Chapter 65: Making Money
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 65: Making Money
As I tore through the night streets on the Hayabusa, the wind whipping past me, the reality of my return finally began to sink in.
Gi-chan pulled the motorcycle over in a quiet neighborhood on the west side of Incheon.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes. Come on in, Hyung."
The office, tucked away in a corner of a small commercial building, was surprisingly spacious. However, it felt less like an office and more like a warehouse, with two small desks squeezed between towering stacks of inventory.
In the middle of the chaotic space, surrounded by bags of stock, a high-end coffee machine stood out—the kind of professional equipment you’d only expect to see in a famous franchise cafe.
Gi-chan expertly pulled a shot and handed a cup to Seo-un.
"You’ve got everything in here."
"It’s for employee morale. It saves them money on coffee and earns me some brownie points. Honestly, after working here for a few days, the employees realize this company isn't exactly normal. It’s better to treat them well."
Seo-un took a sip of the coffee and spoke.
"So, you're saying you'll handle everything from now on?"
As he spoke, Seo-un began pulling items out of his upgraded Subspace Ring.
He laid out the Broken Obsidian Breastplate, Sky Enhancement Stones, Mana Jewelry, Soul Crystals, Crystals of Purification, and even the Desert Stones. Gi-chan nodded.
"I brought back the same things as you, Hyung. Those two Sky Enhancement Stones alone are worth over ten billion won. This small business can't handle that kind of volume. It’s better to establish a new corporation. If we split the costs, the burden is halved—it’s a win-win for both of us."
Ten billion. A sum one usually only hears about in movies or on the news flowed casually from Gi-chan’s mouth, yet it didn't feel real at all.
"So, once everything is settled, how much will I actually walk away with?"
"Let's value the enhancement stones at five billion each. The breastplate should fetch at least 200 million. The jewelry, crystals, and stones combined should be at least 100 million. That’s about 5.3 billion total. After deducting brokerage fees and corporate setup costs... I think we’ll still clear over three billion won each."
"Three billion, huh."
The deductions were significant due to the high brokerage fees and taxes, but for Seo-un, who didn't even have ten million won to his name right now, it was a dream-like sum. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that he was about to have three billion won.
In fact, he had felt a greater sense of accomplishment when he first decided to sell Askro's Necklace.
"It hasn't really sunk in yet, has it?"
"To be honest, no. Three billion is..."
"It’s a lot of money. If you’re frugal, it’s enough to live your whole life without ever worrying about finances. But don't worry, you’ll get used to the money soon enough."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. You’ll understand what I mean soon."
Seo-un nodded, looking at Gi-chan. Despite being a mere high school student, he was speaking like a seasoned veteran of society.
"Never mind that. Take them out."
"Ah!"
Gi-chan swept the items Seo-un had laid out into his own subspace and pulled out two specific items.
Kutrapa's Treasure Map and the Skill Book: Mimicry.
"The treasure map is one thing, but I could have taken the skill book."
"I hit Rank 1 thanks to you, Hyung. This is the least I can do. You gave me that staff for cheap, too."
As he finished speaking, Gi-chan placed his hand on Kutrapa's Treasure Map. With the sound of a translucent magical lock shattering, intricate drawings and Korean text began to manifest on the old parchment.
[A map of the treasures hidden by Emperor Kutrapa, who unified the continent. It shows the way to the treasures containing his wisdom.]
Gi-chan’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the text and the somewhat vague map drawn below it.
"This is my first time bringing back a locked item... So this is how it works. There was definitely a reason it was locked."
He took out his phone, snapped a photo, and showed the screen to Seo-un.
"As expected, it’s easy to copy. But why was there such a huge difference in Coin price compared to the sword manuals?"
"Cloyd doesn't place much value on items unless they're directly related to a Player's power."
"So it judged that this isn't directly linked to survivability?"
Seo-un nodded.
"You know you shouldn't share this information on the community, right?"
"Of course. Now that I’ve been promoted to a Regular Player, I plan to stay off the communities as much as possible anyway. For some reason, Regular Players don't share information easily. Maybe they see everyone else as potential competitors."
"Then that leaves this one. Are you sure I can take it?"
"I accumulated 100 Coins thanks to you, Hyung. Consider this my bus fare."
"Then I’ll take it. Thanks."
[Skill Book: Mimicry. Would you like to learn it?]
When he pressed the 'O' button, instead of the essence of the skill entering his mind, a description of the technique appeared before his eyes.
[The skill 'Eye of Observation' is activated. When looking at others, you can observe them in detail. Once your observation reaches 100%, you can transform into that target for 5 minutes.
Penalty: For the opposite sex, the duration is reduced to 2 minutes and 30 seconds. When mimicking the opposite sex, primary genitalia remain unchanged. Once you have transformed into a target, you cannot transform into them again for 3 days.]
"...This is strange."
"Eh? Why?"
"No, nothing."
