2.

On the way back, Seora's brow was furrowed with worry.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

The Jeong Cheol Guild was one of the top three in the country; they didn't need to walk on eggshells around SJ. But that didn't mean it was wise to provoke them. The cardinal rule for any User was to avoid making enemies. In a world with CCTV on every corner, people still found ways to get revenge. Dungeons had no cameras. If someone followed you inside with malicious intent, it would be nearly impossible to prove anything twenty-four hours later. And he was willingly walking into a dungeon with them?

"It'll be dangerous, I suppose?" Buja mused.

"It will be more than dangerous," she insisted. "Forget the 10 million dollar ring and the earring he's adding to the pot. You completely humiliated that arrogant Park Sijun."

The notion that the youngest son of Korea's largest guild and a global conglomerate would be held back by public perception was naive. When items worth billions were on the line, family status meant nothing. In a bet worth at least ten million dollars, with the only witness being the person about to lose, even a saint might be tempted to act. Buja didn't seem ignorant of the risks, yet he was unnervingly calm.

"Maybe our guild could hire some mercenaries…"

"No, it's fine," he cut her off. "More importantly, seeing you worry about me like this gives me hope that my offer of a shared bath might not be so far-fetched after all. Or is that just my imagination?"

Not only was he calm, he was cracking jokes. The reason was simple.

"You're my fan, aren't you? He'll bring a few lackeys, Level 10 at best. You really think I'd get taken out by a bunch of guys weaker than a Unique Dungeon monster?"

"Then…"

"Whatever happens in that dungeon," he said, a confident smile playing on his lips, "I'll be the one walking out."

His confidence was strangely infectious. She found herself believing him. It did make a particular kind of sense.

"Just make sure they can't bring any firearms when we enter," he added. "My stats aren't high enough to dodge bullets yet."

She finally nodded, her worries slightly eased.

* * *

Sinking into the hot bath, Buja washed away the grime and let his body go limp. 'This is addictive.' Even though he now had a multi-million-dollar penthouse with a bed costing a hundred grand, this felt more comfortable. It was as if the special water was melting away the dungeon's fatigue and restoring his very soul. Taking stock of his rewards while soaking was becoming a favorite ritual. And this time, the rewards had been substantial.

[▶ Gold Owned: 199G]

"Hah." Overcome with satisfaction, he slid completely underwater. It was the fruit of a week spent sprinting through the desert, caked in the gore of scorpions and sandworms, all to kill just one more monster. 'If only that sub-clear condition hadn't been met.' The only disappointment was that the condition had been to survive for five days, which meant the dungeon penalty had vanished on day six. While the difficulty had plummeted, so had the gold dropped by frenzied monsters, which had been a lucrative combo with his '2x Experience Coupon.' Still, it was far more than he'd ever earned in an Epic dungeon.

He'd been getting at least one gold per monster, sometimes as much as three. And on top of that, there were the achievements.

[☆ has been fulfilled.]

[The dungeon will be cleared.]

[You have achieved 'Achievement: The First Unique! (U)'.]

[You have acquired 50 gold.]

[You have achieved 'Achievement: Plucking a Hidden Star! (U)'.]

[You have acquired 30 gold.]

That was how he'd managed to rake in nearly 200 gold at once. "Now, how to spend this to make the biggest splash?" he wondered, a grin spreading across his face. Earnings were meant to be spent immediately. That was the key to earning more gold and growing faster.

'I do want to raise my VIP Level.' That was his first instinct. It offered the most tangible growth at his current stage, and his general strategy was to invest heavily in it whenever possible. If not for the new bet, he would have waited until midnight for his daily free gold and leveled it up. But he couldn't. In a few days, he'd be entering a Unique Dungeon with a hostile party that wanted him to fail. It was far safer to invest in guaranteed power than to gamble on the unknown contents of a VIP Level 2 box. Growth could wait.

'I also need to level up 'Wait for Free Gold.''

With so many options, prioritizing was a headache. But he'd seen for himself how much gold higher-grade dungeons offered. Reaching his target specs was just a matter of time. Besides, the following clear came with a bonus prize. A chance to get an item worth at least ten, maybe even twenty million dollars for free? He could happily part with the 200 gold he'd just earned for that.

"Time for some enhancement." With firm resolve, he opened the enhancement window, and the real fireworks began.

* * *

3.

Distribution versus concentration. It was a critical dilemma in games and in life. For gamers with limited funds, deciding how to allocate resources for gear was paramount. Both approaches had their merits. For enhancement, the choice was simple: pour everything into the weapon for maximum damage, or spread it out for balanced stats?

The first option offered a clear advantage: high attack power meant killing enemies faster, creating a snowball effect too significant to ignore. For a player like Buja, whose skill could compensate for low defense, it was the obvious choice. He had favored this glass-cannon style in countless games. In virtual reality, where player skill was even more crucial, investing in defense often felt like a waste of money when his goal was to never get hit in the first place.

