A call comes from an unknown number.
“Yes, hello.”
[Hello. Is this Lee Soo-chan’s phone?]
“Yeees? Uh, no…..!”
I was about to hang up, wondering what this was about, when an unusual name came up.
Wait a minute, Lee Soo-chan?
I glanced once at RiceCookerMan, who was guarding the gate.
Come to think of it, whether it was Changhwan grandpa or the memories I read from the Kyungsuk and Sunsuk card, everyone knew me as Lee Soo-chan.
I’m Kim Joo-heon, though?
When I officially visited that man for the first time, I wrote down my name and when they asked ‘Are you the grandson?’, I said ‘Yes.’ and went up with that name, but they treat the real name like an alias instead?
Thinking about it, even Changhwan grandpa, with his staunch anti-communist doctor spirit, fell for it completely even though he knew me as Ri Soo-chan, shows how scary cultural invasion is.
The sikhye I’m making these days is slowly starting to contain my life story.
“Uh, well, yes. That’s right.”
[Yes, but is it Ri… Soo-chan?]
“Yes, that’s me, but who is this? What should I do?”
From the memory of barging in with two sturdy men, he seems to have some authority in a social position where he can use people.
It doesn’t seem bad to use an alias and hide my identity.
[Your accent doesn’t give it away. Ah, I am the son-in-law of elder Kim Chang-hwan, who was admitted to a single room at Choisun Dahan Nursing Hospital.]
“I see.”
[Yes, that Lee Soo-chan? Ri Soo-chan? Are you a defector?]
“It’s Ri Soo-chan. I defected by secretly boarding the bus commuting from Kaesong Industrial Complex to Paju.”
[Ah, ahaha. I, I see.]
A defector, huh. His flustered reaction was a bit funny.
[Uh, you’re the one who gave sikhye to our father-in-law, saying it was dementia treatment, right?]
“Yes, I did.”
[I absolutely do not believe in alternative medicine that deceives the elderly. But strangely, I heard that the sikhye our father-in-law is drinking is effective not only for him but also for severe dementia patients, so as a doctor, I’m interested and contacted you.]
“Is that so?”
He is someone who has appeared in medical newspapers for preventing severe dementia multiple times in the elderly with early diagnoses.
Even from what Changhwan grandpa said, he’s a total bastard for neglecting his daughter, but he has his own social achievements.
I think marital issues are for the parties involved unless it goes to divorce court where a family court judge sorts it out.
Of course, it’s true that for someone so successful, his actions were polite but lacked mercy.
[To get to the point. I want to administer it to my patients or the patients at Choisun Dahan Nursing Hospital.]
“It’s not administered? You just drink it.”
[Yes, then I want to have them take it.]
“If that’s the case, my wish is to give it to Kim Chang-hwan first, can you let me see Changhwan grandpa?”
[Huu…………. I think I know what you’re saying, and why there’s caution in your voice.]
“What would a senile person say. He’s just looking for his daughter.”
[Our father-in-law suffered from delusions of grandeur in his later years, yes, paranoia, burying his money in the ground saying Kim Jong-un would drop North Korean nukes all over the country.]
“Really?”
I just thought it was a common case of red complex among our country’s elderly, so I didn’t think much of it, but paranoia?
Since the doctor says so, it could be.
It was amazing that he seriously buried dollars to negotiate with the US military.
[It’s one of the symptoms, and he badmouths me like that. Everyone who hears says I’m a killer. I just thought the nursing hospital where my friend is the director looked good, and it was to stop my wife from holding her breath dealing with father’s temper.]
Sss?
Hearing someone speak normally and articulately makes it sound plausible.
“But why did you move him? Shouldn’t you have kept him in that good hospital longer?”
[I got a call that he was fine, and my wife was making a fuss, how could I just watch. I’ve brought him home, so you can hand it over through me.]
I heard the father-in-law and son-in-law’s words separately, and clearly, the son-in-law who is normally sane makes more sense.
The father-in-law seems to have resentment toward the son-in-law.
From memorials and stories, grandpa isn’t lying, but from the son-in-law’s perspective, it could be different, right?
In this case…….
“This isn’t something I just give away? I received an advance from the elder too.”
[I’ve requested component analysis. If this turns out to be a drug that alleviates advanced dementia……]
“Even if you analyze the components, only sugar will come out.”
