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Chapter 5
“Boss, are you sure that’s the guy? That weak-looking nerd is carrying all that money?”
“Yeah, that’s him. Get ready. He’s worth one billion won to us. Today we’ll have some fun, blow off some steam, and make ourselves rich.”
“Sounds good to me. I’d crawl on my hands and knees for that kind of money. Let’s move.”
The five men had tailed Shin Ju-ha the entire time.
The moment he stepped into the outer district, they made their move.
The outskirts of the Black Market were the only place where neither Black Money nor the Inspection Department kept watch.
It was a lawless zone.
Kang San, an F+ Rank Hunter, stepped out with a sinister grin, followed by his subordinates.
The excitement of the coming fight made his entire body tremble.
“It’s been a while,” he said with a cruel smile.
“So don’t kill him too quickly. Have some fun first.”
“There won’t be any trouble afterward, right?”
“Of course not. The client already confirmed everything. Besides… one billion won. It’s been ages since we’ve had enough money to leave this dump.”
The group consisted of five members:
- Kang San, an F+ Hunter and leader.
- One F-Rank Hunter.
- Three F- Rank Hunters.
Back in high school, they had all been notorious gangsters.
Luck—or perhaps misfortune—had awakened every one of them as Hunters.
Instead of changing, they embraced their violent nature.
Their crimes eventually drove them into the Black Market’s outer district.
One thug pointed ahead.
“Boss, he’s heading into the alley for us. We should do it now.”
Kang San laughed.
“Perfect. He’s practically begging to die.”
“Let’s go.”
Without realizing it…
Their own evil would become the cause of their downfall.
*
“Hey! You there—the nerd with the mask! Stop for a second!”
“They’re here.”
Ju-ha stopped walking and turned around.
The gang had already blocked all three exits of the alley.
One stood behind him.
Two guarded each side.
“The only thing I need to watch for is a coordinated attack.”
He took a slow breath and sharpened every one of his senses.
“Kekeke… Nice to meet you.”
“Let’s hear why our little scholar wandered into our territory.”
“You entered our turf.”
“So you owe us a price.”
“The price is your life.”
Their cheap threats echoed through the alley.
Ju-ha remained perfectly calm.
He simply clenched his fist and prepared for battle.
“All five have swords.”
Judging from their presence…
Three were F- Rank.
One was F Rank.
One was F+ Rank.
Even after obtaining the Infinity stat and investing twenty points into it…
This would still be a difficult fight.
He had no weapon.
No martial arts.
His only combat experience came from countless desperate struggles against goblins.
Yet…
He wasn’t afraid.
System messages appeared.
《The petty evil fortune that seeks your life is grinning maliciously at you.》
《Heavenly Fortune dislikes Evil Fortune’s rampant actions.》
《Overcome this Evil Fortune. If you do, Heavenly Fortune shall reward you.》
So these people…
They were his evil fate.
Kang San sneered.
“So tell me, little scholar.”
“Why’d you wander all the way out here?”
Ju-ha shrugged.
“Why do you care?”
“Because this is our territory.”
Ju-ha couldn’t help laughing.
“You people haven’t even made it past F Rank.”
“And you’re claiming part of the Black Market belongs to you?”
“At least make your lies believable.”
Kang San’s face twisted.
“You little bastard!”
“What gives you the confidence to act like this?”
“You’re just a Level 0 Hunter who awakened today.”
“Maybe we aren’t strong enough to leave F Rank…”
“But killing one rookie like you is easy.”
The smile disappeared from Ju-ha’s face.
“What?”
“Surprised I know your status?”
“The only one bluffing here is you.”
“You thought carrying an A-Rank card made you some big-shot Hunter?”
“Aww…”
“Our little scholar’s scared!”
The gang burst into laughter.
Ju-ha’s thoughts raced.
“How do they know?”
No one had checked his status.
His heightened senses would have noticed.
Then…
The answer struck him.
“The Fox…”
Everything clicked into place.
“That’s why something felt strange during the consultation.”
“He used his appraisal ability on me.”
At the time, before obtaining the Infinity stat, he’d only felt a vague sensation.
Now he understood.
He sighed.
“What a filthy, underhanded stroke of bad luck.”
Kang San smirked.
“Since you understand your situation…”
“Hand over the card.”
As he spoke, he subtly glanced behind Ju-ha.
It was an almost invisible signal.
But Ju-ha immediately understood.
Shing!
A sword shot toward his back.
The F-Rank Hunter thrust directly for Ju-ha’s shoulder.
“Hah!”
Because his enhanced senses had already detected the attack…
Ju-ha simply twisted his body.
The blade sliced through empty air.
“H-Huh?”
The attacker froze.
His brief hesitation became a fatal mistake.
Ju-ha struck the man’s wrist with a sharp chop.
The sword flew from his hand.
Then—
Boom!
Ju-ha’s kick slammed into the man’s solar plexus.
“Gah!”
The F-Rank Hunter flew backward and crashed into the wall before collapsing unconscious.
“What the hell?!”
“Sang-rim!”
“W-What’s going on?”
“I thought he was Level Zero!”
The strongest member after Kang San had fallen without even putting up a fight.
The smiles vanished from everyone’s faces.
Ju-ha calmly picked up the fallen sword.
“Now this feels a little fair.”
“It would’ve been pretty unfair if only you guys had weapons.”
The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt…
The talent granted by the Infinity stat awakened.
He instinctively understood.
How to attack.
How to defend.
Which path his blade should follow.
“You people are after my card…”
“And my life.”
“I’ve got plenty of questions for you too.”
Before he even finished speaking—
He charged.
“Let’s settle this first!”
