[Sung Yujin]
[Level: 29]
[Strength: 21 Stamina: 21 Agility: 17 Intelligence: 10 Vitality: 24]
[Available Points: 117]
With 117 points to spend, I found myself hesitating over where to invest them.
I'll put 17 points into the Random Draw.
While I genuinely enjoyed the Random Draw, my primary motivation was the occasional special items and skills it yielded.
The skills from the Pleasure World App are incredible just look at hacking or full recovery. Who knows, maybe I'll even get something like hypnosis.
Even the recently acquired Gill Breathing skill could prove to be a trump card in certain situations.
Most importantly, the items from the Random Draw don't suffer from the penalty of reduced effectiveness in other worlds.
And real-world items work perfectly fine in the game world too.
Just in case, I recently conducted an experiment. I used a Fireball Scroll purchased from the Hunter Shop in the world of "Vampire Detective." The power was identical to its real-world counterpart.
The Emotion Controller has been added to the Random Draw Shop. This means I might be able to obtain it through Random Draws.
Potential Potions appear relatively frequently in Random Draws.
This item is useless to me, as I lack any potential. However, for others with potential, it's worth its weight in gold.
I used an Appraisal Scroll purchased from the Hunter Shop to verify the Potential Potion. The appraisal was accurate.
If I were to announce and properly sell the Potential Potion, I could earn at least several billion won.
But I have no intention of doing so. I'm not short on money. Even if I suddenly needed funds and decided to sell the Potential Potion... that's a matter for later, when I possess the capabilities to handle it.
Before starting the Random Draw, I placed my smartphone on the floor and knelt reverently. I clasped my hands before my chest and slowly closed my eyes.
"O God of the Random Draw! Please have mercy on me and grant me your divine blessing."
After completing three prayers, I began the Random Draw, performing a total of seventeen attempts.
No skills or traits appeared, but I did obtain several peculiar items. The fact that I received only one Potential Potion was rather frustrating.
As soon as I obtained an item, I immediately entered the Random Draw Shop to verify its details, as this method provided the most accurate information.
***
[Super Vitamin (Lemon Flavor)]
[A super vitamin containing all the essential nutrients a person needs in a single tablet.]
[Each container holds 100 tablets.]
[Take one tablet every 24 hours.]
[Price: 5 points.]
[*Caution]
[Taking multiple doses will not provide additional benefits. You must wait 24 hours after each dose for it to take effect.]
***
[Toy Wooden Sword]
[A toy wooden sword perfect for children to play with.]
[Price: 1 point]
***
[Spirit Jade]
[A gemstone imbued with pure natural energy. Spirits would adore this.]
[Price: 20 points]
[*Caution:]
[Effective only on Spirits.]
***
[Whip of Pain]
[A cursed whip that inflicts only pain, leaving no physical wounds.]
[Price: 15 points]
[*Caution:]
[Excessive use on a single target may cause mental damage.]
***
[Nose Popper]
[Instantly clears a blocked nose!]
[Price: 1 point]
***
I frowned. As I'd noticed before, the item descriptions were inconsistent, sometimes using casual language and sometimes formal.
I checked to see if there was some kind of secret, but the ratio of casual to formal speech was about the same.
What bothered me was the Spirit Jade. Spirits exist in the real world, but it's difficult to even see them unless you're a Spirit Master.
This was similar to the Potential Potion. There's no way I could have any connection to spirits.
"T-this is...!"
***
[Aphrodisiac]
[Contains 200ml of Aphrodisiac.]
[Induces arousal in the target. Effects manifest when ingested or applied to the genitals.]
[Effects last for 2 hours. Recommended dosage: 10ml.]
[Price: 400 points]
[*Caution]
[Consuming more than 10ml may cause mental side effects.
Aphrodisiac effects vary depending on the target.]
***
The Aphrodisiac was a liquid contained in an elegant, transparent glass bottle.
"Is that... the real thing? The aphrodisiac that makes women go wild with lust and throw themselves at men after just one dose!"
