Chapter 528
A halfling struggling with a bundle easily twice his size.
“Th-this is really good stuff, just buy one and….”
He tried his best to appeal, but anyone could see how awkward he looked.
Unlike the fancy shops with their nice displays, he just carried a jumble of random items, which didn’t help his case.
Most players arriving at the entrance of the 33rd floor didn’t even spare the halfling’s items a glance.
No one wanted to waste their only chance at a linked quest on a clumsy peddler.
Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Tae-min had also put together a plan based on all the information they’d gathered.
“Hyung, according to this, the workshops in Area A offer the best quests.”
“The Alchemy School in Area C isn’t bad either. Apparently, 26% of players who got A-grade or better quests did it there.”
Ultra-secret info acquired through Yeonhwa’s grandfather, Yoo Cheonyeong.
It had taken connections and a ton of money to get it.
It was touching to see how hard they tried to help.
But Jinhyuk just smiled and walked ahead.
“Huh…?”
“Oppa?”
The two stared wide-eyed.
It was obvious they were thinking, ‘No way, he’s not going to, right?’
It made sense.
At the start of the 33rd floor, thanks to the countless clichés in novels and movies—like the Starlight Sculptor—a lot of people used to try their luck with the unremarkable residents, hoping for a hidden jackpot.
But reality wasn’t so kind.
The tens of thousands who had tried their luck with peddlers or street stalls all tasted bitter defeat.
So people stopped taking such risks, and lately everyone just aimed for the places with the highest odds.
So what Jinhyuk was about to do looked totally crazy.
“Hey there, handsome! If you buy one, I’ll throw in another for free… no, just buy one and I’ll give you half off on all future purchases….”
“Okay. I’ll buy one.”
“Sigh. I knew it… Wait, really?”
The halfling looked more shocked than anyone.
“R-really?”
“Anything’s fine—attack or defense—but I need a ring with a fire attribute. Minimum purity of B-grade or higher.”
“Of course! I have it, absolutely!”
The halfling hastily set down his backpack and started pulling things out.
All kinds of crystal balls and strange magi-engineering items poured out like a mountain.
‘A backpack with both weight reduction and subspace effects.’
Judging by the sheer amount, it was clearly much more special than it looked.
The finely crafted ruby ring was no different.
“How… how about this? It’s 200,000 coins, but I’ll knock it down to 150,000. That’s really as low as I can go. Hehe.”
150,000 coins was about break-even.
But the price wasn’t the important part.
The linked quest triggered by the purchase was what mattered.
“Hyung, are you sure about this?”
“Oppa, think again. If it’s a fire ring from a peddler, at best you’ll get a quest to hunt Fire Golems or Lizard Kings.”
Tae-min and Yeonhwa tried their hardest to stop him.
Since they’d already formed a party before coming to the 33rd floor, if Jinhyuk the party leader accepted, the rest would be stuck with the same quest.
“Come on, since when did you two become so calculating? Don’t you remember how we used to do things?”
Whenever we faced an unknown floor or quest, we always chose impulsively, going with our gut and throwing ourselves into it.
“I know, hyung, but….”
“This isn’t a game anymore, it’s real life.”
“Reality or not, nothing’s changed for us.”
Time passed, conditions changed.
But the ones climbing the Tower were still the same.
With a mischievous grin, Jinhyuk brushed off their worries.
“Sigh. There’s no use. Noona, give up.”
“I know. If Jinhyuk oppa sets his mind on something, he never changes it. But if that leechy swordsman or Teresa gets a better quest and you get jealous, don’t complain later.”
The two nodded.
“I don’t care what it is. As long as I’m with the contractor, that’s enough.”
Even Alice agreed, so the first step of the 33rd floor’s linked quest began.
Ding!
[Path of Fire – Linked Quest (1)]
Difficulty: F
Objective: Use magi-engineering to enhance the ring, then sell it for more than the purchase price. (The buyer must be a resident; coercion, violence, or deceit are not allowed.)
Their expressions split in two.
Yeonhwa and Tae-min’s faces fell instantly.
Jinhyuk’s lips curled even higher.
…It was the perfect quest he wanted.
“Thanks. I’ll take it from here.”
“I should be thanking you. Hehe. Oh! My name’s Isaac. I’m a halfling and just had my coming-of-age, so now I can do business.”
I already knew, even without the introduction.
Isaac the White Crystal.
Seven years after the Tower appeared, he’d become a renowned magi-engineer on the upper floors.
He might look pathetic now, but with time, he’d become one of the Tower’s recognized authorities.
He’d even become the head of the Magi-Engineering School.
* * *
After parting with Isaac, Jinhyuk headed straight to a nearby restaurant.
Before getting into the main quest, there were a few things to take care of.
Murmur.
