I’m the Only One Who Gets Super-Rare Drops (2)

After clearing Floor 18, the safe zone.

I rubbed my hands together.

I smacked my lips hungrily.

The loot drop I'd gotten again after just two days…

It looked incredibly delicious.

[Persuasion Brooch (Artifact)]

A brooch with a soft glow.

It had witnessed countless promises being kept over the years.

It adds a slight persuasive power to the wearer's speech.

"An item ordinary people can use dropped!!!"

An artifact that was, in truth, useless to me.

But for everyone else, it was a broken item.

Everyone has to persuade someone at least once, after all.

Especially people in business.

Already, bundles of cash danced before my eyes.

'Would I get a billion won for this?'

"…I can't resist this."

I immediately leaped out of bed.

Sorry to Luka, but I planned to put my climb of the second tier on hold for a moment.

Just for a very, very short while.

"Dohwa, you stay inside too."

"Whine…?"

"It won't take long. I'll just list it on the auction and come right back."

"Yap!!"

I dismissed Dohwa's summon as well.

I reached for the Status Window too.

Unlike usual, red light enveloped me.

[The trait 'Tower Harmonizer+' activates.]

(New!) The system's 'Return' function is always active…

-Ding.

[Return complete.]

"Okay."

Had it been two days since I'd returned?

After smelling nothing but orc stink, this was… hmm.

It wasn't exactly pleasant.

-Sniff, sniff.

"…Damn."

'Maybe I should wash up first.'

After that, I moved as smoothly as flowing water.

The first thing I did was scrub myself clean at a nearby sauna.

I also took clothes out of my Inventory and changed,

[Charging complete.]

'An hour should be enough.'

I took a seat at an Internet café, looking spick-and-span.

I could have used my phone, but decided to use a computer so I could check some other information too.

Now, shall I skim the news first?

[One of the Seven Great Gates has been newly conquered…]

[Cheol Gangmin. Mystique or strategy?]

'This is just like two days ago.'

Everyone was still frantic to find me.

Well, that was only natural.

I'd spent only two days holed up in the Tower.

Hadn't another British hell gate been cleared in those two days?

If I were them, I'd have gone looking out of curiosity too.

What the hell was this Cheol Gangmin guy?

Why was he hiding away after revealing the strategies for all seven great Gates—

That sort of thing.

[Comments (+99,999)]

"Whoa."

'How many people are there?'

Maybe there were a lot of people like me; my last post had become a venue for national unity.

It started with people asking if I would join their guild.

Countries that owed me a great deal were begging me to let them express their gratitude.

They said it didn't have to be an official occasion; they just wanted to see my face, or something.

And my response after seeing that?

'Nope, I'm not going.'

A British knighthood?

I'm already a Dragon Knight.

India's highest civilian honor?

Sorry, but I only eat curry from a Korean diner.

The wealth and glory various guilds offered?

This one was tempting, but…

The moment I accepted it, there'd be annoying contracts and whatnot.

There was no such thing as free money.

In other words, none of those offers had any value to me.

[Comments]

Scout17_Cheonghwa_Official: If you want to remain anonymous, perhaps we could talk in the Tower…

'This one's relatively decent.'

There were a few decent offers, but anyway.

After browsing for a few more minutes, I closed the gallery.

I didn't feel even a little regret.

'I only need to sell this.'

"Well then…."

Next, I logged into 'Blue Auction.'

Commonly shortened to 'Auction,' it was an auction site exclusively for Korean Awakeners.

Click.

I pressed the sign-up button without hesitation,

[For Awakener verification, please make a video call….]

"Yeah, yeah. Look closely."

I took a 500-won coin and my phone out of my Inventory.

I answered the incoming video call too.

I showed the coin from various angles to prove it hadn't been tampered with.

Finally,

'Just in case, I should pretend this is difficult.'

"Nngh…!!"

Squee~!!

I bent the coin in half.

It was the Auction's famous verification procedure, something ordinary people could never do.

[…Verified.]

"Okay."

And just like that, I successfully signed up.

Excited, I scrolled down with my mouse.

Other people were selling all sorts of things too, but the cheapest item cost ten million won.

Looking at the prices, I wasn't even interested.

…Well, I was planning to sell something far more expensive.

-Tap-tap-tap.

"For sale… an artifact picked up in the Tower…."

An artifact said to number no more than 100 in the entire world.

On top of that, it was the rarest of rare items usable even by non-Awakeners.

All right, let's see just how expensive it would be.

-Beep.

[We recommend attaching an appraisal certificate when listing an item.]

"…Ah, an appraisal certificate."

My energy drained away.

Then again, I had constant appraisal.

Most people didn't, after all.

It made sense that an appraisal certificate would be necessary to sell something.

'I can't make one myself… right?'

Appraisal certificates had to come from an accredited institution, such as the Cheonghwa Guild.

With a sigh, I moved the cursor.

I was going to search the appraisal fee.

It didn't take long for my jaw to drop.

'Starting at a minimum of three million won?!'

It cost three million won just to appraise a Common-grade piece of equipment.

The price went up from Rare grade onward.

Artifacts were so rare that every listing simply said, 'Contact us.'

It would probably require hundreds of millions, maybe even billions, of won.

And they expected me to pay that?

I only had to click once.

…Was I crazy?

'I wouldn't pay it even if they buried me up to my eyes in dirt.'

Of course, given how rare information-type traits were, one could call it a reasonable price.

But I simply couldn't see it that way.

Tap-tap-tap, click.

I immediately posted a listing on Auction.

[For Sale: Unappraised Artifact, Unused]

- Sale method: Auction (3 days)

- Pickup: In person

'Okay.'

