Chapter 69
Chiiik.
“……”
“……”
The table fell silent.
Uncle Choi and Professor Kim.
The two of them stared at each other, as if they'd never been bitter enemies.
They blinked at one another.
For a moment.
Then both suddenly turned to look at me.
“……What?”
“……What?”
Their glares could have bored holes right through my face.
Hmm.
Should I explain it with a simpler analogy?
“It seems I've become the landlord for both of you.”
To be precise, the owner of every single unit in the apartment complex they were about to move into.
That made me the landlord for all roughly 1,550 households.
“Th-that's how it turned out?”
Uncle Choi's eyelashes twitched.
“No way... Even for a ∅∅-grade gate reward, the entire apartment complex's ownership went straight to you? All of it?”
I gave a wry smile.
'Yeah, it doesn't make sense.'
If it had been the standard reward structure, anyway.
I glanced downward for a moment.
Sensing my gaze, Hemo tilted its head(?) back to look up at me.
'This is thanks to you.'
I wasn't sure if it remembered.
Right after we'd been kidnapped into the subscription gate, Hemo had rolled the 'Golden Die'.
It had landed on 1.
Because of that, I couldn't show off my level-up gains from the Chaos Gate.
Even though I'd gained power, all my stats dropped by 10...
My -44 Luck stat had never felt more cursed. It was heartbreaking.
But then.
'The acquisition multiplier went up by 10 times...!'
And it didn't stop there.
As the constellation, Lord Jinhaeseong, appeared and gripped that flag tightly in his hand.
Nanjung Flag (True) effect activated! EXP and acquisition increased by 50%!
On top of the original owner's Nanjung Flag...
Nanjung Flag effect stacked! EXP and acquisition increased by 25%!
Acquisition rates had risen by another 25%.
Working backward, the base reward from the subscription gate had probably been something like 'two apartments'.
That had ballooned several times over.
The result?
The entire Geomdan apartment complex had come under my control.
All those buffs had synergized perfectly.
'I couldn't believe it at first either.'
Honestly, it was absurd.
Even if ownership transferred, what real influence could I wield anyway?
“Hey... so now we gotta pay taxes to you?”
Good point, Uncle.
The short answer? 'No.'
A gate's supernatural reward wouldn't be something so mundane.
“That's not it.”
I shook my head as I spoke.
“Instead, it seems the access control for the apartments has come to me.”
“What does that mean... Gasp!”
Uncle's eyes widened. He alternated between the blackened TV screen and me.
“Gwang-san Corp can't get into their own apartments because...”
Right. My doing.
I'd become the doorman for the main building. No property taxes owed to me, but entry required my permission.
Oh.
Right on cue, a status window popped up.
Gwang-san Corp attempts entry to OOO Purjio. Allow?
Get lost.
Gwang-san Corp's entry denied. Wait time until next approval review: 36 hours 59 seconds.
'Try all you want.'
The more I denied them, the longer the wait time got.
Just then, Uncle Choi let out a hollow chuckle from behind the translucent status window.
“Hah, hahaha.”
I dismissed the window.
“For now, I've only exercised the denial on Gwang-san Corp. You, Professor, and any other residents or related parties can enter freely.”
“Don't get me wrong, kid. I'm good with it? Hell yeah, I'm thrilled. That you got dragged into a gate because of me and came out with rewards matching—or exceeding—that? Makes me happy as hell!”
Uncle Choi cooled his insides with some cold water.
“……I'm just thrown off. First time owning my own place, and it doesn't even feel like mine anymore.”
Thump, thump.
On one side, the professor was pounding his chest. But today, the emotional vending machine wasn't working right. His face stayed grim no matter how hard he hit.
“Gonna hit the bathroom real quick.”
The professor bolted for the restroom. My friend had just brought fresh plates.
My friend tilted his head.
“What's up with the professor?”
“Guess his vending machine coin tray's full.”
I shrugged.
Uuooeeek.
Someone hurled their guts out in the bathroom.
It wasn't like I was out for petty revenge from school days or anything.
'How'd things end up like this.'
With the Eternal Blessing, even the professor's residency rights belonged to me now. He was unmistakably my subordinate.
Life's full of twists. You never know what'll happen.
My friend gave me a weird look before offering a drink.
“Wanna drink?”
It was cider.
This punk planned this.
The professor returned.
Regaining his composure, his lips had straightened into a firm line.
'Must've washed his face.'
There was still moisture along his forehead lines.
The professor wiped his brow with a tissue and spoke.
“……Well, that's how it is, then.”
