# Player with Maxed-Out Talent, Episode 25

“A choice is presented to Player Kim Hyuk-jin.”

I already know what the first clearance reward for the Seoul Station dungeon is.

‘Option 1 is gold.’

Tangible wealth is offered. I even know the exact weight in grams. It was a recurring question on tests.

‘3.75kg.’

That’s a whopping 3750 grams of gold. I understand why that specific number. It’s a number necessary for story dungeons that have ongoing narratives, not just for one-time dungeons.

‘But it’s meaningless to me now.’

There’s no denying the excitement, though. Nearly 4kg of gold is worth close to 200 million won.

As expected of a number associated with the next scenario, Senia recited it for me.

“You can acquire a pouch containing 3.75kg of gold.”

A hologram appeared before my eyes. A hologram visible only to me provided choices. If I were an ordinary person, I might have chosen the gold without a second thought.

‘Two hundred million.’

An amount of money I had never touched, nor even seen. Everyone on TV and the internet seems to be billionaires or building owners, while I didn’t even have a few hundred thousand won to my name. Even a few 100-won coins felt precious to me.

‘But the source of this gold is uncertain.’

The ‘System’ has not yet fully established itself. In such a situation, the origin of this gold, seemingly picked up from nowhere, would be hard to validate.

‘It would be lucky if it wasn’t confiscated by the state.’

Once the Player Association is formed and corporations like Seongshin begin to dip their toes into the world of players, laws related to this will start to be enacted.

In the early days of playing. Illogically, many players had to donate their rewards to the country under the guise of taxes.

‘What was it they said? Confiscated for being potentially dangerous goods from an unknown world?’

They took away the rewards with such absurd rationalizations or under the pretext of ‘taxes’. It’s nonsensical by today’s standards, but that’s how it was at the onset of the Play era.

‘So, pass on the gold.’

Despite the tempting reward, I decided not to covet it.

“What’s the next option?”

“The next choice is a Potion of Recovery.”

The hologram appeared again.

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[Choice Rewards]

1) Pouch of Gold (Gold: 3.75kg)

2) Potion of Recovery

Type A -?

Type B -?

Type C -?

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Indeed, just as I knew it. The original first reward here went to Seo Joo-hwan. Now, Seo Joo-hwan is no longer here.

‘The future has changed.’

It has changed, but remains the same. The rewards were still the same. So my choice must be predetermined as well.

“I choose Type B Potion of Recovery.”

“Type B Potion of Recovery is unknown. Should you be unlucky, it could turn out to be utterly useless. It’s not particularly recommended.”

We don’t know what will be drawn. It includes all ‘curatives’ within the category of ‘recovery’, even things like athlete’s foot medication or cold remedies.

“I will…”

“Would you like to change your selection?”

But I already know what the ‘?’ marked Type B Potion of Recovery is.

“I will choose Type B.”

[‘The Anonymous Observer’ is curious about your choice.]

[‘The Lady with the Scales’ expresses doubt about your choice.]

[‘The Whispering Demon’ finds your choice amusing.]

Many must be curious. If they didn’t know what Seo Joo-hwan had done, if they didn’t know the future, they wouldn’t have chosen this over gold.

In Ma Sang-hyun’s case, he acquired ‘Iron Gauntlets’ with a ‘+1 Agility’ option and Kang Sun-hwa got a +2 Vitality boost headband.

‘Pretty good.’

Items with added stat options are quite effective at the novice level. Anyway, the Seoul Station dungeon had been cleared.

I definitely heard the notification.

[The ‘Dungeon Break’ of ‘Seoul Station Dungeon’ has been sealed.]

No more ‘Breaks’ will occur at Seoul Station Dungeon. A relief indeed. In the past, players failed to stop the Seoul Station Dungeon Break. The phenomenon occurred three times, leading to thousands of casualties.

‘2,300 dead. 800 seriously injured.’

Countless more had minor injuries. I am changing the future right now. The future as I know it. I do not know how long my knowledge will be valid. To let the events flow as I know them, I would’ve had to ignore the Dungeon Break.

But,

‘That’s not what a human would do.’

I’m no grand hero or sage. Nonetheless, I think it’s cowardly not to stop something that can clearly be prevented. I already experienced the Great Catastrophe in Jongno on April 27, 2028. So many died right before my eyes. If it can be prevented, it should be stopped.

No grand ambition or hero complex.

‘Just…’

My goal in this life is simple. To live like a person. More happily, in a more human-like manner. As in the tutorial field days, I want to avoid ignoring others just for my survival. To live that way.

[I use my level-up points.]

[Current Level: 19]

The notification came with the level-up.

[You’re exiting ‘Seoul Station Dungeon’.]

* * *

Ma Sang-hyun asked for my number. We exchanged numbers smoothly.

“I am happy to have obtained Hyung’s number.”

I can’t understand why he’s so delighted, but the exchange happened.

“Yes, Hyung. Please go in!”

Ma Sang-hyun is currently the most famous as a player. He will receive public attention. I recommended he do so. So that the future flows as similarly as possible, so that I can make use of all I know.

‘I wasn’t around in the past.’

But now I am. How this variable changes things, I do not know. It’s only right to prevent things like the Dungeon Break, but there’s no need to create unnecessary variables. And I still lack the power to defend myself.

The great explorer ‘Jackson’ said this. A hidden sword is more fearsome than one that is visible. Until I earn the right to prove myself sufficiently, I decide to conceal my own presence. To the public, at least. Yet, to someone else, I may need to prove my value.

I head straight to a particular building.

‘This is Seongshin’s headquarters.’

