The entrance to the 'Tutorial Dungeon D-3' was a chaotic mess.
Located in a public park in the Gangnam district, the Gate swirled with ominous blue energy. Police barricades held back the press, while hundreds of low-ranking Hunters geared up in the parking lot.
The atmosphere was tense but optimistic.
"It's a Grassland Biome," a loud E-Rank warrior shouted, swinging a two-handed axe. "Easy money, boys! Kill a few wolves, grab the mana stones, be back in time for dinner!"
"Are you sure?" a nervous healer asked.
"Trust me! My cousin works at the Association. He saw the energy readings. It's 100% Grassland."
Ren parked the florist's truck right next to the barricade. He climbed out, wearing a cheap mask and a cap. He didn't have armor. He didn't have a weapon.
He set up a flimsy folding table.
On the table, he placed a single pot of the Blue-Leafed Fern. Next to it, he placed a sign written in bold marker:
[LIFE INSURANCE: $500]
The hunters ignored him.
"Look at that guy," the E-Rank warrior sneered, pointing at Ren. "Selling house plants at a dungeon? Is he crazy?"
"Maybe he thinks the monsters have allergies," his friend laughed.
Ren sat on the back of the truck, checking his watch.
[Time until Gate Opens: 00:03:00]
He waited. He watched the arrogance on their faces. In his past life, half of these people died today. Not because they were weak, but because they were unprepared.
3... 2... 1...
VROOOOM.
The Gate expanded. The blue swirl turned a sickly, toxic green.
A massive holographic window appeared above the entrance, visible to everyone.
[Dungeon Type: Toxic Wetland]
[Difficulty: E-Rank (Deadly)]
[Environmental Debuff: Neurotoxin Level 4 active immediately upon entry.]
[Effect: Paralysis in 5 minutes. Death in 20 minutes.]
The laughter stopped instantly.
"Wetland?" the warrior with the axe dropped his weapon. "Neurotoxin? I didn't bring antidotes! I brought bandages!"
"My info said Grassland!"
"We can't go in! If we abort the raid, the Association will fine us!"
"If we go in, we die!"
Panic. Pure, unfiltered panic. Hunters were scrambling, checking their inventories, calling their suppliers.
"All antidotes are sold out in the city!" someone screamed, looking at their phone. "Delivery takes two hours!"
"The raid timer starts in ten minutes! We'll fail the mission!"
Ren calmly picked up a megaphone.
"ATTENTION, CORPSES!"
The crowd turned toward the truck.
Ren held up a leaf from the fern. He crushed it between his fingers. A blue oil dripped out.
"This is the Blue-Leafed Fern," Ren announced, his voice amplified over the screams. "Its oil neutralizes Level 4 Neurotoxins instantly. I have 500 pots in this truck."
Silence. Then, a stampede.
The crowd rushed the truck. The E-Rank warrior reached the table first.
"Give me that!" He reached for the pot.
Ren slapped his hand away. Hard.
"Ah!" The warrior recoiled. "What the hell?"
"Read the sign," Ren pointed. "$500 per pot. Cash or instant transfer only."
"Five hundred?!" The warrior's face went red. "It's a weed! It costs five bucks at the flower shop!"
"Then go to the flower shop," Ren said, leaning back. "It's a forty-minute drive. The raid starts in nine minutes. You do the math."
The warrior trembled. He looked at the dungeon timer. He looked at his terrified team.
"You... you profiteering vulture!"
"I'm a businessman," Ren corrected. "Supply and demand. The demand just went up. Do you want to live, or do you want to save money?"
The warrior gritted his teeth so hard a vein popped in his neck. He whipped out his phone.
"Transferring! Give me the damn plant!"
[Ding!]
[Payment Received: $500]
Ren handed him the pot. "Pleasure doing business. Rub the oil on your exposed skin."
Once the first sale was made, the floodgates opened.
"Me! I need three!" "I'll take ten for my party!" "Shut up and take my money!"
Ren's phone buzzed incessantly. It was the sound of a cash register on overdrive.
[+$1,500][+$5,000][+$500]
Ren moved with mechanical efficiency. Take money. Hand over plant. Take money. Hand over plant.
Within twelve minutes, the back of the truck was empty.
Ren looked at his bank balance on his phone screen.
[Current Assets: $251,050]
He had turned a $2,500 investment into a quarter of a million dollars in less than an hour.
The hunters, now smeared in blue oil and smelling of vinegar, rushed into the dungeon, casting hateful glares at Ren as they passed.
"I hope you choke on that money!" one yelled.
Ren just waved. "Good luck in there! Try not to die!"
He hopped off the truck bed. He tossed the megaphone into the passenger seat.
He didn't care about their hate. Hate didn't pay the bills.
Ren looked at the setting sun over the Seoul skyline.
"Step 1 complete," he muttered. "Seed money acquired."
He pulled up his interface. He entered a name into the search bar.
[Search: Ha-Eun]
[Location: PC Bang 'Zion', Guro District.]
Ren smiled.
"Time to go recruit a mage."