C387
There were several ways to earn points.
The first one was through Trials. When new players entered, they could earn points through Trials. Although significant amounts of points could be gained this way, Trials always put their lives at risk. Naturally, it wasn't the preferred option for many players.
The second way was through labor. Selling items, crafting items using skills like Hephaestus, and similar methods didn't differ much from earning money in the real world.
The third way was to establish a realm like Asgard or Olympus and collect taxes in the form of protection fees. Although this option allowed for significant point gains, it required a large amount of labor.
YuWon had opted for the first option to earn points.
"... So, that's what's going on."
Fffsh~
The lamp lit up in the dark staircase.
The light made the surprised goblin's face visible.
"You really have a lot of money."
His tone changed, and his lips curved upwards.
The goblin couldn't hide his expression of joy.
The amount of points YuWon had revealed was the reason.
"It's been a while since I started working here, but it's the first time I've seen someone so wealthy."
"Can we go in?"
"Yes."
The goblin reached forward with his hand.
"The entrance fee is 100,000 points."
100,000 points.
It was an excessive amount for what seemed like a simple entrance fee. It was enough money for even Rankers to buy tempting items.
An absurd condition.
But YuWon paid the amount without hesitation.
[You have spent 100,000 points]
When YuWon handed over the money right away, the goblin chuckled.
"It's been a long time since I've seen an outsider spend so much money here."
Swish~
The lights came on in the dim lanterns between the dark stairs.
There was no magical energy felt, they were flames created by mechanical devices instead of magic.
"Follow me."
The goblin turned and began descending the stairs.
YuWon followed.
The stairs gradually widened.
And then...
Pak...
At the end of the stairs, a wide open space appeared.
[You have paid the entrance fee]
[You have arrived in the 'Goblin Country']
As far as he remembered, it was daytime before descending the stairs.
Originally, in the 100th Floor World, there was no night, so it couldn't be night no matter how much time had passed.
But when they descended the stairs and arrived at this place, the sky was clearly lit by the moon.
'Three moons.'
YuWon looked up and observed the three moons in the sky.
"We've arrived."
Goblin Country, where three moons hung in the sky.
This was a world that was always night. The reason the 100th Floor World was always day was because there existed an opposite world where it was always night.
Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching
"Let's play, let's play, Ehécatl!"
"Let's play, let's play, even if we grow old."
"Woo-hoo! Joskuna!"
"Woo-hoo? Where did you get that word?"
"They say the youngsters on the lower floors use it these days. Woo-hoo!"
They played instruments, danced, and sang. The goblins were enjoying themselves to the fullest with music and dance everywhere.
Here, it was always night, so the Goblins never saw the day.
"What's going on? Regretting it already?"
The Goblin who followed YuWon chuckled softly.
"You paid 100,000 points to enter a place like this."
"That's true."
"Really? Well, I suppose you must have come here knowing what you're doing."
The Goblin narrowed his eyes as he looked at YuWon.
"Did you hear about this from Odin?"
YuWon nodded.
Yes, he did. The Goblin mocked the fact that YuWon knew about their country.
Well, so what?
There probably wasn't another fool who would pay 100,000 points to enter a place like this without any information.
"That stubborn brat. He said he wouldn't say anything..."
Brat.
A word directed at Odin, the lord of everything.
But YuWon didn't find it strange that the Goblin used that word.
All the Goblins living in this country were the same.
'The oldest race that has been alongside the history of the Tower.'
In general, it was known that among those who hadn't become Rankers, the race that lived the longest were the Dragons.
From birth, they possessed magic, and as they aged, they accumulated a large amount of Arcane Power in their hearts.
That's how the Dragons, a race capable of living for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, earned that reputation.
But the Tower was vast, and apart from the Dragons, there were other races with long lifespans.
"How long have you lived?"
"It seems you've heard that our lifespan is long."
"I can even tell just from what you said earlier. At least you've lived longer than Odin."
"Despite knowing that, you have a rather arrogant tone."
The Goblin, who seemed to be enjoying himself, picked up a bottle of liquor he had on the side.
As if he wanted to finish it, the bottle still had some liquor left.
Gulp, gulp.
"Ugh... Age? I don't know it very well. Around 50,000 years? A bit more?"
"You've lived a long time."
"Hehe. Even after hearing my age, your way of speaking remains the same."
"It's not necessarily like that, but I've also lived long enough. With time, age doesn't have much meaning."
"You're right about that."
Age doesn't matter.
There probably wasn't anyone else but the Goblins who could fully understand that statement.
For those who had lived for thousands or even millions of years, age was simply an accumulation of time without much meaning.
