where do we throw away food waste?”
“Ah, you can grind it in the kitchen sink and flush it down. For recyclables, there’s a sorting station right below…”
“Grind it…? Flush it down? Whoa!”
Each room had ceiling-mounted air conditioners and individual heating.
There were three bathrooms and a separate dressing room.
Plus, everyday appliances like air conditioners, washing machines, and dryers were all top-of-the-line, fully optioned.
“J-Junseok. Are you sure this is okay?”
Team Leader Kang smiled and showed his government ID.
Player Management Agency, Team 3 Leader. Kang Jinsu.
“I couldn’t greet you properly earlier because of the workers. It’s nice to see you again, Madam Lee Jun-hui. Do you remember me? I’m Kang Jinsu from the Player Management Agency. Please feel free to call me Team Leader Kang.”
It was a greeting that implied they would be seeing each other often.
Choi Junseok’s mother grabbed his hand and shook it up and down repeatedly while thanking him.
“Oh my… I don’t know if we deserve this kind of treatment. Thank you so much.”
“The Player Management Agency spares no effort in supporting players and encouraging their climbing motivation.”
Two units on a single floor of a high-end officetel.
At this point, it might as well be called an apartment. Not that it mattered.
“Oh, but… there are two houses?”
“Ah… yes. Mr. Junseok requested it, so we secured them in a hurry. We worked hard to find units near Miss Choi Hye-ri’s school, but… when it comes to supporting an outstanding son like him, nothing is impossible. The unit across the hall is for Mr. Junseok to live in alone.”
It was a well-chosen, sensible arrangement.
Lee Jun-hui looked like she had more to say to her son, but she stopped herself.
Her eyes alone conveyed everything: pride, gratitude, and relief that he had endured so much.
Her eyes had turned slightly red, as if she might cry.
Choi Junseok quickly looked away and said he had somewhere to go.
“Then take care of unpacking. I have somewhere to be.”
“Excuse me. If you have any inconveniences, please don’t hesitate to…”
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“I’ll make sure no inconveniences arise… I’ll be right by your side to assist.”
“Let’s go. To the shop.”
Choi Junseok boarded the black armored van that had been waiting.
A black glass partition separated the driver’s seat from the passenger area, giving off an eerie atmosphere.
“It’s for security.”
“To be honest, the items in the VIP shop are quite expensive.”
“Are they? Are the houses we just got more expensive, or are the items?”
“…It depends on the item, but the houses are more expensive. Seoul real estate is quite pricey.”
“I see…”
Still, it meant the items were also quite expensive.
“You’ll still support me though, right?”
“…Of course.”
“I know. Actually, they’re not that expensive. The really valuable items aren’t sold like this, are they? They go to auction.”
At those words, Team Leader Kang glanced at Choi Junseok’s face through the rearview mirror.
‘Is he really a new player?’
Technically, yes.
Items displayed and recommended in the shop for sale—calling it VIP was just for show. The truly good items weren’t usually sold this way.
‘At best, they’re Unique-grade items.’
Most were worth tens of millions of won each, equipment used by players around level 30 in the middle floors.
But if he wasn’t just getting one or two and instead planned to sweep the entire stock, that was a different story.
Supply and demand dictated prices.
This VIP shop was stocked with items most commonly used by players in the lower floors, below the 20th floor, where the majority of players were concentrated.
There were things even Team Leader Kang couldn’t approve on his own authority.
And right now, Choi Junseok looked ready to sweep the entire VIP shop clean.
“Of course I want to support you as much as possible, but I can’t give a definite answer. We’re talking hundreds of millions at the minimum… some items are in the tens of billions. Still, I’ll do my best to support you.”
And so, at a player-exclusive VIP shop under the Player Management Agency’s jurisdiction.
The first impression Choi Junseok had upon entering was:
‘They’ve watched too many movies, haven’t they?’
You entered a hotel building and went down to the basement. From the entrance, there was an imposing, luxurious atmosphere.
Descending a spiral staircase and opening an ornate door revealed a dimly lit interior with soft lighting.
Even the scent was luxurious—something he had never smelled before, like high-end perfume.
Greeting Choi Junseok and Team Leader Kang was a man dressed like a bartender.
As bartenders often did, the man was polishing a glass with a cloth when he spoke without even looking at them.
“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you.”
The interior looked like a normal whiskey bar.
The kind that only served expensive whiskey.
Except it was broad daylight and there wasn’t a single customer, it felt exactly like a scene from a movie.
“You’ve brought a first-time guest today.”
“Show us the highest grade.”
The highest grade?
At Team Leader Kang’s words, the bartender’s eyes widened briefly before returning to normal.
After glancing up at Kang Jinsu as if to confirm he was serious, the bartender nodded and walked toward the liquor cabinet behind him.
Then he pulled out several bottles.
Click-click-click…
The cabinet slid smoothly to the side, revealing all sorts of cold weapons displayed inside.
“Sir, what is your class and combat style?”
Team Leader Kang stood up naturally, as if his role was over.
“If it’s something I shouldn’t hear, I’ll wait outside.”
The two men wore grave expressions.
But the words that came out of Choi Junseok’s mouth were so absurd that anyone who heard them would have burst out laughing.
“My class is Porter, F-grade. And… from the end of that display case all the way to the other end. Give me everything.”
“…Excuse me? Sir?”
“…”
A brief silence fell.
Team Leader Kang moistened his dry lips and quietly looked at the bartender.
“You two are joking too much.”
But surprisingly, it was true.
Team Leader Kang immediately proved his words.
“It’s real. An F-grade Porter skill awakener.”
The bartender let out a small laugh and smiled.
“You’re quite the humorous one. Haha.”
“…”
“…Are you serious?”
The bartender moistened his lips, something he had never done before in his life.
Combined with Choi Junseok’s confident demeanor, the bartender couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
“Then let’s start with the best sword from the blade section.”
Choi Junseok swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on the equipment behind the bartender as he activated his Appraisal skill.
Grinding magic stones in the Magic Tower?
Why bother with such petty cash when he could just take what others had already made for free?