"Heh heh... As expected. It's Jeong Suho, the S-Rank Admitee. Yes, it has to be S-Rank to make sense. There's no way a bunch of random nobodies could obtain such an item."
Canada's S-Rank spendthrift, Thomas Harris, flipped through the news and laughed, baring his teeth.
"Hoo—huff."
Thomas carefully took the [Top-Grade Regeneration Potion], which he had purchased for 20 million points, out of its display case today as well, blew his breath on it, and polished it until it sparkled with a cloth.
The potion's titanium bottle had been buffed so much that it gleamed incomparably brighter than when he had first bought it.
"Krr... a 200-million-dollar potion. You need at least one of these to be the real deal."
Common gold, diamonds, or even thick wads of cash no longer felt valuable to him.
Though it had arrived recently, the [Top-Grade Regeneration Potion] had proudly claimed the seat of Treasure No. 1.
Thomas fell into self-admiration every day as he wiped the potion bottle, feeling his own wealth.
"The world's only item collector, just thinking about it makes my heart burn. I should go meet him once. Yes... I should see his face. I, the world's highest-paid Admitee, shall personally visit and teach him how to properly handle luxury items, and also take a look at what other amazing goods he has."
Thomas, who had been humming, made a call somewhere.
"Yes, speaking. Set up a schedule for my visit to Korea. And submit an official meeting request to Admitee Jeong Suho. Yes? How would I know that? Whether you contact the Korean Administration or connect me somewhere else, that's for management to figure out. Isn't that your job? Anyway, first set up the schedule for visiting Korea, and prepare a private jet, accommodation, and a vehicle too. Above all, don't forget to lay the groundwork so that I can definitely meet Jeong Suho, that gentleman. If you can't arrange that, we're done."
A flustered voice from management could be heard over the phone, but Thomas hung up and whistled.
"Hmm, what would make a good gift..."
S-Rank should keep company with S-Rank, and among them, the rich should keep company with the rich; people must mingle within their proper class.
At the thought of visiting Korea, Thomas Harris became excited and sang a strange song, humming along.
One of the few Korean pop songs he knew.
The pitch, rhythm, and lyrics were all off, but Thomas was enjoying himself alone, swaying his body creakily back and forth.
"Because it's you I love, I'm going to meet you now. If it's sincere, will you smile for me..."
It was a song that would have made Suho faint had he heard it.
* * *
"What? Money? This foolish bear..."
Because Danbi answered the phone in a sharp voice unlike her usual self, the TDM members, including Suho, looked at her.
"Anyway, I got it, so come out to the usual place."
Suho approached Danbi, who had hung up the phone nervously.
"What's going on? Did a debt collector come after you?"
"Sigh... not a debt collector, but... he's asking if I can lend him some money. That idiot."
"Money? Who?"
"Taeung."
"Taeung...? H-Han Taeung Admitee, you mean? The S-Rank Tanker, Grizzly Han Taeung?"
"That's right. The S-Rank foolish bear, Han Taeung."
"Holy... but why does he need money?"
"I don't know the details yet either. I have to ask when we meet. Now that I think about it, it's strange. He may be slow-witted, but he's kind... He's not the type to gamble or be particularly extravagant..."
"Hmm, if he's S-Rank, his income should be substantial? Is he in a clan that doesn't pay him properly?"
"No way. No matter how unruly the Deulbuljigi Clan is, they couldn't do that to an S-Rank Admitee. I heard they work him to the bone... but they wouldn't delay his salary. I really wonder where and how he's spending money to end up asking to borrow some."
"Work him to the bone?"
"His clan works him mercilessly. They don't even properly provide backup tankers, and whether it's the lower floors or higher floors of the Tower, they drag only Taeung along. Anyway, they're unpleasant people. Deulbuljigi... a clan that can't even make the first tier..."
"You're not saying Han Taeung Admitee's skills are fake or anything, right?"
"Of course not. Taeung's skills are real. He didn't become the nation's top tanker for nothing."
"Then why don't you take him in at Sanarae?"
"Sigh... I know, right. I really want to, but this stupid guy has some pathetic sense of loyalty... Going on about loyalty, he ended up signing a very unfair contract with the Deulbuljigi Clan."
A shadow briefly crossed Danbi's face.
"The term is almost like a lifetime contract, with almost no rights protection, excessive work demands, and forced arbitration clauses..."
"Holy... so he can't get out because of that contract? But he's S-Rank, can't he just smash his way out..."
"Even for an S-Rank, that's not easy. Unless he wants to make the whole world his enemy... Anyway, among the poison clauses, the most vicious one is supposedly the penalty fee attached if he terminates the contract mid-term. It's insane."
As if she already knew the story, Narae also nodded slowly with a dark expression.
