CHAPTER 65

Making Money

Riding the Hayabusa and slicing through the night breeze made Seowoon feel—once again—that he was back in reality.

Kichan pulled into a quiet neighborhood in Incheon's western district and parked the bike.

"Is this the place?"

"Yeah. Come on in, hyung."

The office was tucked into the corner of a small commercial building. While the space was fairly large, it was mostly a warehouse with two desks off to the side. In fact, the warehouse seemed to be the primary function of the space.

Amid the chaos of inventory stacked everywhere in plastic bags, one thing stood out—a high-end espresso machine, the kind you'd expect to see in a trendy franchise café.

Kichan moved comfortably, pulling espresso shots and placing a freshly made cup of coffee in front of Seowoon.

"Nice machine for a place like this."

"It's for employee welfare. Saves on coffee costs and wins you some goodwill points. Honestly, anyone who works here even a few days realizes this company's not exactly normal. It's best to treat them well from the start."

Taking a sip, Seowoon spoke.

"So you're handling everything from here on?"

As he spoke, he began pulling items out of his upgraded pocket dimension ring.

A broken obsidian breastplate, Celestial Enhancement Stones, mana jewelry, soul crystals, purification crystals, and Desert Stones—one by one, they appeared on the desk.

Kichan nodded, unfazed.

"I brought the same haul as you. The Celestial Enhancement Stones alone? Two of those go for over 10 billion won each. Honestly, this amount is too much for a sole proprietorship. We'd be better off founding a new corporation. If we split the start-up costs, the burden's halved. Everyone wins."

10 billion. The kind of money you hear in movies or on the news. But hearing it spill casually from Kichan's mouth made it no less surreal.

"So if we cash it all out, how much will I walk away with?"

"If we estimate 5 billion each for the enhancement stones, plus 200 million for the breastplate, another 100 million from the jewelry, crystals, and Desert Stones… That's around 5.3 billion. After fees and incorporating costs, I'd say you'll walk away with at least 3 billion."

"Three billion, huh…"

Even accounting for brokerage fees and taxes, it still felt like a dream—especially for Seowoon, who didn't even have 10 million won to his name until recently.

The idea that he'd have 3 billion won in hand soon didn't feel real at all.

Ironically, selling Ascro's necklace back then felt more like a real achievement.

"Still not sinking in, huh?"

"Honestly? No. I mean, 3 billion…"

"It's a lot of money. If you live smart, you could go your whole life without worrying about money again. But trust me—money? You get used to it fast."

"That so?"

"Yep. You'll understand soon enough."

Kichan, still a high schooler, spoke like a seasoned business pro. Seowoon nodded, bemused.

"Anyway, hand it over."

"Oh, right!"

Kichan, having swept Seowoon's items back into the dimensional space, now pulled out two new items.

Kutrapa's Treasure Map and the Skillbook: Mimicry.

"The treasure map's fair enough. But you didn't have to give me the skillbook."

"I placed Top 1 thanks to you. It's the least I can do. Plus, you sold me that staff at a bargain."

As Kichan placed his hand on the treasure map, a translucent magical lock shattered, revealing faded symbols and text across old parchment.

"Treasure map of Kutrapa, the emperor who unified the continent. It leads the way to treasures imbued with his brilliance."

Kichan's eyes sparkled as he studied the map and the crude sketch below it.

"This is my first time unlocking a locked item… makes sense they'd protect it like this."

He snapped a photo with his phone and showed the screen to Seowoon.

"Copying it's easy. But still, why is this worth so much less than the sword?"

"Cloyd doesn't assign high value to items that don't directly affect a player's strength."

"So basically, if it doesn't improve survival, it's low priority."

Seowoon nodded.

"And you know we can't share this on the community boards, right?"

"Of course. Now that I'm a fixed player, I'm planning to avoid the forums anyway. Fixed players tend to be tight-lipped about info. Probably because they see everyone as potential competition."

"So this one's left…"

Seowoon picked up the skillbook. "You're really okay with me taking it?"

"Thanks to you, I've accumulated 100 coins already. Gotta pay my fare, right?"

"Then I'll accept it. Thanks."

[Would you like to learn the skill: Mimicry?]

When he tapped the O button, knowledge flooded into his mind. A description floated before his eyes.

[Skill: Observer's Eye has been activated.]

When observing another person, your perception will gradually increase. At 100% observation, you may transform into that person for 5 minutes.

Penalty: For targets of the opposite sex, the duration is halved (2 minutes 30 seconds), and primary sex organs do not change.

Cooldown: Once mimicked, that target cannot be used again for 3 days.

"…That's… weird."

"Huh? Why?"

"No, it's nothing."

He didn't elaborate. He'd never thought about turning into the opposite sex before—but reading about the penalties left him with a strange, unsettled feeling.

