My Assigned Hunters Climb the Tower - Chapter 03

========== CHAPTER 3 ==========

Go Gyeol let out a deep sigh as he alternated his gaze between his old savings passbook and his checking account, where the balance was painfully obvious.

After getting a job at a large corporation right after graduating from university, his only goal had been ‘buying my own home.’ However, in this bleak city, money drained away just by breathing. Electricity bills, water bills, rent, phone bills… his salary just grazed his account before vanishing.

Clack.

Go Gyeol dropped his passbook onto the desk as if throwing it away.

“If I’d known I was going to regress, I should’ve at least memorized the lottery numbers.”

It was a personality that had never dreamed of getting rich quick. That was why he had never once paid attention to lottery winning numbers.

If he had known about this future, he would have risked his life to memorize the numbers for the draw with the highest jackpot in history.

Of course, it wasn’t that there was absolutely no way.

If he broke his savings and added the deposit from this small studio apartment, he could achieve the mission goal of 70 million won. But that would literally mean pouring everything he had into it. It was a crazy move that would wipe out even the minimum funds he needed to use in the ‘Tower’ in the future.

“…System.”

【Yes.】

“What you want, in the end, is ‘managing’, right?”

【That is correct.】

“Haa….”

A groan burst out of Go Gyeol’s mouth on its own. Hunter Manager. That was his past life.

When dungeons first appeared, there were only ‘Guilds’ where powerful hunters gathered.

But after the ‘Tower’ appeared and the ‘National Voting System,’ which prioritized popularity over skill, was introduced, companies under the name of management sprang up like mushrooms, and hunters chose ‘Management’ to handle their image, just like celebrities.

That phenomenon wasn’t limited to just hunters.

Large management companies provided guild-level financial support as a baseline, plus thorough image making. Promising rookies who had just awakened or hunters where popularity was crucial, like S-ranks, were already affiliated with giant management firms.

What if the talent the System wanted was one of those hunters? He would need to support not only the signing bonus but also the massive penalty fees required to terminate existing contracts, and even the expensive consumables they used.

The amount needed wasn’t just in the tens of millions of won. It might require hundreds of millions, or even billions.

“How… am I supposed to come up with the money….”

As he groaned and pressed his temples in agony, a scene suddenly flashed through Go Gyeol’s mind like lightning. It was a piece of news he had carelessly passed over before his regression.

“…Right. Why did I forget this?”

In an instant, a bright smile spread across his face, which had been filled with despair. It was the expression of someone who had just met a savior.

Screech—

The car stopped with a sharp screeching sound in front of a massive scrapyard. To be precise, it was a disposal site where useless byproducts poured out from cleared dungeons were discarded or recycled.

When a high-end sedan stopped in a place where no one but professional dealers ever set foot, the scrapyard owner, dressed in work clothes, frowned and shouted.

“Hey! You can’t park there!”

“I’m here to buy some byproducts.”

At those words, the owner’s frowning face brightened as if by magic.

“Oh my, a customer! Welcome! What do you need? Just say the word, I’ll find it all for you.”

“No, I’ll decide after looking for myself.”

Go Gyeol waved away the fake kindness and headed straight inside. The owner shouted at his back.

“Hey, customer! That’s where the waste is piled up! The usable stuff is over here!”

Ignoring the kind shouting, Go Gyeol headed toward the pile of waste. Watching his back, the owner pretended to frown while slightly curling up the corners of his mouth.

‘Caught a real sucker today.’

Whatever the owner was thinking behind his back, only the massive pile of waste, stacked higher than his height, entered Go Gyeol’s eyes.

This mountain that the whole world called trash. But to his eyes, it was an Eldorado filled with treasures.

Go Gyeol rolled up his sleeves and began to rummage through the pile of waste that reeked of a foul odor.

Rotten goblin bones, worn-out orc leather boots, Chiron’s torn wings….

Go Gyeol’s eyes suddenly lit up as he dug through the worthless trash for a long time.

“Here it is.”

What he held in his hand was a bumpy, charred stone the size of a baby’s fist.

In his past life, this stone was thrown into an incinerator along with other waste. The person in charge, who came to collect the ashes after burning everything, found the stone emitting a brilliant light alone in the pile of ash. They spent a large sum of money to have it appraised just in case, and the result was shocking.

An SSS-grade item that amplifies total mana capacity by 5 times when consumed by a hunter.

This stone was sold to the United States for an astronomical amount, and the U.S. used the power of this item to easily clear the impregnable 75th floor of the Tower.

“This time, I can’t give it to you bastards.”

Go Gyeol, having set the item aside, reached into the waste pile again.

Jamaco’s hard leg bone, Armandi’s shriveled tentacle, Kokomo’s blue lung….

They were waste now, but when the 60th floor opened, these materials would hold immense value in the ‘Exchange Shop.’ Knowing the future and not collecting these would be the act of a fool.

His eyes, which had been sweeping up investments for the future for a long time, sparkled once again.

Go Gyeol picked up a sword that was rusted bright red and had a half-broken blade.

“So this… is the 1 billion won sword.”

To others, it would look like nothing more than a piece of unrepairable waste. But no one knew.

