IGEBR 14

Chapter 14

 Played by the EX-Rank

In just three minutes, Jeong-ho cleared the small Chaos Gate, and a Gate Clear reward window suddenly popped up in front of his eyes.

[Gate Clear Reward: 11 Intermediate Magic Crystals]

[Blessing of Abundance Activated!]

[Additional Reward Obtained: 11 Intermediate Magic Crystals]

‘It popped up! Eleven intermediate magic crystals… wait, eleven? Where did one go? The EX-rank special reward didn’t pop up either?’

It was a bit disappointing, but it was an expected penalty. He could just try again tomorrow anyway. Besides, 11 intermediate crystals alone were enough to supply a mid-to-small guild for a whole year.

—The Blessing of Re-challenge can only be used once a day.

The Blessing of Re-challenge also came with a once-per-day restriction. The next day, Jeong-ho entered the Chaos Gate again. The exact same Gate. The exact same goblins.

[Gate Clear Reward: 10 Intermediate Magic Crystals]

‘The rewards decreased even more?’

To make matters worse, the Blessing of Abundance didn’t trigger at all. Jeong-ho gradually began to grasp the rules. Re-challenging meant reduced rewards, a re-roll on reward chances, and no special rewards based on contribution.

‘Well, since re-challenging is free, it makes sense that the rewards drop.’

Because it allowed infinite re-challenges until one got the desired reward. If he considered the reward reduction as a transaction fee or usage charge, there was nothing to regret.

To verify whether his hypothesis was correct, Jeong-ho headed to the Dimensional Shop, [Dapanda]. Since this authority was taught to him by Dae-young, Dae-young would surely know it well.

<Kuhuhu. Gates Well, You Your You’ve a about and are block. correct. got guess head heroes, is lot must of on pretty right. seeds sharp shoulders. that’s the threats you your>

The glow in Dae-young’s eyes arced up like a seagull’s wings as he smirked.

<Endlessly A Gate Unless a already been cleared corpse. crisis different fails for from hero is is. it’s meaningless. no prevent purposes, re-running strictly that that’s to training who>

“Tsk. What a waste. I thought I’d help out a bit since our country is running low on magic crystals.”

<Kuhuhu. Do Why Why? alone? are do everything feet? hands heroes lack of or other seeds the to trying you>

“Well, you see… it was fine originally, but a guy named Li Wei…”

Jeong-ho explained the situation. The Great Shadow Dae-young chuckled as if amused.

<There’s Just as crystals earn. here. magic many no problem put real up you>

“11 crystals? Tomorrow it’ll be 10, the next day 9… it keeps decreasing, you know?”

<Think What about it. others see that? the they think when will>

“The numbers are steadily dropping… wait, huh?”

A thought struck Jeong-ho’s mind like a bolt of lightning. Steadily decreasing numbers. A countdown. What would happen if the quantity of intermediate magic crystals put up for sale reached 0?

“Even Li Wei will have no choice but to react. Dae-young… are you a genius by any chance?”

<Kuhuhu. Back I a hero, quite something. was when>

Dae-young’s shadow expanded to twice its normal size. But that lasted only a moment; Dae-young soon returned to his original state like a deflating balloon.

<Even Saving What achieve arrogant. can changing don’t get is limited. on own so, such the thoughts. up world, world—give you your>

“I’ve never thought of such a thing, nor will I in the future. I’m just doing what I can, that’s all. Thanks for the advice.”

Jeong-ho left the Tower of Heroes. For some reason, the tentacles of Great Shadow Dae-young squirmed.

Over the course of several days, Jeong-ho sold intermediate magic crystals. Even though he occasionally triggered double rewards, he intentionally reduced the listing count by one each day.

Naturally, people also began thinking about the countdown. What on earth will happen when it hits 0? HunterOn was abuzz with heat and speculation.

‘Honestly, it’s just a bluff though. What if Li Wei holds out until it actually hits 0?’

In that case, I’ll just put up larger quantities and sell them again. I have stockpiles saved up anyway. Rather than that, Jeong-ho’s attention was drawn elsewhere.

