[ㅇㅇ: So, how good is getting +10 Magic exactly?]
[Beetle: Extremely. Stats increase randomly between 1 and 10 each time you clear a floor.]
[Which stat increases is also random.]
[Magic is Firepower: Even with class correction, unlucky people end up as something like a strength mage.]
[ㅇㅇ: Oh, I see. So it really is super good.]
Only then did I truly understand.
The even distribution of all stats was an incredible bonus.
To acquire a stat of +10 Magic, one had to succeed in two separate chance draws.
First, there was the probability of Magic being selected from among numerous stats.
Second, there was the probability of the stat increase being exactly 10.
“They give this out every single floor?”
It was only then that I grasped why top-ranked players were so obsessed with securing first place.
With such a bonus on the line, it made perfect sense that the method to achieve a No. 1 ranking would be treated as a national secret.
I moved on to the next topic.
My most pressing concern at the moment was money.
****
[Title: Need to sell magic stones, anyone know someone?]
[Author: ㅇㅇ]
[I got double the magic stones because of the bonus.]
[They say you need a broker to sell these, right?]
[Anyone know a broker?]
[Pikachu: Huh? Can’t you just sell them to the Association?]
[ㅇㅇ: I’m unregistered.]
[Refrigerator: Ah, right, that’s true… But I’ve never used a broker, so I wouldn’t know.]
Only then did they seem to grasp my predicament.
Indeed, it was unlikely that A-rank or S-rank hunters like them would ever have to personally sell magic stones.
The Association likely handled it for them, or they had a dedicated staff member.
It was unreasonable to expect them to understand the struggles of an unregistered hunter.
[Magic is Firepower: You’ll definitely have to look for a broker, then.]
[There are guys who specialize in dealing with unregistered hunters.]
[Beetle: Be careful. Most of those guys are swindlers. They all have one or two hunters on their payroll.]
[Pikachu: Even then, they’re just C- or D-rank nobodies who can’t even pull their own weight. It’s a waste to even call them hunters.]
[Our invincible newbie could easily wipe them out.]
‘Danger, huh…’
At Beetle’s comment, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.
Long black hair, a youthful face, and a slender build.
Even my physique made me look like a middle school student, no matter how one looked.
Beetle was right.
If I were to meet a broker looking like this, I would undoubtedly become an easy target.
[Beetle: If any problems arise, tell me immediately. I’ll take care of it.]
[Pikachu: Beetle, stop trying to act sweet and show off in front of the newbie. It’s disgusting to watch.]
I made a mental note of Beetle’s offer.
However, it was highly unlikely I would ever need his help.
Regardless, I was in urgent need of money. I reluctantly headed to the Hunter Gallery.
Searching with keywords like ‘magic stone’ and ‘purchase’ brought up a flood of related posts.
[(Credit/Safety/Speed) ◆Gold Rush◆ Buying magic stones/junk items/equipment at the highest prices.]
[@MagicStonePurchase@ Available 24/7 for on-site visits in all Seoul/Gyeonggi areas. Telegram: @SSalDAPaM23]
Most of them were blatant advertisements.
“Isn’t the moderator doing their job…? Why are there so many ads?”
I clicked my tongue, then chose the most legitimate-looking purchase post and left a comment.
[Selling magic stones.]
[Telegram @SSalDaPam23]
A reply appeared in merely a second.
It was a Telegram link.
Telegram, a messenger that had become a hotbed of illegal activities.
It guaranteed complete anonymity and automatically deleted chat histories, making it perfect for such transactions.
I clicked the link and entered the chat room, stating my intention to sell.
[I contacted you to sell magic stones.]
[How much?]
[400g.]
[400g? We apologize, but we don’t handle such small quantities.]
[We only deal in kilograms.]
The reply was firm.
I muttered a curse under my breath. Small quantity?
[Then I’ll just clear a few more floors. Whatever.]
I closed the Telegram window without a second thought.
Ultimately, the conclusion was that I had to clear more of the tower.
The very next day, I immediately resumed my assault on the tower.
Upon entering the third floor, new types of adversaries appeared, such as Goblin Throwers.
But they were still just goblins.
With my Golden-tier skill, they posed no threat whatsoever.
“Quicksand.”
As soon as the battle began, I unleashed a vast quicksand pit, then tore off my hand and flung it.
While the goblins floundered in the swamp, I conjured sand bullets from the ground, slaughtering them.
The throwers attempted long-range attacks, but submerged in the quicksand, their aim was inevitably thrown off.
The stones the goblins hurled uselessly cut through the empty air.
The floor was cleared with remarkable ease.
[Congratulations on clearing Tower Floor 3 (EXTREME)!]
[First Clear Bonus applied!]
[No. 1 Ranking Bonus applied!]
[All Stats +10]
[Magic Stone 400g]
The fourth floor was much the same.
This time, Goblin Warriors armed with axes and spears made an appearance.
Some even wore shabby armor.
Yet, within the quicksand, their defenses were utterly useless.
I precisely lodged sand bullets into the gaps of the bewildered goblins’ armor.
[Congratulations on clearing Tower Floor 4 (EXTREME)!]
[First Clear Bonus applied!]
[No. 1 Ranking Bonus applied!]
