I Level Up With In-app Purchases

I Raise With In-app Purchases – 1

EP.1 Prologue

These days, it seems like possessing a character in a game is a trend in a novel.

“Sigh….”

In my case, it wasn’t possession, it was reincarnation.

The game I used to play in my past life was an MMORPG set in the Trigger Academy.

After summoning a heroic character through 10 consecutive draws and obtaining unique equipment for that character, you play through the character scenario.

“You create a party to grow the stats of the SSR character summoned through the character scenario.”

– Mumbling –

By growing five characters and create a party, you can clear the main scenario with that party.

At this point, those who spent money could easily breeze through stages using powerful characters, while free-to-play users struggled due to the higher difficulty.

‘I spent quite a bit, is there any special reward for my past life?’

The unique feature of this game is the existence of a peculiar field called the Contaminated Zone.

The problem is that if you don’t kill the monsters in the Contaminated Zone, the contamination continues to spread outward.

Unfortunately, humanity couldn’t prevent the spread of contamination.

‘About 40%, I guess.’

Sixty percent of the planet had been swallowed by the Contaminated Zone, and humanity barely survived on the remaining 40%.

– Waaah! Waaaah!! –

“Suhan!! What are you doing? Your little brother is crying!”

“Sigh~”

The only fortunate thing is that people are doing everything they can to protect the 40% of land where humanity survives.

“Right now, that’s not important.”

“Your little brother crying is not important? What could be more important?”

“It seems like I’m awakening.”

“What?”

“He’s awakening?”

“Just when I thought it was odd that the pepper had some fuzz, this one’s like that too.”

Not just anyone protected the 40% of land.

In the Contaminated Zone, lethal toxins lingered in the air, making it impossible for ordinary beings to endure.

However, those with awakening, special beings, could live in the Contaminated Zone without any issues.

Of course, it’s not advisable to enter the Contaminated Zone for too long, except when fighting.

The only beings that could save humanity were the awakener and becoming awakener meant possessing a very special talent.

‘In this class-based society, if you become awakener, you can become a noble right away.’

It’s natural for my mom to think I’m lying.

“Wake up, you! You’re a commoner. There’s no secret about your birth.”

99% of awakeners are nobles.

As I grow older, I understand that it’s unrealistic for someone like me to become awakener, despite most of children at my age wishing for it.

‘I can clearly see the store window, how can this not be an awakening?’

But I am that 1%, awakener against the odds.

Otherwise, how could this window appear before my eyes the moment I recalled memories from my past life?

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“It’s really true. So, please let me get tested.”

“I don’t have money, kid!”

“Normally, the first test is free when you’re born.”

“Ugh, what if they say it’s not during the test?”

“I’ll accept the result.”

Looking at the items available in the store, I gulp nervously.

I planned to be recognized as an awakener, enroll in the academy, earn money, and buy the items in the store.

If I used the items in the store, sitting on a money cushion was only a matter of time.

“Okay, let’s go. Come on! All kids at this age are like this… Is the conversation over? Then, take care your little brother!”

– Waaah! Waaah!! –

Under my mother’s sharp gaze, I, feeling cornered, ran to the room where my brother was.

By the way, my brother was crying because he had wet his diaper.

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***

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‘There were times when I was filled with such hope.’

– Tch –

I spat out the grass leaf I was chewing instead of gum onto the ground.

I, who confidently suggested going for a test after feeling like I had become an awakener to my mom at the age of 16, ended up with the absurd accusation of rebellion due to entering puberty.

‘I’m not mentally ill.’

If I had been mentally ill, it might have been less unjust.

I probably wouldn’t choose to leave home and become a mercenary.

“Hey, Ghost. Are you really retiring?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

This year, at the age of thirty, I couldn’t accept the result that I wasn’t an awakener after taking the awakener test at the age of sixteen. 

The continuous presence of the shop window in front of me, and the fact that I wasn’t an awakener, didn’t make sense. 

I wanted to prove my abilities, but I couldn’t because I had no money. So, I chose to run away and become a mercenary. I wanted to earn money to prove that I was an awakener.

“Deal?”

“…Deal.”

– Cheers! –

Two glasses clinked together. 

– Glug glug. –

I drank the beer in the glasses coolly and wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

“Living life coolly, kid. I envy you.”

“Cool my foot.”

I’ve been hearing such comments for years from the gutters, and I don’t know why they say such things.