‘I’m getting a massive number of private messages through the HunterOn Auction House.’

Because he was selling intermediate magic crystals anonymously, his inbox was on the verge of exploding with messages pleading: “Please sell to us!” Among them, one particular message caught his eye.

—Do you happen to sell items other than magic crystals as well?

Someone looking for items other than magic crystals. Jeong-ho checked who sent the message.

‘Sender: Hunter Kwon Min-ki?’

The man he had met back at the Statue of Blood Tears Gate. Recognizing the name, Jeong-ho replied for a change.

—No. Why do you ask?

—My father runs a potion guild. Fortunately, we have magic crystal reserves, but we are lacking other essential raw materials. Seeing your skill, I trust you and am asking.

—Did Li Wei block the export of other materials too?

—Currently, South Korea is focusing all its power on securing magic crystals, so miscellaneous materials are all being exported overseas. They got swept up and sold in that process.

So that was the situation. Li Wei’s suspension of the magic crystal supply was a bigger issue than expected. He was literally selling off everything except magic crystals.

At this rate, South Korea’s future looked dark. No matter how many magic crystals were gathered, what good would it be if items couldn’t be crafted due to a lack of raw materials?

—What kind of materials do you need?

—It’s quite a lot. Please understand that I cannot send you the list as the recipes are trade secrets.

As they conversed via messages, a thought suddenly crossed Jeong-ho’s mind.

‘Should I just sell my recipe instead?’

The recipe Asclepius had given him in the Tower of Heroes while eating cold, soggy ramen. Was it called a High Potion?

Jeong-ho looked through his recipe notebook. Although he was a complete layman when it came to production, the recipe was remarkably concise and required simple ingredients.

‘The materials for the High Potion are Waterdrop Herb and Red Tear Fruit. I think I saw them at the auction house.’

Jeong-ho checked the HunterOn Auction House. Both Waterdrop Herb and Red Tear Fruit were common-grade materials found everywhere. Even now, hundreds and thousands of them were piled up.

‘This works out well. I was curious to see just how good the recipe Asclepius gave me actually is.’

Potions were produced in large quantities worldwide, but very few countries made them exceptionally well. American and British potions ranked first, while the rest were mediocre.

Unless someone was at Li Wei’s level—who consumed elixirs instead of potions—high-rank hunters were bound to rely on potions. Potions were their lifelines.

In the midst of this, wouldn’t it be great if South Korea could claim a spot in the potion industry? Even if not, selling the recipe would yield good money.

‘And Hunter Kwon Min-ki… I feel a bit concerned for him.’

He still remembered how Min-ki acted back at the Statue of Blood Tears Gate. Even while dying himself, Min-ki had stayed behind until the end to save others first.

He was an admirable hunter, so helping him out a little should be fine. Besides, keeping the recipe was useless to Jeong-ho anyway.

—Rather than materials, I’d like to sell a recipe. Would it be possible to meet in person to trade?

In the middle of Myeongdong Street, Seoul. Ever since the Gate opened back then, Myeongdong had regained its former vitality. Photo spots had even popped up here and there.

<Relive Gate at day! memories opened site that the where>

Kwon Min-ki surveyed Myeongdong with bitter eyes. The person who cleared the Gate that day was an EX-rank, yet his name was nowhere to be found.

‘Still an unknown EX-rank whose name isn’t even known.’

Min-ki stood helplessly, waiting. He had spent a lot of time pondering who the person presumed to be EX-rank might be.

Was it really the person who saved him at the Statue of Blood Tears Gate back then? If so, even if he had to beg, he wanted to become his disciple.

“Hunter Kwon Min-ki?”

Min-ki turned his head. There stood a suspicious figure with a hood pulled all the way down over his face. For some reason, his face wasn’t clearly visible, and even looking at him, it was hard to perceive his identity—much like a shadow.

“It’s me. Could you be…?”

“This is the recipe. Try it out, and if it’s good, feel free to sell it, but please deposit 5% as a royalty into this account. Ah, and please give these to your parents.”

The shadow rummaged around and pulled something out. It was two roots of Ten-Year Fallopia Multiflora, a Rare-grade elixir.