But this time, Buja chose the latter.

[▶ Enhancement Stage Level: 2]

[1. Weapon Level: 2 (Attack Power +7)]

[2. Hat Level: 2 (Strength +1)]

[3. Top Level: 2 (Defense +5)]

[4. Bottom Level: 2 (Defense +5)]

[5. Gloves Level: 2 (Agility +1)]

[6. Shoes Level: 2 (Stamina +1)]

He'd chosen to enhance his gear evenly because the payoff was overwhelmingly superior. The hat, gloves, and shoes, which had no effect at Level 1, now each provided +1 to their respective stats at Level 2. It stung to waste an extra 30 gold when his pants failed a 90% success chance, but for 180 of his 199 gold, he'd gained +1 to Strength, Agility, and Stamina, and an extra 3 points of defense.

[[Would you like to enhance your weapon?]]

[▶ Current Level: 2 → 3]

[▶ Gold Required: 70]

[▶ Success Rate: 70%]

[▶ Failure Rate: 30%]

[▶ Destruction Rate: 0%]

[▶ Option on Success]

[1. Attack Power +7 → Attack Power +15]

Of course, the temptation of a +3 weapon was immense. An additional 8 attack power was, for him, far more valuable than the balanced stats he'd gained for 180 gold. A 70% success rate was a risk worth taking, even accounting for a potential failure. But he held back, because the balanced stats weren't the only thing he'd gained.

[▷ 'Enhancement Stage Level: 2' effect is active.]

[Lv1: Attack Power and Defense increase by 5.]

[Lv2: All stats increase by 2.]

"Heh."

He hadn't gotten the extra 7 attack power, but he had permanently gained 5 attack power and 5 defense from the stage bonus. The extra 2 points to all stats was just icing on the cake. This was more than enough to justify his cautious approach over gambling on a +3 enhancement that might have failed once, or even twice.

"So satisfying." Nothing made spending money feel better than seeing tangible results.

[▶ Stats: Strength 1(+9) Agility 1(+8) Stamina 1(+8) Magic 1(+5) Divinity 1(+5)]

His primary stats were all nearing 10. His body felt light, powerful, as if he were approaching the peak of human potential. 'This should be enough.' In any 1-star Unique dungeon, he was unlikely to find himself in a situation where he was forced to take a hit he couldn't avoid.

But what pleased him most wasn't the numbers.

"Huh? Mr. Buja, did you change your equipment?" Seora asked as she met him at the site to provide supplies. "No, that's not it. What is that aura? Is it a skill?"

It wasn't just her. Sijun and his cronies, even the reporters gathered to film the event, were all staring. They couldn't help it.

"You can think of it as an item effect," he said nonchalantly.

A faint, crimson aura now shimmered around his gear, a subtle but undeniable sign of power.

[▷ 'Red Aura' is active due to 'Enhancement Stage Effect: 2'.]

It was a cosmetic effect he could toggle at will—the ultimate status symbol that, in a mobile game, would be reserved for the biggest spenders. He felt a surge of pride. Handed his supplies, he finished his preparations.

"The dungeon difficulty is moderate, the clear condition is to kill eighty monsters, and the setting is an island. It's manageable," Seora briefed him.

"I suppose it's not an easy one for the SJ side either."

"They must have picked a dungeon they could clear with their own power, assuming you weren't there," she confirmed. "And seeing as they're packing six backpacks, they're preparing for a long haul of at least two months."

He nodded. It was clear Sijun didn't believe for a second that he had solo-cleared the last dungeon. Otherwise, he wouldn't be preparing for a full-on expedition himself.

"Lots of spectators, so it's perfect," Buja remarked. "No need to advertise." He took the offered backpack and strode toward the gate. Sijun's group moved in tandem, a swarm of cameras tracking their every move.

"It's the day a fraud's true colors are revealed. Of course I called in a few reporters," Sijun sneered, pulling out a leather pouch and tossing it to Seora. Inside were the Ring of Vitality and an amethyst earring.

"The Earring of Vitality?" Seora gasped, a rare look of shock on her face. "You're betting this? I can't believe you had it."

"I'm going to win anyway," Sijun said dismissively before turning and entering the dungeon.

As Buja followed, Seora leaned in and whispered, "It's part of a set with the Ring of Vitality. There are only three in the world. It's worth about 24 million dollars."

Buja didn't react.

"Good luck," she said quietly as he walked past.

Her words made him pause. He stopped just before the gate.

"The ones who went in first are the ones who need luck."

"…What?"

He glanced back over his shoulder, and their eyes met. His usual playful smile was there, but layered over it was a wicked expression that sent a shiver down her spine.

"What are you…" '…thinking right now?'

Before she could finish the question, Buja stepped through the gate, disappearing into the light.

* * *

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