His level hadn't increased. Neither had his experience points.
Instead, two shimmering orbs floated up before his eyes.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I smell something good!"
Before the light even faded, Momo pointed at the orbs, her voice rising in excitement.
"That one! Pick that one! The one on the left!"
"That's the right, you dummy!"
"Then the right one!"
Jinhyuk nodded solemnly and fixed his gaze on the orb.
Come on.
No need to hesitate—I'll take the right one.
[Two rewards have been granted.]
[Take what you desire.]
He reached out for the right orb—just as he'd resolved to do.
At the same time, his left hand shot out as well.
Take what you desire?
The collector's sickness kicked in before he could stop himself.
For a split second, a worry flashed through his mind.
What if they take everything away because I got greedy?!
He quickly brushed the thought aside.
From everything he'd seen so far, the system wasn't that petty.
Snatch!
He grabbed both rewards almost simultaneously.
"Hey! No! You're only supposed to take one! …Wait, can you take two? Then grab three!"
The insatiable collector flaunted her boundless greed.
"As expected of the Commander! Even if they give you one, you must seize two! That's how a real man does it!"
The Yodel clapped enthusiastically—though somehow managing to say it backward.
What should have been a quiet reward collection turned into a full-blown marketplace in seconds.
Gulp.
The two orbs remained calm—for now.
Please don't show a message saying the reward has been canceled.
Ding!
[Two rewards have been selected!]
[Opening the first reward!]
[Level Requirement: 100 / Rank: Transcendent / One-Handed Sword 'Soul Reaper' Blueprint Acquired!]
A blueprint crafted by the legendary blacksmith Svensson, who poured all his mastery into it!
No other blacksmith's assistance required! Gather the materials, and the sword will be completed!
Required Materials: Fragment of Helios's Meteor / Claw of the Black Dragon Drakan / Millennia-Tempered Firestone of Romanak
Whaaaaat?!
The detailed explanation scrolled by, but only one word truly registered in Jinhyuk's mind:
Transcendent.
A level 100 weapon—yet it was Transcendent rank.
A grade rumored to exist, but never publicly confirmed until now.
As expected of Professor Great Momo.
Another flawless victory.
'First the Infinite Warehouse of Peltz's Bag… and now a sword.'
He clenched his fist.
If he could complete it, he'd own two Transcendent-grade items.
Whether he'd be the first in the world was impossible to know—there might be hidden masters out there—but still.
He took a breath and read through the required materials.
…Huh?
The dopamine spike vanished in an instant.
The material list was absurd.
Helios's Meteor? Just hearing the name screamed "nearly impossible to obtain."
And what was that? A Black Dragon? The mere thought made his palms sweat.
Where was this Drakan supposed to live, anyway?
'And who the hell is Romanak?!'
Transcendent indeed.
Even the firestone wasn't ordinary.
"Let me see."
Elia, the walking encyclopedia, took the blueprint and examined it.
After a brief moment, she snorted.
"Mm! This wasn't made for people to craft. It's a joke—one hundred percent. How about we track down this Svensson fellow and beat him up? How dare he toy with my master?"
Practical solutions over false hope—that was Elia Posen, 3,271 years old.
Jinhyuk squeezed his eyes shut.
Honestly, it might be faster to find Svensson, beat him into submission, kidnap him, and force him to forge Soul Reaper than gather those materials.
[Opening the second reward!]
The orb of light shattered, revealing a small object.
[You have obtained the Key to Wonderland!]
[You may enter Wonderland! You must discover the door that leads there!]
The name stirred memories of a childhood fairy tale.
Wonderland.
And the Mad Rabbit Maredo, now reduced to ashes.
An oddly fitting combination.
After collecting both rewards, Jinhyuk let out a low sigh.
Then he clenched his fist with renewed determination.
"We're crafting Soul Reaper."
The required materials didn't matter.
Not when the finished product was a Transcendent sword.
"We're crafting it!! No giving up!!"
"Transcendent rank is amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
The Kanmo duo shouted like fervent cultists.
"I agree. We have to make it."
Even Seira's eyes gleamed with resolve.
As a knight, she had always loved swords.
A Transcendent blade.
She had to see it.
"W-Woahhh…!"
The others chimed in a beat later.
The road ahead was clearly going to be anything but easy.
"Alright."
He gave them a thumbs-up and headed for the exit.
Rewards secured. Time to return.
"…Hmm."
Just before leaving, Jinhyuk paused and glanced back.
Something bothered him.
When Maredo was defeated, roughly a hundred souls had burst out from the circular tower.
Why only a hundred?
It didn't sit right.
Maredo's Box hadn't dropped just once.