[Is that so?]
“This is sikhye made by mixing rice and sugar in holy water.”
[Yeees?]
“John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis I. It’s made by placing a rosewood rosary canonized by these three popes on the Lourdes Madonna and collecting the Madonna’s tears.”
[Ah?]
Since I’m answering as Ri Soo-chan right now, I was going to do the Supreme Leader pine cone bit but unfolded a lie instead, and surprisingly, it flows out smoothly.
Isn’t it surprising and confusing to hear that a defector who proudly defected on the Kaesong Industrial Complex commuter bus caused a mysterious miracle with cheap sikhye made from Vatican holy water?
He probably can’t even grasp where to start pointing out.
What can I do? This Ri Soo-chan really cured dementia with sugar water.
When science or reason can’t explain it, selling religion is best.
If I say it’s a miracle Jesus performed, it’s not easy to overturn.
If I say it’s a miracle the North Korean pig performed, they’ll think I’m joking to dodge, and won’t believe it seriously.
I don’t have the courage to say it honestly while holding back laughter.
“That’s why if you want direct supply of this holy water, prepare 1 billion won in gold.”
[Yeees? No, th, huh. Do you charge that much for something made with holy water?]
“Of course? It’s not just holy water, but holy water containing tears from the Madonna with a rosewood rosary canonized by three popes placed on it. It doesn’t even cover costs.”
[Di, did Christ say to collect more than tithes?]
“I’m not Christ.”
[Ah, anyway, isn’t it made with holy water? You should follow Christ’s words. I, I go to church!]
“It’s an opportunity to prove faith simply with money. Saint Kim Chang-hwan willingly said he would. Prepare 200 million advance, and we’ll sign a supply contract first. Well, if you don’t want to, I’ll hang up.”
I need about 800 million in cash urgently.
To receive it legitimately while paying gift tax, I need more.
I’m selling expensively to the sick Kim Chang-hwan grandpa, so naturally, I should sell even more expensively to the healthy, high-earning doctor?
If this is judging between the haves and have-nots, I don’t know, but anyway, the pocket the money comes from is the same for Kim Chang-hwan elder or that bastard.
[Ah, that.]
“Yes, hanging up.”
He hesitated, so I hung up first.
When ambiguous, judge with money.
Am I a judge? I’m just a merchant selling goods.
Currently, I can’t deeply intervene, interview surrounding people, investigate, and mediate their conflict.
Grandpa cheerfully threw me nearly 140 million as advance.
At least his attitude toward me and RiceCookerMan’s sikhye is more desperate.
Even if Changhwan grandpa isn’t entirely faultless.
If it’s the wish of someone whose days are numbered, it’s right to help those with short lifespans first.
“If you want to make money, this would be better for the doctor.”
It just so happens the son-in-law is an internal medicine specialist famous for dementia checks.
If that guy sells as a middleman, it might really sell for hundreds of millions.
I know the whereabouts of that burn treatment. The cat will carry it around its neck.
“Hm.”
It was the moment I was writing a message anonymously using VPN to those looking for me, even thinking of doing medicine and money transactions through CatMan.
Something plop falls from the gate.
Da.
“What, what’s that again?”
It’s not a monster, just an item, and the description is like this.
<Box of Wishes>
A box that gives the item the level-inserter dreams of if you put in levels.
Occasionally contains junk.
The more you open it, the bigger it gets, and the size of the dreamed item grows accordingly.
“……”
Now they’re even using random boxes, what the hell.
The Nightmare Queen says a word looking at the Box of Wishes.
“You got them all. I’ve only heard of it as a legend.”
“What is it?”
It does seem like a random box, but the description is unusual, so I requested commentary from the otherworld culture commentator.
“It’s a box of greed rumored to have been made by demon tribes that eat human souls to easily acquire it. Because of that box, countless humans squandered fortunes and even sold their souls.”
“Anyone can see that.”
“After that, it was used as a device to exchange gold for levels to seize human tribe levels.”
“Ah, really? Gold?”
“If you kill all humans, you can’t acquire the levels they level up and offer, right? From that logic.”
“Ol.”
“It was also developed for collecting their taxes and levels.”
“But why did they kill them all?”
“Indeed. Why did they kill them all? Preventing me from even marrying.”
Is it worth saying to the Nightmare Queen?
