The Gates Opened on the First Day of Debut - Chapter 33

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Gate Burst Open on My Debut Day (33)
I lowered my gaze and scanned through the rankings methodically.
Beyond Kang Hae-soo, another name caught my attention.
[75th Place: Han Theo
A-Grade: 0, B-Grade: 1, C-Grade: 1, Total: 2]
75th place. Han Theo.
The sub-quest for PR video production didn’t directly impact the main quest, so it wasn’t a critical issue.
However, Han Theo had never received such a low ranking before, so the trainees who spotted his placement were genuinely shocked.
“Han Theo placed 75th?”
“That’s unexpected. I thought he’d be good at games too.”
“What would he have done playing games in America anyway?”
The trainees sitting in front glanced back at Han Theo’s shoulders and whispered among themselves.
Whether Han Theo couldn’t hear their voices or simply didn’t care, he remained composed, idly turning the sphere over in his hands.
“Unfortunately, there are no special benefits or rewards for achieving a high ranking! The rankings you see now are simply a record of your dungeon clear performance.”
At the MC’s words, the trainees who’d received lower rankings exhaled in relief.
‘Of course not. The real reward is this sphere.’
I stared intently into the translucent golden sphere in my hands, contemplating its contents.
The MC, unable to leave the spheres alone as trainees continued fidgeting with them, addressed the group.
“Aren’t you curious what’s inside these spheres?”
The trainees responded not with words but with eyes gleaming with anticipation, fixed on the MC standing at the podium.
The MC smiled meaningfully and continued.
“Before we reveal what’s inside the spheres! I’d like to introduce a special event we’ve prepared for all of you trainees who worked so hard clearing the dungeon.”
A special event?
At the MC’s words, the trainees’ eyes sparkled with renewed interest.
‘A special event… well, I suppose that’s accurate. Though…’
I clutched the sphere in my hand tightly, my thoughts churning.
“Kim Chowol!”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to open one of your spheres?”
“Yes.”
The MC singled me out—the trainee holding the most spheres.
Without hesitation, I opened one of the silver spheres.
A small slip of paper tumbled out from inside.
[+30 Seconds]
Every trainee gathered in the auditorium fixed their curious gaze upon me.
“Kim Chowol, would you tell us what’s written on the paper?”
“It says… plus 30 seconds.”
“Congratulations! Kim Chowol, you can now produce a PR video with 45 seconds total—the standard 15 seconds plus your bonus 30 seconds!”
Gasp.
The trainees collectively drew in a sharp breath as the MC’s explanation washed over them.
I was so eager I could barely contain myself, wanting to open my orb right away.
“Let me explain this properly once more. Inside the orbs are time rewards that can extend the length of your PR video, and monetary rewards that you can use to purchase items for creating PR videos!”
The higher the grade, the better the reward inside.
In my case, the time rewards I just obtained are: gold orbs grant +1 minute, silver orbs grant +30 seconds, and bronze orbs grant +15 seconds of additional footage.
The expressions of trainees who had few orbs or only silver and bronze ones darkened.
“Too few orbs? No gold ones, only silver and bronze? Don’t worry too much!”
The MC jumped in with perfect timing after noticing the trainees’ expressions.
“We’ve prepared a special event for all of you trainees who weren’t satisfied with your dungeon clear results!”
The MC pulled a slip of paper from his pocket.
Unlike an ordinary piece of paper, it gleamed brilliantly in gold as if it had been gilded.
“Among the silver or bronze orbs you trainees possess, one contains a special reward.”
A special reward!
The trainees looked at the MC with curious eyes, but he only smiled slyly and offered no further explanation.
“I’ll explain the special reward after you’ve all confirmed your rewards. Now, please check the rewards you obtained from clearing the dungeon!”
A small camera was placed in front of each trainee.
It was meant to capture what rewards each trainee received and their reactions as they confirmed them.
“I’ll start by checking my gold orb.”
I spoke toward the camera as if I were filming a vlog.
―Click, click, click.
The sound of opening plastic orbs filled the auditorium, and soon cheers and groans erupted from the trainees.
“Wow, plus one minute!”
“Mine’s an item… what’s plus 5,000 won?”
“Didn’t they say there was a monetary reward besides the time reward? That must be it?”
“Ah… I only had bronze orbs, so I was hoping for the special reward.”
Phew.
After taking a light breath, I began opening my gold orbs one by one.
+1 minute three times, +15,000 won three times.
+30 seconds twice, +10,000 won once.
These were the results after checking 6 gold orbs and 3 silver orbs, excluding one bronze orb.
All rewards except the special reward could be divided into time and monetary amounts.
With the time, I could film my PR video as long as the time I earned, and with the money, I could purchase various items to use in the PR video up to the amount I received.
I scanned through the slip of paper and mentally tapped away at a calculator in my head.
‘So the video length is 4 minutes 15 seconds, and the item purchase budget is 55,000 won?’
That’s not bad at all.
With a satisfied smile, I picked up the remaining bronze orb to check it.
‘The special reward hasn’t appeared yet?’
Before opening the last bronze orb, I scanned through the other trainees.
Most of them seemed to have finished checking.
Probably no one had more orbs than me anyway.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at the last remaining bronze orb.