The place was packed.
Only on the 33rd floor could you find such unique magi-engineering snacks and spirits.
The food, served in all kinds of colorful crystal glasses, was another joy.
“Contractor.”
Alice lowered her voice.
“Yeah. I know.”
Jinhyuk glanced over the tables nearby.
A bunch of players had started tailing them.
These were the ones who’d just been watching, not taking any quests until they saw whom Jinhyuk would pick—and then rushed to Isaac.
They planned to take the same quest and watch what Jinhyuk did.
‘Honestly, these schemers….’
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue inwardly.
Even if you started the same, just one variable could completely change the path.
How could they not get that, making such reckless moves?
‘Or maybe… do they actually think they can copy me perfectly?’
That’d be even more laughable.
Of all people.
To think they could leech off me.
“What’s your plan?”
Alice asked, threatening to swat all the pests if needed.
Yeonhwa and Tae-min had also noticed the tagalongs and were ready to use their powers. But—
“No, why would I turn away such valuable sucke—no, comrades who came all this way? Let’s welcome them with open arms.”
Jinhyuk’s tone was softer and warmer than ever.
A gentle halo seemed to glow behind him.
-Creepy. Seeing oppa smile like that.
-Noona, maybe we should just chase them off now?
-As expected of someone colder than a vampire. I’ve still got a long way to go.
The three felt even more uneasy watching him.
Clatter.
Jinhyuk stood and turned around.
The players watching flinched.
They avoided his gaze, pretending not to notice.
“There’s no need to sneak around. We’re all climbing the Tower together… what’s the point in me hiding information?”
“Huh?”
“What do you mean…?”
The players looked puzzled.
“I mean, I’ll share everything I know. For everyone’s benefit.”
“No way….”
“Oooh!”
“Kang Jinhyuk!”
“I can’t believe there’s such a generous person!”
Cheers erupted from the players.
Some even hugged each other and jumped up and down, as if they’d just won the lottery.
No wonder.
Most here weren’t in big guilds—they were individuals or small teams.
They called themselves mercenaries or freelancers, but in truth, they were second-rate at best—people who couldn’t get into major guilds.
They’d gambled, hoping to grab anything they could.
But never expected it to pay off like this.
To be this confident with an F-grade linked quest… clearly, there was something more.
“Ahem! I’ve always been told I’m very generous. It’s not wrong.”
“We’ve heard about you.”
“We figured you’d be cold and overbearing, but… looks like we totally misunderstood.”
“Thank you so much. We’ll do whatever you say.”
“Anything?”
“Sorry?”
“You just said you’d do anything, right?”
“Y-yeah?”
The cheerful middle-aged man scratched his head.
“Then, for the smooth progress of the quest, let’s all sign a contract. Nothing special. No need to read it closely.”
Jinhyuk laid out a sheet of paper on the table.
Not the [Brand of Fiery Loyalty].
This was for those qualified to be ‘interns.’
Actually, it was lower—a non-regular contract for a few days.
From Article 1 to 258.
Nothing in it made sense.
Just a pile of unfair, exploitative clauses.
“Isn’t this too much? We have to give up all our items, work 14 hours a day!”
“Even the rights to Hall of Fame videos….”
“We’re even limited to one meal a day for 100 coins.”
“Shouldn’t bathroom breaks be free? Only two per day?”
Complaints came from everywhere.
“Did you all come here to play?”
“No, but….”
“We’re here to clear the 33rd floor. Follow my lead, and you’ll be part of the very first team to clear it. Are those petty things really worth worrying about? Is there no one willing to sacrifice and make a little effort?”
The first floor clear.
Has anyone here ever accomplished that?
Or even dared to dream of it?
All of them had always just followed in others’ footsteps, picking up scraps as safely as possible.
A place far above their station, only daring to snatch crumbs along the way.
…Once, they’d wanted to get ahead.
To become stronger and stand at the center of humanity.
But now, only their cowardly, calculating selves remained.
But—
Now someone was offering to change all of that.
The strongest ranker, with enough experience and ability to back it up.
“Will you trust me and chase your dreams? Or lose them for a handful of coins?”
“Together….”
“We’ll do it together!”
“I don’t need anything else.”
“Just let me stay by your side.”
The players rose like a swarm.
Their faces were once again filled with the hope and dreams they’d had when first meeting the Tower.
[F-grade quest, Enhance and Sell completed….]
[E-grade quest, Find the Fire Clue completed….]
[E+ grade quest, Collect 500 Fire Wolf Fangs….]
A perfect raid route, abundant manpower, and forced labor beyond mere exploitation.
The synergy was not three, but ten times greater.
Their clear speed instantly outpaced even the major guilds who’d arrived weeks earlier.
And that news—
Set off ripples among many competing interests.