"Hmm..."
Suho, who had fallen into thought while scratching his chin, asked Danbi again.
"By the way, I noticed before that you seem to be quite close with Han Taeung Admitee... Is that true?"
"It's been a long time. I've known him since we were young. We're not blood-related, but our parents were close, so he always followed me around."
"Ehh? How old is Han Taeung Admitee?"
"Twenty-seven."
"T-twenty-seven!? Twenty-seven? With that face?"
Suho was truly shocked. Jiho and Seongsik beside him were no less surprised.
"Pfft. I'm going to tell Taeung everything."
"Ah, n-no, wait. I mean, I naturally thought Han Taeung Admitee was a much older hyung-nim... I naturally thought he was the Steel Grizzly hyung-nim... Goodness, to think he's younger than me..."
"He's the same age as me."
Jiho also wore an expression of disbelief.
Danbi clapped and laughed at everyone's blank, stunned faces.
"Ahahaha, actually, you're right. Taeung does look old for his age. Plus, he's so big, hairy, and grows a beard, so..."
"My goodness..."
Suho let out a hollow laugh at the feeling of the image he had painted shattering into pieces.
As Danbi's laughter subsided, Suho asked again.
"So, you're going to meet him, right?"
"I have to meet him. At night."
"Why at night?"
"I have to guard Suho-nim during the day. I'm planning to meet him at night after I switch shifts with Joshua later."
"Aha, then there's no need for that. I'll go with you."
"Yes? Why would Suho-nim..."
"Grizzly Han Taeung, I was a fan. I've really wanted to meet him at least once."
* * *
A few hours later, at the premium restaurant in Baekseok Hotel, Suho, who had met Taeung together with only Danbi, opened his mouth wide.
"Wow... you're really big..."
A muscular giant, 209 cm tall and weighing 182 kg.
Since Danbi, Suho, and Taeung were all celebrities who found it tiring to be recognized by anyone, they had deliberately reserved a restaurant with a private room, but it felt as if Taeung's head would touch the ceiling of the room they were seated in. In fact, his head lightly brushed against the long hanging light fixtures.
Is that even a person or a troll?
"Ah, hello. Nuna..."
A voice as thick and dignified as his frame flowed from his mouth. However, his tone was childish, so it didn't match his image at all.
His appearance and voice versus his manner of speech and personality were completely mismatched, to the point that Suho's brain couldn't combine them into a single person.
"Ugh, you bear, you stupid bear. Where did you blow all the money this time? Did you get robbed, or did you get scammed, which is it?"
"Oh-ho, you don't think I spent it?"
"Of course not, where would you spend all that money?"
"Is that so, hehe, there was just... something going on."
When Han Taeung raised his arm to scratch his head, the back of his hand hit the ceiling with a thud.
"Uh, who is this person...?"
"Greet him. This is Admitee Jeong Suho, sir. Don't you watch the news?"
At Danbi's scolding, Taeung finally opened his eyes wide and looked Suho up and down.
"Uhh... ah, ah! Wow! C-could you be the one who recently Awakened as S-Rank..."
"That's right. Nice to meet you. I'm Jeong Suho. I've always wanted to meet you once. Korea's best tanker, Grizzly Han Taeung-nim."
"Ah, I-I'm not really the best... O-on the contrary, it's an honor for me. The world's only item collector."
Taeung smiled awkwardly and tried to scratch his head again, but hit the ceiling.
"Ugh... I'll have to pay for this place's ceiling repair soon. Let's sit down quickly. Suho-nim, please sit too. What would you like to order? The Special A Course here is good."
While everyone was looking at the menu to choose,
something poked its head out from Taeung's chest.
"Huh? Han Taeung Admitee-nim, what's that? It looks like a baby bird...?"
Not having realized that Wingki had slipped out from his chest, Taeung only noticed after Suho spoke, flailing his massive arms in a panic.
"Ah, a-haha, aha! This?"
As he hurriedly pushed Wingki's head back in with his huge hand, a series of peep-peep sounds came from inside his chest.
Suho didn't think much of it, but Danbi's expression instantly hardened, her eyes turning cold.
"What is that?"
"Ah, Nuna. It's really nothing. It's an eaglet; I got it to raise..."
"Bullshit. I can feel Ether from that thing, and you expect me to believe that?"
Shring—
Danbi, who always maintained a certain level of armament to guard Suho, drew Star's Song from her waist.
"Answer properly, punk. What is that?"
"Th-this is..."
In the end, Suho, Danbi, and Taeung canceled their meal and moved locations. To Suho's house.
Because it was difficult to find a place outside where they could comfortably hear this unprecedented tale, or anywhere they could take out a monster.
"Wow, crazy. Oh my gosh... to think I'm seeing a real monster. So fascinating. Wow, really..."
