Vol 1 Ch 3

In the morning, after showing a client a rental property and heading back to the office, I stopped nearby for lunch. A 6,000-won set meal, cheap and no need to think twice. The side dishes were just like homemade and generous, too.

While wrapping rice in dried seaweed, my phone rang. It was Hanwoo.

He asked if I’d logged out properly yesterday and said he’d help me today. I told him I’d call back after finishing my meal. Then, on my way out, I filled a paper cup with the sweet rice punch they served for dessert and called him back.

“Dude, I hit the jackpot yesterday!”

[What, you made it to the village through that chaos? Damn, impressive. I barely escaped while watching.]

“No, no. I picked up a ring from a guy who died during a PK fight.”

[A ring? What kind of ring?]

“Something like… ‘Angel’s whatever’? That one!”

[Wait… what? That was you? Why the hell did you steal that?]

“Steal? What do you mean steal? It was just lying on the ground.”

[That was ShutUp’s ring, man. Forget what I said, just go look at the forums right now. You’ll understand why I’m saying this.]

I shrugged it off, saying it wasn’t a big deal, but Hanwoo warned me, “If you really don’t want to quit the game, either admit you picked it up or don’t even think about selling it.”

What kind of item was this supposed to be?

Back at the office, I sat down at my PC and sipped my rice punch as I opened the game’s official site. Just as Hanwoo said, the entire forum was filled with posts about the ring. The rice grains from my drink suddenly felt stuck in my throat.

[New] Who took ShutUp’s ring?
Whoever it is, if they get caught, they’re done for.

――――――――――

┗ Didn’t the rival guild grab it?
┗ ㄴ They’re all dead.
┗ He dropped it during a PK fight, why’s everyone losing their minds?
┗ ㄴ Nah, he asked an IRL friend to kill him since his PG meter was full. Someone stole it in between.
┗ What’s the best ring for level 50 builds?
┗ Wasn’t that one engraved? Why’d it drop?
┗ Engraved or not, everything drops in this trash game.

Everything they were saying matched what I already knew, and apparently, that ring was insanely valuable.

[New] Price check on that ring
I’ll buy it. Cash. 010-47**-5×××

――――――――――

┗ This gotta be bait, right? ShutUp himself?
┗ Didn’t even say how much he’ll pay.
┗ Gotta be at least 5 mil, minimum.

…Five million?

My pupils trembled. That “5 mil” definitely didn’t mean 5,000 won, it meant five million won. And on other threads, people were arguing over whether the guy who picked it up was a thief or not.

Among them was a post from the owner himself.

[New] Looking for tip-off / ShutUp
Reward for info on the Elf’s Breath Ring. DM me.

――――――――――

┗ Anyone caught secretly wearing it is gonna get mobbed.
┗ How can they even tell?
┗ That ring shows faint wings behind your back sometimes. RIP.

My blood ran cold. If I’d just walked around wearing that thing like an idiot, I would’ve gotten jumped and stripped of it in no time.

Wings? Seriously…

From the threads, I got the general idea. Then I checked where the ring actually dropped.

“…Dropped randomly from one of seventy-two Hell Bosses. The weakest Hell Boss is ranked A by default? What’s mine then?”

On the Blood Planet website, both Psychics and Guides had rank tiers: S, A, B, C, D. But no matter how far I scrolled through the Guide rankings, my character wasn’t listed.

Well, I was level 1. What kind of ranking would that even get me? I closed the page and searched ShutUp’s ranking instead. Not in A rank. Out of curiosity, I checked S rank, fifth place.

“Wh-what the hell…”

My legs started shaking as I pieced things together.

Even if the ring was worth five million won, I couldn’t sell it. And if I kept it, the second I stepped into a hunting field, I’d get PK’d and lose it anyway. Worst of all, if someone like him had it out for me, I’d be ground to dust before I knew it.

Just when I thought I’d hit the jackpot, it was starting to look like I might need to change servers fast.

But the website said server transfers were only available from level 50, and it was a paid feature, too.

“Ugh… what do I do now…”

I considered starting over on a new server, but it felt like a waste to bury such a rare item. And honestly, I’d rather stick around here where at least I had Hanwoo.

While I was weighing my options, the office door opened.

“Uh… I’m looking for a shop space.”

I’d been clutching my head without realizing it, and the sound of a customer made me hastily close the forum tab.

The rent payment was due in three months, and I couldn’t afford to stress about in-game problems. My bank account was already running dry.

“Please, have a seat.”

Up to now, my clients had only been looking for houses. This was my first customer searching for a commercial property. And commercial clients meant an extra commission fee, a good chance to make a bit more.

The key was whether I had a place available.

“You’re looking for something on the first floor, right?”

