Chapter 5: Misfortune
-“Boss, are you sure that’s the guy? That weak-looking nerd has all that money?”
-“Yeah, that’s him. Get ready. That guy’s worth 1 billion—1 billion! Let’s have some fun, relieve some stress, and make a fortune today!”
-“Well, sounds good to me! For that much money, we should be bowing down. Let’s get ready!”
The group, who had been tailing Shin Juha, sprang into action the moment he stepped into the Outer Region.
The Outer Region— the only lawless area in the Black Market, out of the Black Money and Surveillance Department’s reach!
Kang San, an [F+] rank hunter, grinned wickedly as he and his underlings made their appearance.
As the thrill of the impending battle surged through him, Kang San trembled with excitement and gave the order, his smile dripping with malice.
-“It’s been a while. Take your time playing with him, then kill him.”
-There won’t be any problems afterward, right?”
-“Of course not. Our client confirmed everything. Ah… with 1 billion, I can finally get out for a while!”
The group of five were originally a party operating in Tutorial Zone 11.
The leader of the party was Kang San, an [F+] rank hunter, along with one [F] rank and three [F-] rank hunters.
Whether by luck or misfortune, these guys had been notorious delinquents since high school. After awakening, they formed a tight-knit group, unable to hide their vile nature. Their criminal activities eventually led them to the Outer Region of the Black Market.
-“Boss, that guy is stupid enough to enter an alley. Shall we get to work now?”
-“Yeah. He’s basically asking to be killed! Let’s go, boys!”
But this foolish and repulsive evil would soon lead itself to ruin.
***********************
-“Hey! You, the guy with the mask! Care to stop and chat with us for a bit?”
‘Here they come.’
I stopped in my tracks and turned around.
The criminals who had been trailing me slowly blocked all three exits of the alley.
One behind me, two on each side. The main thing to be wary of is their coordinated surprise attack.
I took a deep breath, sharpening my senses as much as possible.
-“Heh, nice to meet you. So, why is our nerdy friend wandering around our turf?”
-“If you step into our territory, you gotta pay the toll!”
-“And the toll is your life.”
Their cheap, disgusting voices echoed from all directions, but I wasn’t fazed.
All I did was clench my fists, readying myself for the upcoming battle.
‘All five of them are armed with knives.’
From what I could gauge with my heightened senses, three of them were [F-] rank, and the others were an [F] rank and an [F+] rank, forming a decently strong party.
Even though I’d invested 20 stat points into the Mythical Stat: Mugeuk*, this was still going to be a tough fight.
*(Mugeuk: Mythical stat of “limitlessness” and representing boundless martial talent and strength.
I didn’t have any weapons or high-level martial skills.
The closest I had was some self-defense techniques I’d picked up from hunting goblins, which was nothing to brag about.
Still, for some reason, I wasn’t scared at all.
〚The despicable Misfortune is glaring at you with a vile grin!〛
〚Heavenly Fortune disapproves of Misfortune’s active influence!〛
〚Overcome Misfortune! If you do, a reward from Heavenly Fortune awaits!〛
The system informed me that these guys were my Misfortune.
-“So, why did our nerd come all the way out here to the Outer Region?”
“Why do you care? What’s it to you?”
-“What do you mean, why? This is our turf!”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Kang San’s bluff.
“You guys? [F] ranks that can’t even leave Tutorial Zone 11 think you own part of the Black Market?”
A lie has to at least be somewhat believable to trick someone. This wasn’t even amusing or exciting.
-“You punk! What gives you the guts to act so cocky? You’re just a newly awakened, level-zero hunter. We may be stuck at [F] rank, but we can easily kill someone like you!”
My mocking smile immediately hardened.
-“What? Surprised I can see your status window? The only one bluffing here is you, newbie. What, you think carrying that A-rank card around makes you a high-tier hunter? Aww, how cute! Our nerd is scared now!”
-“Haha! Did he wet his pants, boss?”
‘How did they know?’
One thing was for sure—they hadn’t actually seen my status window. I hadn’t sensed any detection skills.
