Sorting Out the Rewards
Approximately two weeks had passed since Function made his debut in the player community.
In that short time, he had cleared every single Magic Tower from the 1st floor to the 25th floor at record-breaking speed, without a single exception.
The people standing at the very peak of the player world understood better than anyone just how absurd those records were.
And he had done it all solo.
Inside the gym at the Player Management Agency’s dormitory, the topic of conversation during their daily weight-training sessions—three or four times a day, without fail—was almost entirely about Function.
“The 25th floor record too? Does that even make sense?”
Even without a subject, everyone knew exactly who they were talking about.
“I’m seriously starting to think I should join the Function Church.”
“You know the Function Church leader got arrested and disappeared, right? There’s a rumor that Function himself dragged him away.”
“Why would Function do that? I heard it was a hitman hired by one of the Five Major Guilds.”
All sorts of ridiculous rumors were running wild. The same was true for the rumors about Function himself.
The person at the center of those rumors was currently lounging in a hotel room, calmly stroking the back of a small black dragon.
It was time to sort through the rewards he had earned from clearing five floors at record speed up to the 23rd floor, along with the mountain of magic stones and crafting materials that had started piling up from the 20th floor onward.
He had been so busy lately that he hadn’t even thought about liquidating his Magic Tower rewards.
“…So you called me here for this?”
Kang Jinsu had wondered what urgent business a busy man like him was being summoned for, only to be genuinely taken aback when he learned it was to buy items.
He had at least expected some information about the missing Function Church leader, but that wasn’t it either.
Still, what could he do? The man was right.
“I can’t exactly call in another agency employee just to sell this stuff, can I?”
It was a hard point to argue with.
Choi Junseok gave Kkamdori’s tail a firm, practiced tug.
The little dragon, who had been rolling his large eyes back and forth between Kang Jinsu and the others, opened his mouth wide and began vomiting up items.
It was honestly impressive how so many things could pour out of such a tiny mouth.
Most of what tumbled out were pink-colored magic stones.
Rattle, clatter…
Even though it was a large room, the corner was soon buried under a growing pile of magic stones, followed by a steady stream of miscellaneous junk and equipment.
Finally, with a loud burp, Kkamdori finished his task and let out a satisfied belch. Song Hana immediately scooped him up, praising him for his hard work and carrying him around like he was on an airplane.
Watching someone give a baby dragon an airplane ride was quite the sight. Kang Jinsu quietly turned his gaze to the items scattered across the floor.
It was like a living, breathing spatial inventory. No matter how many times he saw it, it never stopped being fascinating.
“It’s quite rare to see an Inventory skill awakener carrying around a biological-type inventory summon.”
Choi Junseok didn’t look particularly satisfied.
Excluding the magic stones, there weren’t many items. Only three in total.
One was a common-grade piece of trash, and only two were rare-grade.
“The probability of obtaining tradable items from Magic Towers is extremely low. You’ve actually been quite lucky so far.”
“Even if items drop, if they’re all soul-bound, how is anyone supposed to get the equipment they need to climb higher?”
The more he learned, the more bizarre it seemed that anyone could even reach the upper floors.
“That’s why most players who challenge the mid-to-upper floors usually buy their equipment from auction houses. Guilds that regularly tackle the higher floors repeatedly farm specific levels to gear up their members. They organize raid teams with multiple character types so someone can always use whatever drops.”
Choi Junseok was finally beginning to understand just how valuable Mythic and Transcendent-grade items became the higher you climbed.
A Transcendent-grade item. There might truly be only one in the entire world.
—You idiot. Didn’t I tell you? Even Mythic-grade items are so rare in Korea that the owners can be counted on two hands.
“Team Leader Kang, do you have a spatial inventory?”
“Of course. I know it sounds boastful coming from me, but I used to be a mid-floor player myself… and within the agency…”
“Then… you can move these, right?”
Kang Jinsu quietly closed his eyes and nodded.
Choi Junseok reached toward a staff decorated with a shriveled mandrake-like ornament. As always, his hand was holding the item that severed soul-binding relationships.
“Only two items from the 23rd to 25th floors? Hana, don’t you have any talismans that increase item drop rates?”
“…I don’t have anything like that!”
“What a shame.”
Obviously, this haul was far from enough to recover the four billion won he had spent.
◈ Increases proficiency with debuff-type skills
◈ Equip Requirement: Lv. 45
Choi Junseok used his appraisal skill on the next item, which looked like a dirty bandage that should probably be thrown away.
It looked like complete garbage at first glance, but surprisingly it was also equipment.
◈ Increases resistance to curses and diseases
◈ Equip Requirement: Lv. 53
◈ Soul-bound upon acquisition
It was soul-bound, of course.
If not for the Lethe's Scissors that Choi Junseok possessed, there would have been no way to sell it.
Even non-owners could carry the item around, but its effects simply wouldn’t activate. It would be nothing more than a dirty bandage.