"So, why has someone like you come to this corner?"
"I want to meet the Goblin King."
"The king?"
The Goblin's expression wrinkled.
Demanding to meet their king in that manner was quite rude. Paying the entrance fee was only a minimal gesture to enter the Goblin Country, it didn't grant the right to move freely and make requests of that nature.
Despite that...
The Goblin looked at YuWon for a moment as if considering something.
"Hmm..."
The Goblin stared at YuWon.
Something in his gaze seemed to be related to money.
"Goblins love points more than anything else."
That was the recommendation from Odin that YuWon had received about this country.
"Points. They drive everyone here crazy. That's probably why everything in this country is so expensive. Even a plate of food or a sip of water."
The greed of the Goblins surpassed all imagination.
Only the entrance fee alone was so high that most Rankers would find it hard to pay.
But that didn't apply to YuWon.
[You have 152,378,900 points]
YuWon had paid 100,000 points for entry, and he still had an impressive amount of points in his balance. 150 million points didn't even make YuWon bat an eye. It would have even made the richest Goblins roll their eyes.
It would probably be the same for the Goblin King.
However...
"It doesn't seem impossible," the Goblin replied.
YuWon nodded. He was expecting that response.
"Then, take me there."
With a confident step, as if he were waiting for an answer.
"Toward your King."
YuWon headed towards the castle in the distance.
----------
The Goblin Country was small, barely a territory the size of a city. The tall castle in the center was made exclusively for the Goblin King.
YuWon followed the Goblin guide and entered the castle.
The Goblin, who had been chatting about his country, suddenly changed the subject.
"By the way, that face... I've seen it somewhere."
The Goblin Country was practically isolated from the outside world, but it seemed that statement was true.
"It's because I'm a bit famous outside."
"Really? Well, I figured. Kim YuWon, right? You've become famous lately on the lower floors."
The Goblin burst into admiration for his own memory.
It seemed that he had gone outside a few years ago when YuWon began making a name for himself in the Tower, publicizing his name and face.
"But, how did you get here?"
"I climbed."
"Already? Up to the 100th floor?"
The Goblin's eyes blinked briefly.
He had heard news about YuWon just a few years ago. At that time, YuWon was a newcomer on the lower floors and barely known.
But in such a short time, he had already managed to become a Ranker.
"The Tower must have been in an uproar again."
Becoming a Ranker in such a short period of time would surely attract attention. It was not only a sign of skill but also of great latent potential.
"But that doesn't mean you should act too insolent in front of the King. He's different from all the newbie Players you've met so far."
The Goblin opened the door.
Inside the castle, there was no sign of activity, and there was no one present. In the distance, a thick iron door could be seen emanating a strong scent of incense.
"So, go on."
The Goblin opened the door without asking for permission. When the door opened, the scent of incense became much more intense.
What they saw on the other side of the door was...
Glugluglu...
It was a cultural shock.
A gigantic man in the room who was twice the size of Hercules, with a massive body. And next to him, there was a liquor bottle even larger than his own bulk.
Glup...
Liquor flowed from the bottle he held in one hand and trickled down his chin, dripping down.
Then, the giant man lowered the liquor bottle.
Klunk...
The clear sound of the empty bottle resonated in the room.
The only piece of furniture in the room was a large sofa on which the man was sitting.
"It seems to be strong liquor."
Although his face was hidden by the bottle, it seemed that most of the liquors here were so strong that even Rankers would enjoy drinking them. Although there were also some drinks for connoisseurs, that was only a small part.
Most of the drinks were so strong that even Rankers would have difficulty resisting them, specifically designed for getting intoxicated.
"It's delicious."
His eyes clouded over.
However, there was a hidden strength in his eyes that he couldn't hide, and as he lowered the liquor bottle, his eyes settled on YuWon.
"Is it you? You wanted to see me?"
As if he were looking to evaluate him, the Goblin King examined YuWon from head to toe.
It seemed that he already knew that YuWon would come here.
YuWon gave him enough time to examine him.
After a moment...
"Interesting..."
The Goblin King laughed as he reached for another bottle of liquor.
"Do you want to drink?"
"I'm not a fan of alcohol."
"Really? That's a shame. You can't know life if you don't know liquor."
Glugluglu...
The Goblin King took a small sip from a liquor bottle as he spoke again.
"So, what's the matter that brings you here?"
"I have leftover points that I don't know how to spend."
The reason YuWon had sought out the Goblin King in this place...
"How much is Gungnir worth?"
It was because he knew that there were hidden treasures of immeasurable value in this world.
Tags:
LWTG (Novel)