He skipped the detailed explanation. He had never really thought about turning into a woman, but learning about the specific penalty made him feel a bit odd.
After talking with Gi-chan for another hour about their future plans, Seo-un returned home and collapsed onto his bed. The day had been so long and exhausting that he even skipped his energy circulation.
Beep—!
The sharp blast of a car horn outside jolted Seo-un awake. He sat bolt upright, his eyes snapping open.
He had reflexively performed the Iron Plate Bridge on his mattress and dropped into the basic stance of the Blood Bone Claw. It was a bizarre sight, but for someone whose senses were still razor-sharp from just finishing Cloyd, it was a natural reaction.
"Ah."
Realizing he had overreacted, he slowly relaxed his arms. Hamit didn't miss the chance to chime in.
Seo-un had been thinking it was a relief he was alone, but Hamit’s presence doubled his embarrassment.
"..."
His face flushed, but he tried to act nonchalant as he lay back down. Just then, his phone rang.
"Hello? What’s going on this early?"
It hadn't even been seven hours since he’d left the items with Gi-chan.
"Do items usually sell this fast?"
The condition of meeting the seller made him uneasy. He had just dealt with some nasty people barely a day ago in real-time, which made him even more wary.
"There’s no reason to take a risk and sell in a hurry, is there? I’d rather not get involved with Ability Users in reality anymore."
That piqued his interest.
"Really? But is it common to want to meet the seller directly? Isn't anonymity one of the big reasons for using a brokerage?"
Seo-un was momentarily stunned by the idea of ten billion won being "travel expenses." Just how much money did someone have to have to treat ten billion won like pocket change? He suddenly became curious about what kind of person was that wealthy.
"You're sure there's no danger?"
"Hmm... When do they want to meet?"
"Today? They must be in Korea. Is the buyer the chairman of Samsong or something?"
Seo-un paused for a moment, then asked Gi-chan one more time to be sure.
"It’s really safe, right?"
That gave him a sense of relief. In the end, public power always bowed before true power.
"Then let's meet them. They won't cancel the purchase just because I refuse a commission, right?"
"Okay. See you later."
After hanging up, Seo-un sat in a lotus position, calmed his mind, and began his energy circulation. The thought of such a massive sum—money he could never touch in a lifetime of normal work—coming into his hands so quickly made his heart flutter.
When he finished his circulation and opened his eyes, he pulled up his information window.
[Name: Jin Seo-un]
[Race: Human]
[Trait: Demonic Human (Mage)]
[Strength: 61]
[Stamina: 44]
[Agility: 44]
[Toughness: 70]
[Magic Resistance: 180]
[*Special Stat - Internal Energy: 693]
[*Special Stat - Mana: 60]
A smile spread across Seo-un’s face as he saw the dramatic increase in his internal energy. He had started the 3rd Round with internal energy in the 300s. After defeating the Lustful Demon, the Sword Emperor, Ye Haoran, and Jurokuana, he was now nearing 700.
'I felt my internal power reach a stage of completion when it passed 365... So I’m almost at two cycles.'
It was a sensation difficult to put into words, but he knew it instinctively. One cycle—the commonly described 60 years of internal energy—was represented by the value 365. That meant once he surpassed 730, he would have accumulated enough internal energy to hold his own against any master of the internal arts.
Thinking that receiving the grand technique from Jang Do-cheon was truly a stroke of heavenly luck, he stood up and went outside. His enhanced hearing clearly picked up the sound of the Hayabusa’s exhaust approaching from a distance.
When he went down to the first floor, sure enough, Gi-chan was arriving on the bike, his hair fluttering in the wind without a helmet.
"Hyung. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
After riding on the back for quite a while, they arrived at a small village on an island called Daebudo.
"Is this the place?"
"Seongam-ro, Gae-geonneo-gil. The address is right, but..."
"Gae-geonneo-gil? What kind of name is that for a street?"
As they looked around the small village surrounded by vineyards, they felt an alien presence. Seo-un and Gi-chan’s gazes converged on that energy. In the distance, a man in a blue suit and gray sunglasses was facing them.
"That looks like him, right?"
"Seems so."
As they approached, the man bowed politely.
"I am Manager Jang from the brokerage."
"Yes. Nice to meet you."
Unlike the other man, Seo-un didn't reveal his name and simply reached out his hand. He tried to gauge the man's energy during the brief handshake, but it wasn't easy to read the internal power of the smiling man.
"Please, come this way."
The man led them to a small tent. Inside, a man in his 30s stood up from a chair to welcome them. Behind him stood a woman wearing glasses, and Seo-un could feel a formidable energy emanating from her.
"Welcome. I apologize for asking you to come all this way."
His polite demeanor prompted the two to return the greeting and take their seats.
"Let's finalize the transaction first."
As the man finished speaking, the woman standing behind him operated a tablet PC and nodded. Manager Jang, who was standing next to Seo-un and Gi-chan, checked his phone and spoke.
