Chapter 15: The Privileges of the Black Card

Good thing we were only gossiping and didn't actually mock Sumir.

This was the only thought that comforted the girls as they watched the scene unfold.

At the same time, they couldn't help but glance at their usual leader—Vivian—to gauge her reaction.

And then they froze.

Vivian, who was usually composed and calm, also seemed shaken. Her expression had changed, revealing a rare look of shock. It seemed even she had been caught off guard by Sumir's sudden rise as a Black Card holder!

While some remained clueless about the true value of the Black Card, others were far more stunned. They understood what it meant: Black Cards were reserved for those with the potential to awaken A-Class innate talents.

If that were true...

The boy standing before them—wearing humble, even shabby clothing and possessing a thin, unimposing frame—was highly likely to ascend to the ranks of the elite!

An A-Class innate talent awakener could potentially achieve not just a second-tier transformation but even a third-tier transformation within the professional ranks!

"We're witnessing history!"

A wave of excitement surged through the crowd. Many pulled out their phones, eager to capture the moment.

Some even considered stepping forward to introduce themselves, hoping to establish a connection with the future star.

But just as they were about to move, multiple heavily armed mechanical sentries appeared in the lounge, seemingly out of nowhere.

Their cold, crimson eyes scanned the room, swiftly barring anyone from approaching Sumir.

A Black Card holder was considered an asset of extraordinary value, worthy of protection from both the official authorities and the Players' Association. Ordinary people were not allowed to approach casually.

With their path blocked, the crowd could only watch as the mysterious boy accepted an elegantly wrapped package and exited the lounge.

All that was left for them was the sight of his retreating back.

"He's coming this way!"

Sumir's classmates couldn't contain their excitement. The same group who had once dismissed and scorned him now stared wide-eyed, brimming with hope. They wished for just one glance, one acknowledgment from the rising star.

But their anticipation was met with disappointment.

Sumir walked forward with unwavering determination, his gaze fixed ahead. He didn't even spare them a glance, as if everything and everyone around him wasn't worth his attention.

"Is the Black Card really that amazing?"

"He thinks he's too good for us now? What's with the attitude?"

"Vivian, you won't necessarily end up worse off than him!"

The girls around her, now visibly annoyed, seemed to have completely forgotten how dismissive they'd been when Sumir first arrived for the assessment. Their conversation gradually shifted back to Vivian.

But as they turned to her, they noticed that Vivian was still staring in the direction where Sumir's figure had disappeared, her eyes gleaming faintly.

"No way... don't tell me you're into him?"

"Stop staring, he's already gone."

"Vivian, with your heart of stone, you actually have feelings?"

"Well, honestly, you and Sumir wouldn't be a bad match. I just noticed that this guy is actually quite handsome. Vivian, you're not losing out with him!"

"Exactly! Both of you have such great innate talents. You could support each other and level up together in the future…"

Their teasing was relentless.

The same girls who had quickly dismissed Sumir before now just as quickly warmed up to the idea of their friend having a romantic connection with him.

Vivian's expression shifted slightly as she listened to their chatter. She blinked, as though making a decision, and then closed her eyes briefly.

"Sumir..."

Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly.

No further explanation was needed. The faint blush spoke louder than words.

"I'm stepping out for a bit."

"Oh, go on! Go after Sumir! Don't waste time!"

The girls cheered, egging her on.

Vivian stepped out of the hall with a shy demeanor, making her way to a blind spot of the surveillance cameras.

As she watched Sumir's distant figure, her expression shifted rapidly, revealing no feelings of affection—only a flicker of pain and struggle, mixed with a wild joy, as if she had just clutched onto a lifeline!

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and began typing seemingly at random. After a moment, she connected to a mysterious number.

On the other end, a distorted electronic voice responded, "Vivian, you've finally come around."

"Come around? You people never planned to honor your so-called promises, did you?"

Her tone was sharp. "Just like when my father tried to obtain the Crimson-Blooded Fruit from you. He had offered enough wealth, yet you still placed the Curse Seal on him."

There was silence on the other end for a moment.

Then came a faint chuckle. "Heh. Since you've figured it all out, why bother reaching out to me again?"

A flicker of hesitation crossed Vivian's face, but her voice grew resolute.

"I've discovered a Black Card-level recruit. He has the potential to awaken an A-Class innate talent. Isn't he exactly the kind of person you've been searching for?"

"But what can you actually do?" The electronic voice was dismissive.