After chatting for another hour with Kichan about next steps, Seowoon returned home and collapsed onto his bed.

He didn't even bother to meditate. The day had drained him completely.

– Honk!

The car horn outside startled him awake. From lying down, he jolted upright with wide eyes.

He immediately adopted the Iron Plate Bridge stance atop the mattress—assuming the opening form of his Blood Bone Form.

It looked ridiculous. But to someone still riding the high-alert edge after a Cloyd match, it was instinctive.

"Ah."

Realizing he was being paranoid, he dropped his arms.

Hammit didn't miss a beat.

– Master sure wakes up with a dramatic flair.

Seowoon groaned at the shame, thankful no one had seen.

"…."

Flushing red, he pretended to be unfazed and lay back down—only for his phone to ring.

"Huh? Who's calling at this hour?"

– The enhancement stones are sold.

The buyer wants to meet in person, not through a broker, and wants to pay in full—both stones at once. Should I reject it?

It had been less than seven hours since he'd dropped off the items with Kichan.

"Do items usually sell this fast?"

– Depends on the item. But this fast? It's rare.

The condition—meeting in person—felt sketchy.

Especially after everything that had gone down with those shady types just one day earlier.

"Is there any reason to rush this? I don't want any more trouble in the real world."

– Then I'll turn it down. But since the match was made through a major brokerage, they won't try anything shady. No player wants to go up against one of the top brokerages.

That made him hesitate.

"Really? But isn't the whole point of using a brokerage the anonymity? Why would anyone want to meet face-to-face?"

– For high-end items, sometimes wealthy clients make requests like this—either to negotiate or offer other deals. The money for the item becomes a kind of appearance fee.

That shocked him.

100 billion won as an appearance fee? The thought left him speechless.

How much money must someone have to casually throw that around?

"…There's no danger, right?"

– None. The meeting will be brokered through the agency, and their own ability users will be present. Nothing shady should happen.

"…When do they want to meet?"

– Today at noon.

"Today? Guess the buyer's Korean. What is it—Samsung's chairman or something?"

"Can't Find the Buyer Info," came the reply."They're not likely to reveal it either."

Still deep in thought, Seowoon asked once more to confirm.

"You're sure it's safe, right?"

– Yes. No need to worry. Even the Intelligence Bureau can't touch this brokerage. The clients who use them? They're above that level. They're the ones giving the orders, not taking them.

That gave Seowoon real peace of mind.

In the end, even state authority bows before true power.

"Alright, let's meet them. They're not going to cancel the purchase just because I refused the side quest, are they?"

– No worries. Once the meeting's scheduled, the brokerage won't accept any last-minute cancellations from either party.

"Okay then. See you soon."

– Yep! I'll get ready and come pick you up.

After hanging up, Seowoon sat cross-legged and began circulating his internal energy.

The thought of soon touching money that most people couldn't earn in a lifetime made his heart flutter.

When the meditation was done, he opened his eyes and called up his status screen.

[Name: Jin Seowoon]Race: HumanClass: Magus (Sorcerer)Strength: 61Stamina: 44Agility: 44Toughness: 70Magic Resistance: 180

– Trait Stats –Internal Energy (Naegong): 693Mana: 60

Seeing his skyrocketing Naegong, Seowoon cracked a satisfied grin.

He'd started his third round with just over 300. Now, after defeating Namsanngwan, Sword Emperor, Yeoharan, and Julokhana, he was nearing 700.

"When I passed 365, I finally felt my inner power reach true completion… Soon I'll be in the second cycle."

He couldn't describe the feeling precisely—but his instincts knew it was true.

One Gapja—or 60 years' worth of internal power—was marked by 365 on his stat sheet. Passing 730 would mean reaching the level of a true master.

Receiving a technique from Jang Docheon truly was a stroke of fate.

As he stood and stepped outside, his enhanced hearing clearly picked up the roar of the Hayabusa engine in the distance.

When he reached the ground floor, Kichan came rolling up, hair whipping in the wind, not even wearing a helmet.

"Did you sleep well, hyung?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

After a long ride, they arrived at a small village on the island of Daebudo.

"This the place?"

"Yeah. Address says 'Seongam-ro Gaegeonneogil'. Weird, right?"

"What kind of address is that?"

Surrounded by vineyards, the little town had an odd feeling—something out of place.

Both men instinctively turned toward the source of the odd aura.

Far away, a man in a blue suit and gray sunglasses stood waiting.

"That him?"

"Looks like it."

As they approached, the man gave them a polite bow.

"I'm Section Chief Jang, from the brokerage."

"Nice to meet you."

Unlike the broker, Seowoon didn't introduce himself. He just extended a hand.

As they shook, Seowoon tried to read the man's aura—but the smile on his face masked his internal energy completely.