Suho, seeing a baby griffon for the first time, was excited and thrilled.
In fact, weren't monsters beings that only inhabited the Tower? Even if seen outside, they were creatures that could only be viewed as corpses unless a Tower Break occurred.
Yet a living monster, and one that followed a person at that, was truly something unheard of.
And a baby at that!
The baby griffon growled at Suho and Danbi, but acted affectionately toward Han Taeung as if it were a pet.
"Unbelievable. Really... I truly have no way left to express your stupidity and foolishness..."
Danbi was out of her mind at this unprecedented incident, shaking her head and sighing. Still, she couldn't take her eyes off the baby griffon following Taeung, perhaps because it was fascinating.
"Nuna, honestly, isn't it cute?"
"Cute, my ass... I probably can't even count on one hand the number of Admittees torn apart by Blue Griffons."
"Come on, those are adults. Inside the Tower. Wingki is different."
"Wingki? Wingki? It has a name too? I'm going crazy. Really. Different, my foot. The moment it grows a little, it'll eat you first."
Pee-ee! Pee-ee!
Even while Taeung and Danbi were arguing, Wingki cried out pitifully for something.
"Taeung-nim, this guy seems hungry? I think you need to feed him."
At Suho's words, Taeung was startled and spoke to Danbi in a shrinking voice.
"Actually, th-that's... The reason I asked to borrow money was to buy this guy's food..."
"Food? Goodness, what does it eat? Does this tiny thing eat gold?"
"......"
"What, really? It eats gold?"
"No... it doesn't eat gold. Instead, it only eats Etherium..."
Smack—!
"Ouch."
Danbi, fury rising from absurdity, swung her arm full-force and smacked Taeung's head.
But Han Taeung only ended with an "Ouch."
His toughness was truly that of a bear. If he were an ordinary person, his head probably would have exploded.
"You crazy bastard! Throw it away! No, it would be better to just kill it. Etherium? Etheriuuum? Is Etherium the name of someone's dog?"
Danbi screamed at the top of her lungs.
"No, don't tell me, did you blow all your fortune feeding this thing?"
"......"
Smack!
Taeung affirmed with silence, inviting another beating.
"Ow, stop hitting me. You're even channeling Ether into it... It hurts."
“This... rock-headed... My hand seriously hurts.”
After watching the murderous PVP between top-class domestic Admittees, Suho cautiously spoke up.
“I’ll feed it. What grade of Aetherium have you mainly been giving it?”
“R-really? At first I gave it D-grade, but it gradually became too much to handle, so lately I’ve been feeding it E-grade.”
“Are you insane!”
Danbi flared up again, and Suho barely managed to calm her down.
“Then I’ll try giving it D-grade.”
From his subspace storage, where more than forty quadrillion tons of D-grade Aetherium were piled up, Suho took out heaping handfuls in both hands, each piece around fifty grams.
The moment Winky saw the Aetherium, its eyes lit up and it toddled over, snatched one up in its beak, tilted its head back, and swallowed it in one gulp.
It was simply amazing how that tiny body could gulp down Aetherium larger than its own head.
“It’ll eat higher grades too, right? Should I try giving it something a bit higher? Winky, want to eat this?”
This time, Suho took out a handful of A-grade Aetherium.
“Huuuh...”
Seeing the Aetherium filling Suho’s hand, Taewoong and Danbi drew in a sharp breath.
The Aetherium he had taken out as feed was easily worth tens of billions of won.
Winky toddled around Suho’s hand, examining the A-grade Aetherium for a long while, then picked one up and swallowed it. Its eyes went wide.
Then its body seemed to shine for a moment, and it grew just a little larger.
“It... it got bigger...?”
Danbi watched the change with anxious eyes, while Taewoong was overjoyed.
“Wow, it grew! Winky grew!”
After swallowing a couple of pieces of A-grade Aetherium, Winky stared at Suho, then rubbed its little head against his hand.
“Hahaha, this little guy is cute. My word, I never thought I’d feed a baby griffon in my life...”
Suho broke into a broad smile, and Taewoong’s grin stretched from ear to ear.
Only Danbi let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of the situation.
As Suho fed Winky a few more pieces of A-grade Aetherium, he looked at Taewoong and said,
“I’ll take responsibility for feeding this little guy from now on. If you need a place to raise it, I can provide that too.”
“Yeees...? R-really...?”
Taewoong’s already large eyes went round.
“Of course. Where else would I get an experience like this? Besides, this one seems smart. Look at it acting all friendly the moment I feed it. Haha. That tickles, you little rascal.”
“Uh......”
Taewoong, unable to continue speaking, had tears welling up in his eyes.
Then,
Thud—
The huge man, Han Taewoong, knelt before Suho.