I felt my hands trembling uncontrollably.
An aphrodisiac was the ultimate item of my dreams. Whenever aphrodisiacs appeared in fantasy novels or comics, I'd always imagine how amazing it would be to have one in my own hands.
I even used to think aphrodisiacs might actually exist.
I'd researched them online, at Hunter Shops, and elsewhere. After all, special fruits and potions with unique effects often appeared in Dungeons.
But there was nothing. The best I could find was livestock stimulants.
I carefully opened the glass bottle.
Now that it was in my possession, I couldn't resist testing it.
I dipped my pinky finger into the pink liquid and brought it to my mouth. The aphrodisiac had a sweet, slightly tangy flavor.
"Oh. Oh... Ohhh!"
The moment the aphrodisiac touched my tongue, its effects kicked in immediately. My manhood instantly hardened in my pants, though it wasn't a full erection, likely due to the small dose.
Damn. If 10ml makes me this horny, what would a full dose do?
I suppressed my surging curiosity. It felt like a waste to test it in the Vampire Detective world.
I'll just save it for now and experiment later at my own pace.
[Available Points: 100]
Hmm.
[Use 80 points to upgrade Youngcheon Style Lv. 5 to Lv. 6?]
[Youngcheon Style Lv. 6]
[You can now use Youngcheon Style.]
I upgraded Youngcheon Style because of Baek Sanggi.
Lately, I've been thinking about Baek Sanggi far too often. No matter how hard I try to forget him, it's no use.
And more importantly, I'm starting to crave the next stage of Youngcheon Style the advanced techniques.
If my Youngcheon Style had been at level 6 back then, I would have won.
I forced myself to stop thinking about Baek Sanggi.
It was already in the past. I didn't want to dwell on him.
[Sung Yujin]
[Level: 29]
[Strength: 21 Stamina: 21 Agility: 22 Intelligence: 12 Vitality: 24]
I spent 20 points to increase my Agility and Intelligence.
It took 6 points to raise Agility to 20, and 10 points to increase it from 20 to 22.
At this rate, how many points will it take to reach the 30s in my stats? I muttered under my breath.
I invested in Agility because of the Youngcheon Style. In this style, which emphasizes speed and stealth, agility is more crucial than strength.
I can't wait to reach level 30. Maybe then I can choose some more interesting creations.
***
A quiet cafe with no customers.
I sat across from a man at a table. Dressed casually, he appeared to be in his early to mid-forties.
"Really? You're really going to give me five million won?" he asked repeatedly, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Why would I lie?" I nodded, placing a white envelope containing one hundred fifty-thousand-won bills on the table.
The man hesitated at first, then snatched the envelope, tearing it open to verify the contents.
"...It's real. I still can't understand why you'd want to buy something like this. Are you perhaps an employee from another broadcasting station? ...No. Even that doesn't make sense."
"Ha ha. I told you, I'm a fan. So, where's the item?"
"Here it is."
He handed me a USB drive. I plugged it into the laptop in front of me.
"Thank you, Producer Shin."
The man sitting across from me was a drama PD from the broadcasting station, Shin Juhong. He was the producer of the drama Vampire Detective.
Actually, I had contacted both Shin Juhong and the drama writer of Vampire Detective. The writer couldn't make it due to a prior engagement.
Well, they probably suspect me. After all, who asks for the setting materials of a finished drama and offers 5 million won for them? It's bound to seem suspicious.
The only saving grace was that Shin Juhong was willing to make the deal.
"...You really have no intention of releasing this online, do you?"
Producer Shin Ju Hong asked, "You don't have it?"
"No, I don't. It's just fanboying, you know? I love Vampire Detective and wanted to own the setting book. If you're really worried, I can sign a contract."
"No, a contract isn't necessary. Still, spending 5 million won on just a setting book?"
"I'm a bit impulsive. I figured 5 million won would get it quickly. Thanks to that, I got it in just two hours. Besides, I'm a Hunter I've got plenty of money."