"The payment has been received."
At those words, Gi-chan pulled the two enhancement stones from his subspace and handed them to Manager Jang. After a brief inspection, Jang nodded and placed them on a small table.
"They are correct."
'Her main focus is definitely martial arts.'
Seo-un’s eyes lingered on the woman’s exceptionally white hands. She was wearing a tight black skirt and a black silk blouse, but her precise movements as she inspected the enhancement stones screamed of a martial artist. Sensing his gaze, she subtly hid her hands behind her back.
"The transaction is concluded cleanly."
The young man swept the two enhancement stones into his own subspace.
"Actually... I insisted on meeting in person because I wondered if an Alchemist capable of specializing in enhancement stones had appeared. But..."
Seo-un and Gi-chan gave bitter smiles as the man trailed off.
"Our main focus is far from alchemy."
Even without Seo-un saying it, the man seemed to have read their internal power to some extent.
"I had high hopes since two Sky-grade enhancement stones suddenly appeared from the same seller. I apologize for the inconvenience."
"No. It was a nice trip for some fresh air, and the deal was good."
Seo-un stood up and shook the man's outstretched hand. As they shook, the man asked a question.
"I assume you two are a Regular Squad."
"There are a few more of us. But yes, this friend is also a regular teammate of mine."
Seo-un, wanting to avoid giving away too much information even to a casual question, answered vaguely. A brief ripple of emotion crossed the man's face.
"I hope to see you again for another good transaction."
The man bowed slightly and walked out first, followed by the woman whose sharp eyes were hidden behind her glasses. Once they were gone, Manager Jang spoke.
"I will now transfer the amount, minus the commission, to your designated account. Is it alright to send it as a lump sum?"
"It’s a proxy account, so it doesn't matter."
Manager Jang nodded at Gi-chan’s answer.
"If you have any concerns regarding money laundering, our firm can—"
"No, we can handle this amount ourselves."
Manager Jang smiled and bowed at Gi-chan’s firm refusal.
"I see. My apologies."
After confirming the deposit, the two walked out of the tent and saw a luxury foreign car disappearing down the narrow country road.
"Then, I shall take my leave as well."
The man reached toward the tent, and it transformed into a cube small enough to fit in one hand, getting sucked into his palm. Seo-un watched him drive away in a luxury sports car and spoke.
"There are items like that too?"
"It’s not a major item. It’s an application of subspace technology. They come in various sizes, ranging from 20 million to 100 million won. I believe they're made by Earth's Alchemists."
Seo-un thought back to the days he spent sleeping fitfully in the Forbidden Desert, pelted by sandstorms.
"My ring’s grade has gone up. I definitely need to buy one of those."
"It’s a must-have item among Regular Players."
As they trudged back to where the Hayabusa was parked, Seo-un spoke with a hint of hollow amusement.
"I thought they were going to give us some grand commission, but it was a bit of a letdown."
"I was a little excited too."
"Since we’re all the way out here, let's grab some kalguksu before we go."
*
Jeong Su-hwa, dressed entirely in black with her hair tied up, wore a cold, hardened expression. In front of her, a middle-aged man was bowing and fidgeting, looking like he didn't know what to do with himself.
"New Way Company. A legitimate corporation with its hands in many pies. Does that title make you feel like you've actually become some kind of corporate executive?"
"T-That’s not it..."
"Controlling civilians in a park at night and starting a fight between Ability Users? Who gave you that right? I’m fairly certain it wasn't the police, the military, or the Department of Homeland Security."
"I-I am truly sorry. It seems the subordinates went a bit overboard when a new Player appeared."
Jeong Su-hwa’s gaze turned ice-cold.
"Listen here, you thug. Do I look like an idiot to you?"
The middle-aged man’s face stiffened at the sudden drop in honorifics.
"Are you having fun because people in society call you 'Chairman' and whatnot?"
"..."
"Don't mistake your role. Just do what you're told and live off the scraps we throw you. Things are complicated enough without you lot. Just because you blabber about being pro-China, do you think you've become some kind of patriots working for the state?"
"..."
Just then, a man burst into her office. It was the same man who had pushed her buttons to the limit back in the hospital room.
"Oh, Chairman Jin. It’s been a while. If you're here, you should have come to see me first."
He approached as if it were his own office and placed a hand on the middle-aged man's shoulder, then looked at Jeong Su-hwa.
"Managing private organizations is strictly my jurisdiction. Don't overstep."
"Team Leader Kim!"
"I’m not deaf. These people from private organizations are busy men in their own right. If you have time to call them in and grill them like this, why don't you spend more effort on cleaning up the incidents?"
The man sneered at her and led the middle-aged man out.
"Have you eaten? How about some Kobe beef? It’s been a while."
She glared at the door he had exited with bloodshot eyes, then tightly gripped the report on her desk. The name 'Jin Seo-un' written on the report was crumpled and distorted.