Level Up - Chapter 19

Sitting inside the coffee shop, Hyun Seok traded stocks through his laptop.

 

Once the money in the newly created account was transferred to the stock account, he picked out a promising stock.

 

He’s not aiming to strike it rich in one go. Instead, he’s making a safe investment to make sure that the money he earned from selling the mana cores doesn’t go to waste.

 

There was still a sea of investment information in Hyun Seok’s head. A privilege of those who returned to the past.

 

‘How did it happen?’

 

Each time it crossed his mind, he’d try to organize his train of thoughts. This was no ordinary event. An ability that allowed him to return to the past with all his future knowledge intact.

 

But experiencing such an important yet extraordinary event and not being able to know its cause was quite disturbing.

 

He had no clue if he’ll be dragged back to the future or if this was all a joke and he was just experiencing this before his death.

 

‘Well… the least I could tell is that this isn’t a dream but my reality.’ 

 

Everything was too realistic to be a dream. But for some reason, he truly doesn’t want to take a step into ‘that’ future.

 

Though he was certain about how he felt, he wasn’t sure why.

 

Anyway, he kept thinking about the cause but never came into a conclusion.

 

After racking his brain, he just thought that there was a very high possibility that supernatural power could have intervened,  and his hunch told him that it had something to do with that dungeon.

 

‘I have to go to that dungeon again. But first, I’ll have to earn money for the preparation.’ 

 

And these stocks would lay the foundation.

 

Hyun Seok didn’t want to be swayed by his money and forget about the secrets that the dungeon holds. He had to check what happened to him properly.

 

“This company… wouldn’t it be a big hit if its stock is rated this much?”

 

Hyun Seok muttered softly and bought as much stock as he could with his money.

 

“It’s all about timing…”

 

Hyun Seok had bought shares from DM Chemicals. It would be one of the most famous companies 20 years from now.

 

Perhaps, the company was declining. And in haste, due to anxiety that it could soon become just a scrap of waste paper, the current stocks were at a low price.

 

Hyun Seok literally swept it in. Though the price went up a bit, he didn’t care.

And if his timing was right, he’d be able to sell the same stocks hundred folds the original price.

 

As he said, the important thing here was the timing. DM Chemicals was a company that would later hit the jackpot by properly making use of research.

 

It had only been three years since the dungeon was discovered and when the players had appeared. It might seem like it was quite a long time, but it was actually a short period of time to properly study the items from the dungeon.

 

Nothing but speculations were made as to why such a phenomenon had happened.

 

But of course, there were also a few useful discoveries, causing the prices of cores to rise.

 

However, during those years, the use of its energy–the main application of mana cores, was still unknown to the world.

 

It was the DM Chemicals who dared to set foot on this unknown realm.

 

They were the first to succeed in converting the mana itself into electricity.

 

Although there were also companies who succeeded in producing electricity by using mana cores in a less efficient way.

 

Hitting such a jackpot, DM Chemicals had avoided its decline and climbed all the way to the top instead.

 

“300 days till glory.”

 

Hyun Seok mumbled while closing his laptop. The balance left in his account was now around 3 million won.

 

Since he wasn’t going to spend the money, he wasn’t worried.

 

In any case, the DM Chemicals would go through this crisis for 300 days before things would get better.

 

An incomparable energy extraction method would soon be developed by the DM Chemicals with the aid of huge oil companies.

 

So, gradually selling his shares within those 300 days, he’s sure to make a huge amount of money.

 

That wasn’t all. Hyun Seok had a ton of useful information in his head that would help him ahead in the future.

 

Although they weren’t really about the stock market, his dungeon-related knowledge is valuable.

 

In fact, there are a lot of options for him to make money.

 

If he wanted to use the knowledge about the mana core extraction method, he could have done so. But Hyun Seok had no intention of doing so.

 

What Hyun Seok wanted was to solve this strange foreboding that keeps prickling the corner of his head.

 

“I wonder if they’re doing well.”

 

Thinking about Ryu Ji Hye and Ryu Hye Yeon, Hyun Seok smiled. He had high expectations as to how far they would grow.

 

While Ryu Ji Hye’s talent was great, her sister, on the other hand, had tremendously surpassed that. Though he had already confirmed it with his spiritual eyes, when he felt the overflowing mana from her, he was certain that she was indeed very talented.

 

‘And that’s not the only talent that she has.’

 

Hyun Seok smiled meaningfully and left the coffee shop with the laptop bag hung around his shoulder.

 

Now, it’s time to do the most important thing.

 

To find out what happened to those people after he left.

 

***

 

Joo Kyung Chul, the leader of the Crimson Poison Guild, opened his eyes when he heard the report from one of his guild members who rushed in.