The method I'd chosen was to throw an item onto Auction without an appraisal certificate.

Normally, that was insane.

How could anyone know whether it was an artifact or some cheap junk bought from Itemibaba?

Even if someone bid out of curiosity, it would surely be only a few tens of thousands of won.

If someone bid out of curiosity, I'd become 'the sucker of the year.'

Usually, that would be the case, but…

'Help me out, Cheol Gangmin!'

I had another persona, you see.

If that guy said one word, upvotes would pile up.

Even one post from me on the gallery would surely be a better certificate than anything from the Cheonghwa Guild.

'Still, if I post it right away, it'll look suspicious….'

"Should I lay some groundwork first?"

After that, I continued the operation on my phone.

Pretending to be a mid-level Awakener, I lured gallery users by offering to show them around Auction.

I attracted attention by showing them several expensive items,

[Awakener Minor Gallery]

Author: Anonymous (69.74)

Title: What's this unappraised artifact supposed to be?

(Auction screenshot)

Looks Chinese factory-made at a glance lol

Auction's gotten really watered down

"Okay."

I subtly exposed the item I'd listed.

I slipped it inconspicuously among a long list of items so no one would suspect covert advertising.

[Comments]

Homeplus Tasting-Corner Critic: Artifact lol

Anonymous: Throwing out one of only 100 in the world without an appraisal… hard to like the guy

'The first comment went exactly as planned.'

I exploited people's habit of mindlessly joining in when the first comment insulted someone.

I used my alt accounts to manipulate public opinion.

As for the result, what else can I say?

The gallery buzzed about it, if only briefly.

Everyone was busy cursing that stupid, shameless Awakener.

Of course, if I left it alone, the interest would quickly die down,

'Now!!!'

A VPN was already running on my phone.

The logged-in account had also been switched to a familiar username.

It was time for that hot guy to show up.

[Awakener Minor Gallery]

Author: Cheol Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2

Title: ? That artifact is the real deal though

It says it's a Persuasion Brooch

It adds a slight persuasive power to your speech

That's what it says here

ㄴ ??????

ㄴ Why is Cheol-hyung suddenly here?

ㄴ Surprise gallery post from Cheol lol

ㄴ Scout17_Cheonghwa_Official: Sir, please contact me just once…

"Okay."

'Now I can step away.'

After that, I didn't add any unnecessary fuel to the fire.

I simply waited leisurely.

I drank some water from a paper cup by the PC café's water dispenser.

I went to the bathroom and relieved myself.

I even charged another hour of computer time.

It hadn't even taken a few minutes, but…

It was enough to turn public opinion around.

[Current bid: 280 million won]

"Heh heh, hehehe."

How had it already reached 300 million won?

'Serin, just wait.'

You've been annoyed having to share a room with your big brother, right?

I'll move you into a really spacious house.

I couldn't stop smiling at the thought.

-Freeze.

"…Huh?"

Until a certain notification appeared.

I thought the smile would last forever.

-Ding.

[A message has arrived from the administrator.]

Hello, Mr. Ryu Hwi-min.

We are the Blue Auction representative for the Cheonghwa Group.

We would like to purchase your listed item immediately.

We will pay 8 billion won directly, with no commission,

and keep your identity confidential.

If you wish to do business with us,

we will cancel your listed item.

(Of course, there will be no disadvantage if you refuse.)

We await your prompt reply.

Thank you.

"……What?"

8 billion?

In other words, they were offering me 8 billion won?

Immediately, without taking a single won in commission?

'The Cheonghwa Guild seems trustworthy?'

For one thing, it wasn't a scam.

The account was clearly the administrator's.

Besides, it was the Cheonghwa Group.

A conglomerate that owned Korea's number-one guild, home to even Hwang Hee-chan.

It wasn't like the Administration Bureau, where I'd accidentally run into them and they'd say, 'I'm with the Armyyyy.'

On top of that, they'd handle all the details for me, so I should have accepted gratefully, bowing low, but…

-Squeeze.

'Aw, whatever—I'm going for it!!!'

[Me: I'll consider it for 12 billion won.]

I had demanded 1.5 times the offer.

It was essentially highway robbery, asking them to put up another 4 billion won.

So how did the administrator respond?

-Ding.

[Your listed item has been canceled.]

[Administrator: Tell me where you are, and I'll send a car to pick you up.]

[Me: …You're really going to pay 12 billion won?]

[Administrator: Of course.]

[Me: Gasp.]

"Gasp."

They were accepting that as a straight-up deal.

The Carrot Market's temperature must be 99 degrees.

[Me: An Internet café near the Jongno 3-ga Tower…]

"Wow, wow…."

I typed out the address and stood up as if entranced.

Then I checked out of the PC café.

Clutching my phone tightly, I waited with my legs trembling…

-Screech.

"Mr. Ryu Hwi-min?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm Kim Dong-hoon, an A-rank Awakener from the Cheonghwa Guild. I'll escort you."

"Yes!!!"

An ultra-luxury sedan had arrived.

Thanks to that, I experienced my first foreign car in my life.

"You don't need to take off your shoes."

"B-But I'm worried I'll dirty the floor…."

"……."

Honestly, it was a little more uncomfortable than sitting on a bed of nails, but anyway.

-Thump-thump.

'Serin, big brother's going to make some money!!!'

And so I set off on a short journey.

To casually pocket 12 billion won at Korea's number-one guild, the Cheonghwa Guild.

* * *

But a little while later.

"Nice to meet you."

"M-Mr. Hwang Hee-chan…?"

I went to sell an artifact, though.

But I ended up meeting a living legend of Korea.

"Are you perhaps Cheol Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2?"

And one with incredibly sharp instincts, to boot.