Chapter 22

I have this much, and it's really more than enough.

But it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...

'Hmm.'

The only good car I've ever ridden in, the one I really wanted to own...

'Damn!'

I barely managed to hold back a curse from bursting out loud on the subway.

'There's only the Porsche that Go Ji-hyun used to drive!'

I had no choice.

The Porsche was the one I always wanted to drive, the one I longed for just by looking at it right next to me.

I immediately went to the Porsche website.

My dream car.

A literal dream, one I never imagined I would ever drive.

[ Panamera Turbo S ]

[ Starting at 304,900,000 KRW ]

The Panamera Turbo S.

'I'll go with this.'

I made up my mind and headed to the figure store from the subway.

'I need to find this figure.'

I arrived at the store and asked right away.

"Hello, do you have any car figures here?"

"Yes, we do."

"Then do you have a full-option Porsche Panamera Turbo S?"

"Full, full-option?"

The clerk looked quite flustered and then said,

"That full-option... means you want to buy the display stand, paint, and repair kit as well?"

Ah, I was too absorbed in the Porsche website.

"No, do you have the Panamera?"

"Yes, if you go around that corner and go straight, you'll find die-cast models, and it should be among them."

"Thank you!"

I quickly turned the corner to avoid the clerk's gaze.

"Oh, it's here!"

Fortunately, the display clearly said "Porsche Panamera."

However, there were two types.

One was priced at 30,000 KRW.

It was a bit smaller and looked a bit clunky.

The other was priced at 400,000 KRW.

It was larger and clearly more intricately made.

'The quality is determined by the similarity, right?'

I picked up the 400,000 KRW box.

Buying a 400,000 KRW figure, something I couldn't have imagined in the past.

'For 400 million KRW, this is a steal!'

I didn't feel the slightest bit of regret about the money.

400,000 KRW times 20 is 8 million KRW.

8 million KRW is a lot, enough to make buying a small car difficult!

'But I need 20 of them.'

I checked the store next to me, but there was only one Panamera figure.

I went back to the clerk and asked.

"Do you have any more of these in stock?"

"How many do you need?"

"As many as possible."

The clerk looked flustered again.

"Ah... let me check the products for a moment."

I handed him the box, and after reading the product description, he said,

"Ah, this is the Panamera Turbo S, a recent release. There might not be much stock, but I'll check."

A little while later,

"Fortunately, it just came in yesterday. I have four more. Do you want them all?"

"Yes, give me all of them!"

So, I had a total of five.

Where could I get the remaining 15?

I asked the clerk while paying.

"Where can I go to get more of these?"

"Do you need the exact same model?"

"Yes, it has to be exactly the same."

"How many do you need?"

"Fifteen."

"......"

The clerk, without answering, made a phone call.

"Mr. Kim, do you have the Panamera Turbo S? Yes, the die-cast, 1:18 scale, 400,000 KRW one."

After that, I spent the whole day traveling around Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

Seocho International Electronics Center, Namdaemun Terminal, Bundang, Dongmyo, Sungshin Women's University, Ilsan.

At some point, I couldn't carry all the figure boxes anymore, so I had the taxi driver wait while I went into the stores and came back.

"Far, far away."

I continued up the mountain path.

'Is this far enough?'

I had already checked the CCTV locations on the government website, but I needed to verify them with my own eyes.

No people around.

No CCTV.

No cars parked on the road.

'I'll do it here.'

I took out the figure boxes and said to Tam, who was floating nearby,

"Tam, I got 20. You can take them now, right?"

The light flickering from Tam, I fed him the boxes one by one.

And then, the text appeared.

──The power of 「Quality Conversion」 is being activated.

"Yes!"

──Item: Porsche Panamera Turbo S die-cast

──Quantity: 20

──「Legal Replication」 is automatically applied, so 「Preview」 is not available.

──The estimated conversion time is 6 hours and 30 minutes.

──Do you want to start the conversion process?

No 「Preview」?

It seems the original will be just like the figure.

Also,

"I'll use a Lucky Strike."

Due to the one I used on the Bitcoin data, I only had two 「Lucky Strike」 coupons left, but I boldly invested them!

'I have to do this right.'

I remembered that some store owner mentioned an even more intricate figure.

If I use the 「Lucky Strike」 to bridge that gap, it would be perfect.

──A 「Lucky Strike」 coupon has been deducted.

──「Lucky Strike」 is activated, applying a bonus efficiency to 「Quality Conversion」.

──「Quantity to Quality Conversion」 has started.

A 6-hour and 30-minute wait for the conversion.

I lay down on the grass by the roadside, wearing only the training suit I had on that morning, without a tent or sleeping bag.

It was early April, but the temperature fluctuated greatly.

