A new message window appeared. The gap between 1 and 6 is outrageous. ₩1,000,000 would cover our team’s food for a week. I fiddled with the white die and looked at Seong Hyunjae. Surely he couldn’t roll three sixes in a row. He rolled.

[6!]

“This really is cheating!”

How was that another six? Did Crescent bless him with eternal wealth? Even Seong Hyunjae’s team gave him strange looks.

“He’s on our team, but I’m annoyed too,” Moon Hyun-ah muttered. Right you are. Swallowing a dry gulp of tension, I threw my die. Not a one, not a two… at least a three—

[5!]

“One hundred million!”

My luck’s not at rock bottom! Though it’s only a tenth of his, it’s still a hundred million! “Hooray!” I cheered, and my teammates, even Hyun-ah and Mari, clapped. Samir awkwardly joined in, and Director Song looked hesitant. Let’s not applaud the guy who got a billion, though—kind of enraging.

[Your stronghold for success!

Wow, option six makes you a landlord. I too own a building back home. Seong Hyunjae rolled again. Surely not a third six—

[6!]

“…”

No words. He must be insane.

“Is that black die rigged for sixes?” Yerim narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Yeah, someone tampered with it,” Riette egged on. Seong Hyunjae smiled and tossed the black die at me.

“I’ll lend it to you.”

I wanted to shout “I don’t need it!” but my hand was honest. Just one more five, please—anything but six! I hurled the black die.

[1!]

Silence fell. Oh gods…

“…Brother, it’s okay. Really.”

“Y-yes, mister! I, Han Yujin, pick number one—anywhere you are is fine! I agree!”

“What rotten luck you have~.”

“Unni!” Riette laughed, and Noah, embarrassed, tried to stop her. Seong Hyunjae looked at me as if surprised I rolled a one. Spare me your pity. Hyun-ah, don’t look so pathetic. Director Song, I’m fine.

“I really want to try rolling— I can roll all sixes,” Yerim offered, tossing the white die. It came up 3, 5, 3, 6, 1. Even S-Rank abilities can’t skew randomness. Haha.

[Finally! We provide you with a means of comfortable commuting~. Team leaders cannot change their vehicle.

Helicopter suits Seong Hyunjae, but surely not another six. He spun the black die lightly.

[2!]

“Yay! Bicycle!”

Yes! A fourth straight six was impossible—two is fine. It means my streak of sixes ended.

“You’ll be biking all game. It’s good exercise,” Mari teased. What kind of bicycle, I wondered, but I couldn’t hide my grin. I own money and property. This is nothing. I threw the white die, praying for at least a three.

[1!]

“Aagh—!”

I barely held back a string of curses. What? Again a one? Have you lost your mind! Yuhyun, Yerim, and Noah panicked and tried to console me. Riette clutched her belly laughing.

“Th-that’s okay, guys. We have a truck.”

True enough. I still have a hundred million and a villa. Seong Hyunjae’s haul just overshadows us. Anyway, a large truck is worth hundreds of millions. Whatever.

[Your career achievement determines victory or defeat! Careers can be changed mid-game.]

[♧Good luck!♣]

The message blinked and vanished, and the ruined street was cleanly restored. Beep! Horns blared as I hurried onto the sidewalk. Then people began to appear. Actually—

“Balloon people?” Yerim tilted her head. They were humanoid, but clearly advertising balloons painted with faces. They had legs and even fingers, but they were round and simply clothed. These balloon figures bustled down the street and drove cars.

“…Is this town’s species balloons?” I asked.

“I don’t recall. They don’t feel alive, so the System must’ve generated them,” Yuhyun said.

“They’re kinda cute!” Yerim snatched a passing balloon’s arm, denting its painted face.

“Ouch! Stop that!” it complained and hurried on.

“Welcome, migrants!” Then a large balloon—bear-like in size—approached us. Under its round eyes was a mustache drawn like a cartoon. Reminded me of a potato snack mascot.

“Welcome to Miranglune! Mr. Seong Hyunjae, here are your billion-UI bank card and keys to your house and building.”

Then I received my hundred-million-UI card and keys to a villa and a truck. A 2.5-ton truck rolled up behind Mustache-Balloon. That must be ours. 2.5 tons is decent.

“And here’s your bicycle,” it said, placing a bright yellow bike with a basket before Seong Hyunjae. Very pretty.

“And a kickboard for you.” A sky-blue kickboard, not child-sized, looked sturdy. Not bad.

“They’re tough enough to not break easily! Here’s a city map with your house and building marked. What profession do you plan to pursue?”

Profession… The truck’s big enough for logistics. If it were five tons or more, even better, but 2.5 is okay. We could start as couriers.

“Delivery service. Heavy cargo welcome. Perfect, neat delivery every time!”

You can change careers, so we’ll check out booming fields while running errands.

“Us—” Seong Hyunjae looked at his team. “…should start with food service,” he decided.

