Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Spendthrift Necromancer (129)

JackpotWhile following the scent.

Kim Minwoo's eyes gleamed.‘One of them feels different?’Of the three, there was one scent that felt especially intense.‘Is there a difference?’There should be exactly three Very Good chests.

Then there shouldn't be any difference in their scents. But if there was…….‘Maybe there's another hidden element.’Either way.

He didn't know how long this Authority would last, so he needed to move quickly.

“Let's go that way.”

Kim Minwoo immediately took off running.

His guild members followed behind him.

Before long, he stopped dead in front of one chest and looked at Park Siwoo.

“Siwoo.”

“Yes.”

“Pick that one.”

“That one?”

“Yeah. That's the jackpot.”

Park Siwoo tilted his head briefly.

Then picked up the chest.

“Let's go to the next place.”

Not long afterward, Kim Minwoo reached the second chest and looked at Seo Yerim.

“Ms. Yerim, take that one.”

She nodded and picked up the chest. If he was speaking with that much confidence, he had clearly figured something out.‘……

Is this another ability from that Shop he mentioned before?’He'd said he could exchange special currency for items instead of money. Maybe he was using something related to that to locate good chests.

After handing chests to both guild members, it was Kim Minwoo's turn.

The strongest fragrance brushed the tip of his nose.

Then he reached his destination.

“Hm?”

The powerful scent was unquestionably coming from directly ahead…….‘I can't see it?’There was nothing there but empty floor, as if absolutely nothing existed.

Kim Minwoo's eyes gleamed.‘Don't tell me it's camouflaged?’The moment he cautiously reached out.

Tap!

His hand touched something.

Feeling around, it was unmistakably a square chest.‘This one's mine.’If he'd already found the Very Good chests for them, hadn't he practically done everything he needed to do?

As Guild Master, he couldn't surrender the single most special reward.

“Let's go.”

“……?”

Seo Yerim tilted her head at his seemingly empty hands.

Only for a moment.

“Are you holding a chest right now?”

“Yes. Looks like it's invisible.”

The three approached Popo, each carrying one chest.

“We've all chosen.”―……? One of you doesn't have a chest…… wait. Why does it say all three have selected one?

After being flustered for a moment.

Popo cleared his throat and asked calmly.―……

Are you certain you want those?

Since he didn't know which chests were good either, he seemed to be making an effort not to reveal any personal emotion.

“Yeah. We'll take these.”―Understood. Then…….

Popo clapped his paws together.

That was when.[You have selected a chest!][The chest's grade is revealed!]

Flash!

Brilliant rainbow light erupted from the chest in his hands.[Amazing!][You have obtained the one and only ‘Very, Very Good Chest That Hid Its Identity Through Camouflage’ in the Mountain of Treasure!][You acquire the title, ‘Huh? How Did You Find This?’!]

Light erupted from Seo Yerim and Park Siwoo's chests as well.

The only difference compared to his own.

His had erupted in rainbow light, while theirs shone pure white.

“Huh?”

Park Siwoo tilted his head, looking back and forth between his chest and Kim Minwoo's.

“Hyung, weren't there only three Very Good chests? Then why is the color…….”

“Apparently this one's a special hidden chest.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. They say there's only one.”

“Whoa, that's insane…… how the hell did you even find something like that, Hyung?”

“Something I got before ended up being useful. It was one-use only…… but this is exactly when you're supposed to use something like that.”

“Hyung, seriously. Respect. No, reverence.”

Park Siwoo gave him a thumbs-up.

What if Kim Minwoo hadn't been here?

He would've stood around cluelessly, picked some random chest, and prayed.

There was a high chance he would've ended up with a Crude or Poor one.

But now?

Out of tens of thousands of chests, he'd gotten to choose one of the very best.

Of course, strictly speaking, Kim Minwoo's chest was probably number one, making Siwoo's the second-best…….‘I never would've known anyway.’So it was effectively the top prize as far as he was concerned.

Seo Yerim was equally astonished. She'd assumed he had something in mind from the moment he'd confidently stepped forward.‘So he really did…….’She'd gotten carried properly this time.

“Thank you, Mr. Minwoo.”

“It was an ability I needed to use anyway. I just took care of both of you while I was at it.”

Whether his two guild members were there or not, he would've needed to use the ability to obtain the best reward. He'd simply strengthened the guild while doing so.

For him, it was all benefit and no loss.

That was when.

A small exclamation came from beside him.―Whoa…… what is that chest?

“You don't know either?”―I don't. Even the seniors who managed this place never mentioned anything like that…….

“Take a look.”

He held the chest toward Popo.[Very, Very Good Chest That Hid Its Identity Through Camouflage.][Rank: Special][A cunning chest that has hidden within the Mountain of Treasure under camouflage for tens of thousands of years. It was confident it would never be caught, but today, it was finally exposed.]―If it's one grade higher…… even I'm curious what it'll give. I've heard Very Good chests usually grant Traits…….