So how did they know I was a level-zero hunter who had just awakened?
After retracing my thoughts for a moment, I wanted to smack my forehead as I remembered one person.
‘That sly fox!’
No wonder I felt uneasy when I went in for that consultation. They must have used their ability to check my status window back then.
I hadn’t noticed it because I didn’t have the Mugeuk stat at the time, but now that I think about it, I did feel something strange during that encounter.
“Ah… what a dirty and vile Misfortune you are.”
-“Keh-heh! Now that you know your place, just hand over that card, nice and easy!”
Kang San signaled with his eyes to the guy behind me. To a rookie hunter, the gesture would’ve been hard to catch, but I saw right through it.
Shing!
The sound of a blade being drawn, and the guy behind me instantly lunged with his knife aimed at my shoulder.
“Hup!”
Thanks to my heightened senses, I’d already predicted the attack and dodged with just a slight twist of my shoulder.
-“Huh… what?”
The knife, meant to stab into my shoulder, missed and sliced through empty air. The [F] rank hunter holding it let out a dumbfounded gasp.
But that brief moment of hesitation was fatal.
Seizing the opportunity, I struck his wrist, causing him to drop the knife, and kicked him in the solar plexus as he staggered.
“Gah!”
The [F] rank hunter flew back and slammed into a wall.
-“What the hell!?”
-“Damn it, Sang-rim!”
-“What… what’s going on? Isn’t he supposed to be a level-zero hunter!?”
With their second-strongest fighter taken out without resistance, the rest of the group, who had been eagerly awaiting my pain and screams, now wore expressions of shock.
“Hoo… now we’re on more equal footing. It’s unfair if only you guys get to use weapons, right?”
I picked up the knife dropped by the [F] rank hunter who was now unconscious on the ground.
The talent granted by the Mugeuk stat was subtle, but I could feel it as soon as I grabbed the weapon.
I instinctively knew how to attack, how to dodge, and the most effective ways to wield the blade.
“You’re after my card and my life, aren’t you? Well, I have some questions for you, too…!”
Before I even finished speaking, I kicked off the ground and charged toward the nearest enemy.
“Let’s settle this!”
My blade swung quickly from left to right, clashing with my opponent’s knife.
Clang!
“Guh!”
As sparks flew from the impact of the two blades, a groan escaped the other guy.
He was caught off guard. Even though he’d been stuck at [F-] rank for over five years, he’d increased his two primary physical stats—strength and agility—past 20. Yet he was losing in a strength contest against a level-zero hunter?!
-“W-what the hell! How is this possible?!”
“What do you mean? You just picked the wrong target. Did you really think levels were everything?”
Of course, from my perspective, it was a ridiculous sight. After all, I had become a Mythical Hunter with two Mythical Stats.
-“Stop spouting nonsense! You’re just a brat who only recently awakened!”
I momentarily retreated, dodging the wild sword swings of the furious assailants.
The time they wasted in their rage was enough for the others to attack me, and four swords came rushing at me all at once.
“Tch!”
Even though the Mythical Stat had strengthened my body and granted me talent in martial arts, I couldn’t avoid the four swords flying at me from every direction.
Tap!
I kicked off the ground, trying to leap as high as possible to evade the swords.
-“Where do you think you’re going?!”
But Kang San’s sword tenaciously followed me, cutting into my thigh.
“Ugh! Damn it.”
The searing pain from the red blood trickling down brought me back to my senses and fueled my anger.
-“Ha! I don’t know what kind of unique ability you awakened, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re just a rookie who’s never properly hunted before!”
“Shut up.”
Fine, I admit it. I underestimated you. I became arrogant just because I gained a little power, and I was too careless.
I treated you like the goblins that died so easily under my hands, even though it was a goblin that ultimately killed me.
I didn’t want to use this because I hate losing things.
“I’ll deal with you properly now.”
I activated one of my abilities. The highest-grade unique ability I had confirmed while slowly luring them in.
〚Unique Ability: Equivalent Exchange [Origin] LV1 balances the scales of equivalence!〛
A translucent scale appeared behind me.