His sword swept from left to right.
Clang!
“Urgh!”
The enemy cried out first.
The F- Rank Hunter stared in disbelief.
“I’ve spent five years stuck at F- Rank…”
“I’ve raised two physical stats past twenty…”
“So why am I losing a contest of strength against a Level Zero?”
“W-What trick are you using?!”
“No trick.”
“You just picked the wrong opponent.”
“Did you think levels were everything?”
Of course…
From Ju-ha’s perspective, it was almost amusing.
He now possessed two Mythic-ranked stats.
“Bullshit!”
“You only awakened today!”
The enraged Hunter began wildly swinging his sword.
Ju-ha retreated.
That brief opening allowed the remaining three attackers to close in.
Four blades lunged toward him simultaneously.
“Tch!”
Even with the Infinity stat…
Even with his newfound martial talent…
Avoiding four attacks at once was impossible.
He leaped high into the air.
But—
“You’re not getting away!”
Kang San’s sword chased him relentlessly.
Slash!
The blade sliced across Ju-ha’s thigh.
“Urgh!”
Blood streamed down his leg.
The burning pain sharpened his focus.
Kang San laughed triumphantly.
“Hahaha!”
“I don’t know what ability you awakened…”
“But you’re still just a rookie who’s never fought a real battle!”
“Shut up.”
Ju-ha admitted it to himself.
“I underestimated them.”
“Getting stronger made me arrogant.”
“I treated them like the goblins I used to slaughter.”
“Yet in the end…”
“Those same goblins were the ones who killed me.”
He had wanted to avoid using it.
But now…
“I’ll fight seriously.”
He activated the highest-ranked ability he possessed.
The Origin-ranked skill.
Equivalent Exchange.
《Unique Ability: Equivalent Exchange Lv.1 erects the Scales of Equivalence.》
A transparent scale appeared behind him.
“Grant me the strength to utterly overwhelm them.”
《Place your request on the left scale.》
Left Side: Temporary +25 Infinity Stat
《Determining the equivalent price…》
Right Side: 250,000 Purple Coins
“Exchange.”
Equivalent value.
Equivalent payment.
Equivalent power.
That was the authority of the Origin-ranked ability.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Kang San sensed danger immediately.
He activated every skill he possessed.
《Acceleration Lv.3 activated.》
《Power Strike Lv.7 activated.》
《Unique Ability: Herculean Strength Lv.5 activated.》
He rushed forward with everything he had.
“Die!”
Too late.
《The Scales have reached equilibrium.》
《Equivalent Exchange complete.》
Exactly 250,000 Purple Coins vanished from Ju-ha’s inventory.
《Infinity (Mythic) temporarily increases by 25.》
Infinity: F- (21/99) → (46/99)
Duration: 10:00
Power surged through every fiber of his body.
Ju-ha extended his hand.
Instead of blocking the incoming sword…
He slapped the flat of the blade with his bare palm.
BOOM!
The impact sounded nothing like steel meeting flesh.
Kang San’s sword flew from his grasp before embedding itself into the ground.
“W-What…?”
He couldn’t understand.
He had strengthened his strength.
His attack.
His speed.
And yet…
He had lost instantly.
“A Level Zero…”
“He saw through my attack…”
“And disarmed me?”
“Monster…”
That was the only word Kang San could think of.
Ju-ha wasn’t someone who belonged in the same world as them.
He wasn’t another insect crawling through the mud.
He was someone destined to soar into the heavens.
At that moment…
Kang San realized the truth.
Just standing before Ju-ha filled him with the same terror he had once felt before high-ranking Hunters.
No matter what he did…
He could never win.
“Take a nap.”
Ju-ha’s fist crashed into his face.
Darkness swallowed Kang San whole.
*
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
“Urgh!”
“Argh!”
“Gah!”
Only three punches.
That was all it took to knock out the remaining thugs.
Ju-ha sighed as he looked over the unconscious criminals.
“They’re just insects crawling at the bottom…”
“Though… I can understand how they ended up like this.”
Most Hunters trapped between F- and F Rank never left the tutorial zones.
They simply hunted tutorial monsters to earn a living.
But the money was pitiful.
F-Rank Hunters were the most common Hunters in existence.
No matter how many tutorial fields existed…
There were never enough monsters.
Meanwhile…
An E-Rank Hunter exploring the Abyss or clearing real-world dungeons could earn tens of millions of won every month.
Before returning to the past…
Even as a veteran F-Rank Hunter, Ju-ha had earned only five to seven million won a month.
More than an average office worker.
Yet nowhere near enough.
Hunters constantly risked their lives.
Equipment was expensive.
Potions cost a fortune.
And many Hunters spent lavishly because they never knew whether tomorrow would be their last day alive.
“I almost became a criminal myself because of those loan sharks.”
Still…
Wrong was wrong.
Ju-ha lowered his sword and opened the Golden Tower’s inventory.
He took out the best healing potion currently available.
His thigh wound had been cut so deeply that bone was visible.
He poured the potion over it.
Ssssss!
“Hiss!”
A burning pain spread through his leg.
Smoke rose from the wound.
Within seconds…
The flesh regenerated completely.
“…Now.”
“What should I do with these guys?”
Ultimately…
The reason these criminals had targeted him was because of the Fox.
A Black Money employee arranging the murder of customers…
Even for an underworld bank, that crossed an unforgivable line.
And judging by everything he’d learned…
This clearly wasn’t the first time.
“I need solid evidence.”
His eyes sharpened.
Walking over to the unconscious Kang San…
Ju-ha slapped him across the face without hesitation.
Crack!
It was time to wake him up.