Located in Gangnam, a colossal 92-story building. Seo Joo-hwan did this in the past. He simply found his way to Seongshin’s headquarters and said, “I can cure the chairman!”. Ridiculously, that’s how Seo Joo-hwan got to meet Seongshin Group’s chairman.

It was unexpected to meet that spiky-haired character here.

“Ah geez, what’s this?”

The incident started like this: a young boy—seems like a middle schooler—and I entered the same compartment of the revolving door. He seemed quite displeased by this. He overtly covered his nose with his silk handkerchief, as if he couldn’t stand to share the air with me.

Entering the headquarters, he stopped a passing man and blurted out without any hesitation. Although there was some distance, I could hear everything clearly.

“What is that dirty thing? Moving around looking like a beggar, here in Seongshin’s headquarters?”

His school uniform looks fancy, almost like silk. It has the visage of quality emanating from it.

“If it wasn’t for my Hermès handkerchief, I wouldn’t have been able to breathe.”

Ah. So that handkerchief is the famous Hermès. I almost laugh. I’m more baffled than angry. Does this young kid even understand what he’s saying?

‘Song Jin-cheol.’

He’s that infamous troublemaker from a wealthy family.

‘Wow, he was like this even as a child.’

He would later cause a series of large and small issues with alcohol and women problems. The commonly known misbehaving chaebol third generation, and even the youngest grandson in his wealthy family. What was it again? I think he was about 14 when he could’ve taken the talent panel test, but he kept postponing it because it was bothersome, and only took it at 19.

‘If I remember correctly, he had about 44 talent panels.’

That’s right around the time when talent panels started to close, but even then, 44 is a significant number of panels. Life is so unfair. People like me are ‘talentless’, longing for talent that we can never have, while he has 44 talent panels to his name, despite his protests and grievances.

Song Jin-cheol spoke to a middle-aged man who was fawning in front of him.

“Is that man a janitor? Tell him to wear better clothes. It’s nauseating to look at such a country bumpkin style. How can someone’s entire appearance be so cheap? It’s too filthy to share the air with.”

Clearly, he was referring to me. Well, he’s not wrong. I don’t have expensive clothes or shoes. Even though I dressed as neatly as I could, to the youngest of the chaebol family, I might as well have been draped in cheap rags. I just shrugged it off. If you compare the current Song Jin-cheol to the future one, today’s version is just cute by comparison.

The man bowed deeply.

“Understood, Young Master. I will firmly warn him. It is truly regrettable that we have upset you, Young Master. We will be careful in the future.”

“Yeah. Manage things better.”

“I will remember and heed your words.”

While this exchange took place, I reviewed Song Jin-cheol’s information.

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[Unawakened]

Name: Song Jin-cheol

Age: 14

State: Complacent/Smug/Disdain

Disposition: Arrogant/Destructive/Selfish

Overview: Self-proclaimed elite

+ Unawakened.

+ Disposition and traits highlight a few notable characteristics that may change based on circumstances.

+ Due to low proficiency in Sense, detailed information access is not available.

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His name is indeed Song Jin-cheol. His mood is composed, as he’s at his grandfather’s company. His disposition is arrogant and destructive, aptly summarized as a self-proclaimed elite.

‘He’s the same age as Sun-hwa.’

So, summarizing young 14-year-old Song Jin-cheol: he’s arrogant, destructive, selfish, and considers himself a chosen elite.

‘Let’s not concern ourselves with him.’

What I need to focus on is not this young Song Jin-cheol. If an opportunity arises, I might enjoy flattening that young snob’s nose, but more than that. Shouldn’t I be more concerned with condemning the second-generation chaebol who educated him to be this way?

What did he see and learn to become like this at such a young age? This isn’t just a child’s mistake, but an adult’s as well. That’s what I believe.

As Song Jin-cheol rode the elevator up and disappeared, the middle-aged man came up to me.

“What brings you here?”

“I can cure the Chairman’s illness.”

This is what Seo Joo-hwan had said. Upon hearing this, the man’s expression turned sour.

“You’re not the first to come here with such a claim. There have been over ten others.”

“But none of them succeeded.”

The Chairman’s illness is, in fact, alopecia. And what I had chosen, ‘Type B Potion of Recovery’, is called ‘Highly Effective Hair Growth Elixir’.

“The Chairman is a stern man. Can you be responsible for your words?”

He looks at me with the eyes of someone dealing with a con artist. He has no trust whatsoever. That’s the correct response since ten others have already attempted this ruse. Yet, he still guides me, which implies the Chairman is indeed quite desperate.

“I will show you the way. Please follow me.”

This older man leading me does not seem happy about bowing to young Song Jin-cheol so deeply.

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State: Suspicion/Humiliation/Endurance

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I catch a glimpse of the man’s wrinkled hand. A large wedding ring is visible on his left hand.

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Overview: A typical Korean father

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Would this man want to be groveling and insulted by Song Jin-cheol, a mere 14-year-old? In order to survive as a father in South Korea, he endures this humiliation. While I can’t say it’s right, that’s just how things are. And it’s filthy.

‘Hang in there.’

Together with the man, I stepped into the elevator. Whether due to the Chairman’s orders or not, I was promptly directed to the Chairman’s office.

Knock, knock. The man knocked on the office door.

“Chairman, I have brought the guest.”

I entered inside. Seongshin Group. The legendary entrepreneur who started with nothing and built the massive corporation, Korea’s number one company, Seongshin. The man who would play a leading role in creating the Player Association and become the first Chairman of the Player’s Association.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Song Gi-young.”

And there, I faced a slightly unexpected situation.

‘Oh? What’s this?’