NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17: Episode 17
"Tower Master."
"Yeah?"
Seojin's appearance on the ninth floor was unexpected. He gave the messy room—strewn with discarded clothes and empty instant noodle cups—a cursory glance before his eyes snapped back to me.
"I need money."
I was stunned. Just like that?
"A minor complication arose while establishing our distribution routes," he explained calmly. "I require additional funds that were not part of the initial budget."
Seojin was working himself to the bone, proving he was staking everything on this venture. He had funded the entire operation with his own money, using that limited budget to build a distribution network and purchase raw ingredients. On top of that, he was single-handedly managing business registration, accounting, and liaising with tax specialists and lawyers—a workload meant for a dozen people. But this was the first time he had ever asked me for help directly, so I couldn't help but feel a knot of tension form in my stomach.
"…How much do you need?"
"I will submit a detailed report shortly, but it is not a major issue. It is merely some emergency capital to cover the losses from switching distributors and to handle the subsequent processing."
"Is that all? That's a relief. So, what's the amount?"
"Thirty."
My brain short-circuited.
"…Just to be clear," I said slowly, "you don't mean thirty dollars, do you?"
"Ha. Ha. Ha." Seojin let out a dry chuckle. "As expected of the Tower Master. You have a keen sense of humor."
That kind of flattery wasn't making me feel any better.
"If it were a larger sum, I would have explored other avenues," he continued, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "But it's just enough to plug the hole. I will need it by the day after tomorrow, if you please."
This crazy bastard. Thirty thousand dollars didn't just grow on trees. How was I supposed to conjure that kind of money on such short notice? Seojin wasn't testing me; as the son of a mega-conglomerate chairman, he was speaking with genuine innocence, as if it were a trivial amount. And to him, it probably was. Pocket change. Less than a week's worth of meals. That's why he could just stroll in here and ask for it like it was an allowance. But that was a starting salary at most major companies!
Scrambling for a response, I waved a hand dismissively, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Hey, for that amount, can't you just get a business loan?"
"The loan process has become significantly more stringent since the Overlay. We would likely have to disclose the nature of our business and the existence of the Magic Tower. Would that be acceptable?"
Of course not.
Should I just admit I couldn't do it? No. What would a man who once ran a company with hundreds of millions in annual sales think of a leader who couldn't even scrape together thirty thousand? This was a matter of pride.
"Alright," I said, my voice firmer than I felt. "Thirty thousand in three days. I'll handle it."
"Excellent. I'll be counting on you."
The moment Seojin turned and walked away, I clutched my head, already drowning in regret. I'd spoken with such confidence, but what was I actually going to do?
"Ah, Tower Master."
Seojin, who had been about to step onto the magic circle elevator, spun back around. I quickly straightened up, adopting a dignified pose. "Is there something else?"
"On second thought… while it is a paltry sum, I realize it might feel a bit daunting to procure it so suddenly."
Oh, thank god. He gets it!
"If I may offer a piece of advice," he said, pushing up his glasses. "The knowledge contained within this tower, the very discipline of magic, is entirely new to modern society. I believe that if you leverage that fact effectively, a sum of thirty thousand should be simple to resolve."
"Seojin…"
You have a remarkable talent for stating the obvious as if it were profound wisdom. That was about as helpful as telling me I could make a fortune if I invented a flying car.
"Well then, I will be waiting, Tower Master."
With that, Seojin shattered what was left of my composure and returned to the second floor.
Ugh, it'll work out somehow. I just need to think.
But no matter how hard I thought, no realistic solution came to mind. If I'd had a few weeks to devise a long-term plan for securing stable funding, it wouldn't have been so overwhelming. But this was a flash mission: earn thirty thousand dollars in three days. For someone like me, who relied on planning and strategy, this kind of sudden crisis was torture.
"Ea. Are you there?"
A swirl of light gathered in the air, revealing the beautiful, silver-haired homunculus.
"Yes, Tower Master."
"I've been tasked with earning thirty thousand dollars. Any ideas?"
"Searching," she replied. She closed her eyes for a moment. "Search complete. Total opinions found: 7,599,872. The following is from the user 'InfinitePositive,' which appears to have the highest credibility rating."
"…What is it?"
Her voice suddenly shifted, taking on the chipper, artificial tone of an online influencer. "Hey everyone! Got a hot tip on a super reliable group! BQ Group is recruiting new coin investors. You get 100 coins just for signing up, and if you refer a friend, you get another 100 coins…"
"Not happening!" I groaned, slumping back onto the desk. It was my own fault for getting my hopes up.
"Query," Ea said, her normal voice returning. "The BQ Group coin is projected to have a significant rise in value…"
"That's enough."
"Yes, Tower Master."
I picked up my smartphone, scrolling aimlessly. "Haa, what am I going to do? It's not like I can just sell magic…"
The moment the words left my mouth, a switch flipped in my brain.
"That's it! I'll sell magic!"
Ea tilted her head.
I quickly opened my calendar app. "Ea, go to the Hunter Association's official website. Pull up all the information on the dungeons I'm about to list."
"Understood."
"Tracker's Mine, Forgotten Fortress, Temple of Frost, and Lava Cave."
These were the dungeons I'd secured dispatch rights for from the club presidents. Ea's eyes went distant for a moment before a screen materialized in the air, displaying the data. One entry immediately caught my attention.
