Galleryan Department Store in Apgujeong.
The place I visited was the Louis Vuitton women’s luxury store.
Why Louis Vuitton?
Nothing special.
It was simply the first store at the front of the luxury section, and it happened to have the fewest customers at the time.
“Welcome, dear customer.”
A neatly dressed manager approached with a smile.
But only for a moment.
After checking my outfit, a flicker of embarrassment crossed the manager’s face.
Understandable.
I had come straight here after returning from a Gangwon-do dungeon, then stopping by the Hunter Association.
Naturally, my clothes were filthy with dust, soot, and monster blood.
To anyone who didn’t know the circumstances, I looked like someone who had been doing manual labor all day.
Well, whatever.
I looked at the manager and said.
“I’d like to look around a bit.”
“Ah… of course. Is there anything specific you’re looking for?”
“Hmm, what’s the most expensive item here?”
“…The most expensive product, sir?”
The manager’s pupils trembled slightly.
He glanced back and subtly tilted his head.
Immediately, a female employee hurried over and bowed.
“Hello, customer! How may I assist you?”
Her posture was full of nervous energy.
She looked exactly like a rookie who hadn’t been working long.
The manager spoke to her.
“The customer wishes to see the most expensive items in the store. Please guide him well. You can do it, right?”
“Yes, Manager!”
The manager left her in charge and moved on to another customer.
So he’s dumping the “probably won’t buy anything” customer on the rookie.
Well, doesn’t matter to me.
Soon, the rookie employee pointed at a display case with a very tense face.
“This is the item you inquired about. The product name is ‘Dimier 2002 Noir,’ designed by the world-renowned designer Roland de Lupin…”
She began enthusiastically explaining a small, pitch-black shoulder bag.
Contrary to expectations, the rookie seemed quite knowledgeable about the product.
Still, I genuinely had no idea why a bag like this was so expensive.
I looked at her and continued.
“So how much is it?”
“Ah, well…”
The rookie hesitated before carefully opening her mouth.
“It’s… 35.5 million won.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded while looking at the most expensive bag in the Louis Vuitton store.
“Then how much is that one?”
“Ah, yes! That one is…”
I just kept bombarding her with questions.
From far away, the manager watched me with a “told you so” expression.
Feels like I’m being treated as the classic window-shopper who touches everything and buys nothing.
On the other hand, the rookie never lost her bright smile, even though she had every right to be annoyed.
I pointed at a limited-edition bag and said.
“Can I try that one?”
“Of course! Any customer who visits our store is more than welcome to try it on.”
She immediately handed me the limited-edition bag.
Her customer service attitude was completely different from the manager’s earlier.
I slung the bag over my shoulder right away.
The rookie added.
“Um… that bag is designed for women, so it might feel a little uncomfortable for you, sir.”
“It’s fine. I just need to check if it’s sturdy. I’d be upset if it tore too easily.”
“Tore…?”
She tilted her head in confusion.
I pointed at the display case and said.
“From here to here, please.”
“…Pardon?”
The rookie looked at me with a bewildered expression.
Then, flustered, she continued.
“Ah! S-sorry. I must have misunderstood… So you mean…”
I pointed at an entire display shelf once more.
“From here. To there.”
“Ah, yes…”
“I’ll take one of everything.”
The rookie blinked in stunned silence.
“All of… everything…? Then for payment…”
“Cash. One moment.”
I opened my inventory and pulled out a bag stuffed full of cash.
The rookie nodded in understanding.
“Ah~ so you’re a hunter.”
Instant acceptance.
In the public eye, hunters are seen as people who “rake in money.”
Meanwhile, she wasn’t the only one who reacted to the word “hunter.”
“Customer! I’m so sorry for stepping away~ I had an urgent file to send~”
The manager came running back, now speaking in a completely different, warm, and friendly tone.
“May I continue assisting you with the rest? From this line onward, detailed explanations are required for the prod—”
But I shook my head.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll keep getting help from her.”
The manager blinked in panic.
I looked at the rookie and said.
“You can handle it, right?”
“Y-yes? Ah, yes…”
“Good. Then from there to there.”
“Everything from there to there?”
Unlike the manager, she caught on fast. I liked that.
As soon as I nodded, the rookie hurriedly began packing the items.
Meanwhile, the manager looked like he was about to cry.
“I-if you’re interested in purchasing other items… these ones over here are my regular cust—”
“No, she’s doing great. Really, it’s fine. Go attend to your work.”
Soon, I pointed at the next display shelf.
“From there to there.”
***
“Thank you very much! Please come again, customer!”