“T-this precious item?! Isn’t this an elixir! Why give this to me…?”

“My parents won’t accept them, so they can’t eat them.”

“Wait, if you really are the EX-rank, please take me as your disciple…!”

The suspicious shadow handed the items over to Min-ki and vanished into the crowd. Min-ki was completely flabbergasted. To suddenly appear, hand over a recipe and elixirs, and leave!

He didn’t even take any money upfront. Just deposit into the account if it sells well? Where in the world did a transaction like this exist? To think a truly losing trade actually existed in real life.

‘Is the EX-rank an angel? Or a demon bewitching me? What on earth is he?’

Min-ki flipped through the recipe notebook rapidly. Before long, he snapped the notebook shut. With trembling hands, he made a call somewhere.

“F-Father. It’s me. Father, we’re saved. We’re saved! I just bought a recipe…! This… this is a recipe created by the God of Potions!”

The news of Chang Yao’s arrest. The official protest from the South Korean Hunter Administration Bureau. Even China was gradually putting pressure on Li Wei.

‘I’m sorry, Chang. Because of me, you…’

Li Wei was also starting to feel sick to his stomach. The EX-rank he saw in the Chaos Gate was a spectacle of shock and terror.

That skill was undeniably Inferno. The 9th-ranked hunter in China used it, so Li Wei knew it well; even that guy, whose Mana stat was S-rank, suffered an 80% increase in mana contamination after using it just once.

Yet the EX-rank used it repeatedly without pause inside a Gate with a constant 90% ambient mana contamination. Li Wei couldn’t even fathom how vast his mana capacity must be.

Without knowing any of this, Li Wei had looked down on him, calling him a mere EX-rank, claiming himself to be the strongest, talking about the difference in status… Li Wei felt ashamed of himself.

‘Was I merely a monkey in the palm of the Buddha’s hand?’

Above all, he had even received help from the EX-rank inside the Chaos Gate. His pride had been crushed to the very bottom.

‘Eyes Looking Down.’

Flash!

[Target Cannot Be Found.]

The true identity of the EX-rank hunter remained shrouded in mystery. Merely catching a glimpse of his back in the Chaos Gate was not enough.

Even Chang Yao likely hadn’t found the EX-rank himself. Given Chang Yao’s personality, he would have simply killed anyone who seemed suspicious. He probably assumed that eventually, he would hit the EX-rank by chance, or the EX-rank would step out directly, unable to watch any longer.

‘In the end, am I back to square one? What a waste of time. How do I get Chang out?’

Chang Yao was the infamous assassin of the Wulong Guild. Until now, no one could capture him due to a lack of evidence, but he had been caught red-handed in South Korea.

While it was possible to pull him out, the burden was undeniable. It wasn’t just South Korea that was the issue; Japan, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe were all watching closely.

‘Time. Right, there was that method.’

Li Wei’s pride was restored. He returned to the Wulong Guild with a majestic demeanor and sat upon his throne. The guild members also looked expectant.

“Ryu Jae. How much is left of South Korea’s magic crystal reserves?”

“Y-Yes! Master. About 63 days’ worth remains. Soon, a major economic shock will hit them due to the magic crystal shortage.”

“It would be hilarious if that so-called EX-rank starved to death because he had no money. Is there any other country offering to supply magic crystals to South Korea?”

“None. Though other countries aren’t saying it out loud, the mood is geared toward keeping the EX-rank in check.”

Li Wei smirked. The fate of unearned power was predictable. A protruding nail gets hammered down; South Korea would collapse precisely because of that precious EX-rank of theirs.

Li Wei flicked his robe and stood up. War was a battle of logistics. Without magic crystals, South Korea wouldn’t hold out.

“Inform South Korea: If they hand over Chang Yao and the EX-rank, we will resume the supply of magic crystals.”

Two days later. China’s Wulong Guild regained its former prestige. Li Wei reclaimed his dignity, and the guild members restored their pride.

“Master. South Korea has contacted us via a dedicated line.”

Sitting on his throne, Li Wei responded arrogantly to Ryu Jae.

“Speak.”

