I Gain Infinite Gold Just By Waiting-Chapter 227: Episode 47_Explosive Growth (2)

2.

Even after the Sand Castle appeared, there were still plenty of players who longed for the Ice Castle.

“I miss the Ice Castle.”

That went double for anyone who had hunted in the Sand Castle for even a little while.

“Just killing monsters and cooking up a hot bowl of ramen was heaven. It was too cold to get sleepy, and all you had to do was kill whatever monsters were wandering around, so there was no real risk of getting ambushed.”

Low-level players might prefer the Sand Castle, since they could earn points there too, but for high-level players, the Ice Castle, where you could earn a steady, average amount of points, was inevitably better.

Both were good hunting grounds, but the dungeons had very different characteristics. If the Sand Castle was a dungeon for all players, the Ice Castle was tuned to a specific level range.

On top of that, the Sand Castle was a pain to hunt in.

The map was so huge that you had to go looking for monsters. Now that the vortex had expanded, the time it took to find monsters had gone down a bit, but even when you did hunt, most of the monsters were buried in the desert sand, which wasn’t easy.

Above all, the biggest inconvenience of such a vast map was rest.

If you were cold, you could just huddle together.

The cold-weather gear crafted from monster hides was particularly exceptional; it was so effective that it felt refreshingly cool against the skin rather than just keeping out the cold.

The heat, however, was another story.

No matter how breathable your clothes were, what good was that in a desert where the heat was unbearable even when you were naked?

You had to battle the sweltering heat before you could even think about monsters, and sleeping soundly was impossible when creatures could attack from any direction at any moment.

“It takes hours just to find a safe place to sleep. Seriously.”

“At least the vortex has gotten a lot bigger, so that part’s easier now.”

The chatter among the players said it all.

For anyone who had experienced the Ice Castle, the hunting conditions in the Sand Castle were frustrating enough to make you sigh in despair.

Even so, watching thousands of players from all over the world fly in to set foot in the Sahara Desert every single day, the frustration of having only one viable hunting ground grew stronger by the day.

And then, in the midst of all this, it appeared.

“Hey! Holy shit, did you see the forums?”

“When would I have time for that? I need to kill at least one more monster.”

“Forget that. Log out and check right now. They just posted how to get tickets to the Ice Castle!”

A post had appeared, offering a ray of hope to the beleaguered players.

A way to escape the blazing sun for somewhere cool.

* * *

[Ice Castle Ticket Sales Notice]

[We are posting information regarding the sale of Ice Castle tickets.]

[This notice has been posted directly by the Lord of the Ice Castle.]

[“Ice Castle Tickets” are currently being sold at the “Point Dungeon” located at the coordinates listed in this notice.]

[Each ticket can be purchased for 3,000P.]

[The ticket is valid for one year and is bound to the purchaser, making secondary sales impossible.]

[As long as you possess the ticket, you may freely enter and exit the Ice Castle at any time. We encourage all players who wish to hunt in the Ice Castle to take advantage of this opportunity.]

* * *

The same notice also appeared in one of Kim Buja’s videos.

Countless people watched the video, which included footage of him writing the notice himself as proof.

Naturally, it sparked a lot of discussion.

“So he’s cashing in after all.”

“The rich just get richer, huh? Can’t he just open it for free?”

“Would you open it for free if it were you?”

There was, however, one key difference from the initial outcry.

“Damn, I’ve gotta go buy one right now.”

“Wow, I’m glad I saved up points just in case. I was about to save for a few more days and buy an item.”

“Grinding dungeon breaks for three months is finally paying off. Time for me to cash in, too.”

Most players—at least those capable of hunting in the Ice Castle—didn’t hesitate.

“Sand Castle versus Ice Castle? It’s the Ice Castle, hands down.”

“I’ve hunted in the Sand Castle. Just spend the 3,000 points and go to the Ice Castle. You’ll feel the difference after just one week. If you grind like crazy for about three months, you’ll earn back the ticket price and then some, way more than you would in the Sand Castle.”

In a way, the existence of the Sand Castle was actually helping his business.

The Sand Castle’s miserable conditions had created a craving among efficiency-focused players for a premium hunting ground—a place where they could pay more to hunt in comfort.

Strictly speaking, the Ice Castle wasn’t a perfect hunting ground either.

The cold was nothing to scoff at, the monsters were still in the level 70 range, and deeper inside the castle, you’d frequently encounter level 80 monsters.

The only real improvement was the campsite set up right outside the castle after Kim Buja became its Lord, which made resting far more convenient.

Everything was relative.

How one leveraged those relative conditions—that was the key to making money.

Countless players boarded flights to Japan.

So many people flew out that, contrary to the claim that only a select few could even enter the Ice Castle, flights to Japan were sold out for days.

– Looking for a party of ticketed players who can hunt in the Ice Castle. Forming a level 50 raid team. Recruiting 20 people.

The Ice Castle craze was back.

* * *

Watching the endless stream of players pouring in, Kim Buja couldn’t help but be impressed.

’As expected,’ he thought. ’People with money are just dying to spend it.’

In this case, it was less about disposable income and more about pure efficiency, but he was still impressed by players willing to blow their entire hard-earned fortune on a single entrance ticket.

