Soaring Value
The moment they were transported to the clearing in the middle of the bamboo forest, the enemy players—who had once ruthlessly killed everyone—were summoned.
The difference from when they were first encountered in the waiting room was their appearance.
Instead of their dazzling items, they were now dressed in ordinary everyday clothes, prompting Seowoon's teammates to smirk in satisfaction.
-Thud!
A heavy tremor shook the ground, drawing everyone's eyes to the source of the noise.
A massive statue resembling a warrior woman wielding a sword suddenly fell and raised its blade toward Seowoon's squad.
-Judgment! Jin Seowoon's squad wins!
"What a dramatic production."
Unimpressed, Kichan responded flatly, and Seowoon nodded.
"Exactly."
Unlike Seowoon's team, the Japanese players reacted very differently.
They collapsed to their knees, crumbling to the ground, eyes welling with sorrow and regret.
-Execution will now commence. Battle condition 1: The losing team is stripped of their participation rights in Cloyd Survival.
At the notification, the giant statue swung its sword through the air.
-Swoosh–clang!
With a crisp slicing sound, the Japanese team's rights were revoked.
-Battle condition 2: The losing team must forfeit all items to the victors.
The statue swung its sword once more.
-Swoosh–clang!
Eight boxes appeared in front of Seowoon's team.
-Battle condition 3: The losing team must forfeit all abilities to the victors.
-Swoosh–clang!
With another sharp sound, sobs finally broke out from the Japanese team.
Seeing some players shedding sorrowful tears, Kichan shook his head.
As their overwhelming presence faded, it was clear they had lost their powers.
While the Japanese team members cried in frustration, Haseo stepped toward Seowoon's group.
Staring longingly at the boxes in front of them, he finally addressed Seowoon.
"Mr. Jin Seowoon. No matter the price, I'll buy those eight boxes."
At his words, a glimmer of hope returned to the tearful players' faces.
Seowoon, eyeing the eight boxes, curled his lips and replied:
"One trillion."
In that instant, everyone's expressions froze—including Seowoon's teammates.
Especially Haseo, who looked at Seowoon with a stony face.
"How much did you say…?"
"Why pretend you didn't hear? You heard me loud and clear, even without powers. One trillion."
Seowoon didn't miss the flash of calculation in Haseo's stiffened gaze.
"F-Fine. They may not be worth that much, but to us, they're even more valuable. One trillion yen. I'll pay it!"
Clenching his fists, Haseo spoke as if making a grand decision.
Behind him, Kichan muttered:
"Hyung…"
Seowoon cut him off with a raised hand and said:
"Yen? Not won—yen?"
!!!
At those words, Haseo's mouth dropped open in shock, unable to speak.
"What, no answer? You buying or not? Decide quickly. If you're not, we'll open them now. You know how the value drops once they're opened."
At that, Haseo realized Seowoon never intended to sell in the first place, and grit his teeth in frustration.
"Jin Seowoon! Are you mocking me?! You—!"
"What are you going to do about it? Hey, civilian. You really need to understand your place."
As Seowoon approached Haseo, the barrier separating the two factions grew more solid.
-Rumble!
When Seowoon traced his finger across the semi-transparent barrier, it trembled and emitted a grating noise.
Just that was enough to intimidate Haseo into stumbling back and falling.
"Civilians should play with other civilians."
Turning his back to him, Seowoon walked away—and the system notification chimed.
-Execution complete. The losers will now be exiled.
With the notification, the Japanese players vanished from the waiting room.
"Well then, shall we start opening these?"
As Seowoon spoke, Dump, who had been staring blankly, muttered:
"He definitely has a nasty personality."
Jinryung nodded in agreement.
"Insulting the defeated isn't very honorable."
Ignoring their comments, Seowoon opened the first box.
[Black Dragon Armor Set. Includes armor, helmet, pauldrons, gauntlets, greaves, and boots. Full set grants a massive boost to strength and stamina.]
The armor alone offered +50 strength and +50 stamina, with the rest granting +20 strength and +20 stamina each—a specialized item for power and durability.
"No wonder he never budged during the fight."
Namsagwang nodded as he examined the options.
"Even the defense stats are broken, but with these bonuses…"
Knowing full well what "massive boost" meant, Seowoon trailed off.
Jinryung spoke while staring at the clearly top-tier gear.
"Priest, congratulations. You've gained an incredible treasure."
"It's nice and all… but I'm used to moving around unarmored."
At his words, Dump and Juriel widened their eyes and mouths in disbelief, while the warriors nodded in understanding.
"Still, you should wear at least armor."
Although Lilingyu offered that advice, Seowoon just tilted his head while feeling the armor's unusual design.
No matter how compact it was, for someone like Seowoon who was used to being unencumbered, it felt nothing but cumbersome.
"I'll just carry it for now. Who knows when it'll come in handy."
After stowing the armor set into his dimensional storage, a beautifully crafted yet broken two-handed sword appeared.
