After finishing his meal, Airen leaned back in his chair, wiping his hands clean. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
9:00 AM.
He nodded to himself.
"The shops should be open by now."
Without wasting time, he stood up and left the inn. The streets were still quiet, with only a few vendors opening their stalls. Airen walked with steady steps, heading toward a part of town where he remembered spotting a small private dealer's shop the day before.
The signboard was modest but the building itself was in a medium-good district, clearly not the type of shady alley trader. The shop's front displayed silverware, old coins, and a few antique items.
Airen pushed the door open. A small bell rang as he stepped inside. The scent of polished wood and faint incense greeted him.
Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man with sharp eyes.
"Welcome," the dealer said, giving Airen a quick glance before focusing on him properly.
Airen reached into his inventory and discreetly pulled out a small pouch. He set it on the counter, letting the weight thud gently.
"I'd like to sell this."
The dealer raised a brow. Untying the pouch, he poured its contents onto a velvet cloth. Ten gleaming gold coins rolled out, each perfectly round and shining brightly.
The man's eyes widened slightly. He immediately picked one up and inspected it with a magnifying glass.
"This… the purity is remarkable. Almost flawless."
Airen lowered his gaze, letting his expression shift into faint sadness.
"It was left to me by my parents. They told me to only sell it in the worst-case scenario."
In truth, I don't even know who my parents are… but he doesn't need to know that.
The dealer studied Airen's expression for a moment, then nodded respectfully.
"…I see. Well, you've come to the right place."
He weighed the coins carefully, writing down numbers on a notepad.
"Each coin is five grams. That's fifty grams in total. Today's market price for gold is about 97,000 won per gram… so full value would be around 4.85 million won."
He looked at Airen seriously.
"But I can only give 70% of the market rate. That's how private dealing works. You'll still be getting a fair amount."
Airen stayed silent, only giving a slight nod.
The man tapped his calculator.
"That comes to 3.4 million won."
A neat stack of bills was placed inside an envelope and slid across the counter.
Airen accepted it with both hands.
"…Thank you."
As he turned to leave, the dealer muttered under his breath while still staring at the coins on the table.
"Such quality… just where did you really get them, kid?"
Airen stepped out of the shop, the morning sunlight glinting against the fresh envelope in his hand. A smirk tugged at his lips as he counted the thick stack of bills.
"₩3.4 million… in just one day."
He chuckled under his breath.
"To earn this much before, I'd have to juggle four jobs. Now I just need to sleep and wake up in that cubic world."
His fingers brushed against the coins still tucked inside his inventory.
"I didn't sell the silver. Better to keep it for when I need it over there."
For a moment, his mind raced with possibilities.
"Should I buy a weapon? I got the sword from killing that woman… but I only have one. If it breaks, I'm screwed. Better to prepare a spare."
The Weapon Shop
His steps led him into a quiet district where military supply shops and survival stores lined the streets. Eventually, he found a discreet weapons dealer. The window display showed hunting gear, knives, and even traditional blades.
Inside, the faint metallic smell hung in the air.
On the wall, a sleek katana gleamed under soft lights. Airen's eyes locked onto it instantly. He approached, fingers hovering over the scabbard.
"Wow…" he muttered. "This looks perfect."
The shopkeeper, a man in his fifties with a blunt tone, walked over.
"₩900,000. That one's imported steel. Good balance."
Airen's eyes widened slightly. "₩900,000? That's… expensive."
Still, he pulled out a thick bundle of cash. "I'll take it."
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes.
"You know you need a license to buy weapons like this, right?"
Airen stiffened, but before he could respond, the man leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"…Add ₩50,000 more. No questions asked."
Airen smirked, sliding the extra bills onto the counter.
"Money really does solve everything."
The man gave a knowing grin, carefully wrapping the katana in dark cloth and slipping it into a discreet long case—the way many weapon shops in Korea packaged swords for transport, so they looked more like sports equipment than weapons.
Airen slung the case over his shoulder, feeling the weight.
"Perfect. Now I have two swords."
He glanced at his envelope again.
₩3.4M – 950K = ₩2.45M left.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Enough to breathe for a while.
Still, the long sword in his hand was a problem. Carrying it around openly would draw far too much attention. Making sure no one was looking, Airen casually leaned against the wall, pretending to check the strap. In that instant, he willed the weapon back into his inventory. The sword flickered out of sight.
Much better.
Airen's eyes dropped to his own outfit—his thin shirt torn at the shoulder, and his pants faded and stained. He grimaced.
"Yeah… I look like a beggar carrying a fortune. Time to fix that."
He found a decent clothing store in a mid-range shopping street. Inside, mannequins displayed casual but stylish outfits. Airen grabbed a plain black t-shirt (₩25,000) and a pair of comfortable track pants (₩40,000).
₩65,000 gone.
Now ₩2.385M remained.
After changing in the shop's fitting room, he looked at himself in the mirror. The shirt hugged his frame, showing off the muscles. The track pants fit clean, making him look sharp yet casual.
"Heh," he smirked. "Much better."
He folded his old torn clothes and tossed them into the nearest trash bin outside.
By noon, fatigue crept into his body. He needed a proper place to rest, not the broken mattress in his dingy room.
Airen walked into a mid-high quality hotel near the city center. The lobby smelled of polished wood and fresh flowers. A receptionist smiled politely.
"Welcome, sir. Would you like to book a room?"
"Yeah," Airen replied calmly. "Three nights."
The receptionist typed into her computer.
"That will be ₩120,000 per night, sir. In total: ₩360,000."
Airen pulled out the bills without hesitation.
"No problem."
Within minutes, he was handed a keycard.
As he stepped into his new room—clean sheets, wide bed, air conditioning humming softly—he let out a long breath and dropped onto the bed.
Finally… this felt like the life he deserved.
He glanced at the money he still had left.
₩2.385M – 360K = ₩2.025M.
Enough to last him comfortably for a while.
But his smirk returned, sharper than ever.
"This is just the beginning. Once I go back to that world and bring more gold… I'll have everything I once dream..".