It all came down to one thing.

Was it comfortable, or was it inconvenient?

Objectively speaking, hunting in the Sand Castle was the better option at the moment, even if it meant enduring some inconvenience and earning fewer points.

This was especially true for other players who needed experience to level up.

And yet, they were flocking to the Ice Castle.

Considering the Ice Castle was actually a bit tougher in terms of monster levels, it meant a significant number of players were just jumping on the bandwagon.

In other words, plenty of people were getting swept up in the “everyone else is doing it, so I will too” mentality.

It was a bit unfortunate, but deeply satisfying.

The fact that a single video and a single post could create an atmosphere that set top-ranked players from around the world in motion was an incredible display of power.

It was proof that if he wanted to steer things his way in the future, he could.

Moreover, this was the moment that proved that despite all the talk of boycotts and outrage, people would ultimately buy what he was selling, even at a ridiculous price.

He had already known that.

If he had been in their position, he would have bought a ticket too.

’How much is he even making?’

By now, the old man in the Point Dungeon might have earned more points in the last few days than he had in his entire life.

That was something even Kim Buja hadn’t anticipated.

He had expected the tickets to sell reasonably well, but he had never imagined they would be so popular that flights would sell out.

It was enough to make his stomach churn with envy.

’I probably could have gotten them for free,’ he mused.

This wasn’t a one-time discount; it was permanent. The bigger the old man’s dungeon grew, the more benefits would flow back to him, so there was no real reason to feel like he’d lost out. Still, when he roughly calculated the visible profits, he couldn’t help but be amazed.

More than anything, he was jealous that it was all pure profit.

’I’d better work hard so this doesn’t end up being just a favor to him.’

Someday, he would earn so many points that the old man would regret giving him a 50% discount.

Even if, for now, it was devaluing the Ice Castle’s exclusive appeal.

He decided to think of it as an investment in the future.

Besides, the discount in the old man’s dungeon also applied to the “Gnawing Soul” he had received, which made him feel a lot better.

From now on, he could use “Soul Unleash” with a much lighter heart.

Watching the once-empty Ice Castle grow crowded and lively with players, Kim Buja started packing his things.

“Are you going to keep hunting here, Guild Master?”

“Yes. I think I’ll be here for a while.”

“I’ve blocked this area off so no one else can get in. You can hunt in peace.”

In the Lord’s chamber of the Ice Castle, he leaned in and brushed a light kiss against Jeong Seora’s lips. She had recently returned to hunting with a vengeance after a short break.

“Are you heading to the Sand Castle?”

“No.”

He shook his head, a bright smile on his face at her worried question.

No matter how many players flocked to the Ice Castle, it was still a massive fortress occupying the center of the Arctic.

It only seemed small compared to the Sahara Desert; in absolute terms, its area was anything but.

He had blocked off access to the central part of the castle, so the Jeong Cheol Guild’s hunting wouldn’t be disrupted by other players.

There was no reason to leave such a prime hunting ground for the Sand Castle.

The experience buff still wasn’t enough of a draw to outweigh everything else.

“I’ve boosted my stats a bit, so I want to test them out.”

“Oh.”

“I’m going to hit the Tower of Trials and a few other places.”

“Please be careful.”

He planned to test out his spoils—the things he had earned by selling access to the Ice Castle.

* * *

“Heh heh heh.”

The old man let out a satisfied chuckle as he looked at the first floor of his palace, packed to the gills with humans.

He didn’t know everything about Kim Buja, either.

It was just that, by nature of his race and his own background, he had instinctively recognized that this human was someone who could make him money. He had trusted that instinct, and this was the result.

This time, too, he had trusted a human’s words and made a deal, and the result was so spectacular it made him cackle with glee.

Even though sales of his other goods had dropped because of the tickets, how could he possibly call that a loss?

He could always sell the items later.

For now, the profits from selling these little slips of paper, which were pure profit, were more than enough to fill his coffers.

“Master, we’re almost out of tickets. What should we do?”

“Heh heh. If we’re running low, we just restock!”

“Yes, I’ll put in another 500.”

The thought that this deal might allow him to evolve his island by an entire stage kept a constant smile plastered on his face.

’I never imagined I’d be able to upgrade the island in one go. Heh heh.’

He hadn’t bothered to explain it to Kim Buja, but upgrading the island was by no means an easy task.

At first, the island was small, so he took out a loan and quickly expanded its size. But advancing to the next stage required guaranteed pure profit, independent of any loans.

And he had solved that problem overnight.

The saying “strike while the iron is hot” didn’t just apply to humans.

The old man eagerly ran the numbers as he watched the tickets fly off the shelves.

Then, his gaze drifted to a corner of the fifth floor, where several display spots now sat empty, and he let out a sigh.

’He’s no pushover. Heh heh.’

The reason he could be this happy was that he had also given up a lot in the deal.

Strictly speaking, it was less that things had been taken from him and more that he had taken a liking to Kim Buja and, caught up in the mood, had piled on services far beyond the discount.

Once he came to his senses and looked back at the empty spaces, his stomach did ache a bit.

Even so, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

’Since he’s fleeced me this much, we’ll just have to keep those tickets fully stocked and earn it all back.’

Both of them felt they had lost out in the deal.