Obtaining four Life Orbs this time had taught me something:
There were hidden settings.
I had assumed from the drama that only one Life Orb could form, since Moon Ji Hyeok had taken the only one that had materialized.
In reality, four Life Orbs had materialized.
Baek Sanggi is the same. How could I have known he possessed such power?
I clicked through the document on my laptop, reviewing its contents.
I searched for Baek Sanggi in the character settings.
According to the original timeline, Baek Sanggi had arrived from a foreign land 300 years ago, slain the vampires, consumed the Life Orbs, and gained immortality.
He had once belonged to the Sword Society, Joseon's vampire hunting organization, and mastered the Sungri Sword technique.
"...What was Baek Sanggi's original significance? Judging by his character settings, he doesn't seem like just an extra."
Producer Shin Juhong looked at me with surprise at my question.
"Baek Sanggi was originally intended to be the protagonist's ally. But due to story issues..."
"You mean because the actor playing Baek Sanggi was just terrible at acting?"
"...This is confidential, but you're right. He performed well during the audition, but once we started filming, he was completely out of his depth.
We had over fifty takes, and he showed no signs of improvement. Ugh. Just thinking about it..."
"Was Baek Sanggi originally supposed to commit suicide?"
"Yes. He was disillusioned with life. Originally, he was supposed to die in a final battle against dozens of vampires from Cantra. The role had already been cast, and our budget was tight, so we just altered the story."
I nodded. I'd heard that dramas often change their plots based on audience reactions.
If viewers responded well, a character slated to die might be spared, while unpopular characters could be written off quickly.
I scrolled through the character profiles.
There were quite a few about forty characters with detailed descriptions. The rest had only brief, cursory notes.
Switching documents, I skimmed the story plot. The sheer volume of material forced me to skim it quickly.
"There are a lot of storylines here that never made it into the drama."
"Those were scrapped. Episodes deemed uninteresting or impossible to execute."
"The Kim Chunseok episode sounds interesting."
"How could a mere detective possibly take down a member of the National Assembly who wields such power in South Korea?"
"...That's true."
I examined the scrapped episodes. These stories hadn't even occurred in the Vampire Detective game world.
"As expected of Vampire Detective. Even the setting guide is fascinating."
"Thank you for enjoying our drama so much."
Producer Shin Ju Hong looked at me with genuine warmth. Even though I was a bit suspicious, I was still a fan who had gone so far as to buy the setting guide with my own money. He couldn't possibly dislike me.
"According to the settings, four Life Orbs are supposed to form. But only one appeared in the drama..."
"Ah, that's because of the budget. CG work is quite expensive, you know. We cut corners wherever we could. Since one Life Orb was sufficient for the story, we stuck with that."
"I see," I nodded.
I'd heard that CG work was incredibly costly. We couldn't afford to add unnecessary CG just to adhere strictly to the lore.
"By the way, were there any female vampires?"
"There were. Hmm, now that I think about it, female vampires didn't appear much in the drama, did they?"
"Exactly. I found that quite disappointing."
"There's a scrapped episode about a major corporation run by a vampire family. She appears in that episode."
"What was the female vampire's name?"
"...Ah, I don't quite remember. It should be in the character setting document."
It was there.
The eldest daughter of the Daechun Group family. The young owner of a luxury hotel in Incheon. Late twenties. Cheon Jimin. As a major conglomerate, they had their safety guaranteed through government connections.
"So her name is Cheon Jimin."
"Actually, we were planning to cast actress Kim Sooyoung."
"Oh? I see."
I chuckled.
Soon, I planned to enter the world of Vampire Detective and confirm Cheon Jimin's existence. Even if she didn't appear in the drama, there was a chance she still existed.
And I need to check if she looks exactly like Kim Sooyoung, who was supposed to be cast. Heh heh heh.
After that? Business as usual.
Becoming a chaebol's son-in-law wouldn't be so bad this time around.