As my sweat cooled, my body shivered.

'I can endure this! I can do it!'

If they're giving me a car, this level of hardship is nothing.

Compared to the time it takes for others to get their cars, this was a steal.

Still, I couldn't fall asleep.

I kept on guard, watching for people or cars passing by for 6 hours.

Woof woof─

Grrr, woof woof─

I almost fell asleep, but the barking of wild dogs in the mountains woke me up.

And then, 6 hours and 30 minutes later.

While shivering, I looked around.

──「Quantity to Quality Conversion」 is complete.

──Please 「Consume」 the converted item.

──Time limit: 30 minutes

I received a call about the new car delivery!

Even though my body was stiff, I quickly got up.

"Where is it!"

And then I saw it.

My dream car, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S, gleaming in the early morning twilight.

"......Are you kidding me?"

Even with my own eyes, I couldn't believe it.

I got closer, shone my phone's flashlight on it, and touched it.

"Is this, s**t, a real Porsche?"

My dazed mind suddenly cleared.

I walked around the car once more, examining it again.

A black so deep it seemed to hold the night.

A sleek and sensual shape.

Perfect craftsmanship, with no room for error.

......It was a real Panamera.

I tried the door handle to see if the door would open.

Click─

The door opened gracefully, like a lady extending her delicate hand.

'Ah.'

I stuck my head inside the car.

Soft cream-colored interiors glowed with ambient lighting.

I was speechless.

Pure brilliance.

'Is this art? Is this a masterpiece?'

I picked up the key on the driver's seat and sat down.

The warmth from the heated seats melted my stiff body.

I tried starting the engine.

Vroom vroom vroom─

Vroom vroom vroom vroom vroom─

A fantastic exhaust note.

"Wow......"

It reminded me of the Formula One animation I watched as a kid, a dynamic roar that felt like my heart was pounding.

The urge to step on the gas and drive off was overwhelming.

'But......'

The ominous feeling I had all day.

An unregistered car, with no purchase history, suddenly appearing in the world.

'Please......'

Still, I had a glimmer of hope.

The name of this skill was 「Legal Replication」.

I carefully opened the glove compartment on the passenger side.

"There it is!"

[ Car Registration Certificate ]

[ Car Registration Number ** * **** ]

[ Type: Luxury Sedan ]

[ Model: Panamera Turbo S ]

.

.

No lien, and it was officially released just a few months ago.

"Thank you, thank you, really thank you!"

I kept my head on the steering wheel, and the horn blared.

It didn't matter.

There's no one here!

──Congratulations!

──You have completed Tutorial Quest Ⅵ, 《Special: Legal Replication》 of 《Brilliant 30s》.

The tutorial was also cleared.

──The efficiency of 「Quality Conversion」 has slightly increased.

──The conversion time of 「Quality Conversion」 has slightly decreased.

──The consumption time limit has slightly increased.

And this time, the reward was not a 「Lucky Strike」.

──As a quest reward, you have been given a 「Legal Replication」 coupon (one-time use).

A legal replication coupon!

──Using a 「Legal Replication」 coupon during 「Quality Conversion」 can turn a counterfeit into an authentic item.

──However, certain conditions must be met for 「Legal Replication」 to activate.

──Use it carefully, as it is a one-time use coupon.

Turning a counterfeit into an authentic item.

Where could I use it?

'I have to use this carefully.'

And then.

Vroom vroom vroom─

I drove through the early morning of Seoul without restraint.

*

Friday evening.

A Korean cuisine restaurant in the outskirts of Gwangmyeong.

Park So-jung was waiting at the front of the restaurant for the members of the coffee meet-up.

"Big sister!"

"Chae-yeon, you're here! You look so beautiful today! You could be a celebrity."

Min Chae-yeon, blushing, replied,

"Ah... I just came from a shoot."

Actually, there was no shoot.

"Ah, saying that makes you sound even more like a celebrity? Haha, can't you come to my wedding looking this beautiful?"

"Big sister, you're much prettier. What are you talking about!"

"If you speak so beautifully, how can I live? Anyway, go in first. They'll show you to the room if you mention my name."

"Okay! Is Yoo-won here yet?"

"Yoo-won is still... Oh? Chae-yeon, is that...?"

"Is that Yoo-won?" Min Chae-yeon said, and Park So-jung turned her head.

"Shin Yoo-won?"

Sure enough, Shin Yoo-won was getting out of a Porsche.

Surprised, Kang Tae-joon couldn't help but voice his thoughts.

"......How did that guy get it?"

Regardless, Shin Yoo-won walked over calmly and said with a smile,

"You all came early."

Kang Tae-joon asked reflexively,

"Where did you get that?"