Chapter Title: Stats and Secrets
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"Life's full of surprises."
I pulled out a cigarette, lit it up.
There were others in the car, including my secretary and attendants, but I didn't care.
"To think I'd go through something like this."
Possession.
The more I thought about it, the better it seemed.
The more I chewed it over, the more excited I got.
I'd lived like a gaming shut-in to chase pleasures and dopamine hits I couldn't get in real life, and now I'd possessed a game character—no, the heir of an owner family with no money worries.
'And I've played through to the ending, so I have some knowledge.'
Sure, Go Muyeol had tanked his reputation by acting like a complete moron....
I'd chalk that up as a penalty.
'Let's see.... Goryeo Entertainment? It's an entertainment agency, so I guess that means scouting actors or debuting idols or something.'
Honestly, I wasn't that interested in this field, so I had no clue what to do.
The only things that came to mind were....
Scouting pretty, stacked aspiring idols or actresses and fucking them, or buying out top active stars and fucking them, or....
Anyway, nothing but vulgar thoughts.
'No, not necessarily. It's mine now—who's gonna complain if I turn it into an investment firm?'
I didn't know every single detail like some all-knowing cheater, but since I'd seen the ending, I had a grip on all the major events and key info.
If I converted it to an investment company and aggressively invested the capital, I was confident I could balloon it to over a trillion won in a year. Even without that, commercializing RK-99—the thing that turns the whole world upside down in the story—would rake in all the money in existence.
The real question was what I wanted to do in this world....
I'd have to think about that.
'For now, maybe play around a bit?'
+++
Around Geumsu Mountain's Sun Palace sprawled the North Peninsula's largest skyscraper district.
Countless massive buildings soared hundreds of meters effortlessly, surrounded by swarms of AVs—Air Vehicles—zipping through the air.
The Goryeo Hotel was here too.
Swoosh.
The car pulled up, and men in black suits hurried over to open the door.
"Welcome, Young Master."
I stepped out, and servers were already crowding around me.
They kept their waists deeply bowed until I had fully passed through the glass doors before straightening up.
It was treatment I wasn't used to, making my ears perk up and excitement bubble, but I held it back as much as possible.
A spoiled heir getting thrilled over this would look weird.
"Manager Han."
"Yes, Young Master."
"What do you know about Goryeo Entertainment?"
I got a brief rundown on the way to the room.
Manager Han didn't seem to know much either.
"It was established last July. It has exactly one actor under its banner—a male actor named Han Seong-gi—"
"What? A male actor? Cut him."
"Pardon?"
"I said cut him."
"Ah. Yes. Understood."
I had no intention of managing male actors.
Only female actors.
Only girl idols.
That was 'common sense' and 'justice'.
Ding.
The elevator reached the top floor, and the doors slid open.
One of my secretaries stepped forward and swiped a card.
Beep.
As the Royal Suite door unlocked, Manager Han suddenly stepped in front of me and bowed deeply.
"I apologize, Young Master. Due to a personnel transfer effective immediately, I won't be able to serve you going forward."
"What? What the hell?"
"It's an order just in from headquarters."
"...."
Looks like the chairman, thoroughly disappointed in Go Muyeol, was finally cracking down hard.
Recalling even the secretary team....
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"We'll assemble a new secretary team by tomorrow morning."
At least they weren't completely abandoning me.
"Fine. Get to it."
"Yes."
Looks like they'd pull the competent ones back to headquarters and dump rookies or screw-ups on me like scraps.
How disappointing.
Once Manager Han and the secretary team left, I was finally alone.
I threw myself onto the massive bed, and only then did time start to feel real.
Before that, it was like....
I knew it in my head, but it hadn't sunk in?
'How did the possession even happen.... No point dwelling on that crap.'
Pondering my abilities wouldn't change anything.
No point.
With that thought, I grabbed my phone and called Manager Han, who'd just left.
He picked up after one ring.
— Yes, Young Master. What can I do for you?
"About Goryeo Entertainment's funds—can I use them freely?"
— ...Strictly speaking, it could be seen as breach of trust or embezzlement. But in the Republic of Korea, you'll never run afoul of the law.
"Right? Then get it set up so I can."
— Yes. Linking it right away.
"Oh, and about the secretary team—don't assemble it yourself. Just send up the candidate reps. I'll pick."
— You'll handle it personally?
"Yeah. How else am I gonna know who's good?"
— Understood.
I ended the call and headed to the window.
From the top floor of the over-100-story Goryeo Hotel, Pyongyang's nightscape was stunning.
Dazzling, radiant, like it would prosper forever.
"Fuck, it's all mine."