 

“Found him!”

 

Joo Kyung-Chul jumped up from his seat and shouted, “Let’s go!”

 

It was better not to make things complicated.

So he had to take the cleanest and safest method to approach it, just to be sure.

 

The players were said to have the same value as national treasures. Kidnapping them would bring him nothing but trouble.

 

“What about Chang Soo?”

 

“Already waiting.”

 

“You know what to do, right?”

 

“Of course. This time, I’ve got the real deal, so I’m going to take care of it.”

 

Saying that, Joo Kyung Chul’s lips had formed a cruel smile.

 

“Yes, let’s grab this opportunity and become independent!”

 

The two hurriedly stepped out of the building.

 

Most of the guild members were already waiting outside.

 

“I don’t know how high his level is right now, but let’s get ready to have fun.”

 

“Don’t worry, just what could he do? Hahaha.”

 

Talking among themselves were fifteen rugged men. And soon after, Choi Chang Soo and his party joined.

 

There were also women in Choi Chang Soo’s party so the members of the Crimson Poison Guild couldn’t help but glance at them with greedy eyes.

 

However, they were women who had been through all sorts of hardships. So, they just kept their silence.

 

More than twenty players got ready and swiftly moved along the boulevard.

 

***

 

Hyun Seok slowly lifted himself up after confirming that one of the two players that were watching him had quickly disappeared.

 

‘That’s exactly what I had expected.’

 

An hour after Hyun Seok revealed himself to the public, those spies spotted him, and 20 minutes later, one of them had disappeared.

 

Perhaps, the Crimson Poison Guild was about to move.

 

‘Will Choi Chang Soo move together with them?’

 

Although it had only been two months, he had thoroughly used Choi Chang-soo and his party to hunt for Thunder Dragonflies and Vines Ghosts so he had a good grasp of their tendencies.

 

That’s why he’s quite sure that Chang Soo and his party would surely participate in this.

 

However…

 

‘I didn’t expect to hear the name of the Crimson Poison Guild like this.’

 

Hyun-suk laughed.

 

The Crimson Poison Guild was deeply imprinted in Hyun Seok’s memory.

 

In his previous life, he had entered the said guild around this time.

 

In fact, he deliberately joined them.

 

Then, the Crimson Poison Guild took advantage of Hyun Seok to the point where only his skin and bones remained. Though it was only six months or so, they overworked him so much that it never disappeared from his memory.

 

Back then, he felt as if he’s constantly playing with death. He was always involved in dangerous operations. One of those even caused him to be blind.

 

In other words, the Crimson Poison Guild was responsible for Hyun Seok’s loss of sight.

 

“It’s very likely that Choi Chang-soo had sold my information to the Guild.”

 

It seems that their bad relationship hadn’t changed one bit.

 

Though the circumstances were different, the original essence still remained.

 

Hyun Seok could only devise his plans because of the conversation that he had overheard from Chang Soo’s party right after he left them in a restaurant.

 

To be honest, aside from that time, he only had a very faint memory of Choi Chang Soo’s party. They didn’t leave an impression on him.

 

But the Crimson Poison Guild was different. The moment he heard the guild’s name, Hyun Seok had suddenly recalled their conversation.

 

Perhaps Hyun Seok would have never heard their hushed talk if not for his heightened sense that was more sensitive than others.

 

Unfortunately for them, he had heard their scheme… and Hyun Seok would never let it pass.

 

The Crimson Poison Guild and Hyun Seok were tied in a terrible relationship.

 

Even after he became blind, they didn’t leave him alone. They even sold him in a research facility where he experienced how it was like to die while still being alive.

 

That’s why he couldn’t let them be.

 

And so far, their actions are all according to Hyun Seok’s plan.

 

In the worst case, sensitive information about him might have leaked. However, they didn’t have the ability to obtain such information as he had already blocked any possible source.

 

Hyun Seok only went to a coffee shop to drag some time.

 

After having a light cup of coffee, he came out and quickly began to move toward his destination.

 

Choi Chang Soo and his party, who had finally arrived, secretly began to follow Hyun Seok.

 

He led them out of the city, thinking that the place was perfect for the upcoming event.

 

He chose this place because he doesn’t want any disruptions.

 

The place was as it was in his memory. Nothing had changed.

 

Hyun Seok remained composed as he quickly moved to catch a taxi.

 

They didn’t expect Hyun Seok to suddenly get a ride, causing them to be a bit flustered.

 

But soon after, the Crimson Poison Guild and Choi Chang Soo had stolen a car and they began to chase Hyun Seok.

 

The taxi that he boarded was heading for Gangwon-do.