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131
“The Tower of Vortex?”
“I’ve never heard of it — does such a place exist?”
Yeonwoo and Avantgarde made puzzled expressions at the unfamiliar name.
A peculiar vortex that occurs randomly somewhere on the continent.
Using entry materials there transfers one to a tower that exists within the vortex.
And when and where that vortex would appear was firmly lodged in Hanbit’s memory.
“Think of it as a stage-type dungeon where monsters exist on each floor. It will be a little difficult, but if you clear it all the way through, your level will rise by a surprising amount.”
“You plan to go there before doing episodes? At your growth pace, leveling up doesn’t seem strictly necessary.”
“This isn’t enough as we are. There’s the Adventurer A situation too, and players like the Nesto guild and the vanguards are getting stronger and more entangled with us.”
“That… is certainly a concern.”
The rapid changes that had occurred since the Edelen episode ended.
Factions going beyond simple competition to posing outright threats were gradually becoming more aggressive.
In that case, there was nothing to do but raise the growth rate and respond accordingly.
“What an interesting place. How does one enter the Tower of Vortex? If there’s virtually no information out there, the barrier to entry must be quite high.”
Avantgarde, having done a quick search, asked with interest.
That guess was not wrong.
“It does occur randomly, but entry requires materials. The problem is that the cost exceeds 200 million won per person.”
“…Pardon?”
“200 million per person?”
At the figure casually dropped, the two’s eyes went wide.
Even with Black Dragon’s standing rising rapidly, it was too large a sum.
Having anticipated the reaction, Hanbit looked at Yeonwoo and said:
“I know it’s expensive. So I’ve been thinking of a way to pull that money together. Ah — the view count revenue won’t be touched.”
The various materials needed to craft entry tickets.
The total of all of those came to roughly 200 million.
An absurd amount for an entry fee — but the Tower of Vortex was somewhere he had to go.
In that case, he needed to build capital a little more aggressively.
“What method are you thinking of using?”
At the mention of capital, Yeonwoo leaned in.
Hanbit pulled up the RP world map on his smartphone and said:
“Naturally, selling information. There’s still one starting city left, isn’t there?”
“The other starting city… you mean Belmora?”
The Federation of Bastia to the east of the continent.
A starting city like Edelen also existed there.
Hanbit knew everything that started in Belmora as well.
“The web novel must have had a story for that side too? Adventurer A’s guidebook only went as far as introducing the city.”
“Perhaps that’s why — I’ve heard the rate of players choosing Belmora as their starting city has dropped considerably. Outside of early players, most have flocked to Edelen where a guide exists.”
As the two explained, Belmora was a city avoided by new players.
Because unlike the early days without information, the appearance of the guidebook was far too great a temptation.
Regrettably, that decision had led the majority down the wrong path.
‘But why doesn’t Adventurer A know about Belmora?’
After catching the person who had been tailing him, Hanbit had thought deeply about Adventurer A’s identity.
No matter how many times he went over it, the conclusion was always the same.
The possibility that this person too had been pulled into another world and returned, just as he had.
Whatever the goddess’s purpose, it made no sense that of 7 billion people, only he had had that experience.
Then why was the information Adventurer A possessed so thin and flawed?
Could there be a difference in how many times the regression cycle had been repeated?
‘I’ll need to have a conversation with them someday.’
There were two ways to resolve these questions.
One was to meet the goddess and those connected to her.
The other was to meet Adventurer A in person and ask directly.
He was making use of the detective agency’s operative who had been tailing him, but there were also ways to meet face to face inside RP.
Of course, for that, standing shoulder to shoulder with the vanguards would be necessary.
“The story that starts in Belmora is a little simpler. There’s no entanglement with the Holy Nation, and most of it involves saving cities or people from monsters.”
“But don’t you need something like a first-achiever bonus for this side? It would be a shame to lose something good.”
Yeonwoo focused on the perks that came with the ‘first’ title.
Looking at Hanbit’s track record so far, its value had been enormous.
“Either way, you can’t progress another starting city’s main quest, can you?”
“That’s true. Once a story begins anywhere, the world’s time flows together accordingly.”
When Edelen’s main quest begins, the world’s clock moves in step with that flow.
In other words, in Belmora during the same time period, their story was naturally progressing.
A player with one body couldn’t influence the other side.
Having actually experienced that himself, Hanbit knew it better than anyone.
“Without the main quest, there’s not much meaning. Actually — the things that can be gained from the story wouldn’t be that significant anyway.”
What could be achieved in Belmora at this point in time was minimal.
Its true value would only become apparent much later.
Selling the information right now, when the expected value was highest, was the better move.
Having arrived at the conclusion again, Hanbit asked the two:
“So — how much would be a good price to sell it for?”
“Hmm… it’s hard to say.”
“It’s not a starting city many people choose, so I can’t say for certain. I think it’ll bring over a billion, but I still think even that falls short.”
Yeonwoo deep in thought, and Avantgarde offering his own estimation.
A billion was a large sum, but the buyer of this information would likely be a major corporation with vanguards.
Depending on circumstances, an even larger figure might be called for.
“Hyung, what about asking that person?”
Yeonwoo, who had been deliberating, suddenly asked.
“That person?”