[All Stats +10]
[Magic Stone 400g]
Having cleared up to the fourth floor over two days, I had accumulated exactly 1.2 kg of magic stones in my pouch.
The weight was now sufficient.
“They said a boss appears on the fifth floor, didn’t they?”
According to the information I gathered from the gallery, the fifth floor was guarded by a boss monster called the Goblin Shaman.
Even for me, I wanted to properly prepare for this first boss battle before challenging it.
First, I exited the tower and contacted the broker again.
[I’ve collected 1kg of magic stones. Will you buy them now?]
[1kg? Excellent. Let’s meet tomorrow at 2 PM.]
The trade was set.
****
Meanwhile, in Virginia, USA, deep within a Pentagon bunker.
It was a place boasting the world’s highest security, yet it proved utterly useless before one man.
“What in the hell are you all doing?!”
Demigod, the strongest S-rank hunter currently alive, slammed his fist onto a desk, roaring.
Another desk was added to the growing pile of those he had destroyed today.
The agents seated before their monitors flinched, their shoulders hunching.
Given his temper, the next thing to be shattered might very well be their own heads.
“My No. 1 record has been stolen for days now, and you still haven’t found out who it is?!”
“S-sir, we apologize. The opponent deliberately erased their tracks…”
“Cut the excuses! What even is this nickname? How do you read this? Two circles? Are you mocking me?”
One agent cautiously opened their mouth.
“For now… we are referring to them as ‘Double O’.”
“Double O?”
“Yes. We suspect they might be a Japanese hunter.
There’s speculation that it could be a dual-wielding swordsman secretly being cultivated by the Japanese government recently…”
Demigod scoffed.
“Japanese? Impossible.
Those bastards would never dare such a brazen act.
They’re nothing but monkeys always trailing behind us!”
“But…”
“Find them. Now! By any means necessary, uncover the identity of this ‘Double O’!
If a report isn’t on my desk by tomorrow morning…
I’ll throw every single one of you into the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Get your heads straight and work. You worms.”
Leaving behind a menacing threat, Demigod spun on his heel and stormed out of the bunker.
‘He’s just a washed-up loser who got beaten by a three-fold difference, yet he’s yelling at us…’
The employees swallowed their curses internally as they began clearing away the shattered desks and computers.
****
Leading up to my meeting with the broker, I meticulously gathered information.
The Hunter Gallery often featured posts from victims who had been scammed by brokers.
The most common tactics involved manipulating the weight, or drastically lowering the price by claiming the magic stones had low purity.
In severe cases, some brokers would even resort to brute force to steal the magic stones outright.
Moreover, consider my appearance.
I looked like nothing more than a child, or a middle school student running an errand.
It was an image that made it impossible to conceive of me as a hunter.
Even a broker with no initial criminal intent would surely get ideas upon seeing me.
Therefore, I made thorough preparations.
Just in case.
The meeting place was a quiet officetel.
When I sent a message via Telegram, a reply came back immediately.
[I’m almost there.]
[Come to room 1302.]
I pressed the doorbell of the room the broker had indicated.
*Creak—*
A moment later, the steel door opened, revealing a man with a menacing appearance.
Broad shoulders and arms covered in tattoos.
He was clearly no ordinary person.
The man’s face registered extreme surprise the moment he saw me.
“What? What’s with this kid?”
He couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
His mind seemed to be racing, processing the unexpected situation.
He was probably confused.
An unregistered hunter coming to sell magic stones, and it was a middle school-aged kid?
He decided to offer a compromise with his common sense.
“Who sent you? Is your dad a hunter?”
He asked, subtly trying to intimidate me.
But I wasn’t actually a middle school student, so there was no reason to be scared by such threats.
I deliberately stood with a slouch, hands in my pockets, and replied.
It was all about gaining the upper hand.
I couldn’t afford to be underestimated as a child on our first meeting.
“You’re being awfully informal with a customer on our first meeting, aren’t you?”
“…What?”
“I’m the hunter, you bastard. Why, got a problem?”
The broker seemed momentarily speechless at the informal language and profanity that spilled from my lips.
He soon let out a hollow laugh.
“Hahahaha. I’ve seen it all now.”
“So, are you buying or not?”
“I don’t know where you picked up that act, but it doesn’t scare me one bit, so stop it.”
What? This treating me like a grade-schooler?
Should I just sweep them all away? I could slaughter them so they couldn’t even utter a sound.
Just as I was about to show him a lesson, he seemed to fall into thought for a moment, then stepped aside and spoke.
“…Just come in.”
*Click—*
The moment I stepped inside, the ominous sound of the door lock automatically engaging echoed behind me.
The broker gestured for me to sit on the sofa, then made a call to someone.
“Yeah, it’s me. Right… No, just some kid. Yeah. A real pain in the ass. …The surroundings? Clear? Got it.”
Listening to the snippets of conversation, it seemed he was checking if I had any accomplices or police around the officetel.
He probably thought this was some kind of trap.
But there were no accomplices to be found.
After checking several times, the broker let out a sigh of relief and hung up the phone.
And during that time, I had also made a preparation of my own.
‘Quicksand.’
My left hand dissolved into flowing sand.
I concealed a small pit of quicksand beneath the carpet, biding my time.
