A Wimp's Strategy Guide to Conquer the Tower

At last, while standing on White Tower Floor 17, Jung Dong-hoon realized the secret behind the name of the company he ran.

A person shaped like a hamster—or rather, a hamster-shaped person.

On top of that, an all-purpose worker known as the cosmic farmhand.

That was Rajix of Rajix Trading.

The company’s foundation and spiritual pillar.

“Basilisk leather, wyvern leather, even Apophis hide—Rajix skins them all personally.”

“Incredible.”

“WAAH!”

With a proud look on his face, Rajix puffed out his round cheeks.

“He even mines metal ore from inside the Tower himself with a pickaxe!”

“Truly versatile.”

“WAAH!”

He puffed out his little chest.

“In short, he’s the ultimate indispensable worker on our team.”

“That certainly seems to be the case.”

“WAAH!”

Rajix raised one short arm high and flashed a V sign.

Jung Dong-hoon let out a breath.

Foundation. All-purpose. Supreme. Cosmic.

Honestly, more than any of those titles, one thing hit him much harder.

He was cute.

Dangerously adorable.

He wanted to hug him.

He wanted to bury his face in that fluffy fur.

But one could not possibly be rude to the founder of Rajix Trading.

Jung Dong-hoon was currently inside the workshop producing the Obesity Escape Bracelet.

There, Rajix was sweating as he crafted the bracelet bodies.

First, adamant ore was melted in an electric smelting furnace and turned into ingots.

When Rajix picked up an ingot with tongs, a massive giant began hammering it with machine-like precision.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The ingot was stretched out.

Then it was shaped into long strips and cut to bracelet length, completing the first stage of processing.

Next, the cut metal strips were lightly tapped with a small golden hammer to smooth out the sharp edges.

After that, patterns and formulas were engraved into the inner surface.

Jung Dong-hoon watched the whole process in a daze.

It was astonishing that such tiny hands could make things this meticulously.

At the same time, he felt a little sorry for him.

“You’re working really hard. There’s actually an easier way.”

That much was true.

“Is this because of your craftsman’s spirit? You seem determined to handcraft only the highest-quality products yourself. It’s truly admirable.”

Well...

It wasn’t really craftsmanship so much as the fact that he could do it.

“Choosing the hard path over the easy one—what a noble spirit. That’s something every artisan ought to learn from.”

No, you’re misunderstanding—

“Um, what’s the easier method?”

“Oh! There’s something called the lost-wax casting method. It’s commonly used to make precious metal accessories...”

Jung Dong-hoon went on to explain.

First, you make a master model out of wax.

These days, with 3D printers, making wax masters is easy.

Then you attach dozens of wax models together in a tree shape and fix them inside a cylinder.

Plaster is poured in and left to harden.

Then, when it’s heated, the wax melts away, leaving empty cavities behind.

Molten metal is poured into those cavities, and it’s done.

It was a wax-casting method you could even find on YouTube.

Juhyeok vaguely remembered seeing it in a documentary about extreme jobs.

That was how things were normally made.

Fast, efficient, and suitable for mass production.

But did that mean Rajix’s production capacity was worse than casting?

Not at all.

These were not ordinary workers.

A few hammer blows stretched an ingot out in an instant.

A moment later, it had already become bracelet material.

A few strokes with a carving blade, and the finishing work was done.

In fact, it was faster than casting.

This was simply a matter of choice.

Would they go with Rajix’s fully manual process from start to finish?

Or would they mass-produce the bracelet bodies through lost-wax casting?

At first, Juhyeok had thought it would be fine to leave it to Rajix.

Rajix had even volunteered to do it.

But the longer Juhyeok watched, the more wrong it felt.

Should Rajix really spend all day in this paradise doing nothing but make bracelets?

Granted, Rajix did look happy while working.

“...This won’t do.”

The summoned entities’ labor was being used too heavily.

As originally planned, the bracelet bodies should be produced outside.

The refined Magic Stone powder and enchantment process would still be done here.