“Yep.”
“So, what's the plan going forward?”
“We'll figure it out step by step.”
“No plan, in other words.”
“But one thing's for sure.”
Uncle Choi leaned toward me. A flicker of anticipation in his eyes.
“At least we've bought ourselves some time.”
“What time?”
“Time for you to research and make the medicine to save your wife, Professor.”
That medicine being the elixir.
I think I mentioned it before.
In my past life, Gwang-san Corp stole the formula and exiled the professor.
The alchemy-savvy Gwang-san Guild recognized the elixir's value instantly.
'Too risky to hire him—he might muddy the waters.'
Too scared to buy it outright, lest he shop it around.
Without Kim Yi-hak, they could monopolize it.
Gwang-san Corp's bet paid off.
They struck gold with the elixir.
While the professor got shipped to the mines and buried under rubble.
I said,
“You should do the research in that apartment complex.”
“……!”
The professor's eyes flew wide open.
Then he countered.
“You've been eyeing Gwang-san Corp this whole time.”
“Potions are their specialty. No way they'd welcome someone stealing their rice bowl.”
Uncle Choi chimed in.
“So might as well eat your fill from the bowl they made?”
“Good analogy, Uncle.”
“I may not be book-smart, but I've rolled around construction sites for 15 years now. Poets from all walks gather there. Hell, they even teach poetry for cash. Beats college.”
“……You've been grating on me awhile now.”
The professor's eyes narrowed.
“Scraping's fair game on both sides.”
Uncle shrugged and went back to grilling meat. The professor chewed his lip instead and sighed.
Another point to Uncle Choi.
Venting his frustration, perhaps, the professor spoke in an irritated tone.
“Doing pharma research from the corner of 'my house' isn't exactly groundbreaking advice.”
“I didn't say to do it from your house, Professor.”
I looked at him.
“Clearing this gate gave me a personal space.”
“Like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?”
Oh, sharp.
I nodded toward my friend.
“Something like that.”
“For real...?”
“Yeah. But it's not like the Chamber—no mumbling spells to get in. Everyone can see it.”
That corridor where I'd clashed with Mephistopheles. At the end, a small storeroom door had appeared. The only physical space from the subscription gate.
Bigger on the inside than it looked. Could easily fit ten medical devices.
“If you've only blocked Gwang-san Corp, the Association will come sniffing around too. That visible storeroom door? They'll investigate it right away.”
“Hide it, then.”
“Paint it or something?”
“I'm calling in a skilled painter.”
Our Tinkerbell.
'Sparkle.'
The fairy with expertise in stealth magic.
Vegetarian, so not here, but it'd help if I asked.
The professor reined in his rising bewilderment.
“Hah, but pharma needs proper equipment.”
“Don't worry about that. I'll get it.”
“That kind of medical gear? Like you said, only Gwang-san Corp has it, Seo.”
“Then we'll take it from there.”
The professor paled.
Starting to see me as a monster. Imagination?
“Please don't ask how.”
Even thieves have trade secrets.
Spoiler-free hint.
The Surprise Texture Mask for perfect face disguises. Hemo for any outfit transformation. Plus, the ability to mimic any voice...
“……Heh, hehehe.”
“……”
Eat up, mountain kid.
Rough road ahead.
I turned from Jangsanbeom and said,
“I'll get it for sure. Just tell me roughly what you need.”
“Materials too...”
“That's my specialty!”
Uncle Choi raised his tongs like an auction paddle.
“I'm a porter, right? Name the materials. Unless it's a top-grade gate, I can snag a few!”
Uncle asked my friend for a naengmyeon bowl.
Customer's request—who could refuse?
My friend brought a stainless steel bowl.
“Thanks.”
Clunk.
A side dish bowl floated up.
Uncle set his backpack on the table and glanced around. We were the only customers.
Whoosh.
He dumped a handful of orbs into the stainless bowl from the bag. They kept coming, like a goblin's pouch.
“Uncle... this is...”
Mana stones. All in good condition. Mid-grade at least.
“Gotta do my job even in a ∅∅-grade gate. Second time around, I kept my head enough to grab 'em.”
The folks swept up in the subscription gate would've fainted.
'……Doesn't matter.'
The residents' rep auntie had promised.
'For saving our lives, all acquisitions go to you.'
No one'd snitch, and even if they did, they couldn't complain.
I looked at Uncle with moved eyes.
“Ah! Forgot this one!”
Last item.
Ominous even before it emerged. A beam of light shot from the bag.
'Golden Mask!'
The one Mephistopheles dropped on death.