Right now, all I had was one empty agency and change from 100 billion won,
but in my mind, I already owned Pyongyang, the Republic of Korea, the whole world.
I even felt affection for the devs I'd cursed with hatred.
"Oh, it's a game, so maybe there's a stats screen or something?"
That's when I remembered something I'd forgotten in how real it all felt.
The UI that made it feel like a game—stats screen.
Infernal Incheon 2077 had stats and items, just like a game.
[Go Muyeol]
Age: 20
Affiliation: Goryeo Entertainment
Race: Human
Level: 17
Martial Prowess: 39
Willpower: 11
Tech: 23
Leadership: 69
Charm: 3
None
[Special Abilities]
None
None
Goryeo Group Heir,
Smoking Addiction, Drug Addiction, Sex Addiction, Weak Will, ADHD
"Oh.... Oh...!"
Just as I'd hoped—a stats screen.
But....
"How the hell has this guy been surviving?"
The stats were pathetic.
Even for a normie, a specialized stat should hit 70-80 to be usable, but this guy had only Leadership scraping 69, and the rest were rock bottom.
That Leadership was probably just the chaebol buff.
"Damn.... Next year when the story starts, most characters roll in with main stats over 90, and this is worse than a middle schooler."
And that wasn't all.
The string of debuffs hanging off his traits like sausages on a stick gave me a headache.
Weak Will was one thing, but Smoking Addiction, Drug Addiction, Sex Addiction?
Why not Alcohol Addiction too while you're at it?
"...I'll think about it tomorrow."
The stats screen hit me with instant vertigo.
I collapsed onto the bed.
+++
The next day.
I rubbed my crusty eyes awake, and my head throbbed like it might split.
I could barely think straight—definitely withdrawal symptoms.
Smoking Addiction, Drug Addiction, Sex Addiction.
It was pure insanity.
Worst of all was the drugs....
'Fuck, this one I gotta kick no matter what.'
I swore to myself, but still rummaged for some.
Withdrawal wasn't something human willpower could tough out.
Cursing Go Muyeol the fucker about ten times in my head, I dredged up memories.
No way this junkie kept his stash far away. Maybe in clothes or wallet?
"Ugh.... Urgh...."
Even getting to the closet felt endless.
I staggered on those few steps, nearly face-planting several times.
Reaching it, I plastered myself to it like an octopus, fumbling shaky hands into the clothes.
Luckily, there was some in the outer jacket pocket.
"Haa.... Haa.... You idiot.... Seriously,"
Just like in the memories, I loaded the syringe, jabbed for a vein, and injected.
The thick needle pierced skin—no pain registered.
Only the massive pleasure coming up—
"Grrooohh??!!"
An instant wave of insane ecstasy.
I felt like a god overlooking the world.
Enlightened to all things in the universe with sage wisdom, my mind touched the profound.
'This is why.... the drugs....'
I melted away.
.
.
Once the drug's high faded, my body finally calmed.
The splitting headache eased.
"Haa.... Haa...."
A bliss I'd never known.
I knew instinctively.
Do it again, and I'd plunge straight to ruin.
Never again.
I'd rip out my brain if I had to—cure the Drug Addiction.
'Gotta live long and happy. Dying young as a junkie idiot would be a huge loss.'
The silver lining: one hit kept me good for a day.
I had to find a fix today.
That's when it rang.
The intercom showed Manager Han and what looked like secretary candidates.
— It's Manager Han, Young Master. I've brought the candidates.
"Come in."
I threw on an outer jacket, roughly combed my hair.
My whole body was soaked in sweat now.
Withdrawal? Or the injection?
Either way, not a good look.
But no need to impress secretaries, right?
Gulping water, I sank into the sofa's plushness as Manager Han and the candidates entered.
Four guys and one woman—the one whose ass I'd groped yesterday.
Hadn't noticed, but face-on, she was seriously pretty.
'They all look green as hell.... Just slapping together randos to get it over with?'
Manager Han ignoring me was possible, but headquarters' influence seemed likely.
They'd dismantled my team and transferred him on orders from HQ, after all.
"Introduce yourselves. You first."
"Ah, yes. Young Master. I'm—"
The guy I'd pointed to started.
No enthusiasm.
I half-listened while pulling up info on the one woman.
Young women over guys, right—
[Ha Eun-young]
Age: 23
Affiliation: Goryeo Prestige, National Intelligence Service of the Republic of Korea
Race: Human
Level: 107
Martial Prowess: 81
Willpower: 112
Tech: 108
Leadership: 98
Charm: 92
Patriot
"Pffft!!"
I spat out the water I'd been drinking.