Has Function Reached His Limit? (2)
After Choi Junseok consecutively cleared the second floor, the Player Management Agency released an official statement regarding the allegations of preferential treatment toward Function.
The ripple effects naturally stirred waves throughout the player community as well. Many players held no particular ill will toward Function, aside from a few exceptions.
That was not all. The moment it became certain that Function had simultaneously cleared “two floors” in South Korea, the South Korean government went on high alert as well. North Korean news anchors clenched their fists and spewed fury.
“Our great leader, Comrade Kim Jong-un, has declared that he will decisively retaliate against and punish the anti-unification traitors and puppet remnants who are selling out the nation’s sovereignty and walking the path of sycophantic traitors to foreign powers!”
It meant they had realized that the person they thought was theirs was actually the work of South Korea—or the United States behind it. That anger was not mere words. North Korean self-propelled artillery and other military supplies were spotted gathering near the Kaesong Magic Tower in the south, heading toward the DMZ. The front lines detected the movement and immediately issued “Jindo Dog Level 2.”
At the very moment the player internet community “Player Inside” was crying emergency over Function consecutively clearing two floors, a true emergency had struck both the South and North Korean governments. The Cabinet meeting discussing Function clearing two floors simultaneously also took on the character of a national security meeting regarding North Korea.
Just before the security meeting began, Commissioner Mun Gwon-su and Team Leader Kang Jinsu had a lengthy discussion as well. It was to share updates on matters related to Function. Because the Commissioner had not particularly sought detailed information about Function, there were many things that surprised him as he listened.
“You’re saying you don’t know how Function is climbing two floors?”
“Yes. This isn’t something that’s been going on for just a day or two. Including the trips to the Kaesong Magic Tower, he’s apparently spent at least a billion won just on additional entry tickets.”
“A billion.”
“Yes.”
“So a player who hasn’t even reached the 20th floor has no way to earn a billion won in roughly ten days.”
“Correct. Unless he entered some hidden floor that’s a magic stone mine, that kind of profit is impossible.”
“…”
Player Management Agency Commissioner Mun Gwon-su wet his dry lips.
“Did Function say anything specific to you? About how he was able to climb two floors.”
“He didn’t say anything in particular. On the day he entered the Kaesong Magic Tower, he mentioned that an additional entry ticket dropped as a reward, which made clearing the Suseo Magic Tower possible as well.”
There was one reason they were agonizing over this. What if Function was in contact with an external force and receiving support from them? Kang Jinsu understood exactly what Mun Gwon-su was worried about.
“There are no clear signs of external forces contacting Choi Junseok. Here is the list of people who have recently entered Choi Junseok’s building.”
After scanning the list, he examined the player roster that included Kang Jinsu’s comments.
“Lee Jiyu… and Park Suho. An A-grade player who’s his cousin. That aside.”
“Yes. Regarding that, he owed his cousin a debt, and after repaying a lump sum all at once, he claimed he had awakened as a player. Of course, he also deceived them about being Function and about being F-grade.”
Mun Gwon-su nodded as if he understood, but his curiosity remained.
“The speculation that Function was receiving additional entry tickets from an external force—there’s nothing ‘physical’ to support that?”
“No. Call records are clean as well.”
“…”
That meant one thing. If Choi Junseok was receiving any kind of support from outside, it was likewise through summons or transcendent items for communication.
“According to what Song Hana said, they’re already evading tracking from foreign summons, including the U.S. summon Oracle.”
“So that means… he obtained a special item?”
“It’s impossible for him to have received a special item that allows entry twice a day, for two reasons.”
“What are they?”
“First, an item of that level of value—one that fundamentally surpasses the tower’s rules—has never been reported in either foreign countries or Korea. Even if one dropped, it wouldn’t be an item that appears on the 10th floor.”
“Right. It would have to be at least a mythic-grade item, and mythic-grade items have never dropped on the 10th floor. What about the possibility that he obtained it as a hidden reward on the 1st floor of the Kaesong Magic Tower?”
“Impossible. I saw the mythic-grade item he obtained there with my own eyes, and it’s not an item with that kind of function.”
Kang Jinsu still didn’t reveal exactly what mythic item it was, but Mun Gwon-su nodded, thinking there must be a reason.
He knew that the best way to keep a secret in this world was to reduce the number of people who knew it.
“Yes. The second reason is that Function’s climbing record isn’t consistent.”
“Not consistent.”
Mun Gwon-su nodded as if he agreed. If it were an item that allowed stable climbing of two floors, the numbers didn’t add up.
“…On the day his cousin visited, it seems Function probably cleared the 11th floor together with his cousin, Player Park Suho.”
“Right.”
“But the next day, Function cleared the 12th and 13th floors with record times.”
