Chapter 1

Prologue: The End of the Adventure

Tae-sik's sword pierced the Demon King's heart.

He cut off all five horns, symbols of authority, and plucked out all three pairs of wings, symbols of status.

Finally, the Demon King's body crumbled.

"You won't be able to resurrect again."

"Hero, do not rejoice. Next is your turn."

"I have never rejoiced."

Tae-sik pulled out his sword indifferently.

He had finally slain the Demon King.

When he first heard that he was summoned to this world to slay the Demon King and save the world,

he found it absurd, but in the end, he managed to do it.

"Sir Hero! Congratulations! You have finally fulfilled the prophecy!"

The endless cheers were repulsive.

When he defeated the Demon King's army, the cheers that followed turned into curses as soon as there was a setback.

It was easier than turning a palm over.

He wanted to tear everything apart, but doing so would only fulfill the Demon King's words.

The next turn.

"Sir Hero, you have finally fulfilled your destiny."

The tone of the Elder Council President was subtle.

"So, should I return to where I came from now?"

"Hem, hem, I did not mean it that way...

His intentions were clear.

When the hunt is over, the hunter's dog is boiled.

People who would leave Tae-sik, who was a burden just by existing, alone were not to be trusted.

They summoned Tae-sik not to be a king to rule but to be a sword to solve their problems.

"You're right. I knew what you were doing. I knew you were uncomfortable with me. I knew you were worried about what would happen if I really defeated the Demon King."

"No, that's impossible! What a ridiculous statement."

"Then should I settle down here?"

"See? You know I'll just leave on my own, so show some gratitude."

"Gratitude...

"Should I just leave after dragging an unrelated person here and making them suffer? You should show some gratitude."

Tae-sik had no intention of settling down here.

The memory of betrayal.

The memory of losing someone he loved.

The memory of a humiliating defeat.

The memory of being the only survivor among hundreds of thousands of corpses.

Wherever he went, those memories were all he had.

So he didn't like it.

He was going back home.

He would take a substantial amount of wealth and buy buildings.

He would start a business to manage those buildings and become the CEO, or even the chairman.

And then he would play. He had done enough hard work in his life, so he would enjoy himself for the rest of his life.

"Ah, yes. I understand. We will prepare adequately to ensure you are not disappointed."

"Right, don't make me disappointed. If you do, I'll just settle down here."

"Sir Hero, the preparations are complete."

The Elder Council President snapped his fingers, and several dimensional gates opened. Gold and treasures poured out from inside.

Tae-sik spread a darkness darker than a shadow and gathered the gold.

When he compressed the gathered gold into a single mass, it formed a gold block the size of a house.

It exceeded the gold reserves of most countries.

This was enough.

Tae-sik put the gold block into a subspace and shook his hands.

"Did the preparations meet your satisfaction?"

"I'm not disappointed."

"That's fortunate. When would you like to hold the farewell ceremony?"

"You're asking when, even though the magic circle is already charged?"

Tae-sik smiled.

"If I caused any inconvenience, I apologize."

"Why apologize? We both got what we wanted, so let's finish this quickly. I'm tired of this place."

"Yes, all preparations are complete. Please step onto the magic circle."

Now, it was time to return to where he came from.

A triumphant return.

Not a robe woven of gold, but a gold block the size of a house.

He wondered what his parents' faces would look like.

"The farewell ceremony is about to begin."

Light beams poured out from the magic circle.

The Elder Council President's face was as refreshing as if he had just relieved himself.

'You little rat. Well, at least this is a happy ending of sorts.'

"It was a pain to meet you. Let's never see each other again."

"Yes, we will never meet again. Farewell."

And so, Tae-sik's adventure came to an end.

Pawn Shop (1)

"Kyaah!"

Yuseong spat out blood and swung his sword.

With the determination to throw away his life, he summoned the last bit of strength he had left.

Kraaaah!

Baaloc roared.

He was the ruler of the 6th floor and the gatekeeper of the 7th floor.

Baaloc's wings had already been torn off, and one of his arms was severed.

The long-range attackers, Jason and Johnson, had poured all their attacks and were now exhausted, spitting out blood as they fell.

The same was true for Sa-hyuk, the supporter.

Thanks to them, they had pushed this far.

Baaloc still had his whip-wielding arm and tail, but he couldn't give up.

"Will you give up?"

Yuseong exploded his own blood.

It was his special blood technique.

The blood Yuseong spewed turned into a sword and rose up.

"Die-!"

Yuseong swung the sword that rose over ten meters.

Krrrrack!

With a sound like rock splitting, Baaloc's chest was torn open.

Kraaaah! Kraaaah!

Lava-like blood spurted out.

The feeling in his hand was light.

'Shallow.'

Ssssshh!

Baaloc's flame whip tore through the air and lashed out.