According to the Tower forums, multiple boxes had appeared worldwide.
'The system clearly said all trapped souls had been released.'
Assuming they dropped globally, the number of souls was far too small.
Some players might have seen the warnings on the forums and chosen not to open the box—but it was a special reward chest.
Curiosity and greed alone would've pushed plenty of people to try.
'I'd never even heard of Maredo's Box before.'
If not for Yoonho's message, he'd never have known it existed.
Players who never woke up.
A mysterious chest left behind in their place.
If something like that had happened over a hundred times, it would have made international headlines.
'Something's off. Really off.'
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, eyes sharp, Jinhyuk resumed walking.
He had a feeling this wasn't the end of it.
Cheongsan Family's reception hall.
A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of nervous swallowing.
At the center of the group sat a box.
Team Leader Jin Yoonho of the Hunter Administration.
Yoon Miri.
Chief Kang Younghoon.
Strategic Director Han Jiwon.
HR Director Lee Changgi.
Yoonho and Miri nervously bit their nails.
It had only been thirty minutes since Jinhyuk entered the box.
But time was relative.
To them, those thirty minutes felt like thirty years.
"Team Leader Jin Yoonho."
Han Jiwon's face was tight with strain as she addressed him.
"You were with him. Why didn't you stop him? Do you have any idea how valuable Runner is to this country?"
A few days ago, she might have reacted differently.
But not now.
After countless twists and turns, they'd finally secured their aircraft carrier.
And now it might sink before even starting the engine?
Unacceptable.
Absolutely not.
Before Yoonho could respond, Chief Kang spoke first.
"Let's wait a little longer. It's only been thirty minutes."
He checked his phone.
The Blue House had been sending urgent messages nonstop, begging to meet Runner.
He couldn't possibly report that Runner might not return.
He had to come back.
Everyone prayed in tense silence.
Crack—
A fissure appeared across the box.
Then it shattered into pieces.
Everyone held their breath.
Even the faint sound of breathing vanished.
No one dared speak first.
"Team Leader Jin Yoonho?"
"Gaaah!"
Startled by the voice behind him, Yoonho fell backward.
"W-wow…"
Miri let out a soft gasp.
Standing there—covered in dirt as if he'd just finished a hike, but completely uninjured—was Jinhyuk.
"Why are you—…Huh?!"
This time, Jinhyuk was the one who recoiled.
He recognized the man in front of him.
Hunter Administration Chief Kang Younghoon.
Known by many titles—
The most powerful man after the President.
The leader carrying Korea's future.
Every time he appeared in the media, a new nickname followed.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yoo Jinhyuk."
He quickly straightened up and bowed politely.
Kang blinked in surprise—then burst into hearty laughter.
Seeing him in person, he understood what Lee Changgi and Jin Yoonho had meant.
Runner was full of surprises.
"I'm Kang Younghoon, Chief of the Hunter Administration. I've been looking forward to meeting you."
They shook hands.
Lee Changgi stepped forward next.
"I'm Lee Changgi, Director of Human Resources."
"I've received your help so many times without properly thanking you. It's an honor."
"The help has been mutual. I look forward to working with you."
Click.
Han Jiwon wasted no time.
She edged Lee aside and flashed a radiant smile.
"I'm Han Jiwon, Director of Strategy. I've truly wanted to meet you, Runner Yoo Jinhyuk. I'll do my utmost to develop strategies tailored just for you."
Lee smirked faintly.
Who would believe that just days ago, she'd been hoping for Runner's downfall?
But that was simply her nature—she pursued her interests to the extreme.
As an enemy, she was troublesome.
As an ally, she was invaluable.
"Thank you! I look forward to it!"
As they shook hands—
Bang!
The door burst open.
Eun Gangseok rushed inside.
Seeing Jinhyuk standing there, he froze.
"…You really did it."
He pressed a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath.
"The people who lost consciousness—they're waking up. Every single one of them. No complications. It's like they just woke from sleep."
"That's a relief. I'm glad they're—"
He was cut off as Eun Gangseok suddenly pulled him into a tight hug.
"Thank you. I will repay this debt. I swear it."
To Eun, Cheongsan was family.
If something had happened to them—if Baek Yucheol had suffered—
The entire foundation would have crumbled.
"Phew…"
Yoonho exhaled in relief.
He needed to reflect.
For even briefly doubting that Jinhyuk might not make it back.
After a few more words of gratitude, Jinhyuk turned to Yoonho.
"Team Leader. There's something I need to tell you about what I saw inside."
He wasn't going to ignore it.
Not the uneasy feeling gnawing at him.
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T/N:
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