Leaving behind the rookie’s energetic farewell, I stepped out of the store.
All the bags I bought were already stored in my inventory, so I only carried one or two shopping bags in my hands.
By now, a huge crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the Louis Vuitton store.
“That’s the guy? The one who clean-swept five entire shelves?”
“Yeah, apparently. Must be a second-generation chaebol. Absolutely insane.”
“He looked like an awakened. Maybe an A+ rank hunter?”
“Wow… he looks around the same age as my oppa, but that’s crazy…”
Whispers came from all directions.
Meanwhile, I was staring at the status window popping up in front of me.
-Ding-dong!
<The Warehouse Keeper’s Fame has slightly increased!>
<The Warehouse Keeper’s Fame has slightly increased!>
<The Warehouse Keeper’s Fame has slightly increased!>
<The Warehouse Keeper’s Fame has slightly increased!>
And at the same time.
Ding-dong!
<The Warehouse Keeper’s Fame is now affecting stats!>
– Strength +1!
– Stamina +1!
– Agility +1!
– Intelligence +1!
– Mental Power +1!
As expected.
Every time I flexed in public, my stats went up.
It really was a bizarre yet wonderful system.
An awakened person’s abilities are fixed the moment they awaken.
Like certain things in life are set from birth, awakening is supposed to be the same.
But in my case, growth is possible.
That alone is an overwhelmingly massive advantage.
And the fact that I can literally get stronger by spending money?
A real-life pay-to-win warrior.
And there’s one more reason.
The reason I’m sweeping up luxury bags like this.
What else could it be? The warehouse demands it.
Ding-dong!
– Stop the fit of MRG-9778 “Smiling Woman.”
▶ The Smiling Woman will only stop laughing if luxury goods are torn apart.
▶ Secure luxury goods to provide to the Smiling Woman.
A monster that only calms down when luxury brands are destroyed on a regular basis—the “Smiling Woman.”
The moment the Smiling Woman, imprisoned in the Terror layer, starts laughing, Morgue’s Magical Warehouse durability drops like crazy.
There is only one way to stop it.
Hand her luxury goods, and she’s satisfied.
Instead of wrecking the warehouse, she tears or smashes the luxury items herself.
With a completely expressionless face, all traces of laughter gone.
(For the record, in the isolation zone across from her is the “Smiling Man” who handles men’s luxury goods…)
…Yeah, whatever. Sigh.
Anyway.
I fulfill what the warehouse wants.
In return, I get to power up. A pretty good deal, all things considered.
Now then, time to go buy some men’s luxury goods?
With that thought, I stepped out of the Louis Vuitton store.
The employees from the surrounding luxury shops were now standing outside, their eyes sparkling.
Luxury stores don’t openly solicit customers, but their eyes screamed “please come in.”
At that moment.
“Hasaaaang-sunbaeniiiim—!”
Voices calling me rang out.
Turning toward the sound, I saw Kim Youngjun and a group of female underclassmen from university.
“Sunbae! Who are all those bags for?”
“Yeah, you bought so many earlier.”
“The rest must be getting delivered, right?”
“Woooow… that was some serious flexing…”
The underclassmen said this while secretly enjoying the attention from the crowd around us.
As if proudly declaring, “I know this guy!”
Then Kim Yerim, who had been standing with them, swallowed hard and chimed in.
“Hasang-oppa… did you finally get a girlfriend? Youngjun-sunbae told me you didn’t have one.”
“Hm? Nope, no girlfriend.”
Instantly, the eyes of Kim Yerim and the other girls began to sparkle.
At that moment, Kim Youngjun looked at me and continued.
“Hasang-ah. You’re not… doing that kind of thing, right?”
“?”
“Dude. Getting sponsored by some rich older lady or something.”
What kind of nonsense is this guy spouting now?
And I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
Kim Yerim and the other girls were glaring at Kim Youngjun like he was industrial waste.
“Disgusting…”
“That’s just gross…”
“Seriously low…”
They even started whispering among themselves.
Frustrated, Kim Youngjun shouted.
“Hey! I’m saying this because I’m worried about you! If not that, how the hell are you affording all this?! I know your situation perfectly well!”
“It’s not like that. I just made some money recently.”
“Made money? From what, your loading job? How much could you possibly earn from that? Then who are you buying all this for—”
At that moment.
“Master. I have returned.”
Someone cut off Kim Youngjun’s words.
A calm yet clear voice.
Kim Youngjun and the underclassmen all turned toward the source of the voice.
And at the same time.
“……!”
“!”
“……!”
Everyone lost the ability to speak.