“Boss! We’ll charge you cheap!” Mari rushed to him.

“Food is all about ingredients. We offer dawn market deliveries—three stories needs a truck. We’re getting a refrigerated truck soon, and if you contract, we’ll knock 10% off the lowest market price.”

“Let me think about it,” he said.

“Oh, no business cards. Can I write my number on your palm?”

He doesn’t even have a phone yet. I’ll need to get a line and make cards. We’ll need to paint the truck with phone and business name. What shall it be? Dodam Reta? Or Haeyeon? Haeyeon sounds cool.

“Don’t forget to use your assigned transport!” Mustache-Balloon reminded.

“I can ride the truck, right?”

“No.”

“Why not!”

“Please use the kickboard. Good luck!” And it scampered off. Damn. Seong Hyunjae mounted his bicycle and looked back.

“Tomorrow at 4 a.m., meet me at the nearby ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) dawn market.”

“Roger~ Let’s have the truck waiting~.” I winked at our dear customers. Just watch—I’ll dominate this city’s logistics. Distribution is king. Seong Hyunjae tossed his account card to Director Song and hailed a taxi, then zipped away along the bike lane—faster than a motorcycle.

“Take care, brother,” said Samir as they departed. We needed to go too.

“Noah, please,” I asked.

“I can handle the truck!” he replied eagerly.

“Mister, I want to drive the truck too!” Yerim and Riette shot up their hands; I ignored them. Noah took the keys understandingly. And I… must ride a kickboard…

‘…When will I even get home?’

I sighed. Should I attach the kickboard to the truck?

“Brother, can two ride this?” Yuhyun tested the handlebars.

“It’s normally single-rider, but I don’t know local law. They didn’t even give us helmets.”

“Is it kicked by foot? I’ll carry you, brother. They didn’t say one person only.”

“Uh… well…”

Wait—S-Rank strength on a kickboard? Like a car. They said it’s sturdy, so it won’t break.

“Aah, mister! Me too!”

Yerim begged.

“Yerim, you’re shorter than brother—you can’t see ahead,” I scolded.

“You can ride behind me.”

“You might fall. Better in front.”

“Then I’ll ride on Han Yujin’s head!”

Yerim, this isn’t a circus. Riette, stop trying to climb on. No three-high kickboards. The truck left first, and I mounted the kickboard with Yuhyun.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay. Whoa!”

With a kick like a claw, the kickboard shot forward like a bullet. The racket of wheels and the truck ahead rapidly drew near. Yuhyun, Yuhyun!

“The pavement’ll break! Slow down!”

“Okay.”

Screech, the kickboard swerved fiercely and sped up again. A traffic light ahead!

“Can a kickboard cross a crosswalk?”

“Huh? I think so—it’s not electric… hey! Careful!”

He ignored the light. No pedestrians, but still! Non-electric perhaps can sneak on the sidewalk, but still—

“At crosswalks, you must get off and walk it!”

“Got it.”

We caught another red light. In front of the crosswalk, Yuhyun held me in one arm and dismounted, then sprinted across and remounted. Odd, but clever.

“Here, right?”

Faster than the truck at the light, the kickboard reached the marked spot. A five-story villa showing its age came into view. I wondered where the truck would park. A paid lot, perhaps.

“Nice building,” Moon Hyun-ah admired as she pushed open the glass door. A new three-story building on a busy street. Just the rent alone would net thousands a month.

“But food service? You’re really selling food?”

“With no local knowledge or connections, it’s the easiest. Preference surveys are simple too.”

We can make any flavor—just visit popular eateries and observe. No special license needed; good location brings customers without heavy advertising.

“Looks like the System instantly handles the interior.”

A spacious kitchen appeared on one side of the first floor. Mari dashed to inspect it.

“Food service is easy if you have skill. But… you’re picky, right? Last I heard, only you and Director Song had been cooked for. You only helped informally.”

Moon Hyun-ah glanced awkwardly at Director Song in the kitchen. Seong Hyunjae’s lips curved gently.

“It was only Song Taewon.”

“Huh? Ah… right.”

“He never let anyone else close. Not that he didn’t want to feed you, but…”

His golden eyes rounded like his lips.

“Unfortunately, here…”

There was none—no other person, nor a duplicate.

“So I thought I’d take it lightly.”

His tone was teasingly light. Yet Moon Hyun-ah’s expression stiffened.

“Seong Hyunjae, you…”

He didn’t belong here. Pulled from future and past like a specter, he knew it well.

“Why are you here?”

The man Moon Hyun-ah knew would never force his way into a place that wasn’t his own. Even if he stood on a pinprick with no ground, he’d carve out his own space.

“I couldn’t refuse.”

“I thought you here was the ‘you’ you believed yourself to be.”

“Impossible. There is only one ‘me.’”

Moon Hyun-ah fell silent. She wouldn’t have been surprised if he shattered into pieces. He did not belong in this place—Seong Hyunjae knew it better than anyone.