LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 11 - Setting the First Achievement (1)
Chapter 11 Setting the First Achievement (1)
Baek Jin-woo’s first request to Park Chang-seok was simple: make sure the news about the record-breaking accomplishment didn’t spread through the media or elsewhere.
“Why is that? Breaking a record is something worth celebrating.”
“It’s because my safety isn’t secured.”
“What? When it comes to your safety, our headquarters can—”
Park Chang-seok stopped mid-sentence.
‘Well.’
How could the headquarters possibly protect someone like him?
The headquarters couldn’t even properly handle a single gang.
Never mind gangs—if global rankers came to attack, South Korea’s current reality couldn’t withstand it.
The best security? Not revealing oneself!
“I understand. I’ll request media control under the authority of the headquarters. However, even if we try to keep it quiet, rumors might still spread. Some staff have seen the leaderboard, and the examiners also know about it…”
“That’s fine. It’s not like I’m the only person in the world named Baek Jin-woo.”
“I see.”
If it were a world record, the headquarters couldn’t do much, but they could at least keep the national record somewhat under wraps.
* * *
After the meeting.
The first thing Baek Jin-woo did after stepping out of the café was to check his rewards.
[Three High-grade Summoning Scrolls.]
[Two Low-grade Polishing Agents.]
The polishing agents were expected since they were a reward from the Tuesday dungeon. But the “High-grade Summoning Scrolls” were a huge win.
These were rewards for achieving a first-time accomplishment in the Tuesday dungeon’s basic level.
This reward could only be obtained once.
Even if he broke the South Korean record in the dungeon again, no more rewards would be given.
‘Should I open them now?’
The probability of high-grade summoning scrolls was as follows:
[D-rank: 94%]
[C-rank: 5%]
[B-rank: 1%]
If he was lucky, he could end up with a B-rank summoner right away.
‘But using only three scrolls to gamble seems a bit risky.’
What Baek Jin-woo needed now wasn’t a B-rank summoner.
He needed a bug-like EX-class summoner.
‘First.’
He checked the price.
Baek Jin-woo pulled out his phone and opened an app.
[Player Web]
It was an app only accessible to registered players, which Park Chang-seok had installed for him right after he got his license.
Runes, polishing agents, summoners, summoning scrolls, and more—most transactions could be handled here.
Baek Jin-woo quickly navigated to the “Marketplace” tab to check the summoning scroll prices.
He was shocked.
‘Insane.’
[Low-grade Summoning Scroll – 5,000 won]
[Mid-grade Summoning Scroll – 500,000 won]
[High-grade Summoning Scroll – 3,000,000 won]
[Top-grade Summoning Scroll – No listing]
[Ultimate Summoning Scroll – No listing]
Were high-grade summoning scrolls really this expensive?
He had just obtained three, which meant he had earned 9 million won?
Just by clearing one dungeon?
‘Wow.’
Baek Jin-woo’s hands trembled slightly.
This was money that, under normal circumstances, would have required him to work part-time for a month straight without rest.
But now?
He had earned this much in just over five minutes of casual effort.
And this was just the beginning.
What would happen in the future?
‘…This is crazy.’
Dad, Mom, Ah-jin.
Just wait a little longer.
Soon, I’ll make sure you all live without worrying about money.
“……”
After clicking through various pieces of information, Baek Jin-woo made a calm judgment.
And he made his decision.
‘I’ll sell the high-grade scrolls for now.’
Then what?
‘I’ll use the money to buy a ton of low-grade scrolls.’
Until he could summon the E-rank Training Instructor or the D-rank Explosive Dragon Sage, he would keep drawing low-grade summoners.
Both were broken-tier summoners, comparable to B-rank.
* * *
Samsung-dong Player Zone.
“Thank you.”
Baek Jin-woo smiled broadly after selling the three high-grade scrolls to another player and receiving 9 million won.
Now, it was time to buy the low-grade scrolls.
‘But before that.’
He wondered why low-grade summoning scrolls were being sold for as much as 5,000 won each.
A fundamental question.
In Battle of Summoners, low-grade summoners were items that dropped easily in dungeons.
There was also about a 10% chance of getting one as a daily attendance reward.