“Obviously Luna. She’s a vanguard, affiliated with a major corporation, and on top of that the daughter of the group chairman. She’s also the younger sister of Yeonhwa Gaming’s CEO to begin with.”
“…She was the CEO’s sister?”
Hanbit was a little surprised at the fact he hadn’t known at all.
The intent behind those words — telling him to ignore the CEO even if contacted — was now somewhat visible.
They probably weren’t on good terms.
‘She’ll be busy right now.’
Around the time the plan for the Snow Drake was being put together, Luna had given the fastest possible notice of vanguard movements.
One piece of information given as a return gift for that.
A hint about weapon materials obtainable from the north side of Peria Island.
Having heard she was a talented vanguard, she might have managed to successfully obtain them sometime today or tomorrow.
Sending a message around the time the episode ended should be fine.
“I’ll try reaching out. I had something to ask her separately as well.”
“I’ll also look into it for now.”
After that conclusion was reached, the topic of conversation shifted.
It was about what had unfolded the previous day.
“I never imagined you’d use the vanguards to chip away at health. Even Blood and Mars were among them.”
Yeonwoo, who had been watching the stream throughout, had sat and stood up from his chair several times.
Blood in particular, who used hidden skills like Hanbit.
There was no way to know what situation she would create — she was a vanguard with quite a name for herself.
“Comments on the video and community reactions all seemed surprised too.”
Avantgarde showed the two his smartphone screen.
Even the title was provocatively spicy.
⟨Breaking) Vanguards including Blood stupidly wiped⟩
Anyone who didn’t watch the Snow Drake fight just now go check the clip immediately.
There were around 20 vanguards, got swept away like ants by the magic and the tail.
The problem is the wipe move — this freaking thing only Black Dragon’s party could counter.
Blood’s eyes rolled back trying to kill Black Dragon and got frozen and schooled.
Probably a pattern that triggers when certain HP is shaved off?
Shield guy Mars just dies too.
Can’t kill a level 500 boss, that I get, but are these guys really vanguards?
Conclusion) Black Dragon wins, got the dwarf heirloom, Snow Drake loot, elemental king or whatever traces, and survived the escape.
Conclusion 2) Vanguards are weak. Seems like they can’t do anything without dealing damage.
-Conclusion is a brutal truth-bomb. Lol.
-Blood and Mars lost? Seriously?
-Seeing the dragon beat the frozen ones senseless was hilarious. Lol.
-Only Black Dragon’s party survived, isn’t that a Snow Drake cartel?
└Really?
-They’re at work, how are they watching this;
└You’re saying you don’t slack off at work?
└Watching Black Dragon’s stream with the CEO counts as innocence.
-Vanguards are nothing. Lol.
└This guy is level 22.
└Why are the trolls always……
-This Black Dragon guy makes no sense. Has anyone done a background check?
└Would the guys talking about hiring an assassin actually do it?
└That’s the RP player average, apparently.
-Shut up and just subscribe to Black Dragon’s channel.
-Once Ifrit is cleared, will he release more info?
└Your conscience must be dead.
└Probably will if views are good.
└Going 10 Barracks.
The comments listed one after another were completely raw.
The distrust toward Black Dragon that had appeared here and there until last time was now almost invisible.
If anything, the comments were full of mockery toward the defeated vanguards.
Being something like nobility within RP, the envy and jealousy were just as plentiful.
Of course, it was also because they had failed to meet the expectations placed on them.
“It’s blazing. Still, the image of hyung is definitely changing. At first he was treated as a madman — now he’s being evaluated in comparison to vanguards.”
“Well, this one couldn’t be helped. It was a question of knowing the mechanic or not.”
Clashing with the Snow Drake had been a predetermined situation from early on.
Players like the Taeyul employees and vanguards were, so to speak, supporting collaborators assisting that plan.
Just like this — the gap in information was the most important factor in any competition.
“Ah, come to think of it — what did you do with the cards? They should have been random teleports.”
Avantgarde, listening to the conversation, asked as though something had come to mind.
Because the random teleport card he had personally obtained had moved exactly as Hanbit had said.
“You remember when I modified the scroll in Edelen? It’s similar to that.”
When the stream was off, Hanbit had modified the card’s design using ether ink.
Being the same as fixing a simple scroll, changing the effect was something possible.
“I always think this, but Black Dragon-nim’s memory is truly remarkable. To think you reproduced from memory a modification method that would have been written out in sentences in the novel…….”
Words of genuine admiration from Avantgarde.
Not from sentences but a technique learned directly, though — and Hanbit did take pride in his memory.
But this being maximized was due to survival instinct — doing whatever it took to live even a little longer.
Failing to properly remember meant meeting death in similar situations.
That was the life he had been thrown into when cast into another world.
“I plan to make the most of it as far as my memory goes. At the end of the day, I didn’t read it all the way through.”
“Ah, you mentioned you didn’t make it to the ending? Then we’d best make full use of it up to that point.”
Yeonwoo gave a nod of agreement.
Seeing the reaction without even a hint of doubt, he felt oddly guilty.
Bringing up the goddess and telling the truth wasn’t something he could do — but still.
“About time to head out.”
The three, who had been talking about various things, got up without lingering.
The twelve-hour waiting period before the main quest could be progressed was about to wrap up.
It was time to see the ending of the Ifrit episode.
“Then I’ll head back and log in right away. See you inside RP.”