This sword wasn’t destroyed; it was in an ‘incomplete’ state.

In his past life, a lucky hunter picked up this sword and happened to expose it to the runaway mana of a newly awakened hunter. Then, the rusted and broken sword scattered beautiful light particles and transformed into a perfect A-grade master sword.

That sword was sold at auction for exactly 1 billion won.

Go Gyeol carefully placed the rusted sword into a burlap sack, then slung it over his shoulder as if it were nothing and walked over to the owner.

“Are you done picking?”

The owner gave a servile smile, glancing at the 5 burlap sacks Go Gyeol had dragged over.

“Yes. Please calculate the price.”

“Sure, sure. Of course.”

The owner said quickly, fearing Go Gyeol might change his mind.

“Do we need to weigh this? Eh, just give me 100,000 won!”

Go Gyeol silently took out cash from his wallet, handed it over, and asked.

“When does more waste come in?”

“You want to buy more?”

The owner’s eyes shone with greed.

“Yes.”

“A truckload is coming in the day after tomorrow afternoon.”

“Then I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah! Should I help you carry this to the car?”

“No. That’s fine.”

As Go Gyeol loaded the heavy burlap sacks into his car with ease and drove away, the owner fiddled with the money in his pocket and smirked.

“I’ll have to ask for 200,000 won tomorrow. A real, proper sucker.”

At the sneer coming from behind him, Go Gyeol smiled with satisfaction. It was a truly successful shopping trip.

Inside the Seoul Municipal Auction House.

The auction was in full swing, but Kang Woo-yeon, a representative from SD Management, yawned and said to his assistant.

“Another bust today.”

“You’re right. Nothing good has been coming out of the dungeons lately.”

The probability of useful items coming out of dungeons was truly abysmal. As a result, the display shelves were always filled with useless junk.

Even though useless items appeared more often, management companies sent employees to these auctions every day. There was only one reason for this seemingly foolish persistence.

Magic stones and items.

Magic stones and items were a hunter’s lifeline, and they couldn’t afford to miss a single opportunity.

“Ugh, another waste of time. Let’s go.”

The moment Kang Woo-yeon was about to stand up from his seat, a group caught his eye.

Two men with an unusual atmosphere. One of them was clearly the auction team leader of ‘Waldam’ Management.

“Wait.”

Kang Woo-yeon grabbed his assistant and whispered.

“That guy, he’s from the Hunter Bureau, right?”

“Huh? Yes! That’s right! And next to him is the Waldam team leader… Why are they sitting down now?”

No sooner had he spoken than a spark went off in Kang Woo-yeon’s brain.

Auction closing time.

Large management company.

And the Hunter Bureau.

This combination was a winning formula. It meant the item about to come up for auction was a ‘lottery.’ Kang Woo-yeon’s gaze instantly turned into that of a predator who had found its prey.

“…Come here.”

Kang Woo-yeon’s actions were fast. He grabbed his assistant’s arm and headed to a corner while simultaneously pressing the call button. As soon as the team leader answered the phone, he blurted out the main point.

“A lottery has appeared. Please confirm the budget limit.”

—A lottery?! What are you talking about!

“The item hasn’t appeared yet.”

—Then how do you know it’s a lottery?!

“It’s Waldam. They came in with the Hunter Bureau.”

“Crazy!”

The call cut off with the team leader’s last word. However, Kang Woo-yeon’s face was beaming.

‘Got it!’

Winning the auction was the company’s money anyway, not his. That wasn’t his concern. But this high-end information was different. This was entirely his own achievement. He had just caught the golden rope that would lead to his salary negotiation and promotion next year.

It was when people were leaving like an ebb tide and the auction house was becoming empty. Suddenly, armed guards appeared and surrounded the podium.

Soon after, the exclusive auctioneer for hunters, commonly known as ‘Master A,’ stepped onto the podium.

“Oh, a real lottery!!”

Kang Woo-yeon clenched his fists. Joy also appeared on the assistant’s face.

At that moment, a call came in with perfect timing.

“Yes, this is Kang Woo-yeon.”

—Did it start?

The team leader’s voice was trembling with excitement.

“No, Auctioneer A just got on stage.”

—Crazy! It’s real! The CEO’s confirmation just came through!

“What’s the amount?”

—100 million for now. If it’s A-grade, we’ll go up to 1 billion!

Kang Woo-yeon sneered inwardly.

‘1 billion? Are you kidding me?’

The minimum price for an A-grade was 1.8 billion.

With this money, could they even hope to aim for the bottom of B-grade?

Sending soldiers to the battlefield while only giving them one bullet.

‘Damn it, that’s the level of a small-to-medium enterprise for you.’

—Hey! Turn on the video call! The CEO wants to watch it live!

“Ah, yes, yes.”

Since they couldn’t buy it anyway, he might as well let them watch.

Kang Woo-yeon answered vaguely and turned on the video call.

He could hear the team leader buttering up the CEO on the other end of the line, but he easily ignored it.

That was when.

Tap-tap-tap-tap!

He could hear the sound of those who had heard the news late running in like crazy.