These scrolls were practically overflowing.
Especially in the marketplace, there were more sellers than buyers.
Why?
This didn’t match the basic principles of supply and demand.
When there were more sellers, prices should typically drop, as per standard economic theory!
Beep, beep!
When in doubt, asking his sister was always the best option.
– “Oh, oppa.”
“Ah-jin, why is everyone selling low-grade summoning scrolls for 5,000 won? There are tons of listings.”
– “Oh, that’s because the headquarters is buying them.”
“The headquarters?”
Baek Ah-jin patiently explained what Baek Jin-woo was curious about.
As part of their ranker support initiative, the headquarters had been purchasing summoning scrolls in bulk using national taxes.
Their minimum buying price was set at 5,000 won per scroll!
Of course, there was a daily limit on how many they could buy, since taxes weren’t unlimited.
– “That’s why there are leftovers floating around the marketplace. Sellers know the price won’t drop. Why would they lower the price when they can just wait and sell them to the headquarters later?”
“Ah, I see.”
That made sense.
– “By the way, there’s also been talk that the headquarters is piling up too many low-grade summoning scrolls. They’re struggling to manage them, and there’s a rumor that the program might be scrapped soon. When that happens, the price of low-grade summoning scrolls might drop further.”
“Hoo, really?”
That was true.
It had been the same in Battle of Summoners.
While mid-grade scrolls remained fairly expensive, low-grade scrolls became practically worthless.
“Thanks.”
– “No problem. Oh, right! How did your registration test go, oppa? Isn’t the Player Duel coming up soon? Should I come and watch?”
“Ah…”
Registration.
That was already completed.
Should I tell her the truth?
He stopped himself.
It would be annoying if she started asking how he got special treatment.
“I’m doing well. It’s no big deal. You don’t need to come. I’ll probably pass.”
– “Wow, awesome! I heard it’s really tough.”
“Tough, my foot.”
It was incredibly easy.
* * *
Baek Jin-woo headed back to the headquarters.
He had an appointment with Park Chang-seok.
“Mr. Baek Jin-woo!”
From afar, the bearded man came running.
As he ran, the nearby staff bowed their heads, confirming that he indeed held a high position.
“How long has it been since we last saw each other, and you’ve called me again? Did you miss me that much?”
“Well… yes, I suppose.”
Now that was a funny joke.
“Anyway, please follow me. Too many eyes are watching.”
With a soft smile, Park Chang-seok led Baek Jin-woo to his office.
“What brings you to see me?”
“I was wondering if there was any way you could help me get my hands on some low-grade summoning scrolls.”
“Low-grade summoning scrolls?”
“Yes.”
“Would low-grade scrolls be sufficient? If you get approval, I could also support you with mid-grade or high-grade scrolls, though there would be a limit on the number per month…”
“No, I only need low-grade scrolls for now.”
Support?
That would be a debt, a shackle.
Even if he accepted help, it was better to do so once they had agreed to work together for sure.
“In fact, I heard rumors that the headquarters is having trouble handling all the low-grade scrolls.”
“Yes, that’s a rumor circulating.”
Park Chang-seok looked troubled.
“And it’s somewhat true. The problem with leveling up summoners summoned from low-grade scrolls is that there’s a limit to how far they can go.”
In the Player Zone, there was something called the Synthesis Station.
It was a system where junk summoners could be sacrificed to increase levels, but while it was efficient at first, its effectiveness dropped drastically after a certain point.
Later on, it was only useful for clearing out storage.
“How many do you need?”
“…As many as possible.”
“As many as possible…”
Park Chang-seok began to think.
The warehouse was overflowing with low-grade scrolls.
They received 50,000 new scrolls every day.
And even then, they couldn’t use them all, so they kept piling up.
“I could file a report saying the rankers used them and hand them over, but if you end up reselling them…”
“I know they won’t sell. Even if I sold them at a lower price, the headquarters tracks everything, don’t they? I just want to use them for myself.”
“…You’ve got something in mind.”
Park Chang-seok’s eyes gleamed.
Baek Jin-woo was a gamer.
And he possessed knowledge far beyond that of any other gamer.