So—

“Does Rajix Trading have an accessory factory?”

“We mostly outsource production.”

“Can they make this bracelet?”

“They can, but there’s a risk the design could be exposed...”

“Oh! That’s all right.”

The bracelet body alone wouldn’t do anything anyway.

Even stuffing it with ground Magic Stone powder wasn’t enough.

It needed alchemically refined Magic Stone powder and an enchantment-activation process.

“Please handle it.”

“Yes. I’ll put in the order. Since we already have a sample, once we prepare 3D-printer schematics, mass production should be quick.”

So the decision was made to produce them externally.

And then—

“I think it would be best to sell it on a subscription model with a deposit.”

“...A subscription?”

Would that really be okay?

People might complain that everything was a subscription these days.

“The bracelet has an expiration period, so a subscription makes sense. Every three months, the customer returns the old bracelet and receives a new one.”

...That actually did sound good.

“Expired bracelets can be collected and recycled. If someone cancels the subscription, they can return the bracelet and get their deposit back.”

The more Juhyeok listened, the better it sounded.

With a subscription model, the price could be lowered, and expired bracelets could simply be re-enchanted.

Calling CEO Jung really had been the right choice.

Industry professionals really did think differently.

“Please come by often from now on. I’ll issue you a monthly pass right away.”

“...A monthly pass?”

“You’ll be able to come and go freely for a month. Once it expires, you can renew it.”

“Ah—th-thank you very much.”

Another outsider had joined them.

For a weak man, all he could do was be careful about the people he chose.

“I look forward to working with you, CEO Jung.”

“N-no, the pleasure is mine.”

Juhyeok smiled warmly and continued.

“In a way, I think I’m really lucky. Every time I start something, there are always people around me willing to help.”

Jung Dong-hoon waved both hands.

“Oh, no. If we’re talking about luck, I’m the one who has more of it. Ever since becoming the CEO of Rajix Trading, my life has been going unbelievably well.”

“Is that so?”

“What can I say? Setting business success aside, I don’t have to watch people’s moods, I’m not stressed, my health’s improved, and I get to meet amazing people like this...”

He smiled brightly.

“Haha. I always think I’m unbelievably lucky. Is there anyone luckier than me? My luck has really been on a roll lately.”

“...Really?”

“Absolutely. I’m not exaggerating at all.”

A man whose luck was overflowing—Jung Dong-hoon.

He sounded sincere.

All right, decision made.

CEO Jung.

Right now, I need your luck.

Please don’t worry.

Even if the worst possible outcome happens, I won’t say a word.

Sorry for borrowing your good fortune, but you do need an initiation ceremony.

If it hits big, I’ll pay you back.

Juhyeok took a Lucky Random Box out of his inventory.

He held it with both hands.

“CEO Jung?”

“Yes?”

“Could you open this box for me? I’m holding it with both hands.”

“Oh! Y-yes.”

At that moment—

The summoned entities stopped what they were doing and glanced over at Juhyeok and CEO Jung.

Would a sacrifice be born?

Or a hero?

At last, the box was about to be opened.

A tense moment.

Juhyeok swallowed dryly.

Jung Dong-hoon, who knew nothing, reached out toward the box.

“Should I open it?”

“Y-yeah. Open it boldly!”

And then—

Click!

[Opening Lucky Random Box.]

What came out?

[Lucky! You have obtained 50 Platinum Badges.]

...What?

“Jackpot! Fifty Platinum Badges!”

Cheers instantly erupted from all sides.

“Wooooaaah!!!”

“Young Master, it’s a jackpot!”

“Congratulations!”

“Yes!”

“Hohoho, as expected!”

“Hooray!”

“Long live Juhyeok!”

“Long live Jung Dong-hoon!”

“As expected of CEO Jung! Incredible!”

Jung Dong-hoon just stood there blankly.

No—why was everyone cheering? What had he even done?

Juhyeok was completely satisfied.

A masterstroke.

The weak man’s choice—using someone else’s hands for gacha pulls.

