Tower Master.
“Hm?”
For some reason, Jung Seojin had come up to the ninth floor where I was staying.
He glanced around at the mess—clothes tossed around carelessly, empty instant noodle cups scattered everywhere—but he didn’t pay much attention to it and quickly turned his gaze back to me.
“I need money.”
…Just like that, out of nowhere?
“There was a minor issue while setting up the distribution network, and we need additional funds beyond the initial budget.”
Jung Seojin had claimed he was staking everything on this mage tower business, and true to his words, he had been working tirelessly day and night.
He had put together the business budget with his own personal funds, using that limited capital to establish the tower’s distribution system and purchase potion ingredients.
Beyond that, he had also handled business registration, accounting, tax affairs, and legal coordination—tasks that would normally require an entire team.
But until now, he had never directly asked me for help. That alone made me a little nervous.
“…How much do you need?”
“I’ll submit a detailed report soon, but it’s nothing major. Just covering some losses from switching distributors and securing emergency funds for follow-up measures.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief. So, what’s the amount?”
“Thirty million.”
…For a moment, my brain short-circuited.
“Just to clarify, you don’t mean thirty thousand won, right?”
“Haha. Haha. As expected, Tower Master. You have quite the sense of humor.”
That kind of response does not amuse me in the slightest.
“If it were a huge amount, I would’ve considered other options. But this is just enough to patch up a hole, so I figured I’d ask you. I need it by the day after tomorrow.”
This crazy bastard.
Thirty million won isn’t something you just dig up from the ground. How does he expect me to pull that kind of money out of nowhere?
I knew Seo-jin wasn’t testing me or trying to put me in a tough spot. This guy, the heir to one of the biggest conglomerates, was speaking in complete sincerity—like it was no big deal.
Right. For someone like him, thirty million won was probably nothing. It wouldn’t even cover his weekly meal expenses.
That’s why he casually ran up here, speaking as if he were asking for pocket money.
But thirty million won is equivalent to an entry-level salary at a decent company!
As I desperately racked my brain, I tried to play it cool, waving my hand dismissively. As naturally as possible…
“Hey. But with that amount, wouldn’t it be easier to just get a business loan?”
“After the Overlay Phenomenon, loan procedures have become much stricter. We might have to disclose details about the mage tower and the business itself. Would that be acceptable to you?”
…Of course not. Should I just say I can’t do it?
No. What would a guy who used to run a trillion-won company think of a leader who couldn’t even scrape together thirty million?
This was a matter of pride.
“Fine. Three days, thirty million, right?”
“Yes. I’ll be counting on you.”
As soon as Seojin turned and walked away, I grabbed my head in regret.
I spoke so confidently, but… now what?
“Ah, Tower Master.”
Seojin, who had been about to step into the magic elevator, suddenly turned back. I quickly straightened up and put on a dignified expression.
“Still need something?”
“Now that I think about it… Even if it’s a small amount, suddenly coming up with that much might feel a bit overwhelming.”
Oh, thank god. He understands how I feel!
“If I may offer some advice—knowledge and magic from this tower are things that don’t exist in modern society. If you use that wisely, acquiring thirty million should be simple.”
“Seojin…”
You have an incredible talent for stating the obvious in the most profound way, Seojin.
That’s like saying, ‘Just invent a flying car, and you’ll make money easily.’
“I’ll be waiting, Tower Master.”
And with that, Seojin shattered my sanity and returned to the second floor.
“Hah… I’ll figure something out. Let’s think this through.”
But.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with a realistic solution.
If I had a few weeks, I could set up a long-term plan for stable funding.
But this sudden mission—thirty million in three days, including today—
For someone like me, who values careful planning and strategy, this kind of situation was absolute hell.
“Hey, Eia. You there?”
A cluster of light gathered in the air, forming into the figure of a beautiful silver-haired woman.
“Yes, Tower Master.”
“I need to come up with thirty million won. Any ideas?”
“Searching.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, then spoke.
“Search complete. Total suggestions found: 7,599,872. The most reliable suggestion comes from a user named ‘InfiniteOptimist.’”
“…What is it?”
Suddenly, her voice changed.
“Hey guys, check this out! BQ Group is recruiting investors for their new cryptocurrency! Just signing up gets you 100 coins, and if you refer someone, you get another 100 coins…”
“Not doing it!”
I flopped back onto my desk. I shouldn’t have even hoped for a decent answer.
“Uncertain. BQ Group’s coin is projected to increase in value—”
“Drop it.”
“Understood, Tower Master.”
I idly tapped on my smartphone.
“Haa… What do I do? I can’t just go around selling magic…”
The moment I muttered those words, a switch flipped in my brain.
“Wait. Selling magic… That’s it!”
“…?”
I quickly pulled up my phone’s schedule.
“Eia. Open the official Hunter Association site and pull up the dungeon details I’m about to list.”
“Understood.”
“Tracker’s Mine, Forgotten Fortress, Temple of Chill, Lava Cave.”
These were the dungeons I had secured business deals for through club leaders. She closed her eyes briefly to search, then projected status windows into the air.
Among them, one dungeon caught my eye immediately.
Name: Lava Cave
Type: Field Dungeon
Features: Fire-attribute monsters / Lava terrain
Difficulty: Rank-2 monster spawns
Duration: Third-day dungeon. Boss monster expected to appear on the third day at 5 PM.
