The Novel's Extra (0-100)

Chapter 18 - Connections (1)

"170,000 won?"

My tone went up at the unexpected price. The portal worker responded unfazed.

"Yes. It's 170,000 won from Seoul to Gangwondo Wonju."

Unlike from Cube to Seoul, traveling from Seoul to Gangwondo required payment. I brought my card, but 170,000 won wasn't a small amount when I was trying to save money.

"Mmm..."

"Customer, others are waiting in line."

The female portal worker coldly warned. Indeed, I could see a line behind me. They all carried a weapon, so it seemed we shared the same objective.

"Um... Can something be done with this?"

I showed her my Cube cadet card before I reluctantly paid. Kim Soohyuk said something about cadets having benefits, but I never made such a setting so I wasn't sure about the specifics.

"Huuu..."

The portal worker sighed as though she was annoyed and accepted the card. Her eyes suddenly widened and her voice brightened up.

"Ah, you're a Cube cadet. Cadets are allowed 6 free passes per month."

"Oh really? That's great."

"Would you like to use one?"

"Yes."

The portal worker stamped a seal on my wrist. Her complete change in attitude genuinely surprised me. Being a hero really was one of the best jobs in this world.

"Thank you."

"Yes, have a safe trip, cadet Kim Hajin."

She even memorized my name.

I walked into the portal with a bitter smile.

***

I could summarize Gangwondo Wonju with a single sentence.

"So many foreigners."

Wonju was a global city according to my settings. Its buildings were limited in height due to monsters, but sturdy modern structures filled the city. Foreigners of every skin color walked around with weapons and their agents busily tapped on tablets. Agents calculated the prices of the day's haul. It was an unusual scene compared to Seoul and Busan.

"We took down a good amount today. How much do I get?"

I couldn't help but laugh hearing clumsy Korean. Korean had become one of this world's preeminent languages alongside English. Naturally, this reflected Korea's authority in the international community. Although Korea was now prosperous, it remained quite close to hell.

Korea endlessly produced towers and dungeons that churned out monsters. Textbooks contained several explanations, both scientific and religious, but neither were close to the real reason.

The country would've long been destroyed had it not been for heroes who turned monsters into marketable resources. In addition, 5 of the Nine Stars (nine of the strongest heroes) were Korean. One of them even served as Korea's 20th President. As a result, Korea thrived and became a powerhouse.

"You killed 3 hobgoblins, so it should be about 600,000 won after fees and taxes."

Foreigners paid more taxes under the law, but they still flocked to Korea because hunting here was safer. If in danger, one could simply send out a distress call and heroes or agents would arrive in less than 3 minutes. Korea was the only country with such a system.

"Take this. You'll feel better afterward. It's a troll blood potion."

"Ah, thank you."

I walked through the streets of the world I created. The city was full of interesting things: blacksmiths, potion shops, bars, etc. Shops that looked like they belonged in the Middle Ages operated in modern buildings. It felt like a game world. The sentence I wrote without much thought, Wonju is a famous tourist city, transformed into a vibrant scene.