[Damaged but Brilliantly Enhanced Seirun's Greatsword. Grants +30 strength and +30 agility. Allows the use of the skills Seirun's Roar and Seirun's Frenzy.]
"A strength-based sword with embedded skills. If it's this impressive even when broken, how powerful was it originally?"
Seowoon examined the sword and shook his head.
"If it's brilliantly enhanced… how many times did they upgrade it?"
"More than three, for sure."
"Think we can still sell it even if it's broken?"
"I brought the broken pieces too, so I'm sure it can be repaired and put to use."
Seowoon held out the broken greatsword to Dump, who was staring at it in a daze.
"Close your mouth. You're drooling."
"Huh? Huh?! Y-You're giving it to me?"
"You looked like you were about to cry if I didn't."
Dump's jaw dropped. He didn't even dare to covet the armor out of conscience, but that sword—he had truly wanted it.
After tossing in some recovery-type miscellaneous items and a few named accessories, Seowoon pulled out Subaru Jin's skills.
[Secret Sword Techniques of Seirune. Earth Barrier. Roar of the Battlefield. Iron Skin…]
Glancing over the numerous skill books and tightly packed 4-circle stones and spells, Seowoon slid the entire stack of skill books toward Dump.
"Eat up and get strong."
As the only knight in the squad, Dump had essentially monopolized the knight-class loot and could barely hide his beaming smile.
Meanwhile, the expensive mage items were split evenly between Kichan and Juriel, and the rest of the items were fairly distributed among the team members.
Particularly, when limin took possession of Hashio's Masamune, she asked Jinlung:
"Are you really okay with letting me have something like this?"
"It's not a sword, so it has nothing to do with me."
As a fellow warrior, limin was clearly moved by Jinryung's character, knowing how hard it was to resist such a fine weapon.
"Juriel, could you make sure these items get to Lyle?"
"Don't worry. I'll make sure Lyle receives them."
They hadn't forgotten to distribute Lyle's share of the loot either.
It was an ideal opportunity to help the whole team grow stronger, so the distribution was made carefully, with a keen eye on investment vs. efficiency.
As the item distribution wrapped up, Seowoon noticed Lilingwei glancing his way repeatedly and quickly tried to wrap things up.
"Well then, I'll see everyone in the next game! If it's a mid-high or high-difficulty game for squads of 9 or more, make sure to join!"
Just as he was about to press the "Exit Lobby" button, Juriel stepped up beside him.
"Before that, there's something I want to say to you, Seowoon."
Blushing, she subtly tugged on his arm.
"W-What is it?"
"I'd rather talk alone. Not in front of everyone."
At her words, Lilingwei immediately moved up close to Seowoon with a sharp glare.
"Me too! I've got a lot to say."
"Lilingwei, I spoke up first. There's such a thing as taking turns."
"Oh really? You want to talk order now?"
Lilingwei pulled out the World Escape Scroll she'd earned in the last game, waving it provocatively. Juriel's brow twitched in irritation.
While the two were caught in their brewing spat, Seowoon quietly hit the Exit Lobby button. His vision shifted, and he returned to the house in Wonju.
A few seconds later, Kichan appeared and addressed him.
"Hyung, why'd you rush out like that?"
Kichan looked like he was thoroughly enjoying the show.
"…"
"Ah… But wow, Lilingwei noona really went all out. For someone like her, she's kind of out of your league—"
A sharp aura practically pricked his skin, and Kichan quickly cut off his words.
"Looks like our Kichan needs a serious sparring session to loosen up that mouth."
Most of their time in Wonju was spent training—sparring matches and combo drills.
And the two of them handled those sessions almost like they were fun.
Now shirtless and sweating, they sat on the ground, panting heavily.
"Using clone techniques was overkill."
Kichan grumbled, massaging his swollen arm, and Seowoon smiled.
"Train like it's real. Fight like your life's on the line. That's how you survive."
"Whew… This should be enough prep for the next game. Let's take a few days off and wait for it."
"Hopefully the next one's a bit more normal."
"The higher-tier the game, the more the rules and maps seem to change."
"Can't tell if that's just the high-tier matchmaking or because it's a squad game. Either way, we'll see when it comes."
After descending the mountain and racing home on their bikes through the night, they returned to find even more people in black suits in the apartment's first-floor parking lot.
'Is there some dress code that says they have to wear black suits?'
As that thought crossed his mind, the moment Seowoon took off his helmet, a crowd of suited foreigners from various countries swarmed him.
"Mr. Jin Seowoon! I'm from the UK—"
"Mr. Seowoon! We represent Sweden—"
"Mr. Seowoon, if we could just have a moment—"
Strangers speaking fluent Korean—it was a jarring and surreal sight.
"Shh."
Raising a finger to his lips like he was calming a group of children, Seowoon made a soft sound, and the crowd miraculously fell silent.
"I know why you're all here. But I have no intention of becoming anyone's leashed dog. So please, go home."
As he turned to head inside, the men in black proved more persistent than he expected.