‘Surely this isn’t a special reward…’
No way.
I’ve regressed dozens of times over, and I’ve never once drawn a special reward.
Among at least three hundred silver and bronze balls, there’s only one special reward—a 0.3% chance of drawing it.
Of course, since I had ten balls, the probability rose to 3%, but it’s still astronomically slim.
‘Let me just confirm it and be done with this.’
I shut my eyes tight and opened the last bronze ball.
A slip of paper fell through the crack.
—Thud.
The moment I saw the paper slip, I froze.
The paper lying on the floor was gleaming with a brilliant golden light.
“Kim Chowol!”
The MC suddenly called out my name.
And from the speakers positioned in the corner of the auditorium, a loud and cheerful fanfare burst forth.
—Pam-pa-ra-bam! Pam-pam-pam pam-pa-ra-bam!
Startled, I looked up at the MC in a daze.
Every trainee in the auditorium turned their gaze toward me.
“Congratulations on becoming the recipient of the special reward!”
No, what the hell… This has to be a lie.
A special reward I’ve never drawn once in all this time, and it suddenly appears now?
“Wow, jackpot. Six gold balls and a special reward too? This game’s all about luck.”
“So jealous. Some of us don’t even know what a gold ball is, let alone have a silver one.”
“Seriously taking everything for himself. How am I supposed to survive when I can’t even play the game right and have no luck?”
The trainees, blinded by envy, spewed harsh words without even remembering they were in front of cameras.
Already, being in an overwhelmingly dominant first place drew resentful looks, and now with this special reward, their discontent was inevitable.
But I felt utterly wronged.
‘This is a poisoned chalice.’
It looks good on the surface, but you absolutely must never drink from it.
“Now that the recipient of the special reward has appeared, let me explain what it is!”
As the MC finished speaking, the screen changed.
[Sub Quest Special Reward!
Trait: Thief’s Appearance
You can steal one Dungeon clear reward from another person]
What the hell.
How am I supposed to use this.
* * *
The expressions of the trainees looking at me shifted subtly.
The quick-witted ones would have caught on.
That this special reward was nothing but a shiny lemon, nothing more and nothing less.
Actually, at least you can eat a lemon—this thing would kill you if you tried.
“Kim Chowol, then please select the trainee whose reward you’ll be taking!”
There was no option to not use my trait.
Of course, if I really didn’t want to use it, I could refuse, but it was better to use it if possible.
‘If I don’t use my trait, I can’t become the Female PD’s pick.’
Thinking about what happened to the trainees who drew special rewards so far, the answer came easily.
‘Seventy percent of trainees who used their traits became victims of demonic editing, and thirty percent had Jang Hyuk-soo save them through editing, but… half of them still couldn’t escape public criticism.’
Trainees who didn’t use their traits? A hundred out of a hundred were completely cut from the broadcast after the PR video production.
“Um, wait… could you give me a moment to think?”
“Of course!”
Fortunately, the MC nodded readily.
But I didn’t have much time.
Jang Hyuk-soo hates being kept waiting.
The longer I deliberated, the lower my chances of becoming the Female PD’s pick would be.
‘Take it, take it away….’
First, I absolutely couldn’t honestly follow the trait description and steal another trainee’s reward.
If my dungeon clear ranking hadn’t been first place, I might have actually considered stealing, but when I’m holding the most gold balls, would I really steal someone else’s?
That would be like begging Jang Hyuk-soo to kill me.
‘The safest method would be to take one of the 2nd Place Trainee’s matching-colored balls….’
Would Jang Hyuk-soo really accept that?
‘Absolutely not.’
Taking Kang Hae-soo’s matching ball or giving up using my trait would be essentially the same to Jang Hyuk-soo.
Then only one method remained.
“I’ve decided.”
“Excellent! So which trainee did Kim Chowol choose? Let’s hear it right away!”
“The trainee I’ve selected is….”
Taking a deep breath, I pictured the face of someone watching me from behind.
“My guild member… Yoo Sung’s reward. I’ll be taking it.”
Wow, insane, crazy.
Gasps erupted from trainees all around.
‘This feels kind of like déjà vu.’
I turned my head to look at Yoo Sung.
Yoo Sung, caught completely off guard, stared at me with wide eyes.
But his reaction was slightly different from when I first recruited him as a guild member.
It was the expression of a cat betrayed by someone it trusted….
“Yoo Sung’s gold ball… the one marked Plus 1 Minute. I’ll be taking that.”
Turning back to the MC, I spoke.
“Understood! Yoo Sung will now hand over the gold ball marked Plus 1 Minute to Kim Chowol….”
“One more.”
I cut off the MC’s words, extending my index finger.
“Not just the Plus 1 Minute one—I want to take one more.”
“One more…? I apologize, but Kim Chowol, the Thief’s Emergence trait can only bring one reward.”
“No, that’s not what I want. I’m not after Yoo Sung’s reward.”
“Hmm?”
The MC regarded me with keen interest.
As if urging me to continue.
“What I want to bring back is… Yoo Sung himself.”
The MC tilted his head, not immediately grasping my meaning.
I held his gaze and spoke again with deliberate emphasis.
“Not just one minute—I want Yoo Sung’s one minute.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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