"I'm his classmate. I know him and have helped him a few times." Vivian replied, her tone steady.

She wasn't lying. During their time at the training institution, she had helped Sumir. On a few occasions when he was so hungry he was on the verge of passing out, Vivian had shared her meal rations with him.

"Alright. Lure him out." the voice responded. "If we can capture a player with the potential to awaken A-Class innate talents, we will lift the Curse Seal on your father."

"You have my word. This time, we'll sign a contract through the player system itself."

"A system contract is absolute. No one can break it."

Vivian's face turned icy. She knew that the moment she agreed to cooperate with these people, she would be falling into a chasm from which she could never escape.

...

"Damn it! The more I earn, the more I spend!"

"Twenty grand wasn't even fully used, and now another forty grand!"

Sumir muttered as he chewed on a piece of dried meat, counting the resources he'd received as a Reserve Player.

Twenty vials of Physical Enhancement Diluent.

A cash bonus of 40,000 dollars.

A set of finely crafted leather armor. Not a true in-game item, but with impressive defensive capabilities enhanced by game-like properties, making it a "pseudo-item" at worst. This armor alone was worth at least 50-60,000 dollars.

Adding everything together, Sumir had just walked away with resources valued at over 100,000 dollars from the association—for free.

"This is the power of the Black Card."He murmured, a grin tugging at his lips.

The profits were too high, and the flashy presentation was just too impressive. Sumir couldn't seem to calm down!

Now, tucked away in the corner of an automated resource hall, he was going over his earnings, his grin growing wider with every new tally.

"Alright. Time to go shopping."

Opening the holographic interface of the automated hall, Sumir began browsing the available items, only to discover, to his astonishment, that the resources unlocked for Black Card holders were even more extensive than he'd imagined.

First on the list was Physical Enhancement Diluent. Its original price was 5,000 dollars, but Sumir could purchase it for just 3,000 dollars.

Next were the three specialized enhancement diluents, each tailored to a specific attribute: strength, agility, and constitution. Originally priced at 15,000 dollars, Sumir only had to pay 10,000 dollars per vial.

The effects of these three specialized enhancement diluents were identical to those of the Physical Enhancement Diluent. The difference lay in their focus, concentrating all their potency on a single attribute, allowing players to address their weaknesses and rapidly improve their overall constitution.

Beyond this, there were certain resources typically classified as non-saleable, such as gray-grade skill books.

Sumir spotted several options: Basic Boxing Skills, Fundamental Swordsmanship, Elementary Staff - handling Skills, Endurance Technique, and dozens more. Each was priced between 500,000 to 700,000 dollars, matching the base wholesale prices from Medis.

In addition, Sumir noticed several pieces of gray-grade equipment with their remaining stock prominently displayed—ranging from 0 to 3 units: Damaged Leather Armor, Novice's Cloth Garments, Vintage Hat, The Decayed Sword, and more.

While Sumir couldn't view their stats, he knew that in-game equipment was far superior to anything crafted through ordinary means.

There were also a variety of consumables available: Weak Recovery Potions, Bottles of Violent-Fire Bombs, Inferior Frost Powder… all of which were game-exclusive items.

The sheer variety made Sumir's head spin.

All he could do was marvel at the extraordinary privileges of the Black Card.

It seemed like he now had access to every resource the Players' Association offered for the pre-Registered Players stage!

At the same time, Sumir realized…

The 400,000-dollar bonus he'd been so thrilled about earlier? It was barely anything.

To put it bluntly, if he wanted to play it safe and purchase a few Weak Recovery Potions for use during the Registered Players Trial, those alone could cost him 100,000 dollars!

"Still need to make money." Sumir muttered.

Without hesitation, he purchased 128 units of Physical Enhancement Diluent, planning to use them for synthesis.

Part of the synthesis would be for personal use, further boosting his constitution. The rest? He would sell for profit to fund his continued growth.

After all, most game items, equipment, and skill books available to Black Card holders were gray-grade. However, once he acquired them, he could synthesize them into white-grade versions.

If he had enough money, he could gamble on multiple synthesis attempts, potentially resulting in excellent, mutated, or enhanced items.

This way, as a pre-Registered Player, he could enter the trial equipped with green-grade resources and dominate the competition!

Sumir knew that the player trials offered different rewards based on their scores in the trial dungeon! It seemed that there was no upper limit to these rewards!

Because so far, no non-registered players had been able to achieve the highest score in the trials!