Name: Lava Cave
Classification Field Dungeon
Features Fire-attribute monsters / Lava field
Difficulty Rank 2 monsters
Duration 3-day dungeon. The boss monster is scheduled to appear at 17:00 on Day 3.
Location Geumsa-myeon, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do.
I immediately jumped onto player forums and community sites to check the chatter about the Lava Cave.
—Honest review of Lava Cave: It's the worst.
—Day 1 advance party here. Just wasted my 3-day entry fee.
—The heat is a serious problem. It's literally impossible to hunt normally.
—The Day 3 boss fight might draw a crowd, but at this rate, people will die of heatstroke before they even get to the boss.
This was it. I would go to the Lava Cave and sell magic that nullified the heat. By applying the second-order magic I'd been practicing, I could combine the Rune of Heat Resistance and the Rune of Duration. The latter held a spell's mana in place for up to two hours. In theory, combining them would create a magic circle that granted two hours of fire resistance.
And if I inscribed that circle onto an item and sold it? Neutralizing the cave's oppressive heat would drastically increase hunting speed. Factoring in the players' potential magic stone income, I could price them at around fifty dollars each. Anyone who'd bought a three-day pass would surely buy one just to recoup their initial investment. Two hundred of them would net me ten thousand. If I could just make and sell six hundred…
Ugh, I felt sick. The thought alone was exhausting. I shook off the wave of dread. I had to increase my magic proficiency anyway, and the Runes of Heat Resistance and Duration would undoubtedly be useful in the future.
"Ea, tell Bora to come up to the ninth floor."
"Yes, Tower Master."
Ea vanished. A moment later, Bora appeared.
"You called for me, sir!" she sang in her usual honey-sweet voice. "Whoa…"
She elegantly covered her mouth as she took in the disaster that was my room.
"Sorry about the mess. It's a bit much, huh?"
"What's wrong with it?" She shrugged. "Isn't this what guys' rooms are normally like? I actually find it kind of romantic. It makes you seem cool, like a man completely dedicated to his work. And… it makes me want to clean up for you."
For once, I didn't sense any of her usual affectation.
'Is she being serious?'
"Looks like all you need now is a good woman to take care of you. Hehe."
Yeah. And I'm pretty sure that's not you. I quickly changed the subject. "Bora, I need you to change my dungeon schedule."
"Huh?"
"Among the dispatch rights I secured, there's a place called the Lava Cave. Can you assign me to that one?"
"That's easy enough." She borrowed my laptop and logged in with a student council ID. "Oh, sir, this is just a field dungeon. You have access to instance dungeons. Why the Lava Cave specifically?"
"It's not about clearing the dungeon. I'm planning to make some money there."
"Money?"
I explained the situation.
"Thirty thousand dollars in three days… That won't be easy," she mused.
"Anyway, is it possible to change my dispatch?"
"It is. But more importantly, sir."
"What?"
"Should I go with you and help? It'll be tough to sell six hundred of those by yourself."
She was offering to help? That would be a godsend. "But are you also scheduled for the Lava Cave tomorrow?"
"Nope. I'll just trade with someone."
"You make it sound a little too easy." Dungeon assignments weren't typically so flexible.
Bora scanned the list of students scheduled for the Lava Cave and a faint smile touched her lips. She opened her phone and expertly scrolled through her contacts.
"…Wow, are all of those men's names?"
She pressed a finger to her lips in a 'shh' gesture. A moment later, a voice answered on the other end, and Bora's entire demeanor shifted.
"Hello? Oh, hi! It's Bora!" she cooed, her voice dripping with charm. "Yes, yes, I'm doing great! Ohoho! Thank you so much for the ride the other day." She was so deep in character she was actually blushing, playing the part of a smitten schoolgirl. "I heard you're heading to the Lava Cave tomorrow. Yes, that's right. Actually, something came up and I was hoping to go there… would you mind terribly if we traded? I have a dispatch for Tracker's Mine…"
Watching her work was a little terrifying.
"Oh, really? You will? Thank you! I'll be sure to make it up to you. Okay, take care! Have a great day!"
She ended the call, and the sweet smile on her face instantly vanished, replaced by a cool, businesslike expression. "Done."
"…Isn't that a bit much?"
"Hehe. A woman isn't charming if she's just sweet and innocent all the time, right? A little bit of cunning makes her cute."
I felt she had long since passed 'cunning' and was deep into 'master manipulator,' but I kept that to myself.
"Anyway, Lava Cave is confirmed for tomorrow! You just focus on the magic circles, sir. I'll take care of all the other preparations."
"What other preparations?"
"Well, how are you planning to sell them to people once you've made them?"
Ah. I hadn't thought about that. "I figured I'd just lay out a mat and…"
She laughed as if she'd known I would say that. "See! That's why you need me! I'll handle it!"
"Alright, then. I'll leave that to you. The dungeon is in Yeoju, so don't be late."
"An out-of-town trip, huh? At least Yeoju is close. See you tomorrow!"
'Snap!'
She gave a sharp salute, then scurried to the elevator and was gone. I grabbed my coat and pulled up a map on my phone.
Let's see, where's the nearest wholesale market…
My first dungeon expedition with the power of the Tower Master. I was looking forward to it.
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