Chapter 140
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Cheat
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Sol honestly, I hadn't expected much.
"Customer, how can I help you?"
But who would've thought summoning him would actually work.
The shopkeeper approached me, laughing heartily, completely oblivious to what was happening. As if this were just any old weapon shop.
"I want to sell some items."
"By all means."
[Trading window has opened]
I grabbed the treasure rolling around by my feet and shoved it into the sales window. The result was...
"Dickhead, it...?"
"Huh, it works."
It worked perfectly. The items sold, and the money piled up. The girls glanced at each other and let out a collective cheer. We nodded in unison, as if on cue, and sprang into action.
"You all handle that side!"
"Yeah!"
"Okay! Sis, you take the opposite side!"
"Ah, got it!"
Perfectly coordinated movements.
Having worked as a team for so long, we divided the labor in under ten seconds.
"Dickhead! Here!"
My job was to stand by the shopkeeper and sell whatever the others brought me.
"Keep the good stuff and sell off the junk first, quick quick!"
"Yeah, skip the Mythic-grade for now!"
The team rummaged through the treasures, picking out the low-tier items and bringing them to me. I took them and rapidly sold them to the shopkeeper.
[Remaining Points: 9,207]
[Remaining Points: 47,550]
[Remaining Points: 179,108]
The money started ballooning!
Even the trash we were offloading was premium stuff hoarded by the royal family. No way it was pocket change.
"Hey, this is actually making decent money?!"
"Decent? We're already over 300,000 points."
"!!"
The girls' eyes went wide.
They'd never made that much before.
We always splurged at the best restaurants in every rest area on the priciest dishes, but even that barely hit 700-800 points.
300,000 points? Insane.
Greed sparked in their eyes at the absurd sum.
"Fuuuuck! This is awesome!"
The team went berserk, rifling through treasures. With desire clouding their minds, they hustled back and forth without tiring.
But this pace wouldn't cut it.
"Everyone, hold up."
"What? Something wrong?"
"We've been farming for 30 minutes now?"
I glanced around. The girls followed suit and paled.
"Ah, shit. We've sold so much, but it's not even down 1/10?"
"1/10? You can't even tell."
The vast warehouse was still piled high. We'd been hauling ass, but it barely budged.
"This won't do."
"Even all day, we couldn't clear it."
Decision time. Shin Seo-yeon huffed.
"Just sell everything."
"Everything?"
"Yeah. Why sort? We're swamped. Good gear from the next trial."
The team exchanged looks.
Consensus was instant.
Nod!
Make bank now, farm gear next trial!
Whoosh—
Our pace skyrocketed. No need to pick and choose—just grab and go.
No checking functions, just haul. Speed multiplied dozens-fold.
Still not enough. Too much back-and-forth.
"Fill your subspatial pouches and bring 'em in bulk."
"Ah!"
"Smart!"
No more trips. Each pouch held duffel-bag loads.
From then on, they scooped treasures into pouches, dumping armfuls in.
"Dickhead, here!"
"Oppa, me too!"
Full pouches came running. I took them and emptied into the sales window.
"Thank you, customer!"
First time dumping goods so roughly—awkward, and four nonstop deliveries kept me hopping. But sky-high agility handled it.
Not even trained for this, yet so high I had time left after catching everything.
So I roamed too, telekinetically dragging treasures to sell.
[Remaining Points: 972,581]
[Remaining Points: 1,222,058]
[Remaining Points: 3,265,122]
.
.
The sight spurred the team; they brainstormed speed boosts.
"Heave-ho!"
Lee Sera and the Saintess gripped pouches like ladles, scooping treasure piles.
Han So-hee worked with her clone.
Shin Seo-yeon dashed out, summoned two skeletons, ramped up output.
'Oh.'
The endless treasures finally dwindled.
[Remaining Points: 7,521,513]
Money ballooned accordingly.
'Haha, who could've imagined.'
Dragging a shopkeeper into the trial for profit.
"Scoop! Scoop scoop scoop! Let's rake it in and flex hard at the rest area!"
"Yeah!"
The hyped team hustled harder. As I joined the frenzy, scooping cash...