I mean, doesn’t everybody do that?

Letting a cat’s paw or a dog’s paw press the gacha button in games.

“Oh my, CEO Jung, your luck really is overflowing.”

“I-is it?”

“I’ll give you the monthly pass, and I’ll make sure you get plenty of good medicine too. Oh! By the way, have you ever thought about awakening as a Player?”

“...What?”

“Any time you say the word, I can awaken you.”

“Uh—th-that’s a little...”

Very satisfying.

With this, the number of physical badges had risen to a whopping 64.

Plenty.

Even if no special privilege was granted, there were now more than enough to hold a badge-awarding ceremony without feeling burdened.

Since they had gotten such a huge batch of badges anyway—

“CEO Jung Dong-hoon, would you like to receive a badge?”

“...Pardon? W-what badge...?”

A badge—was he talking about that shining metal ornament pinned to other people’s chests?

“I’ll give you one.”

“...Ah, um, y-yes.”

“We should hold a presentation ceremony too.”

Whoosh—

The summoned entities gathered around the two of them.

Juhyeok took one badge out of his inventory.

“By virtue of your extraordinary luck, you have opened a Lucky Random Box and achieved the feat of obtaining no fewer than fifty Platinum Badges. In recognition of this merit, we hereby award you one Platinum Badge.”

Juhyeok pinned the badge onto Jung Dong-hoon’s chest.

Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

The applause rang out like thunder.

Jung Dong-hoon felt good.

He didn’t know why, but he did.

The outsourced production moved quickly.

Once the 3D-printer blueprints were finished, that was all it took.

A jewelry manufacturer worked through the night, using the lost-wax casting method to mass-produce bracelet bodies complete with engraved patterns.

The completed bracelets were brought into White Tower Floor 17.

Refined Magic Stone powder was carefully packed inside them, and finally Secretary MacMillan cast the activation enchantment.

With sufficient stock secured—

A banner advertisement appeared on the Rajix Trading website.

〈Obesity Escape Health Bracelet — Subscription Open〉

〈First batch limited to 3,000 subscribers〉

〈Deposit: 5 million won / Monthly: 499,900 won〉

〈In three months, your body will change〉

〈Free replacement with a new bracelet every three months〉

〈Full refund available if no effect〉

〈Ugly and fat? Now just be ugly〉

〈Try losing weight. Who knows? You might be a lottery ticket you haven’t scratched yet〉

People were baffled.

Rajix Trading was not some unknown company.

It was a mid-sized enterprise, sturdier than many large corporations.

They made and sold products using leather obtained from Towers.

Their revenue even exceeded that of HG Fashion, another company in the same industry.

And now they were selling a health bracelet?

Sure, they did sell accessories, but—

L: This is way too random. Is the company in trouble? Are they straight-up scamming people now?

L: I heard from stock market rumors that they were having trouble securing leather materials.

L: No, that got resolved. Apparently they’re getting plenty of leather now.

L: Yeah, I know someone who works there. They even got new kinds of leather and started developing new products.

L: Then why pull such an obvious scam?

L: LOL, they probably shoved some weird magnet in there. The second coming of the germanium bracelet.

L: Read the product details—it says it’s made of adamant metal and normal Magic Stones.

L: Oh! At least the materials are decent.

L: Decent my ass. Adamant metal is dirt cheap.

L: Right, and normal Magic Stone prices have practically collapsed.

L: And it’s a subscription too. 5 million won deposit and 499,900 won ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) a month.

L: Brutal. They’re straight-up squeezing people dry.

L: You think anyone’s actually going to buy this?

L: Rich people with money to burn might.

L: Honestly, I hope it works.

L: Anyway, someone try it for a month and post a review already.

Public reaction was far from favorable.

How many similar products had there been before this?

In the end, they had always turned out to be pseudoscientific scams.

People assumed this one would be the same.

In truth, it did not even take a week

for the effectiveness of the Obesity Escape Bracelet to become known.

