It had been roughly two weeks since Hamsu debuted in the player world.
In that time, he had broken the fastest clear record on every single floor from 1 to 25 without exception.
How absurd that record was, only the players at the very top truly understood.
And Hamsu had done it solo.
Player Settlement gym.
As always, the topic of conversation for the people who hit iron three or four times a day was mostly Hamsu.
“25th floor was another record… does that even make sense?”
Even without a subject, everyone knew who they were talking about.
“I’m seriously considering joining the Church of Hamsu.”
“You know the cult leader got kidnapped and disappeared, right? Word is Hamsu took him.”
“Why would Hamsu kidnap him? I heard it was assassins hired by the five major guilds.”
All kinds of nonsense rumors were flying around. The rumors about Hamsu were no exception.
The person at the center of those rumors was calmly stroking the back of a black baby dragon in his hotel room.
The consecutive-record bonus from clearing five floors (up to 23) in record time, plus the magic stones and other materials that had started dropping from the 20s—it was finally time to cash them in.
He had been so busy lately that he hadn’t even thought about selling tower rewards.
“So that’s why you called me?”
Team Leader Kang had been wondering what the busy man wanted, only to be told to come buy items.
He was quite flustered.
He had at least expected it to be about the missing cult leader, but it wasn’t even that.
But what could he do? The man was right.
“I can’t exactly call some random Office employee to sell this stuff.”
Hard to argue with that.
Choi Junseok, as usual, gave Kamdori’s tail a long tug.
The baby dragon, rolling its big eyes left and right at Kang and the others, opened its mouth wide and began vomiting items.
It was still a mystery how so many items could come out of that tiny mouth.
Clatter-clatter-clatter…
Most of what poured out were pink magic stones.
Clatter-clatter…
Even in the large room, one corner quickly became a mountain of magic stones, with miscellaneous items and equipment tumbling on top.
Finally, Kamdori let out a satisfied burp, and Song Hana immediately scooped him up, praising him and giving him an airplane ride.
A scene of someone giving a baby dragon an airplane ride.
Kang calmly turned his eyes to the items on the floor. It really was like a living subspace inventory—always fascinating.
“It’s rare to see an Inventory skill awakener carrying around a living inventory summon.”
Choi Junseok didn’t look particularly satisfied.
Excluding the magic stones, there were only three actual items.
One was normal-grade trash, and only two were rare-grade.
“The drop rate for sellable items in the tower is abysmal. You’ve just been extremely lucky so far.”
“Then even if items do drop, if they’re soul-bound, how is anyone supposed to gear up for climbing?”
The more he saw, the stranger it was that anyone reached the upper floors.
“That’s why players who climb mid-floors and above either buy items at auction houses or farm specific floors repeatedly in guilds. They form parties with different classes so someone can always use whatever drops.”
Choi Junseok was beginning to grasp just how valuable mythic and transcendent items were the higher you went.
Transcendent items might literally be one-of-a-kind in the world.
“Yoon-seok-ah, didn’t I tell you? Even mythic items—only a handful of people in Korea have them.”
“Team Leader Kang, do you have a subspace inventory?”
“Of course. It’s awkward to say myself, but I was a mid-floor player once… and even within the Office…”
“Then you can move all this, right?”
Kang Jinsu quietly closed his eyes and nodded.
Choi Junseok bent toward a staff engraved with what looked like a withered mandrake.
As expected, the item that could unbind soul-bound items was in his hand.
“Only two items from 23rd to 25th… Hana-ssi, is there really no charm that raises item drop rate?”
“…There isn’t!”
“What a shame.”
It was clearly far from enough to recover the 4 billion won.
Item Name: Dark Sorcerer’s Oak Staff (Rare)
Type: Equipment – Weapon
Description: Increases proficiency of wearer’s debuff-type skills.
Wear Level: Lv.45
At best, maybe ten million won.
Next, Choi Junseok appraised the dirty-looking bandage that seemed like trash.
It looked like something to throw away, but surprisingly it was equipment.
Item Name: Anti-Magic Bandage (Rare)
Type: Equipment – Gloves
Description: Increases resistance to curses and diseases.
Wear Level: Lv.53
– Soul-bound upon acquisition.
Of course it was soul-bound.
Without the Scissors of Lete he owned, it would be unsellable.