“Give me the power to overwhelm them!”
〚The caster’s request has been placed on the left side of the scale!〛
〚Left: Temporarily increase the Mythical Stat: Mugeuk by +25〛
〚To balance the scale, a price will be determined and placed on the right side.〛
〚Right: 250,000 Purple Coins〛
“I accept the exchange.”
By paying the equivalent value in coins, I could gain the power I desired. This was the strength of the Unique Ability, Equivalent Exchange!
-“What the hell kind of trick is this?!”
〚Skill: Acceleration [Normal] LV3 has been activated!〛
〚Skill: Smash [Normal] LV7 has been activated!〛
〚Unique Ability: Bargain [Advanced] LV5 has been activated!〛
As expected, Kang San, being somewhat experienced and an [F+] rank hunter, was the first to realize that I was up to something. He charged at me with all his might.
-“Die!!”
But it was already too late.
〚The scales of equivalence have been balanced!〛
〚The exchange is completed!〛
From my inventory, exactly 250,000 Purple Coins disappeared.
〚Mythical Stat: Mugeuk temporarily increases by 25!〛
〚Mugeuk (Mythical) F- (21/99) → (46/99)〛
〚Remaining time: 10:00〛
A surge of power coursed through my body. In one swift motion, I reached out and struck the side of Kang San’s sword as it aimed for me.
Boom!
The sound that rang out was far too unnatural for a clash between a sword and a fist. Kang San’s sword flew out of his hand, spinning through the air before embedding itself in the ground.
-“What… what the hell?”
He was understandably bewildered. He had used a unique ability that boosted his strength, a skill that enhanced his attack power, and even a skill that increased his agility… yet he was defeated.
‘How could someone at level 0 not only see my attack but also neutralize me?’
-“Monster!”
Kang San could only describe me as a monster. I was someone living in a completely different world than him. Not some bottom-feeding scum like them, but a genius destined to ascend gloriously and become a shining star in the sky.
At that moment, he realized one undeniable truth, like standing before a high-ranking hunter, feeling fear and pressure from the overwhelming difference in power.
No matter what he did, he could never defeat Shin Juha standing before him!
“Take a nap!”
With a final blow from my fist, Kang San’s consciousness faded away.
*************
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Ugh! Gah! Ack!
With just three punches, I knocked out the remaining small fry and exhaled deeply as I looked over their unconscious bodies.
They were nothing more than bottom-feeding scum, criminals at that.
‘I can’t say I don’t understand them.’
Other than those labeled as “promising,” most hunters ranked [F-] to [F] spent their days hunting monsters in tutorial zones to make money.
But the money they earned was laughable for a hunter’s income.
With so many hunters carrying the F-rank, even though there were numerous tutorial zones, the monsters were inevitably scarce.
While E-rank hunters could explore the Abyss and clear dungeons in the real world, earning hundreds of thousands a month, as an [F-] rank before my regression, I only made between 500,000 and 700,000 a month, even as a veteran.
Sure, that was still more than the average office worker’s salary.
But considering the danger involved, the higher expenses, and the fact that most hunters liked to overspend, it wasn’t enough for many.
You might die tomorrow, so hunters preferred to splurge on better equipment and potions, living extravagantly, even if it was just for one day.
‘I also committed half-crimes because of those loan sharks.’
But wrong was still wrong.
I sighed and lowered my sword, opening my inventory to pull out the best potion I had. I poured it on the sword wound in my thigh, where blood was gushing out, and the bone was visible.
Sss!
“Ugh!”
The wound rapidly healed with a searing pain, emitting steam as it closed up.
“Now… what should I do?”
In the end, the reason these guys targeted me was because of that fox man.
Of course, the employees of Black Money targeting a customer was unacceptable, even in the dark underworld.
And from the looks of it, this wasn’t the first time.
‘I need to get concrete evidence.’
I stood up, my eyes gleaming, and walked over to the unconscious Kang San. Without hesitation, I slapped him hard to wake him up.
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