‘If someone like him is gathering low-grade scrolls, there must be something valuable he can do with them.’
“Very well.”
Park Chang-seok smiled.
“But.”
“…”
“There’s a condition.”
“A condition?”
“As you know, the headquarters officials are elected by the people. If I were caught using national resources without justifiable reason, I’d lose the trust of the public.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Give me a valuable piece of information, just a taste. I’ll provide low-grade scrolls equal to the worth of that information. Then, even if I get caught, I can justify my actions.”
Hoo.
Baek Jin-woo’s lips curled into a smile.
Park Chang-seok.
He was indeed a smart man.
Not just handing over resources like a fool.
That was even better.
The more certain things were, the better the treatment he’d get in return for valuable information.
‘I was planning to wait a little longer, but…’
Why not.
I’ll do it now.
“There’s something called ‘Setting the First Achievement.’”
“…Setting the First Achievement?”
Park Chang-seok’s heart began to pound.
What golden piece of information would come from this man’s mouth?
* * *
The first-place achievement reward in South Korea for each dungeon was three high-grade summoning scrolls.
And time attacks were always recorded in seconds.
In other words, if two players cleared the dungeon in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the one who achieved it first would be ranked higher.
What if?
[Low-level Tuesday Dungeon]
[South Korea’s 1st Place – Baek Jin-woo]
[Clear Time – 00:05:32]
If players kept taking turns breaking the record—5 minutes 31 seconds, then 5 minutes 30 seconds, and so on—they could extend the achievement rewards as much as possible.
This would raise the average power of South Korea.
“I understand the concept of ‘Setting the First Achievement.’ We’ve also used that strategy. All the current rankers have already claimed it.”
Ah.
That made sense.
They must have already claimed the rewards for times earlier than 5 minutes 32 seconds.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. There are plenty of players who haven’t claimed the achievement rewards yet. There are still many players who’ve never received it.”
“What I’m sharing is the time attack strategy for the Tuesday Dungeon.”
“…As expected! So, it’s the method you used this time!”
Park Chang-seok, unable to contain his excitement, rubbed his palms together.
A habit of his when he was feeling anxious.
‘I’ll share it, but…’
Baek Jin-woo didn’t plan to reveal his own method.
There were a few dungeon types, and if he told them that he memorized the entire maze in his head, who would believe him?
He only intended to share the methods used by Rachel, Sugoi, and Zenos.
“Yes, I’m sure the UK, Japan, the US, Russia, and Taiwan all use this method. No matter who uses it, the average clear time will easily be in the three-minute range.”
“…!”
Park Chang-seok was shocked.
That’s right.
Only those five countries had unusually high dungeon records.
It made sense.
Those were the nations where the Five Emperors were based.
And that information had only been shared in the One Heaven, Five Emperors chatroom.
“Th-three minutes? What kind of strategy is that?”
Park Chang-seok asked in a trembling voice.
“Hey, before that… we should assess its value first.”
Value?
Even hearing it, the information sounded priceless.
At the very least, it could lead to breaking records in the low-level, mid-level, high-level, and top-level Tuesday dungeons.
“I think we can provide as many low-grade scrolls as you need in exchange for that information.”
“In addition.”
Baek Jin-woo added another condition.
“Fifty high-grade summoning scrolls. Can we do that?”
“Fifty scrolls?”
Fifty high-grade scrolls were worth exactly 15 million won.
“You’re getting a bargain. When you consider the value of the first-achievement rewards that could be gained across the low-level, mid-level, high-level, and top-level dungeons, the information is worth tens of millions of won.”
“…”
That was true.
Even without precise calculations, it was obvious.
Without much hesitation, Park Chang-seok nodded.
“It’s legit, right?”
“Yes, you’ll see once you try.”
Baek Jin-woo smiled.
He thought about drawing up a contract but decided against it.
After all, the information he was revealing now?
It wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg.
If the headquarters tried to rip him off or express dissatisfaction?
Well, there would be no next time.
“Alright. If the information proves accurate, I’ll deposit 15 million won immediately and provide you with 10,000 low-grade summoning scrolls daily.”
Nice!
Baek Jin-woo grinned.