Chapter 3

The number written on the system window was 8,500 points — in other words, 85 million won.

“No way…”

Fifteen packs of ramen sold for 85 million won… Considering that one pack of ramen doesn’t even cost 1,000 won in real life, it was an utterly ridiculous figure.

Each pack sold for what, around 5 to 6 million won?

“Is this real?”

Are the people in the Tower oil tycoons or something? Why would anyone buy ramen at that price?

And it wasn’t even with cash — it was with points. Unless someone had more points than they knew what to do with, nobody would ever buy something like this.

That’s because the value of points is even higher than cash.

You can collect points, buy gold or magic stones from the shop, and sell them in the real world for money. But you can’t buy points with money.

That’s why instead of converting points into cash, most people prefer to buy Tower goods or items with them.

Only a few people — those lacking confidence as hunters — opt to cash out their points for gold or magic stones.

But 8,500 points? For ramen that doesn’t even cost 1,000 won a pack? That was just insane.

Even if ramen were extremely rare…

“L-Let me check the Tower Community first.”

This kind of price made no logical sense, so he figured he’d better check the reactions.

Opening the Tower Community through the system, he saw that — as usual — a flood of posts had been made.

But unlike the variety of topics yesterday, today almost all of them were about one thing.

[Speculations on Midas’ Identity] [50]
[Who Is This Midas Guy?] [11]
[Ramen Selling for 500 Points Each? Wtf] [5]
…

“Why are there so many of them?”

Dozens of posts covered basically the same topic.

Everyone was asking who Midas was, why he sold ramen of all things, and how he managed to sell not one, not even a single pack, but three packs.

“Why is this blowing up so much?”

Honestly, when he uploaded the ramen, he hadn’t given it much thought.

Sure, it was modern instant food that didn’t exist in the Tower, so he expected it to be popular.

But this kind of explosive reaction was beyond anything he had imagined.

While scrolling, one particularly popular post caught his eye. He clicked on it.

★ [Explaining the Midas-Ramen Incident for Newbies] [109]

Seems like a lot of newbies are confused, so let me break it down.

Last night, five packs each of Jin Ramen, Chapagetti, and Buldak Ramen were listed in the auction.

The weird part? All of it was listed by the same seller — Midas.

Why is that strange? Because you can only bring one item with you into the Tower.

Not a weapon to help clear floors, not a tablet to make more money — just ramen. Freaking ramen. The dude’s insane.

But more importantly — it wasn’t even just one. He brought FIFTEEN.

That breaks the fundamental rule of the Tower: you’re only allowed to bring one item.

Nobody knows who Midas is, why he brought ramen, or how he brought multiple packs in.

So now the Tower Community is in chaos, full of wild theories:

He’s just a ramen-obsessed lunatic.
He’s a high-ranker about to clear the Tower who smuggled them in.
He has some special awakened ability that lets him import goods from outside.

[Comments]

– So basically, no one knows a damn thing?

┗ Yup.

– Who the hell pays 5 million won for a pack of ramen? Are they nuts?

┗ Try living in the Tower for 5 years. You’ll be craving ramen too.

┗ lol some noob still stuck in the lower floors? If you can’t handle it, why didn’t you choose Easy Mode?

┗ Didn’t want to be a low-tier scrub like you, lol.

┗ This guy’s pissed lmao. Enjoy the Tower forever, grandpa~ 😂

┗ Once I get out, you’re the first to die. 😡

– Even if he’s a high-ranker, 500 points per ramen is absurd.

The thing is, the real reason people paid so much is because they can message Midas directly.

┗ Oh right, buyers get private messaging access.

┗ Yup. If Midas really can bring in outside goods, establishing contact is crucial. There’s bound to be restrictions, though.

┗ But foreigners are posting too, so maybe not? lol

– Oh, Korean Buldak Ramen… I missed it so much! Jesus, why is this only a thing in Korea? That spicy kick! I wanna taste it again!

┗ I’ll sell you for 1000 points.

┗ Really? Post it now! I’ll buy!

┗ SHITTTT! It’s so good! Tastes like civilization! I wanna get outta this Tower!

┗ lol awkward above 😂

As the post described, the comments were a chaotic mess of guesses and opinions.

Nobody knew anything for sure, so speculation was all they had.

But thanks to the comments, he finally understood why the ramen sold for so much.

People were starving for even a small taste of the outside world. And they desperately wanted a connection with him.

[Hello, Mr. Midas. I’m the one who bought Jin Ramen. If possible, please contact me…]

[Hi, I’m…]

[Can you really bring in outside goods?]

[If you can, please help me… I’m begging you. You’d be saving a life…]

[Been stuck in this damn Tower for 29 years. I’ll do anything if you help me.]

Just like the commenter said, when he opened the seller chat, there were tons of messages.

“29 years…? That’s insane.”

Very few people have been stuck in the Tower for over 20 years — meaning this guy was a high-ranker.

And if it’s been 29 years? He must’ve been one of the very first to enter the hardest difficulty.

‘Wasn’t his name Lee Woo-jae?’

Sure, hunters who cleared the Tower and operate in the outside world are more famous and respected.