Non-owners could carry it, but the effects wouldn’t activate—just a dirty bandage, nothing more.
At least this one had broad utility.
The problem was it looked like it had been wrapped around a zombie or rag golem, with black bloodstains here and there.
Its performance wasn’t particularly useful outside of floors 20–25 either.
The staff was also a rare weapon that only boosted debuff skill proficiency—limited buyers, so it wouldn’t fetch much.
“Together… maybe ten million won?”
Of course, still a lot of money.
It was profit from two days of climbing, and that wasn’t all.
“The magic stones on the floor should be about 1.15 kg.”
“Quality looks low-grade.”
Low-grade magic stones traded at around 3 million won per 100 g.
Roughly 34.5 million won worth.
With the items, about 43–44 million won total—decent cash earned in just two days from floors 20–25.
‘Of course, after taxes it’ll be cut in half…’
He decided to send the money from selling these items straight to his mom.
He himself didn’t really need cash right now.
His family, living at home and spending on daily necessities, needed it more.
And it was money earned in just two days—he’d make more in another two.
Kang Jinsu, who had been crouching, straightened up after putting 1.15 kg of magic stones and the two items into his subspace pouch.
“I’ll sell the requested items quickly and contact you again.”
“You’ll deposit after taxes, right?”
“Yes. Is that why you’re trying to minimize taxes?”
Choi Junseok nodded.
He had been practically tax-exempt as low-income, then suddenly jumped to ultra-high income.
Even among players, few earned tens of millions in two days.
He knew he was a special case, but still—having nearly half taken away hurt.
‘No wonder rich people commit tax evasion and end up in jail or under audit.’
He never thought he’d experience that feeling, yet a wry smile crept onto his face.
“If you set up a corporation, taxes would drop a bit, but as I mentioned before, using corporate funds personally gets complicated. Anyway, have a safe climb today too.”
He didn’t even bother asking if there was anything else to help with anymore.
The Office had already sent all the latest strategy guides up to the highest cleared floor, and even if they didn’t, it probably wouldn’t matter.
“Alright, Hana-ssi. Shall we open two boxes?”
The reward boxes that popped up just when you were about to forget them.
One was the special reward for five consecutive fastest clears, the other was the hidden clear reward for silencing the chatty dark sorcerer on the 25th floor.
Two boxes appeared on Choi Junseok’s palm.
“Good stuff, come out~!”
He always wondered if shouting actually worked, but so far only good items had come out, so no complaints.
He opened the special reward box first.
When the system asked if he wanted to open it, he naturally shouted yes.
With a poof, the box unfolded in all directions, revealing the item.
“Ooh!”
Item Name: Magic Tower Return Scroll (Rare)
Type: Consumable
Description: Instantly teleports the user outside the Magic Tower.
Usage: Tear the scroll.
“It came!”
An item worth hundreds of millions.
Essential for high-floor climbers.
Some players burned through dozens just to climb one floor—a literal lifeline consumable where you name your price.
Choi Junseok had been thinking he should keep at least one for emergencies.
And now it had dropped perfectly.
“Nice item.”
“Wooow… a real lifeline.”
The two summons recognized its value immediately.
As summons, they had the cheat escape of being unsummoned in emergencies, but Choi Junseok had no last resort.
Unless he broke through to a return stone location, his only options were: wait out the time limit hiding in a corner, clear, or die.
Absolute satisfaction.
“How’s that! Awesome effect, right?!”
Song Hana proudly puffed out her chest, hands on hips.
Before the blessing aura faded, he opened the next box—the hidden clear reward from the 25th floor.
What came out was a skill rune stone engraved with unknown characters.
“…Holy shit.”
An insane item had appeared.
A skill rune.
A mythic consumable that grants one additional awakening skill.
Item Name: Skill Rune Stone (Mythic)
Type: Consumable
Description: Registers the engraved skill to the player.
Granted Skill: Blink [Trait Skill]
Usage: Hold the rune stone and crush it.
A survival and mobility skill, no less.
Just from the name “Blink,” he could tell—it was probably short-to-medium range instant teleport, both escape and movement.
‘I was lacking mobility and evasion skills anyway.’
Choi Junseok immediately crushed the rune stone in his hand.
A new power surged through his body.
Just when mobility and safety were reaching their limits for shaving seconds off records,
perfect skills had landed in his hands one after another.