"This way, please."

They followed him to a small tent. Inside, a man in his 30s stood to greet them. Behind him stood a bespectacled woman exuding a serious, formidable energy.

"Welcome. I apologize for making you come all the way out here."

They bowed slightly and sat down across from the man.

"Let's get the transaction finalized first."

The woman manipulated a tablet, nodded, and stepped back.

Chief Jang, standing beside them, checked his phone and spoke.

"Funds have been transferred."

Kichan pulled the two enhancement stones from his pocket dimension and handed them over.

After a brief inspection, the broker set them down on the table.

"They're good."

'He's definitely a martial artist,' Seowoon thought.

From the woman's tight black skirt and silk blouse, to her sharp, decisive movements—everything about her screamed disciplined combatant. Seowoon's eyes lingered on her unusually pale hands.

She subtly tucked them behind her back, sensing his gaze.

"Well, that concludes the deal."

The buyer casually swept both stones into his own dimensional space.

"Truth is... I was hoping maybe a new alchemist had emerged, hence the insistence on a direct meeting. But..."

Trailing off, he offered an embarrassed smile.

"We're not alchemists, unfortunately."

Even without being told, the buyer seemed to have read enough from their auras.

"Two Sky-grade enhancement stones, both from the same seller... I got my hopes up. Sorry for the trouble."

"No worries. It was a nice excuse to get some fresh air."

Standing, they shook hands again. The buyer asked:

"You two are fixed-quads, right?"

"There are a few more of us. And yeah, he's my fixed partner."

Though the question was light, Seowoon didn't want to reveal too much.

The man gave a flicker of reaction before nodding.

"Hope we meet again on another good deal."

He gave a small bow and exited. The sharp-eyed woman in glasses followed close behind.

When they were gone, Section Chief Jang turned to them.

"I'll wire the total minus commission to the account you specified. Is a lump-sum deposit alright?"

"It's under a borrowed name. No problem," Kichan replied.

"If you're having trouble laundering the funds through Randrie, we could—"

"No need. This amount is manageable."

His firm tone made the man smile politely and bow.

"Understood. My apologies."

Once they confirmed the transfer, Seowoon and Kichan exited the tent.

In the distance, a foreign luxury car disappeared down the rural road.

"Well, I'll be off too."

Raising a hand, the man compressed the entire tent into a palm-sized cube, which vanished into his hand like a trick of light.

As he drove off in a sleek sports car, Seowoon muttered:

"Those items exist?"

"They're not that special. Just modified dimensional items. Prices range from 20 million to 100 million won, depending on size. Earth-based alchemists make them."

Seowoon recalled the times he slept in a sandstorm in Bulga and sighed.

"My ring's been upgraded. I need to get one of those."

"Among fixed players, they're essential gear."

They walked slowly back to where the Hayabusa was parked.

"I was expecting some kind of epic quest. That was a letdown."

"I got my hopes up too."

"We've come all this way. Let's at least get some kal-guksu before heading back."

Elsewhere...

Dressed all in black with her hair tightly pinned up, Jung Suhwa sat stone-faced in her office.

In front of her, a middle-aged man squirmed in panic.

"New Way Company—sure, they do a bunch of 'legal' things. But did you really think that made you a legitimate businessman?"

"N-no, ma'am…"

"You ran off to a park at night, picked a fight with other ability users, and even tried to control civilians? Who gave you that right? You're not the police, the military, or even the Department of Homeland Security."

"S-sorry… It was a new player, and our guys got carried away…"

Her eyes turned glacial.

"Listen, you thug. Do I look stupid to you?"

Her sudden shift to informal, biting speech made the man's face go pale.

"You're used to being called 'Chairman' or whatever in the real world, huh? Getting cocky?"

"…"

"You're just muscle. Know your place. Pick up scraps when they fall your way. Don't confuse your role. Just because you scream about 'pro-China' politics doesn't make you a patriot."

"…"

Just then, the office door burst open.

The man who had once royally pissed her off back at the hospital strolled in.

"Well, well, Chairman Jin! Long time no see. If you were visiting, you should've dropped by my office first."

He walked over like he owned the place and slapped a hand on the middle-aged man's shoulder, then looked at Suhwa.

"Management of unofficial teams falls under my authority. Don't overstep."

"Team Leader Kim!"

"My hearing's fine, thanks. These off-the-record guys are busy enough without you dragging them in for scolding. Wouldn't your time be better spent cleaning up actual messes?"

Grinning smugly, the man led the nervous "chairman" out.

"Had lunch yet? How about Kobe beef on me?"

When they were gone, Suhwa glared at the crumpled report on her desk.

The name Jin Seowoon, printed at the top, was now crushed in her clenched fist.

[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]