“Yes. But the spaces along the main road all want way too much key money. I was wondering if there’s anything in the back alley.”

“Hmm…”

There was, actually, the first floor of that arrogant kid’s building across the street.

The price range happened to match what this customer was looking for. After doing a quick mental calculation, I told him to wait a moment and called the owner across the street.

Apparently, the place was open for viewing; through the window, I saw the owner waving us over.

“Would you like to take a look in person?”

“Oh, yes. That’d be great.”

I left the office with the client in tow. Sure enough, that black sports car was parked right out front again. But I had no time to care about that now.

We crossed the street and stepped into the first-floor space to take a look around.

“Hmm. The size looks good. The premium fee too. When are you planning to move out?”

“The sooner, the better. The landlord already told me it’s fine to leave early if I want to.”

It felt right. Everything was falling neatly into place. My heart was pounding, as if signing the contract was just around the corner. I couldn’t help smiling as I listened to the two of them discuss the premium.

“So, are you planning to open a clothing store?”

“No. I’m planning to open a tteokbokki franchise.”

The current shop owner, who had been listening to our conversation, tilted his head slightly with a hesitant expression. Something about it made me uneasy.

“Is something wrong?”

“Hmm… actually, someone came by yesterday wanting to open a sandwich shop, but the landlord said he doesn’t want any kind of restaurant on the first floor. He lives upstairs, apparently.”

“Haha, it’s not even a barbecue place… it’s just sandwiches…”

“Exactly.”

The shop owner sighed, his face full of worry. He must have been desperate to move out as soon as possible to pay less rent.

“I’ll meet him in person and talk to him.”

“…You might not want to do that…”

The way the shop owner reached out as if to stop me told me enough about what kind of person the landlord was. Probably the type who was unreasonable and impossible to talk to. But since it was something that needed the landlord’s approval, I just took his contact information and sent the customer on his way.

‘Forget the ring for now… this month’s rent depends on this deal.’

Looking at the landlord’s contact number the shop owner gave me, I steadied myself. Then I called him from the office phone. After a few rings, the call was instantly rejected.

‘Huh?’

Well, I guess that made sense, it was an unknown number. I tried again.

Still no answer.

So I called again, this time from my cell phone. The secondary number I’d registered when opening the real estate office, I didn’t want to use my personal number for business.

‘Please pick up. Come on!’

[…Hello.]

His voice sounded low and heavy, as if coming from inside a cave. Maybe he had just woken up. The sound matched his appearance from the brief time I’d seen him before, dark, unpleasant, with a gloomy tone.

“Hello, I’m calling from the real estate office across the street. I wanted to talk to you about the lease for the first-floor shop. Do you have a moment to talk?”

[…]

“If you’re tired, I can call back later, ”

[That’s not necessary.]

Huh?

Then the call ended.

There wasn’t even a trace of hesitation or politeness in his voice. Who refuses a tenant who’s offering to transfer a shop with a premium?

These days, there’s even something called “premium protection insurance” that allows tenants to recover their goodwill payment when a lease ends. If a landlord blocks new tenants without valid reason and interferes with that recovery, the guarantor company can sue. Keeping the current tenant is fine, but if the business isn’t doing well, it’s actually better for the landlord to rent it to someone new.

After shaking my leg restlessly for about five minutes, I called again. Still no answer. He ignored both the office phone and my mobile.

“Ah, what a rude little bastard.”

He clearly looked younger than me. Brats born to rich parents who live comfortably like that were rotten from the start.

‘If he’d ever known what it’s like to struggle, maybe he’d understand how desperate ordinary people feel.’

Maybe that’s why people get hooked on games, to feel like they’re growing, at least there. Leveling up becomes a way to vent the frustration of this unfair world.

But really, in my case, both reality and the game were miserable. I should’ve just stuck with my job instead of letting some pervert mess with my life. If I ran into him now, I probably wouldn’t even be able to say a word.

Sure, part of it was wanting to escape, but I also had my own ambitions, to make it in Seoul. I’d scoffed when people said, “No matter how rough it gets, being a salaried worker is the happiest life.” When I first put up my real estate sign, I loved hearing people call me “boss.” I really thought I was turning my life around.

‘I even bragged about opening a second branch in Yeouido back then…’

Now, with the next few months looking bleak, I was desperate for the commission from the shop across the street. If I could just close that deal, I’d be okay for a while.

‘I have to meet him somehow.’

I picked up my phone again and sent a message.

…

Now that landlord bastard is sitting right here in my office.

The first time I saw him, he was wearing a hoodie pulled up over his head, but now he’d pushed his hair back, sitting on the sofa with one leg crossed. And how did I get him here? I lied and said I’d scratched his car.