The empty auction house was instantly filled to capacity.

Bang-!

The auction house doors closed.

Now was the time of no return.

All the lights went out, and the spotlight poured onto Master A on the podium.

“Greetings! I am Master A! It’s been a while, everyone! Surely you haven’t forgotten me, have you?”

A light joke.

“Today’s item is truly insane. It is the greatest honor of my auction career!”

Everyone held their breath at the excited voice.

“Now, seeing is better than a hundred words! It is an honor to introduce this to you all!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the giant screen behind him turned on.

At first, there was only darkness. Soon, a point of light bloomed in the pitch-black darkness. It grew larger and larger, and soon illuminated a transparent gem the size of a baby’s fist.

It looked like an ordinary pebble that didn’t seem special.

However, inside it, a strange light that seemed like a galaxy alive and swirling was contained. The moment the gem appeared on the screen, the mana concentration inside the auction house fluctuated minutely. High-level hunters felt goosebumps all over their bodies instinctively.

[SSS-grade Artifact: The Primordial Core]

[Effect: When equipped, permanently amplifies total mana capacity by 5 times.]

The moment the description appeared on the screen, a moment of silence flowed.

And the next moment.

“Waaaaaaah-!”

The auction house was filled with cheers, astonishment, and sighs of disbelief that seemed to burst the place apart.

“Crazy… 5 times the total mana capacity?!”

“Permanently? Does that make sense?”

“SSS-grade! A real SSS-grade item has appeared!”

Kang Woo-yeon’s jaw dropped without him realizing it. On the smartphone screen in his hand, the CEO’s dropped jaw and the team leader’s pale face were clearly visible.

“…W-what is this….”

The team leader’s voice trembled like a goat.

‘1 billion? Are you kidding me?’

Kang Woo-yeon sneered inwardly. This wasn’t a matter of money anymore. It was a war where the fate of the nation and the future of the guild were at stake.

Master A spread his arms to calm the heat.

“Now, now! I fully understand your feelings! Then, I won’t say much! We will start the bidding at 10 billion!”

The starting price was already at a level that easily challenged the highest winning bid in history. But no one raised an objection. Instead, as if they were late, the paddles in the auction house shot up like crazy.

“12 billion!”

“15 billion! This is Waldam!”

“18 billion! This is the Hunter Bureau!”

“20 billion! 20 billion has been bid!”

The price was no longer just a number. It was power, and a cry of desire. Kang Woo-yeon watched the scene in a daze. The CEO and team leader on the other side of the smartphone already looked like they had lost their souls.

‘Damn it, just watch to your heart’s content.’

“30 billion! Waldam! They are pushing aggressively!”

“32 billion! Hunter Bureau! They are not backing down!”

As the price exceeded 300 billion, all the smaller guilds dropped out. Now the war was for the giants. Waldam Management and the Hunter Bureau representing the nation. Everyone held their breath at the bloody battle between the two giants.

“40 billion.”

At that moment, a low voice with a foreign accent came from the back row. Everyone’s gaze turned there. A foreigner in a black suit. On his chest was the badge of ‘Yamata no Orochi,’ the largest guild in Japan.

The war was now a three-way battle.

“41 billion! Hunter Bureau!”

“43 billion! Waldam!”

“45 billion! Yamata no Orochi!”

The price soared like crazy. 500 billion. An astronomical amount that could recruit dozens of S-rank hunters. However, even dozens of S-rank hunters couldn’t beat one S-rank hunter whose total mana capacity was increased by 5 times. This was an investment in the future.

“560 billion! It’s Waldam! Is there any higher bid!”

Master A’s voice was trembling with excitement. The Hunter Bureau’s face turned pale, and the Japanese man from Yamata no Orochi bit his lip.

“560 billion! I will begin the count!”

Master A raised his wooden gavel high. It felt as if everyone’s hearts had stopped together.

“580 billion.”

The Waldam team leader muttered lowly, as if to end everything.

A suffocating silence flowed through the auction house. 580 billion. It was an amount equivalent to a nation’s defense budget. Neither the Hunter Bureau nor Yamata no Orochi could raise their paddles anymore.

Master A couldn’t continue speaking for a moment, then shouted in a trembling voice.

“5… 580 billion! 580 billion has been bid! Is there any higher bid!”

He slowly looked around the auction house. There was no one.

“Count! I will begin!”

Bang-!

“580 billion! Going once!”

Bang-!

“580 billion! Going twice!”

Master A took a deep breath. The joy of witnessing a historic moment was evident in his eyes.

“Last! Going three times!”

Bang-!

The sound of the wooden gavel striking the podium echoed through the entire auction house like thunder.

“Sold!!! SSS-grade Artifact, [The Primordial Core]! Finally sold to Waldam Management for 580 billion won!”

With Master A’s declaration, the auction house was filled with explosive applause, sighs, and murmurs. The Waldam team leader left triumphantly to pay the winning bid.

The auction house was buzzing with sighs, envy, and admiration, but people’s eyes were still fixed on the Primordial Core.

And in the corner of the auction house.

A man who had been watching all of this clenched his fist.

“…There was someone else besides me.”