“……

Traits?”

It didn't sound like a Skill.

An item from a Very Good chest was bound to be excellent, but he couldn't quite grasp what kind of reward a Trait was supposed to be.―Uh, I don't know the details either. I only heard about it from the seniors. But I was told they're incredibly good. Why don't you open them?

The three opened their chests simultaneously.[Opening Very, Very Good Chest!][You receive an adjustment proportional to your 42% contribution!][This is a special chest. You receive additional rewards suited to you! They are placed in your inventory!][Reward List][1. Seed of Trait Manifestation (High)][2. Item Rank-Up Ticket x1][3. Elu's Tear][4. Old Key][5. 3 Random Item Boxes, 1 Elixir]

Kim Minwoo whistled at the rewards.

Setting aside the Seed of Trait Manifestation, which seemed to be the original main reward.

There was the Item Rank-Up Ticket, whose name alone sounded extraordinary.‘A lot of this looks familiar.’Elu's Tear, the Ancient-grade ring he'd seen in the VVIP Shop.‘The five-million-point Key, boxes, and an Elixir?’Even excluding the Seed, the rewards were worth roughly twenty-one million points.

Time to examine the main rewards.[Item Rank-Up Ticket][Rank: Special][A one-use ticket capable of raising an item's rank. The Very, Very Good Chest secretly ate it and hid away. Someone may be desperately searching for it.][Effect 1. When used, raises an item's rank by one tier.]‘Wow.’That's incredible.

That was his immediate thought.

A simple effect: raise an item's rank.

But there didn't seem to be any particular restriction.‘What happens if I use it on a Mythic item?’Mythic, the rank above Ancient.

He'd seen one only once throughout all his years playing the game. Naturally, its options had been incredible.

What if he used the Rank-Up Ticket on a Mythic item?‘I'm seriously curious what would come out.’Of course, he could also use it to turn an Ancient item into Mythic.‘What a waste.’He wasn't exactly weak right now, so why bother?

Saving it was definitely the correct choice for now.

He decided to treasure it safely inside his inventory.

Then examined the true main reward.[Seed of Trait Manifestation (High)][Rank: Special][What is your innate Trait? Perhaps eating this will let you discover it.][Effect 1. Upon consumption, a ‘Traits’ category is created in your Status.][Effect 2. Each Trait grants special effects.][Effect 3. Traits gradually grow through use.]

This was equally fascinating.‘A new category gets added to Status…….’It was a type of item he'd never seen before in his life.

He looked toward Seo Yerim and Park Siwoo.

Both were holding something resembling a seed too.

“Hyung, did you get a Seed too?”

“Yeah. You?”

“Yes. Mine says Seed of Trait Manifestation (Intermediate)…… Noona, did you get one too?”

“Yeah. Mine's Intermediate too. And I got three Random Item Boxes.”

“Wait, what! Three?”

“Why? Didn't you get three too?”

“……

I only got one? Wait. Hyung, what about you?”

“Sorry. I got three too. Plus a bunch of other stuff.”

“Why! Why only me…….”

Park Siwoo looked heartbroken beyond words.

“You got the Seed. That's enough. I'll buy your equipment at the auction house, so don't worry too much about it.”

“Ugh…… is this because of the contribution difference?”

“Probably? Still, you got one box, so that's fine. Let's eat the Seeds.”

The two nodded.

They tossed the tiny Seeds into their mouths.

Kim Minwoo did the same.[You consume Seed of Trait Manifestation!][Analyzing the footsteps of the life engraved within your soul…….][Analysis complete.][Endless challenges. You refused to yield no matter how difficult the circumstances.][Trait, Indomitable (High)

is added to your Status!]

He examined the details.[Trait: Indomitable (High)][Whenever you refuse to yield before adversity, you receive a special adjustment.]‘Indomitable.’His eyes gleamed.

The best reward.

And its effect was only one line.

In other words, didn't that mean every part of its power was concentrated into that single line?

The activation condition was easy too.

Just keep choosing difficult options.‘That's what I do every day.’He could check the effect next time he picked something difficult. Shrugging, he looked at his guild members.

“I got Indomitable. What did you get, Ms. Yerim?”

“Mine is…… Diligence.”

“Diligence? What's the effect?”

She flinched slightly before answering.

“……

Effort will be rewarded.”

Effort will be rewarded.

Intermediate was bound to be weaker than High, but even accounting for that, it sounded like an excellent effect.

“What about you, Siwoo?”

“Patience.”

“Patience?”

“Yes. It says every life sees the sun eventually?”

“Oh, so someday you'll hit one big jackpot?”

“Uh…… maybe? But I feel like the sun's already shining on my life……?”

“That's true.”

His life was certainly far more stable than leaving an orphanage with a five-million-won settlement allowance and doing construction labor.