[Someone has summoned you.]
[A powerful force envelops you.]
'Ha, here it comes.'
Vision blacked out, senses vanished, then returned. I was in a familiar 30-pyeong room.
No furniture, just overhead light and a chair.
No windows, no doors. A woman in dolphin pants lounged crookedly on the chair, legs crossed, glaring. She radiated pure white light.
[You have entered the Administrator Zone.]
"Long time no see."
A beauty outshining even Shin Seo-yeon in looks adjusted her glasses coldly, laced with irritation.
"...You know why you're here, right?"
"No clue."
"......"
The goddess scowled. Last time, she'd buzzed like an annoyed bug at my curses. Now, it felt person-to-person.
I could poke more, but time was tight on my end, so I played nice.
"So, what's the issue this time?"
"That's a cheat."
"What cheat?"
"Don't play dumb. Dragging a shopkeeper into the trial to farm? Think we'd let it slide?"
She pointed to a side screen. The team was there, noisy.
-Hey, Dickhead. What's with him? Zoning out like last time?
-Oppa?
-Argh, why him, and now?!
-M-Min-jun?
-Hey, snap out of it.
The team fretted over my blank stare, trying fixes.
Beyond them, the warehouse treasures had visibly shrunk.
I looked from the screen to the "Selection Process Overseer."
"So, you're telling us to stop."
"Yes."
"Nah."
Rumble rumble rumble.
The goddess tensed her eyes. The space shook violently. Her aura dwarfed anything I'd faced.
If I hadn't reached the final trial,
If I hadn't faced a Yongsan-class Destruction Dragon, I'd have caved instantly with a "yes."
I shrugged.
"Honestly, what's the problem?"
"What?"
"You know I regressed. Stuff like this happened all the time."
Transcendents caused endless chaos in Round 1.
Mostly Shin Seo-yeon.
"Never got summoned and chewed out like this, though."
"......"
Sure, maybe summoned without my knowledge.
But I hadn't seen or heard, so it didn't happen, from my view.
"This was common?"
"Not everyday, but frequent."
Strictly, no one in Round 1 pulled this exact stunt. But no duty to spill.
The goddess sighed deeply, muttering.
"Ha, that's true? Lie detection broken?"
"Anyway, business done? Reward me and send me back."
"...Reward?"
She stared, baffled.
"You promised last time. Summon from rest area if busy, no harm. You pulled me mid-hustle—own it."
"......"
"Come on, quick."
I claimed my due like it was obvious. Not sure if it was, but she gave last time.
"...You're extorting me?"
"Nah."
Extorting a goddess? Others would gasp.
But honestly, why not?
After ten years battling all sorts, goddesses seemed ordinary.
Just another conquest.
"You see me as a sucker?"
"No, a benefactor."
Chills.
"Er, sponsor?"
She glared murderously.
If no, just say no.
I raised hands in surrender.
"Fine, no reward. Just send me back quick. Super busy."
Time ticked away.
She eyed me like toxic waste, waved dismissively.
[Received <Administrator's Gift Box>.]
[<Ring of Form Memory> has been upgraded to <Oath of Mnemosyne>.]
"Ugh, seriously. If giving, make it good. Item upgrade? Lame."
"...Ungrateful brat. Piss off!"
She snapped, vision blackened.
Familiar dark, alert popped.
[Satisfied with the consultation? Customer satisfaction survey. Rate now for reflection...]
'Her attitude screams 1-star.'
But that'd make enemies, snag future stuff.
5-star? Nah.
4.5 again. Full 5 had perks; this'd motivate better service.
[We at the Management Center will strive harder. Thank you.]
Yes, do better.
"Dickhead! You awake?!"
"M-Min-jun, you okay?"
Four faces filled my view.
"Yeah, yeah."
"Whew, scared us. What happened?"
"Long story. Later."
"Fair, not the time."
They checked the clock and hustled. I rapidly sold their hauls.
'Summoned by the goddess after all.'
Secretly hoped for it.
Was uneasy—would all this vanish at next rest area?
But her summon meant our earnings carry over. No bubble.
'Issue is potential crackdowns.'