But Lee Woo-jae? He’s a legend.

The first person to enter Hell Difficulty. The furthest climber ever. The only survivor of the highest level.

These days, S-rank hunters may rule the world, but he is in a league of his own.

If he ever clears the Tower and returns, he’d practically have the authority of a national government.

[Hey, can you really bring in outside items? If so, please help me. I’ll give you anything — points, gear, whatever.]

[Are you asleep? You didn’t die while climbing, did you? If you haven’t entered yet, ask me anything. Nobody knows the Tower better than I do.]

[If you don’t trust me, you don’t have to reply. Just prove you can bring in outside goods. If not, just say so and I won’t bother you again.]

This legendary high-ranker… was obsessed with him.

Only then did Kim Namjoong fully realize the value of his ability.

His power wasn’t just about selling ramen and getting rich.

He could provide people with anything they needed to climb the Tower — weapons, items, potions — in unlimited quantities.

Which meant that depending on how he used it, he could become the most powerful figure in the Tower.

What if someone was stuck on a floor full of undead, and he brought in a holy artifact from the outside?

The floor that should’ve been a nightmare could suddenly become a cakewalk.

Even the highest-ranking hunter was now bowing to him — what would others do?

‘If I reply to him, I could gain a lot.’

Lee Woo-jae was a legend for a reason.

No one else had even reached the 90th floor of Hell Difficulty.

Most hunters attempting it died before reaching the 60th.

Nobody could predict what abilities or points he had.

If he replied to him and made a deal, he could earn an insane amount of points and items, making the Tower a breeze to clear.

But—

[Would you like to close the window?]

“Yes.”

Kim Namjoong knew his place.

He had zero intention of climbing the Tower.

Why bother, when just selling ramen could make him one of the richest people in the world?

Besides, if he made a deal, people wouldn’t stop at ramen — they’d start demanding rare outside items.

He wasn’t even a hunter yet. If he tried to obtain that kind of stuff, his identity would be exposed in no time.

He had no way to protect himself.

‘Nope. Not happening.’

On top of that, one of Lee Woo-jae’s nicknames was “psychopath.”

High-rankers who’ve been in the Tower too long are almost always unhinged.

And he was the longest-staying human in the Tower.

No need to guess what kind of person he’d be.

Sure, if someone righteous had this ability, they might’ve used it for humanity and social good.

But Namjoong wasn’t that kind of guy.

Safety first. Low risk, low stress — that was his motto.

Money? He could make more than enough selling ramen.

Power? Didn’t need it.

Fame? No thanks — he didn’t want his face known.

None of those things could move him.

The only thing that could…

[Some lunatic actually brought ramen into the Tower lmfao] [50]

What a broke bastard. Even if you’re dirt-poor, just take out a loan and bring a tablet — you’d earn 300 million minimum.

Why all the fuss? He probably awakened with no money or tablet, so he just brought the ramen sitting at home.

[Comments]

– Then how do you explain 15 packs?

┗Anyone actually brought ramen into the Tower? The Tower’s standards are random af. Maybe it allowed cheaper items like ramen.

┗That actually makes sense?

…

This post completely missed the key truth about his power…

But for some reason, it hit really close to home.

“You… I’m remembering that username.”

He’d make sure that guy regretted it later.

Namjoong memorized the name “Majang-dong Knife Guy” and exited the Tower interface.

Meanwhile…

“It’s most likely Korea! We need to find him before the other countries start moving!”

“Understood, Chairman!”

“Have you contacted the other guilds?”

“Yes! We’re convincing them that now is the time to cooperate, not compete. We cannot let another country poach that hunter!”

At the same time, the Korean Hunter Association was in chaos over the recent incident.

Someone had broken the Tower’s rules.

It was nothing short of a national emergency.

With gates opening and monsters pouring out, hunters had become the embodiment of military power.

Clearing the Tower had never been more critical.

So governments poured funding into helping their citizens clear it.

They lent weapons at low cost, rewarded high-rankers, and even recruited civilians with no interest in becoming full-fledged hunters to pass weapons on to rankers.

Of course, it cost more to supply tablets than the delivery fees — so not many got those…

But even then, they hired the couriers as civil servants and guaranteed them pensions.

‘And now someone who can bring in multiple items at once appears…’

Chairman Kang Seok-gu of the Hunter Association kept repeating the thought in his mind.

If Midas was real, not only could he save the country a fortune, he could also provide unlimited support to high-rankers, boosting military power — maybe even recruit foreign hunters.

Of course, no one knew for sure if Midas could consistently bring in outside goods.

The info came from a random internet community.

But if it was true… and if they failed to recruit him, and he got poached by another nation?

That would be a catastrophe.

Especially now…

“Chairman! An A-rank gate has appeared on the coast of Gangwon-do!”

“A B-rank gate has appeared near Tsushima Island in Japan!”

Unlike usual, mid to high-rank gates have been popping up like mushrooms after rain lately.

It means the overall level of the gates is rising.

At this rate, it’s clear that the safety of the Korean population will be at serious risk.

There is an urgent need to increase the number of high-quality hunters.

‘The only thing we know is that he’s in Korea.’