“Do you have a lot of money saved up? Well, considering that you lived by hearing ghost stories.”

“Stop with the ghost stories. It’s annoying.”

“Why? I envy you.”

“You’re not just a ghost, you’re a money ghost. Is that a compliment? It’s an insult.”

Despite accumulating money to prove that I’m an awakener, sadly, the shop window didn’t accept cash.

‘How picky. Who would’ve thought they wouldn’t even exchange if it’s not a monster byproduct?’

So, to use the shop window, I, not just a mercenary but a monster-hunting mercenary obsessed with money, had to collect monster byproducts. That’s why I ended up with the nickname I have now. To others, I must seem like a crazy person.

“Well, then call it a money ghost. What else would you call it? You saved up so much money that you can retire at thirty. Just think of it as a good thing.”

How can a commoner mercenary who is not an awakened person catch a monster?

Usually, monsters live in Contaminated Zone, but sometimes monsters escape from Contaminated Zone.

And those monsters become the targets of mercenaries like me.

However, since I am just a commoner who does not have a great ability like an awakened person, the probability of death was very high.

In fact, there are plenty of guys who died while working with me.

‘I died twice’

If it weren’t for the items I bought from the shop window, I wouldn’t have survived until now.

The shop window that caused the unfair misunderstanding of adolescent rebellion turned out to be very helpful in my mercenary life.

‘It’s ironic, isn’t it? The shop window that made me become a mercenary is the one that helped me survive.’

I earned money for the shop window and drew items, and those items have kept me alive until now.

At first, I thought I could become the owner of the character by drawing it from the shop window. 

However, the shop turned out not to be helpful to me in that way. 

‘How on earth can this be opened? It’s been 14 years, and it still won’t open.’ 

The biggest problem is that I can’t enter the window where I can summon characters. 

It was firmly sealed like a lock. It would probably unlock under certain conditions, but without information, I haven’t been able to find a way so far. 

Now, I was almost at the point of giving up. Since there were enough ways to make a living without summoning heroes, I was trying not to care anymore.

“If you retire, where will you go? Inside?”

“Of course. I’m fed up with this place.”

“Ah~ I should have saved money like you did. Did you hit the jackpot with the savings you’ve been collecting?”

“Did you ask a mercenary how much money he has? Am I that easy?”

“Tsk! It’s not going smoothly until the end.”

“I know you guys have your eyes on my stuff. There’s no way, so it’s better to wake up from your dreams.”

“We knew the retired guy only drank a beer when he felt good. That’s when we knew.”

Retired, I could drink until I felt good. But in this place where mercenaries were in turmoil, I had no intention of getting drunk. 

The fact that I earned enough money to retire would have already spread among them. But would I do something crazy like getting drunk enough to lose my senses? That would mean it’s okay to be robbed.

“Are you leaving already?”

I raised my middle finger to the mercenary behind me, who was looking at me regretfully. 

I went up to the third floor to my room and packed my things. Staying here any longer would only attract hyenas around me.

“Hey!”

“Yeah?”

As I was leaving with my belongings, a little guy who looked similar to when I first started as a mercenary came up hesitantly and spoke to me.

“What?”

“Oh, I’m a new recruit Jack who came in today! I wanted to greet you.”

“Greet me? You don’t need to do that with me.”

“Yes?”

Isn’t greeting something you do with people you’ll be working with in the future?

“I’m retiring today.”

“What?!”

The kid is surprised as if he’s in the middle of a game.

Anyone watching would think he recognizes me.

“Is this the first time you’ve seen a mercenary retire?”

Well, to someone who has just started a mercenary life, someone like me might seem like a seasoned veteran.

“Uh, uh… it can’t be.”

“?”

What’s wrong with this guy?

“Hey, Ghost!”

“What?”

“Fortunately, you haven’t left yet!”

Why is this guy calling me again?

It’s annoying.

I don’t like being called a ghost after retiring, and it’s annoying to be stopped when I’m leaving.

“Why do you keep calling me? Stop calling me just because I’m retiring.”

“Hehe, it’s the last time, so won’t you feel a bit sad?”

“Business.”

If this guy keeps bothering me, I’ll be the one at a loss.

“Can’t you just do one last request for me before you go?”

“Damn, this guy is talking nonsense.”

It’s funny how dogs bark and the person responds to words they don’t understand.

Since I’m a human, I decided not to respond to words I don’t understand.