She’s active as a defector now.
=Ah=
Mi.
I remember when the seaweed came out.
The line itself saying they won’t raise my level anymore floated in the air.
It’s an item perfectly fitting that intent.
Because it collects levels instead.
But it grows and gives gold.
The box that came out now is roughly the size of a disposable razor blade.
<You can open the box with Level 1 and two stats. Will you open it?>
Level 1 and two stats?
If it’s gold the size of a razor blade, it’s no small amount of money.
Gold is so expensive.
“Will you open it?”
For gamers in this country, not falling for random boxes is natural.
If you open blindly, you can’t avoid becoming a beggar.
Just when the way to resolve the situation where elder Kim Chang-hwan, who signed an 800 million MOU, was taken is utterly
elusive.
He says he’ll take care of him at home, what authority do I have to barge in?
“I do need quite a bit of money right now.”
“You’re still pondering. Shall I charm men to offer their fortunes?”
My head swish turns.
“No, don’t do that.”
“As expected, you’re jealous because I seduce other men!”
Since she’s a seductive monster, sure, but beyond jealousy, that’s a bit criminal in nature?
Even though I’ve committed crimes like property damage, violence without hesitation and thought to ignore it.
“Was that jealousy induction?”
“I was taught that a man who sends his woman to others is a strange man.”
“Hey, is she my woman?”
“Yes.”
<Your level has become 716>
……Ol.
There is a certain number for experience in level ups.
Of course, this neighborhood’s level up system just unconditionally levels you to that level or one higher if you catch a higher level.
Having leveled up only that way, resisting over 40,000 level charm and accumulating experience, I can see.
The experience numbers differ when I was in the 500s and 700s.
“Hm.”
There’s a level up vending machine right next to me, what more to ponder?
First is level 1, stats 2.
I opened it.
As level becomes 715, two reserve stats are deducted.
Fanfare~!
What sound effect is fanfare.
[You have acquired gold.]
Huh, they say in casinos, they let you win the first time to suck out your soul.
“Hm, with this much gold.”
Among gold coins, there are only ones like cookie crumbs, but gold at blade level is clearly recognized as gold.
Da.
After selling gold the first time, I roughly grasped the price per weight.
Even this much would be hundreds of thousands of won.
The <Box of Wishes> has now grown a bit more, widening to the width of a mini X chocolate.
[You can open with Level 3 and 6 stats. Will you open it?]
I won’t even look at random boxes! But my situation is urgent.
If I deposit 300-400 million in cash, will they lend 1 billion?
I boldly opened this time too.
[You have acquired gold.]
“Uh uh?”
A gold really the size of a mini shell appeared.
This is quite large among golds.
Next, the Box of Wishes grows to the size of a wireless earphone case.
[You can open with Level 6 and 12 stats. Will you open it?]
Wow, multiples of 3?
Not dropping below 700, plenty of stats left, and if gold the size of a wireless earphone pouch, this would be over a thousand.
“Whoa, this is the real deal. Devil’s item.”
“You should open moderately. If it absorbs all levels and stats, next it will take soul, that is, life.”
The Nightmare Queen warns like that, and there’s already a warning.
[If there are no levels and stats to pay, it will collect lifespan and life.]
The warning text floats as is in the description next to <Box of Wishes>.
Huuuueeek.
Through Intangible Information Acquisition skill, the Box of Wishes’ history is read, it had the power to turn humans who opened the box into skeletons in an instant and kill them.
And what some human with black lizard skin who knows that is saying is also read.
Not just stopping from raising his level, but planning to eliminate it altogether. Nothing better for that. It’s an artifact with the power to make one voluntarily give up levels. If addicted to money games, can make them die on their own.
Let’s see if the giant there transcends human greed?
Is that the fish that caused this flood?
Looks like a salamander living by the water, but a black salamander.
Anyway, that guy’s the monster putting in ‘enemies that prevent level ups’?
That salamander guy probably expects me to get addicted to random boxes and lose all levels and stats.
“Grow big, Queen.”
“Yes? Uh, you said to mind public morals because there’s a baby behind?”
“Put her to sleep more.”
“Oh my…….”
But there’s something she doesn’t know.
I’m someone who involuntarily transcended sexual desire, what’s material desire…………uh?
Why is she growing while sitting on my thigh too?