“…You’re saying that on the day his cousin came, he only cleared one floor. Is that it?”
“Yes. If he could climb two floors a day, there’d be no need to rest like that. Especially given what I know of Function’s personality.”
Commissioner Mun Gwon-su pursed his lips as if nothing quite sat right with him, then nodded.
“Just ask Function outright why he’s climbing two floors at a time. So, what do you think of Function’s personality based on what you’ve observed?”
“The Function I’ve seen is a man who hates the towers more than anyone. At the same time, he’s an ordinary citizen deeply faithful to his desires, wanting to squeeze everything he can out of the towers.”
“His family was destroyed by a Magic Tower, so that makes sense.”
“He climbs out of a kind of vengeful spirit. His dreams and ambitions are big too. His goal is to be recognized as a force comparable to the Five Great Guilds on his own.”
“With two S-grade subordinates attached to him, that’s plausible. With two S-grades already, he’s surpassed the combat power of any mediocre mid-tier guild, hasn’t he?”
Mun Gwon-su added another question that occurred to him while discussing S-grades.
“And what I’m also curious about is Lee Jiyu. She visited Choi Junseok’s house? You knew about this and didn’t report it to me?”
“I thought it was more important to first understand her intentions. I’m sorry.”
“…No. I already delegated full authority and reporting scope to your discretion. So, did you figure it out?”
“It seems Lee Jiyu wants to use Function’s summons as models for her brand.”
“…That woman isn’t normal either. Though no S-grade player is normal.”
It was a reaction to an unimaginable development. He thought this because he knew she had been grinding her teeth, vowing to kill Function after having her summon rights stolen by him.
“Quite the unexpected turn. Given Function’s personality, he probably refused, right?”
“From what I heard, he agreed.”
“Neither of them is normal.”
“Okay. Got it.”
Thus began the Cabinet meeting that doubled as a national security meeting. The government had no particular interest in whether Function was consecutively clearing two floors or whether the Player Management Agency had provided additional Magic Tower entry tickets. How much could they possibly diminish the economic value of the Kaesong Magic Tower? The main topic was how to handle the issue of clearing the Kaesong Magic Tower, which North Korea had openly turned hostile over.
“These are the protective facilities around the Kaesong Magic Tower. They’ve already installed moats, trenches, and concrete walls…”
Though the satellite photos were taken at intervals of several hours, when viewed over several days, it was clear that considerable protective facilities were being activated.
“Before those facilities are completed, can’t we deploy North Korean operatives to blow up all the pillars?!”
“If we could destroy a Magic Tower that easily, would the entire world be going through hell climbing them?”
“Next is intelligence on the underground tunnels beneath the Magic Tower and their internal facilities. First, the storage floor where North Korean players deposit all their bound items is located in the center, and surrounding it are…”
While the security meeting continued without any clear conclusion, Choi Junseok was offering prayers with water placed before him.
What appeared in Choi Junseok’s vision:
Would you like to use the ‘Special Reward Random Draw Box’? (Y/N)
“Hana!”
“Please, please. Let something good come out! Hyah! There!”
“It worked, right?”
“Of course! The item we need most right now is going to come out!”
Song Hana placed both hands on her hips and proudly exhaled through her nose as she nodded.
“Come out… Skill Breakthrough Ticket! Make it so we can retrieve the Holy Sword!”
The moment he pressed the button on the notification window to use it, a small box was summoned above Choi Junseok’s hand. Soon the box shook violently before the lid flew off with a pop.
◈ Effect: Upgrades the target’s rank by one stage.
It was an unbound item with no special binding notification. The box’s walls folded outward and opened, revealing a small ticket on top.
“R-r-r-rank, Rank Upgrade Ticket?!”
“Eheh! Looks like the blessing didn’t work!”
Unlike Song Hana and Lee Nayeon, who showed no particular reaction, Choi Junseok’s eyes widened and trembled.
“A Rank Upgrade Ticket actually dropped…”
Item Name: Rank Upgrade Ticket (Legendary)
Classification: Consumable
Description: Upgrades the target’s rank by one stage.
The description was straightforward. Yet Choi Junseok knew full well the value of this item. It was an item that could upgrade A-grade to S-grade, and S-grade to SS-grade.
Choi Junseok immediately opened the auction window on Player Inside and searched for Rank Upgrade Tickets. As expected, not a single listing existed, and recent transaction records also showed none.
Of course. This wasn’t the kind of item that would appear in an internet auction. If it were auctioned, it would easily fetch hundreds of billions, wouldn’t it?
Startled, Choi Junseok immediately moved the ticket into his inventory and fell flat on his rear. It felt as if he were literally holding a winning U.S. Powerball ticket in his hand.