Yuseong needed to dodge, but his legs wouldn't move. He needed to block, but his arm wouldn't lift.

Yuseong squeezed his eyes shut.

'I'm going to die!'

Bang!

The air was torn, but that was all.

There was no impact on his body.

"Hey, hey! Just stay still for a moment. Damn, this bastard is annoying."

Yuseong opened his eyes.

The man looked to be in his thirties?

No, his face didn't matter.

He was wearing slippers with three stripes and sweatpants with a hole in the knee.

He wouldn't wear such clothes even to go to the convenience store in front of his house.

Or when taking out food waste. Yes, that's when he would wear such clothes.

"Good job, you've worked hard."

The man greeted Yuseong with a smile.

For some reason, Baaloc was lying still and not moving.

"Who, who are you...?"

"Is it important who I am in this situation? What's important is that we can both benefit from each other."

"What are you talking about...? No, how are you here? With just that outfit..."

The man didn't seem to want to listen to Yuseong.

"Come, come. Look."

The man reached into the air and pulled out a glass bottle, which he casually placed on the ground.

"I'll explain this only once, so listen carefully. This purple potion is a super regeneration potion. It can reattach a severed arm in 24 hours. This is a super recovery potion. You've used up all your life force, right? This is the best thing for that."

The man grabbed Yuseong's wrist.

Despite the strength flowing into him, Yuseong couldn't resist.

"Your injuries are bad enough that if you drink half of this and rest for exactly 4 hours, you'll be fully recovered. And this is a super activation potion. Think of it as something like Red Bull. It boosts your stats for 2 hours. Of course, there's a backlash. The effects gradually decrease over the next 4 hours, and then you need to rest for 24 hours."

The man spoke rapidly.

"Got it?"

"Y-Yes." Yuseong nodded without realizing it.

"So, how much will you pay?"

"Wh-What?"

"Didn't hear me? Want me to explain again?"

"No, no. I heard you."

"So, how much will you pay? Four each of super recovery and super recovery, eight in total. Two super activation potions, making it a clean 30 billion. It's a steal. You know the size, right?"

"Even if the performance is that good, 30 billion for consumables is..."

"Dislike it? With your skills, you should know what these potions mean in this situation."

"Did you, did you take care of Baaloc?"

"Don't change the subject. Will you buy them or not?"

He had to buy them.

If the man was telling the truth, he could save not only his life but also his companions. And he could dive into the 7th floor of the dungeon.

If he could dive into the 7th floor, 30 billion would be more than enough to recover his losses.

Proof of the potion's performance wasn't necessary.

Baaloc, who was frozen in fear, was already proof.

"I'll buy them."

"Advance payment."

"30 billion? How can I give you 30 billion right now? I'll write you a check."

"How can I trust you to pay on credit? You have the guild storage key. Give it to me."

"Wh-What?"

"I want the guild storage key. I'll only take 30 billion."

"Ah, I understand. But the guild storage doesn't have 30 billion in cash. Only about 20 billion..."

"I'll take care of it. Don't worry about it."

Yuseong handed over the storage key without haggling.

"Smooth. As a service, I'll give you one of each set."

The man pushed 13 potions in front of Yuseong and then stood up without hesitation.

"Excuse me, what is your name?"

"Name? I'm just a layabout. What name do I need?"

The man disappeared with a swish.

Miju had never thought of herself as particularly special.

Living like everyone else. Not too extravagant, not too lacking.

As hard as others worked, she also rested as much as they did.

A son who didn't stand out.

Not someone to boast about, but a one-of-a-kind son she could proudly show off.

An average and ordinary life, but a life that could make her smile.

That life was shattered by a sudden dimensional rift.

Her beloved son disappeared.

It felt like the sky was falling, but it wasn't an unusual occurrence.

There were many people like that at the time.

No amount of running around would change anything.

After giving up and burying her son in her heart, he returned after five years.

At first, she was grateful just to have him back safe and sound.

She fed him nutritious food and even boiled medicinal herbs for him.

She told him to rest as much as he wanted.

It wasn't just words.

If Tae-sik slept in, she wouldn't even turn on the vacuum cleaner or the living room TV.

One month, two months, now it was already eight months.

His age had turned 32 this year.

Her son had no intention of going outside.

He was so glued to the sofa that it was hard to tell if the sofa was his son or if he was the sofa.

"Ah, nothing interesting."

Tae-sik scratched his buttocks and slumped onto the sofa.

He fumbled for the remote control with his toes.

Miju felt her vision go dark at the sight.

Her son's laziness was getting worse every day.

At first, he showered regularly, but lately, she hadn't seen him wash his face.

Now, just seeing her son breathe made her angry.

"Hey— you lazy bum. Is it too much trouble to pick up the remote with your hands? Am I raising a human or a cow?"