Kim Hye-young, a Grade-7 administrative civil servant, worked at the Korean Awakening Administration.

Her department was the Elite Player Management and Support Division.

Her worries were no different from those of other women her age.

Dieting—losing weight.

Just looking at her plump figure, it was obvious why.

She had gained weight, lost appeal with the opposite sex, and her love life had gone nowhere.

But losing weight was never easy.

She would repeat the same cycle over and over—lose some, then rebound.

She had even signed up for a gym and was paying 800,000 won a month for personal training.

It had barely helped.

Forget it.

I’ll just live like this for the rest of my life.

I’ll eat whatever I want. Whether I gain weight or not, whatever.

Then, one day.

Kim Hye-young went to report something to her superior, Team Leader Lee Min-ah.

That was when she noticed the laptop screen on Lee Min-ah’s desk.

It was an advertisement announcing the Obesity Escape Bracelet subscription from Rajix Trading.

Team Leader Lee Min-ah was already in the middle of signing up, transferring the deposit, and completing the payment.

“Team Leader, are you dieting too?”

“Of course. I’ve been worried about some extra fat lately.”

That damn woman.

Where on earth did she have extra fat?

She was an elite Player and a perfectly decent boss, but moments like this made her unbearably annoying.

If only I could live in that body for just one day.

“But this seems wrong. Losing weight just by wearing it—who would fall for—”

At that moment, Lee Min-ah looked at Kim Hye-young with a strange expression.

“Hye-young.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll tell you one thing.”

“...What is it?”

“Buy this. It’s first-come, first-served for 3,000 people. Sign up and pay before it closes.”

“...?”

Kim Hye-young was flustered.

It screamed scam at first glance, and yet she was being told to buy it?

“Every elite Player is probably clicking the payment button right now.”

What?

Lee Min-ah was not the sort of person who lied.

Could it really work?

“Buy it now, before it’s too late. If you hesitate, you might lose your chance. Don’t regret it later, all right?”

“...Y-yes.”

There had to be something to it.

Rajix Trading was a company that made products using leather supplied by the Korean Awakening Administration.

Lee Min-ah had connections with its CEO.

Then that meant—

Kim Hye-young hurriedly went to the website, signed up, and completed the bracelet subscription payment.

The delivery arrived the very next day.

The bracelet was thinner than she had expected.

Would it really work?

Kim Hye-young decided to keep living as usual.

Eat whatever she wanted.

Order late-night food after work.

One day passed.

She was down 200 grams.

Strange.

Is the scale broken?

The next day—

This time, 300 grams.

Huh?

That’s not normal.

Her heart started pounding.

And then, in just four days, she had lost a full kilogram.

She hadn’t done anything.

She ate whatever she wanted.

She didn’t exercise.

She had just worn the bracelet.

“M-my God!”

Was she sick?

It didn’t feel that way.

If anything, her body felt lighter.

Even her chronic constipation disappeared.

She even managed to pass a monster so large it nearly clogged the toilet.

Is it just me?

To check other people’s reactions, she accessed the Rajix Trading website.

It would not load.

The server seemed to be down.

Then what about somewhere else?

She logged into a popular diet forum she was a member of.

The place was overflowing with reviews of the Obesity Escape Bracelet.

One person had lost 700 grams.

Another had lost over 1 kilogram by combining it with exercise.

Social media posts were exploding too.

Most of them were filled with regret.

Why didn’t I buy it?

I should have just gone for it instead of doubting it.

When are they opening sales again?

I’m definitely buying it next time.

With trembling hands, Kim Hye-young wrote a post on the forum saying she had lost 1 kilogram in four days and uploaded proof photos.

Comments flooded in instantly.

Congratulations.

So jealous.

Jackpot.

Ahhh, Team Leader Lee Min-ah, thank you so much.

What if I hadn’t listened to you?

I should send you a premium Korean beef gift set.

South Korea went into an uproar.

Word spread everywhere.

All anyone talked about

was the Obesity Escape Bracelet.