Location: Geumsamyeon, Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
I quickly checked player discussion forums for reactions about the Lava Cavern.
– Honest review of Lava Cavern: Worst dungeon ever.
– First-day entry team here. Totally wasted my three-day pass.
– The heat issue is severe. It’s to the point where normal hunting is impossible.
– A lot of people will probably gather for the third-day boss fight, but at this rate, I’ll die of heat exhaustion before we even take down the boss.
This is it!
I’m going to head to that Lava Cave and create a spell that blocks heat.
By applying the two-step magic I’ve been learning recently, I should be able to create a two-step spell by combining a Rune of Heat Repulsion and a Rune of Sustenance.
Among them, the Rune of Sustenance holds mana in place, maintaining its effect for up to two hours.
In theory, if I combine these two runes, I should be able to create a magic circle that grants fire resistance for two hours.
And if I attach this magic circle to an item and sell it?
If it can just block the heat of the Lava Cave, hunting efficiency will drastically improve. If I set the price at around 50,000 per piece, considering the players’ magic stone earnings, those who bought a three-day dungeon pass will likely purchase it to make up for their entry fee.
And with 200 pieces, that’s 10 million won. If I make and sell just 600 of them…
Ugh, I feel sick.
I already feel like giving up before I even start.
I pulled my wandering thoughts back together. I had to improve my magic proficiency anyway. The Rune of Heat Repulsion and the Rune of Sustenance would definitely come in handy in the future.
“Eia, tell Bora to come up to the 9th floor.”
“Yes, Tower Master.”
Eia disappeared, and shortly after—
“You called for me, senior~~!”
Jin Bora greeted me with her usual honey-dripping voice.
“Wow…”
She elegantly covered her mouth as she took in the mess of trash and clothes scattered around the room.
“Sorry about the state of this place. Should I clean up a bit?”
“Why would you?”
She shrugged.
“Aren’t guys’ rooms usually like this? I actually find it kind of charming. It makes you seem like a man who’s deeply focused on a single task, which is pretty cool. And when I see it, I get the urge to clean it up for you.”
There was no trace of her usual pretence in the way she spoke.
…Could she be serious?
“Senior just needs to meet a woman who’s good at supporting her man. Hehe.”
Uh. Well, I don’t think that woman is you. I quickly changed the topic.
“Bora, change my dungeon schedule.”
“Huh?”
“Among the dungeon dispatch permits I took from the club leaders, there’s one for a place called ‘Lava Cave.’ Can you send me there?”
“That’s not hard.”
She borrowed my laptop and logged in with the student council ID.
“Oh, senior. This is just a field dungeon, you know? You even have permits for instance dungeons. Why Lava Cave of all places…?”
“It’s not about clearing the dungeon. I’m thinking of making some money there.”
“Money?”
I explained the situation to her.
“Three million won in three days… That’s not easy.”
“Anyway, can you switch me to the Lava Cave dispatch?”
“I can. But senior…”
“What?”
“Want me to come along and help? Selling 300 pieces alone will be tough.”
She wants to help? That would actually be great.
“But are you also assigned to Lava Cave tomorrow?”
“Nope. I’ll just switch with someone else.”
“…You’re saying that a little too easily.”
Dungeon dispatches weren’t that simple to swap.
Jin Bora scrolled through the list of students scheduled for the Lava Cave dispatch tomorrow and smiled faintly. Then, she pulled out her smartphone and started flipping through her contacts.
“…Wow, those are all guy names?”
She put a finger to her lips. “Shh.”
Then, as soon as the call connected and a “Hello?” came from the receiver, her voice did a complete 180.
“Hello? Ah, hi, oppa! It’s Jin Boraaa~. Yes, yes, I’m doing great! Oh-hoho! Thank you so much for giving me a ride last time.”
She was fully immersed in her role, even blushing like a girl in love as she spoke.
“I heard you’re dispatched to Lava Cave tomorrow. Yes, yes. Actually, I have a situation, and I’d really like to go there. Would you be willing to swap with Tracker’s Mine dungeon~?”
Wow, watching this from the side is kinda creepy.
“Oh my, really? Yes! Thank you! I’ll definitely repay the favour later. Yes, take care! Have a great day!”
She hung up and gave me a smug smile.
“Done.”
“…Wasn’t that a bit too much?”
“Hehe, a girl can’t be too much of a pushover. A little cunning is what makes her cute.”
I think she’s gone way past ‘a little’ at this point.
“Anyway, it’s set. Senior, just focus on the magic circles. I’ll handle the rest of the preparations.”
“What other preparations are there?”
“How are you planning to sell the magic circles?”
Ah, I hadn’t even considered that.
“I was just gonna spread out a mat and sit there selling them…”
She smirked like she had expected that answer.
“See? See! I knew it! Leave it to me, I’ll set everything up.”
“Alright, I’ll leave that to you. The dungeon’s in Yeoju, so don’t be late.”
“A business trip to the countryside? At least Yeoju is close, thank goodness. See you tomorrow!”
She snapped a playful salute before skipping off to the elevator.
I grabbed my coat and pulled out my smartphone to search the map.
“Let’s see, where’s the nearest wholesale market from here…”
My first dungeon dispatch since gaining the power of the Tower Master.
I’m looking forward to it in more ways than one.