“They politely requested if we could release even a portion of the magic crystal supply. They offered to pay 10% above the original market price.”

“Rejected.”

Li Wei smiled wickedly. Hesitating, Ryu Jae spoke cautiously.

“South Korea possesses an EX-rank. If the EX-rank manages to solve the magic crystal issue as well…”

“That will not happen.”

Li Wei drew a firm line. Entering the Tower of Trials was restricted to once a day as a rule. Even with the 15th-floor blessing, it was twice a day at most.

That was nowhere near enough. South Korea was a hunter powerhouse that invested heavily in the hunter industry—treating it as the next major future industry after semiconductors.

This meant their magic crystal consumption was massive relative to the country’s size, on par with advanced nations like the US, China, and Europe. Even an EX-rank couldn’t supply that alone.

Furthermore, other advanced nations were also putting pressure on South Korea. It was the perfect timing to keep South Korea in check. If South Korea wanted to survive, their only option was to sell out the EX-rank.

“Keep tightening the grip. Press them. Give them no room to breathe.”

“However, Master… the hunter presumed to be the EX-rank sold 10 intermediate magic crystals on the South Korean auction house. If they keep enduring like this, we might actually be the ones taking a loss…”

“It’s only 10 crystals. He’s probably just selling off the stock he picked up in the Chaos Gate earlier; it’ll end soon. Over the past two days, nothing new has even been posted.”

Just as Li Wei said, the sales quantity of intermediate magic crystals decreased by one each day. 9, then the next day 8, 7, 6…

Members of the Wulong Guild gloated, saying “See?”, but…

‘Why is it decreasing by one each day? Is this a message sent to me? Something is off. Eyes Looking Down.’

Flash!

[Target Cannot Be Found.]

To think he couldn’t track it even when the auction house was being used. Was he using an information-concealment skill superior to [Eyes Looking Down]?

If he had plenty of magic crystals, he would either sell them all from the beginning or sell a set amount based on required calculations. Decreasing the amount by one every single day made no sense.

‘Is it really a countdown? Unbelievable. What happens when the number hits 0?’

It was also suspicious that the EX-rank had stopped conquering the Tower of Trials. Having obtained the 15th-floor blessing, he should have been climbing the tower at twice the speed instead.

Yet, updates regarding the Tower of Trials had gone completely silent past the 15th floor.

‘What on earth is the EX-rank thinking? It’s most likely a bluff. The South Korean hunter industry is already on the verge of collapse. Especially the potion industry… potion?’

Li Wei pulled out his smartphone to check the date. A notification for the day of the popped up on his smartphone calendar.

‘Don’t tell me… Eyes Looking Down!’

Li Wei shifted his gaze. Astonished, his mouth agape, he stood up abruptly.

“We’ve been played! B-by the EX-rank… we’ve been played!!”

Startled, the members of the Wulong Guild hurriedly bowed before Li Wei in panic.

“M-Master! Please enlighten us foolish ones with your wisdom!”

“What the EX-rank was aiming for wasn’t magic crystals. It was potions! He tied up my eyes while developing a potion recipe!”

“Even if he did, what changes?!”

“Everything changes! Major advanced nations will all rush to purchase South Korea’s potions. Because without potions, they can’t raid towers or Gates!”

First place in the International Hunter Industry Potion Competition went to the High Potion created by South Korea’s Baekdam Guild. Its performance was double that of existing ones at half the price. Wulong came in second place.

Based on the information Li Wei had gathered so far, this was an impossible outcome. He knew South Korea’s internal situation like the back of his hand. If someone had intervened without Li Wei’s knowledge, it could only be the EX-rank.

‘Was I merely a monkey in the palm of the Buddha’s hand?’

Li Wei slumped down heavily. The words he had once said to himself flashed through his mind. Belatedly, Ryu Jae entered the corridor hesitantly.

“M-Master! It’s an emergency! Seeing the results of the Potion Competition, the UK has promised a magic crystal trade deal with South Korea, and news has it that the US will move soon as well. Master, Master?”

Li Wei stared into the void with soul-drained eyes. The eyes that once looked down arrogantly upon the world now looked up.

“I lost.”