“Whatever. You don't need some huge jackpot, so don't obsess over it.”

Minwoo patted his shoulder.

“Let's open the boxes too.”

Boxes that could produce Legendary to Ancient equipment.

The three opened their boxes.[Opening Random Item Box!][You acquire Uldraf's Horn (Legendary)

…….][You acquire Wraith Step (Legendary)

…….][You acquire Gloves of the Contagion Lord (Ancient)

…….]

He examined the details.

The horn was an item that granted powerful buffs to allies when blown.‘The boots are nice too.’They were Necromancer-exclusive equipment that allowed the wearer to use a special technique.

Finally, the Gloves of the Contagion Lord…….[Gloves of the Contagion Lord][Rank: Ancient][Requirement: Level 251 or higher, Necromancer][Gloves woven from the cloth of the Contagion Lord.][Effect 1. Curses spread to enemies. If another enemy is nearby, the curse continues multiplying without limit.]

So this was the majesty of Ancient rank?

Kim Minwoo blinked.

Only one effect.

But that effect was absurdly good.‘It spreads curses?’And infinitely, as long as there were enemies nearby?

What an insane item.

Its only weakness was that it wouldn't be especially powerful in fights against only a few enemies.‘Even accounting for that, it's insane.’Until now, whenever there were many enemies, he'd had to curse each one individually.

Not anymore.

Once he cast a curse, it would spread everywhere on its own.

Add Elu's Tear to that, and he'd already obtained two Ancient-grade items.‘I'm going to burst from how much I'm eating.’If he organized everything he'd gained so far…….―Highest-Grade Elixir Recipe.―Trueblood (Baronet-tier)

regeneration.―One Elixir.―Nuclear Bomb.―Item Rank-Up Ticket and Trait.―Two Ancient and Legendary items.‘Oh, right. I had the Old Key too.’If he kept carrying that around, he'd probably find a use for it eventually.

And that wasn't all.

His guild members' combat power had risen sharply too. They had each gained Intermediate Traits, and they'd obtained equipment from opening their boxes.

Seo Yerim had received two Legendary items and one Ancient item.

Park Siwoo had hit the jackpot as well.

His single box had produced an Ancient item.‘That'll save me money on at least one equipment slot.’And all that saved money could become his investment funds.‘Thanks for the meal.’It had truly been a rewarding tournament.* * *When they returned.

A familiar sight appeared.

It was the waiting room they'd used before entering the Selection Tournament. The moment they stepped outside, they saw an enormous crowd.

Hundreds of reporters.

He wasn't particularly surprised.‘The Awakened who left first must've spread the news.’Korea was a weak Awakened nation.

Even merely advancing past the preliminaries of an international competition was enough to cause chicken shops nationwide to sell out.

And this time they'd taken first, second, and third place all together?

How could national pride not explode?

He cleared his throat to prepare for the interview.

“Mr. Kim Minwoo! China says it's considering export restrictions on key resources! What do you think about the current situation……?”……

Huh?

Why was China suddenly coming up?

His confusion lasted only briefly.‘Ah.’Kim Minwoo snorted.

He could already see exactly what was happening.

“Cute.”

“……

Excuse me?”

“Among the Awakened superpowers, China was the only country whose participants were completely wiped out, weren't they?”

“Uh…… yes, though…… apparently you personally offered them as sacrifices…….”

“Do they not know why I sacrificed them?”

“Uh…… I think they probably do…….”

“Whatever. Since things have come to this, I'll impose a restriction of my own.”

“……

A restriction?”

The reporters tilted their heads.

Was he talking about restricting Ilseong products or something?

Given Kim Minwoo's influence, he could probably do that.

But from China's perspective, that wouldn't even leave a scratch…….

That was when.

Kim Minwoo grinned.

“I got something very nice during the Selection Tournament. The Highest-Grade Elixir Recipe. France supposedly signed a secret pact with America just to obtain this stuff, right?”

Gulp.

The reporters swallowed.

Highest-Grade Elixir.

An elixir produced only in America, whose export was completely blocked except to France and a small number of allied nations.

The very elixir that had allowed America to begin dominating the massively profitable Gate Contest.

And China, which America kept firmly in check?

It was something they could confidently say China could never obtain no matter what they did…….

“Maybe because it needs so many precious ingredients, the production cost looks like around eight billion won each. And the Gate Contest is right around the corner, so let's add a premium. From now on, China pays ten times the price for anything.”

Ten times?

Did he mean ten times production cost?‘……

Then eighty billion won per pill?’He was basically telling them not to buy any.

“……

Guild Master. Are you perhaps considering selling the elixirs to other countries?”

“Well, depends on the situation?”

A suggestive answer.

The reporters sensed it immediately.

The board had just gotten much bigger.‘This is going to…….’America and its allies are going to lose their minds immediately, aren't they?