Chapter 13
Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Rebuilding from Rock Bottom
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Han Ji-seong avoided my gaze without answering.
His face, turned slightly to the side, looked almost like a sculpture.
But admiring art wasn't the priority right now.
"How can you have not a single penny to your name?"
Lee Yu-chan's claim that there was nothing to squeeze out of the Justice Guild wasn't wrong.
This guild was flat broke.
"We've been too busy paying off debts all this time."
"Even so."
I should have realized something was up when a four-story building with high ceilings had been left with a broken elevator.
After paying off 25 billion won in debt with my investment, the Justice Guild was truly starting from zero.
"You paid off 24.9 billion something and used the leftovers for the overdue utility bills?"
We almost had the power cut off.
Imagining Lee Yu-chan practicing archery in a pitch-black basement made my vision spin.
I fell into thought for a moment.
It was as expected, but seeing the ledgers made the severity hit home.
The Justice Guild needed money.
Desperately.
What quick ways were there to make some cash?
As I pondered, Han Ji-seong spoke up.
"It's my fault for lacking ability. I should have pushed harder for side income sources."
"Side income?"
He nodded and pulled something from a drawer in the back of the office.
It was a lump of ice a bit bigger than his fist.
"This is Ice Spear?"
A typical Ice Spear manifested as an ice lance, just as the name implied.
The higher the awakener rank and the more mana invested, the larger and more destructive it became.
But no matter how I looked at it, the lump in front of me was just a roughly spherical chunk.
"Did you carve this from an Ice Spear?"
"Yes."
Oh, lottery gods above.
The unexpected twist left me stunned.
"Mana use takes a toll on stamina, doesn't it?"
"It does."
"But you rampage frequently, Vice Guild Master."
This time, he just nodded without a word.
Watching his silver hair shimmer like spun metal with the motion only made it more absurd.
"So you make these, rampage, make more, rampage again?"
"...Not that often."
"You still rampage, though. Even without dungeon raids."
Another silent affirmation.
"Vice Guild Master, is early death your life goal or something?"
"...Pardon?"
"No, if that's the case, I won't try to stop you."
Even in [Sejong Curtain], Han Ji-seong didn't live long.
His body, repeatedly rampaging—especially as a magic-type with weak stamina—gave out before the story's midpoint.
And one reason was these side gigs.
"Fine, without this, the Justice Guild would've folded ages ago. I get the sentiment."
I touched the ice condensate with my fingertip as I spoke.
It was crisp and cool—perfect as refrigerant for mana stone ACs or fridges.
"But no more of this."
"Han-i's—er, the Guild Master's mining income alone isn't enough to sustain the Justice Guild."
"It's fine. We're about to make a ton of money from now on."
At that moment, a pling sound chimed, and pink hearts popped up from Han Ji-seong.
"What's the plan?"
Well, look at this guy.
The promise of money lit him up like that?
How tough had managing the tight finances been for him?
Imagining the ice prince's struggles tugged at my heartstrings.
"...Give me a sec. It's not like vending machine magic."
I averted my eyes from his sparkling gaze and racked my brain.
A notification popped up on my phone.
Someone wanted to buy a few items I'd listed on Pumpkin Market.
Perfect—they wanted to meet at Mangwon Station, right by my place.
"I'll step out for a bit."
I showed Han Ji-seong the screen and stood.
...Not because I had no plan and was fleeing.
I stopped by home a bit early, stuffed the remaining furniture into my subspace, and arrived at Mangwon Station.
As I looked around, someone approached cautiously.
"Um... are you Pumpkin?"
"Ah, yes. You're the one buying the furniture?"
"Yes. But the items..."
The man, who'd driven a small truck, tilted his head.
"They're in my subspace. This spot work for loading?"
"Whoa, you're an awakener. Yeah, perfect."
We smoothly transacted the bed frame, desk, bookshelf, dining table, and so on, then I hopped back on the subway to the Justice Guild.
"What now?"
Another quick buyer was great, but this one was picky.
Far from smooth.
"They're nitpicking hard."
We haggled from Mangwon to Jonggak Station before finally agreeing.
"Fine, let's just sell it all."
Not a loss anyway.
I pulled the items out of subspace ahead of time at Cheonggye Plaza.
Unlike the hagglers, these were small miscellany they'd agreed to buy.
Then, a voice from behind:
"Excuse me, Pumpkin?"
"Yes, that's m—wait, you guys?"
The buyers were familiar faces.
"Shouldn't you be at school? Why are you here?"