They'd leash us indirectly.
Like Round 1.
Transcendents caused chaos, fixes always came.
So Shin Seo-yeon, top destroyer, ended as "strongest mage."
'Pushing through with raw power? Problematic.'
From up top.
Thus, [Primordial Flame] got nerfed repeatedly from top unique.
Hundreds of incidents, hundreds of restraints.
So my plan: Go big, snag concessions from goddess.
Resident perks maybe, but vibe said no.
Consult itself might be the perk.
'Safe till bugfix.'
Consulted, approved. Keep going.
No holds barred.
"Come on, hustle more! Clear it all today!"
"Okay!"
Clock-checked, they dashed.
[Remaining Points: 12,882,982]
Money topped ten million.
[Achievement unlocked!]
[Achievement unlocked!]
Made Some Money (Common): Receive 10% extra on sales.
Merchant (Common): Eye items to estimate sale price.
Profit-based achievements, sales-volume titles.
Coveted by merchant players.
But I eyed the next.
Tycoon (Common): Money breeds happiness. Luck rises with holdings.
Unlocked with more cash than any same-trial player.
Others had 1-2 points, easy. Still, me getting it? Wild.
This opened the next chase.
'Golden Lord's [Richest] title.'
Ultimate: More than all Selection Process players combined. Missed it, sadly.
'Next chance later. Anyway, done.'
Started as "when finish?", now unrecognizable as warehouse.
Barren.
"Whoa, finished!"
"Good work."
Treasures gone, all cash.
The Saintess beamed proudly, sweatily.
Han So-hee dabbed her with a handkerchief.
"Everyone, great job."
"You too, Min-jun."
"You worked hard."
We sold every coin, all satisfied. ...Except two.
"Kiddo, soldiers outside had gear too, right?"
"Oh, auntie got smart."
They dashed out, looting. Weapons, stripping clothes.
Not enough—they grunted hauling something.
"Why corpses?"
"Maybe sells!"
"Yeah!"
...Gross kids.
"No cash."
"Aw."
Disappointed.
These two'd never starve.
"So, total haul?"
They crowded eagerly. Settlement time. I scanned expectant eyes.
"Twenty million points."
"Twenty million...?"
[Remaining Points: 21,125,272]
"Decent chunk of change, yeah?"
"Sure."
Number too wild? All puzzled.
Put in perspective.
"Remember first trial? Boss kill, ~2,000 enter vault, stuff fists full—that's it."
"2,000...?"
"We five took that?"
Nod.
"Kinda."
They hugged, squealing, jumping.
"Eek!"
"Ja, jackpot!"
Even poised Han So-hee grinned goofily.
"We're rich! Rich! Dickhead, c'mere! You know I love you tons?!"
"Oppa me too!"
Dumb duo smooched my cheeks. Short-lived. Shin Seo-yeon blinked at Lee Sera.
"Hey, not done—loot upstairs soldiers."
"Oh, auntie. Synced for once?"
"S-Seo-yeon, Sera. Isn't enough...?"
Saintess protested, ignored.
"What? Long way!"
"Yeah! Hit 100 mil today!"
Money-mad, ready to strip nobles' undies.
I calmed them.
"Sorry, can't."
"Why?"
"Soldiers fine, but raid bosses issue. Haven't beaten 'em."
Honey-potted rewards sans boss kill.
"Ah?"
"Royal Knight Captain, shaman, guards—if Hitler mustache too? Too risky."
I take strongest, but So-hee/Sera handle rest? Tough.
Especially uniques sealed here.
Besides, Barker, Arkannon, Black Anchor folks' kindness—we owed.
Doomed nation or not, their favors got us here.
Less cash, but lines matter.
-Not chaos you want.
'Yeah, 20 mil solid.'
Others get hundreds from trials; we overflowed.
"Ugh, forgot four bosses."
"Yeah, regret. But strike while iron hot."
I shrugged.
"Who said no rowing?"
"Huh? What?"
"Rescue folks anyway—grab discreetly?"
"!!"
Stealth kills only.
Team fired up—even Saintess clenched fists.
"Let's go now!"
Leading charge.