At least this item had decent versatility. The only problem was the black bloodstains all over it, as if it had been wrapped around a zombie or a rag golem.
Its performance wasn’t particularly outstanding either, aside from the floors between 20 and 25. The staff was a rare-grade weapon that increased proficiency with debuff skills, so the number of players who could actually use it was limited. It probably wouldn’t sell for much.
“Together they might be worth around ten million won…”
Of course, that was by no means a small amount of money.
It was the profit earned from climbing the tower for just two days, and that wasn’t all.
“The magic stones on the floor should be about 1.15 kilograms.”
“They look like low-quality stones.”
A hundred grams of low-grade magic stones traded for around three million won.
That put their value at roughly thirty-three million won. Adding the items brought the total to around forty-three million. In just two days of climbing from the 20th to 25th floor, he had secured a very respectable amount of cash.
Of course, after taxes it’ll probably be cut in half.
The money from selling this equipment should go straight into Mom’s account.
He didn’t really have any personal expenses right now anyway. His family, who were still living at home and spending money on food, clothing, and shelter, needed the cash more.
Besides, this was only two days’ worth of work. He still had plenty of breathing room. In two more days, he would earn even more.
Kang Jinsu finished stuffing the 1.15 kilograms of magic stones and the two items into his spatial pouch, straightened his back, and spoke.
“I’ll dispose of the requested items as quickly as possible and contact you again.”
“You’ll… deposit the money after taxes, right?”
“Yes. Are you trying to minimize taxes?”
Choi Junseok nodded.
He had gone from being in the low-income bracket, enjoying near tax-exempt benefits, to suddenly earning an enormous income.
Even among players, very few earned tens of millions of won in just two days. He knew he was a special case, but it still stung to lose nearly half of what he earned to taxes. Anyone who said otherwise would be lying.
So this is why rich people end up committing tax evasion, going to prison, and getting audited.
He thought he would never understand that feeling in his lifetime, yet here he was, letting out a dry chuckle.
“If you establish a corporation, your taxes will decrease somewhat. However, as I mentioned last time, using corporate funds for personal purposes involves quite a complicated process. Well then… I’ll take my leave. I hope you have another safe climb today.”
These days, he didn’t even bother asking if there was anything else he could help with.
The agency was already sending him all the latest strategy data for the Magic Towers up to the highest floors they possessed. Even if they didn’t, it probably wouldn’t be a problem.
“Alright, Hana. Shall we open the two boxes?”
The ridiculously good reward boxes that kept popping up at the most unexpected times.
One was the hidden clear reward for clearing the 25th floor without letting the talkative black mage open his mouth. The other was the special reward for setting new records on five consecutive floors.
Two boxes floated above Choi Junseok’s palm.
One was the consecutive record-breaking reward. The other was the hidden clear reward from the 25th floor.
“Please give me something good…”
He always wondered if this little ritual actually had any effect, but so far he had always received excellent items, so he wasn’t too worried.
He opened the special reward box first.
When the status window asked if he wanted to open it, he answered as usual. The box made a soft pop sound and unfolded in all directions, revealing the item inside.
“Oh!”
◈ Instantly transports the user outside the Magic Tower.
◈ Usage: Tear the scroll.
“It came.”
An item worth hundreds of millions of won.
An absolute necessity for players climbing the highest floors.
A literal lifeline that sometimes consumed dozens of scrolls just to clear a single floor.
Its market price was whatever the buyer was willing to pay.
Choi Junseok had already been thinking he should keep at least one on hand for emergencies.
And here it was, appearing right when he needed it.
“That’s a great item.”
“Whoaaa… It’s a lifeline.”
The other two seemed to recognize its value as well.
As summons, they had the ridiculously overpowered escape option of being unsummoned in dangerous situations, but Choi Junseok had no such final safety net.
Unless he fought his way to the escape stone and barely made it out, his only options were to waste the remaining time in a corner waiting to be forcibly ejected, clear the tower, or die.
He was extremely satisfied.
“See?! Isn’t it amazing?!”
Song Hana puffed out her chest with pride, hands on her hips.
Before the blessing’s luck ran out, he opened the second box—the hidden clear reward from the 25th floor.
What emerged was a skill rune stone engraved with unknown characters.
“…Holy shit.”
An absolutely insane item had appeared.
A skill rune.
A Mythic-grade consumable that granted an additional awakened skill.
◈ Grants the engraved skill to the player.
◈ Granted Skill: Blink [Special Skill]
◈ Usage: Crush the rune stone in your hand.
A survival skill and a movement skill had appeared.
Just from the name Blink, he could already tell what it did. It was probably a short-range instant teleportation ability used for both survival escapes and general movement.
I was running low on mobility and evasion skills anyway.
Choi Junseok immediately grabbed the rune stone and crushed it. He felt a new power surge through his body.
His mobility and stability had been reaching their limits while trying to shorten his Magic Tower clear times.
Perfect timing. Two excellent skills had come into his hands one after another.