“I… I’m really sorry to meet you like this…”

“You really go all out, don’t you.”

Every time his tightly pressed lips parted, it felt like the air froze around him. His voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed deeply, filling the whole office.

He didn’t have a single likable trait. It was almost impressive how completely unpleasant a person could be.

I just sat there silently and pushed a drink toward him with both hands. Without lowering his head, he only moved his eyes downward, reached out his long arm, and snatched the bottle.

He was tall, so his arms were long too. His hands were huge. The glass bottle, one of those 2+1 deals from the convenience store, looked like a tiny energy drink in his hand.

He downed it in one shot and slammed it down on the table with a thud.

“About the first floor across the street, what do you think about renting it out as a tteokbokki shop, ”

“No.”

“It won’t smell or anything. It’s a clean franchise, well-maintained. Don’t you like tteokbokki? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a shop downstairs for a late-night snack?”

He looked like he was about to stand up, clearly done with the conversation. I panicked and grabbed his arm.

“If there’s any smell, I’ll take full responsibility, okay?”

He didn’t seem to want to hear any more, trying to pry my hand off with his other hand. His hands looked big from a distance, but when they wrapped around the back of mine, I was shocked.

Just how big did a man’s hand have to be to completely cover another adult’s? Twenty centimeters from wrist to fingertip? No, this wasn’t the time to be amazed. I tightened my grip and made my final plea.

“I’ll take care of all the building maintenance! Please! I’ll clean the stairs! I’ll sweep the front every single day! You saw me before, right? Oh, and I’ll also keep an eye on your car, make sure no one damages it! I’ll even run errands!”

It was basically a slave contract at this point.

But really, everything I said was small stuff. With business being this slow, none of it was a big deal. I was just flattering him, trying to get on his good side.

“Errands?”

It seemed that last word caught his attention. It was humiliating to think about running errands for some younger guy, but what could it be? Buying cigarettes? Coffee? That was probably all.

I nodded eagerly, like one of those bobblehead dogs on a car dashboard.

“Alright.”

“What?”

I didn’t expect that to work. I’d thrown away my last bit of pride and begged, but it worked! I couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips. Finally, the deal was happening!

“Then… would today be okay?”

At my question, he gave a single nod. I asked him to wait for a moment and called the client who had been about to sign the contract earlier.

That day, everything wrapped up smoothly, and the commission from the contract was deposited into my account. I smiled with satisfaction as I checked my balance on my phone. Normally, I closed the office at seven, but a working client had come by that evening, so I showed him a rental unit and didn’t get to lock up until around eight.

After locking the office and entering the security code, my phone rang just as I turned around.

“Hello?”

[Mr. Yoo Doseon. Bring the shopping bag from my car.]

That punk was five years younger than me, yet he called me “Mr. Yoo Doseon.” I was a business owner too, being called by my full name like that stung a bit.

When he signed the contract earlier, I’d seen his ID number. I figured he might be younger, but with that tall frame and solid build, I didn’t think he’d be that much younger.

Just thinking about how I’d begged that kid, clinging to his arm like a fool, made my stomach churn. And now he was giving me his first errand. Calling me “Mr. Yoo Doseon,” no less,  must’ve seen my name on the contract.

Still, it hadn’t even been ten minutes since I’d seen the commission hit my account, so I managed to keep a bright smile.

“Sure. No problem.”

I looked up toward the top floor of the building across the street. A shadow moved near the window, and then the car’s hazard lights blinked before turning off.

When I opened the passenger door, I saw a luxury-brand shopping bag. I expected the car to reek of cigarettes ,  he smoked, after all ,  but there was only a faint, cool woody scent. I grabbed the bag carelessly and slammed the car door shut as hard as I could. The car lights flashed again just as I entered the building.

I got in the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor ,  the seventh. When the doors opened, there was just one front door right in front of me. Looking around, I saw that it was the only one in the wide hallway.

‘Wow… does he use the whole floor by himself?’

Before I could even ring the bell, the door suddenly swung open.

“Uh, here. This is…”

An arm shot out, snatched the bag, and the door slammed shut.

Seriously? Not even a “thanks” or “good work”? Fine, maybe he’s too lazy to talk, but at least step out to take it properly. Even delivery guys don’t get treated like this.

‘What a personality… tsk.’

While I grumbled under my breath, the elevator that had gone down to the first floor came back up again. Whatever. I’d closed a deal today,  time to head home and play some games.

‘And hey, I scored that rare “Elf’s Breath Ring” too.’

They say life’s full of surprises ,  one moment you’re at rock bottom, the next everything’s falling into place. Whether it’s the real world or in-game, things were finally looking up. I even found myself humming as I left.