"Shortened classes today, so we got out early... Wait, unnie, you're the Pumpkin seller?"
Lee Yu-eul's eyes went wide.
"Oh, the nickname was your real name."
Lee Yu-chan nodded belatedly.
"Pumpkin this, nickname that. Ugh, seriously."
I looked up at the clear Seoul sky and took a deep breath.
"One question: why buy this stuff on Pumpkin Market?"
My listings weren't valuable.
Cheap utility items at best.
"...To resell."
Lee Yu-chan mumbled.
"Buy cheap, mark up a bit, relist on Pumpkin Market. Pocket money."
"Pocket money. Right, pocket money."
Obvious without explanation.
Smart high schoolers—they wouldn't beg allowance from their struggling guild.
Still.
"We feel kinda guilty doing it..."
"Is that the issue?"
"It's not?"
"Forget ethics—wasting your golden time on pocket change is the problem!"
The twins had massive potential.
Like the others, skill limits held them back, but their futures were blindingly bright.
Yet here they were, skipping training for chump change.
"Follow me."
"Where to?"
"The guild, obviously."
I called an emergency guild meeting with manager privileges.
My gut, already churned from Han Ji-seong and the twins, exploded twice more.
"So, you did delivery unloading part-time."
"Dungeons feel iffy, so Hunter Market logistics pays daily."
"Sigh. And Guild Master, you did your mining again."
"Yes."
But the red scars around Kang Han's jaw screamed illegal fight pit, not mining.
My patience snapped.
"What good are part-times and side gigs?"
The guild members bristled in unison.
They'd tried hard; this stung.
"But the guild needs money."
Kang Han said firmly.
That only fueled my frustration.
"I paid all the debt. Yet no one suggests how to move forward."
Silence blanketed the round table.
"Poverty's terror isn't lack—it's getting used to the helplessness."
No money means no plans.
Survival and debts come first.
But.
"I said clearly at signing: 25 billion isn't a loan—it's an investment. Focus on growth, not repayment."
Harsh words, but Kang Han didn't snap.
He knew his failing.
"No more part-times, everyone."
I eyed Kang Han again.
"Let's plan to grow my investment."
"How?"
Han Ji-seong asked immediately, as expected.
He knew the guild best—maybe better than Kang Han.
"I spent the day assessing with Vice Guild Master. The state?"
All five pairs of eyes locked on me.
"Pathetic, financially."
Heavy silence.
They knew from the near-seizure how dire it was.
"So, here's the plan."
I sipped water; this would be long.
"In four days, we mine a dungeon."
"Mining?"
Jang Su-ho blinked.
Kang Han opposed predictably.
"No mining."
"Why not?"
"...Just no."
His stubborn heart was obvious.
"Hate being mocked at the manpower market like you were?"
"Bro..."
Lee Yu-chan looked ready to cry at Kang Han.
The others too.
They'd heard his solo burdens but not why.
I pressed on.
"Truth is, Justice Guild's a joke anywhere now."
"Nayeo-ju."
Kang Han called my name angrily.
But it wasn't wrong.
"Not insulting—reality. Can't live pitied forever to dodge laughs."
"I agree with Nayeo-ju, Han-a."
Han Ji-seong backed me.
His trusted vice's words shook Kang Han's green eyes.
"Yeah, oppa. It's been stifling. Whatever, together."
Lee Yu-eul agreed.
I waited for emotions to settle.
"Details: No manpower market. Don't worry there."
"Then how mine?"
Jang Su-ho, my age peer, asked.
"No money before. Now we do—mine."
"Auction a dungeon?"
Lee Yu-chan caught on.
"Bid at auction. Time to swing picks properly."
Yeouido, once packed with brokerages.
After a nearby dungeon break in Yeongdeungpo, damaged buildings rebuilt fast.
But new tenants weren't firms—new groups.
"Found it. Free Dungeon Auction House."
Dungeons open and close worldwide constantly.
Too many for scarce hunters.
Associations managed to prevent breaks, distributing to guilds quickly.
Issue: High-grade dungeons tough but rewarding.
Better mana stones, drops.
Major guilds like the Big Four focus there.
Leaving awkward ones—like Mansu Mountain—for auctions here.
"Let's go in."
Our six Justice Guild members headed in.
Theater-like, but stage had dungeon photos, narrow podium, mic.
As expected, stares hit us on entry.
Kang Han's fame, others' scandals.
Murmurs followed.
Nearby awakener to neighbor:
"What, Justice Guild? Why here?"
Why? To snag your unknown gold mine.