"Just give me one minute! The UK isn't here to ask you to join some government-sponsored guild or anything like that."
At those words, Seowoon stopped in his tracks.
He wasn't being recruited to be someone's subordinate? That naturally piqued his interest.
The blond man from the UK who had caught Seowoon's attention stepped forward confidently and continued:
"Mr. Jin Seowoon, we understand that someone like you, who's formed a strong, independent squad, wouldn't be swayed by offers that restrict your freedom. I have full authority from the British government. Our proposal is simple: immigrate to the UK, and we'll provide you with every form of support—financial and otherwise—for your future gameplay. That's it."
"If you simply become a UK citizen, we'll put all the terms in a contract and follow through on every promise."
Finishing his speech, the man lifted his chin proudly while glancing at the other players representing different nations.
He wasn't just proud to have caught Seowoon's attention—he clearly believed his offer was exceptional.
Then, a woman with blue eyes from Sweden stepped forward, a faint smirk forming at her lips.
"Now, please allow us from Sweden to present our offer."
Naturally, Seowoon—and everyone else's—attention turned to her.
Could she really top the proposal from the UK?
"There is astronomical value in a promising player like Mr. Seowoon participating in Cloyd. The secondary industries and ventures that would arise from it would be massive. Isn't it a bit lacking to extend such a grand invitation to someone like Seowoon with mere 'support'?"
As she emphasized "mere support," she gave a sideways glance at the UK representative and paused for effect.
Everyone swallowed nervously, hanging on her next words as she looked directly at Seowoon and continued—
"Our country, Sweden, promises Mr. Jin Seowoon not only more concrete and superior support than any other country, but also tax exemption and immunity for you, your family, and your team members. This proposal has already been agreed upon with our government. We guarantee full immunity — from income tax, all consumption taxes, and all civil or criminal laws."
At her words, all the players stared at her with their mouths agape.
But her proposal wasn't over yet.
"I understand that disposing of items brought back from Cloyd currently takes time. Our government promises to purchase every item Mr. Jin brings in at the highest price. You'll be able to earn income without paying a single penny in tax or facing any inconvenience. Furthermore, if you simply obtain our nationality, we will fully support your continued residence in Korea without any issues."
Even Seowoon couldn't help but gape at the sheer magnitude of her offer.
"Of course, our government will also ensure that Mr. Jin Seowoon receives diplomatic immunity in Korea, similar to that of a diplomat, to protect your status."
When she finished, the remaining players all frantically pulled out their phones, busy reporting to their higher-ups.
"This is no time to be talking like that! It's not about money anymore! Look at what the UK and Sweden are doing—!"
"We want to offer tax exemption and immunity too—!"
"We're not just asking him to work under our government! We completely misjudged his value!"
Amid the rising chaos, Seowoon looked at the woman from Sweden and nodded.
"That's definitely a tempting offer. You said you're from Sweden?"
"Yes. I'm Karina Aguilar, from the Swedish Department of Homeland Security."
"I'll seriously consider your proposal."
As he said that and extended his hand, she reached out to shake it firmly.
It was only natural for the surrounding players to start shouting louder into their phones after witnessing that.
"Take your time to think it over and contact us. Even if you decline, I believe we can maintain a good relationship and still provide mutual assistance."
Finishing her words, she handed him her business card.
"I'll be waiting at a nearby accommodation 24/7, so feel free to reach out anytime."
"Will do."
Seowoon took the card and went up to his house.
Thinking she'd done quite well, she left the front of Seowoon's house — but soon after, even more players gathered outside.
***
A week had passed since Seowoon received an offer that was nearly impossible to refuse.
"W-what did you just say?"
The newly appointed head of department trembled slightly as he received the report from Jung Suhwa.
"Exactly as I reported, sir."
"Immunity and tax exemption?"
"Yes. Not just Sweden — the UK and other European nations are offering even better terms in a fierce competition to bring Mr. Jin Seowoon over. And in the midst of that, trying to force him into national service with some half-baked plan… it's equivalent to handing him over to another country. We need to reassess his value."
Most of the competent players had already left, and with the fall of the previous administration, the Homeland Security Department had practically collapsed. The new middle-aged head had just taken up his post and was jolted awake by this report.
There was no reason for other nations to make such outrageous offers unless it was worth it.
If they clung to outdated ideas and ended up losing him to another country, and if word of it leaked to the public, the administration could be branded incompetent and collapse entirely.
"W-we'll report this directly to the President. Come with me."
"Yes, sir!"
With the old, clueless superiors swept out and replaced, Jung Suhwa finally felt like work was worth doing again.
***
[Ding! A new game has been matched. Difficulty: Upper-Mid. Game Version: 10 Squad. Do you wish to participate? (O)(X)]
Even before she took a few steps, the notification sound chimed.
She reached toward the O button.
***
A small uninhabited island in the middle of a vast blue sea.
Around a familiar statue on a solid white beach, players were arriving one by one.
As she quickly scanned the players to find teammates, a familiar face caught her eye.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]