Chapter 13
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 013
Chapter Title: Thugs Make Their Entrance!
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Sword Emperor and Yeowon Han only grasped the situation a moment later.
"S-so... you're saying there's a chance to get another 'Newbie Shield'...?"
"Yes."
"Heh... even one was an item with overwhelming destructive power."
The two let out disbelieving chuckles.
"Well... yeah. If I can keep clearing at SSS+ grade, it seems like a steady supply is possible."
"......"
"......"
"Um, hello?"
The two looked utterly dumbfounded.
"Mm."
Haegyeom flashed a bright smile at them.
"Anyway, if I get another one next time, could you give me a good price?"
"O-of course!"
"...Naturally. We'll give you whatever you want, no matter the amount—just don't take it anywhere else..."
Judging by their reactions, as long as he obtained one, getting full value for it wouldn't be an issue at all.
With that, Haegyeom signed a yearly contract worth 200 billion won with the Awakening Management Bureau.
As he headed home, he muttered to himself.
"...I got way better treatment than I expected."
Honestly, he hadn't anticipated a national agency treating him this properly.
He hadn't even dreamed they'd offer the highest salary in the bureau right off the bat.
No various obligations.
Complete tax exemption on earnings.
And especially...
"...that instant resolution authority is just insane."
Absurd privileges only a 'national agency' could grant.
At this level, going to another company or overseas would feel like the foolish choice.
On top of that, they'd generously provided basic rental items.
"No amazing stuff due to equip restrictions, but..."
Basic defensive gear items, plus a bracelet embedded with the 'Magic Missile' skill—all free rentals.
He could arm himself head to toe with the bureau's 'beginner set' items.
Later, as the floors he conquered rose, they'd swap them for higher-performance gear.
"If I'd had this stuff from the start, even before meeting Drong, I could've climbed the tower... tch."
For a moment, he recalled his past life, no different from an ordinary person.
But reconsidering, there was no helping it.
These were ultra-expensive items costing hundreds of millions each, even if easy to rent now.
'If only I'd been able to climb the tower much earlier... Sigh. No.'
Haegyeom shook his head, brushing off the sudden thought.
"...Whatever."
It was just meaningless past now.
Better to focus on what lay ahead.
"By the way, what to do for three days?"
Three days.
The period Haegyeom had decided to pause his tower climbs.
To be precise, he'd use the 'Newbie Shield' exactly three days from now, but...
'Gotta claim that 100% reward boost.'
He had no intention of climbing outside the 'beginner protection period'.
Besides, exporting the items he'd requested from the bureau would take some time anyway.
"Mm... no, I'll be busy."
Come to think of it, there was something important.
Moving out of his rundown semi-basement monthly rental to the bureau-provided company housing.
"New place, huh..."
No doubt better than where he lived now.
Hot in summer, freezing in winter, poor soundproofing, bad lighting, cockroaches, mold everywhere, constant drunken brawls from noisy neighbors, and slow hunter response if a gate ever burst nearby—anything worse wouldn't make sense.
"Looking forward to it."
Muttering that, Haegyeom stepped onto the hillside of his rundown neighborhood leading home.
After climbing for a while and nearing his place...
"Ha, where the hell did this punk crawl off to, coming back now?"
"Hurry up already!"
He ran into a pair of thugs.
"...You could've just called or texted. Why wait around?"
More precisely—
Collectors from 'Bbit Capital', the loan sharks he'd borrowed from.
A duo decked out with piercings, tattoos, and dye jobs screaming 'I'm tough'.
"And risk you bolting? No way."
"Can't have that. Come here."
Haegyeom quietly approached them.
"At least you didn't run? Our honest debtor."
"Hand it over. This month's interest."
A bit rough, but not wrong.
If you borrowed money, you had to pay it back.
The problem was...
"Just a bit longer, please. I'll pay soon. Maybe even the full principal."
He had no money right now.
Of course, the bureau said they'd deposit today, so it'd come soon enough.
'Mm. If I'd gotten severance from Jet Guild, this could've passed without trouble.'
No word from them either.
Would they pay the full 14 days?
Or just ghost him?
"Haha! Yeah, right?"
"You think we haven't heard that bullshit before!?"
Anyway.
Pleading for time fell on deaf ears with the collectors.
'Tch... ah!'
Then he remembered a solution.
'Just settle the Tower Stream sponsorships?'
A good chunk of cash had piled up there.
Not enough for principal, but plenty for this month's interest.
"Just a little wait, please. Mm... five minutes."
Saying that, Haegyeom pulled out his phone to request settlement.
—Or tried to.
"Hey now. Stop."
"...?"
"Where you think you're pulling tricks?"
"...It's real."
"Debtors like you can't be trusted anyway. Right?"
"Damn right!"
"......"
What did they want?
As Haegyeom stared in bewilderment, he caught where their gazes landed.
Left hand subtly to the left.
Slide—
To the right?
Slide—
Their eyes fixed on.
The bracelet on Haegyeom's left arm.
"Special for you—we'll take that bracelet for this month's interest."
"Be grateful for our mercy!"
"......"
Were they insane?
"Looks like you know what this is..."
It was an item embedded with 'Magic Missile'.
No equip restrictions—whoever awakened could use it.
And above all—
"Sell this one thing, and it'd cover my principal plus interest with plenty left over?"
—It was expensive.
"See? Can't trust debtors. Always lying through their teeth."
"Acting all high and mighty with cheap crap!"
Absurd.
'They just want to snatch it?'
For interest barely a few million won?
"Says the ones trying to steal this 'cheap crap'."
"... "
"Th-that's why we're being merciful!"
No chance.
Besides, this was just rented from the bureau.
He had to return it intact.
Obligated to.
"Anyway! If you won't hand it over nicely, no choice."
"Heh heh heh. Stay put, or you'll get hurt."
Watching them approach, Haegyeom thought.
'Words won't cut it.'
Their eyes were already clouded with greed.
No talking this out, and he couldn't just give up the bracelet.
"Let's see. This is... theft? No, robbery?"
Never imagined using instant resolution authority this soon.
"What the hell you babbling about, punk. Give it he—huh!?"
To buy time to think, Haegyeom first slipped from their grasp.
"Tricky. Maybe self-defense if I keep it moderate? Mm... that's an issue too."
His combat prowess was all dumped into Drong.
Use Drong's breath just to fend off bracelet thieves?
'Overkill—like using a cow butcher's knife for a chicken.'
Way too much.
It'd endanger their lives and devastate the area.
'Plus, might expose I'm the Dragon Emperor...'
Revealing his stream-famous feats here seemed unwise.
"Hmm."
Maybe use the bracelet's Magic Missile?
Hadn't tried it yet.
"Wh-what the hell? How's he so nimble... ugh!"
"Dammit, block that side! Herd him in!"
"You catch him properly...!"
He knew Magic Missile worked decently on monsters, but against humans? No clue on power.
"Can't risk blowing their heads off by mistake..."
"Fuck! What're you yapping about?!"
"Hand it over nice, or you'll regret it!"
Pondering how to handle these robbers, Haegyeom realized something.
"Ah."
He was effortlessly dodging their every grab.
"...Right."
"Right my ass, you debtor scum...!"
"That's it. You're half-dead today!"
That he himself was now—
'A 5th-floor hunter.'
—with pretty solid physical abilities.
Until recently, no different from a normie, zero talent for physical stuff—he hadn't even considered it.
"Shit! Just kill him!"
"Pull a knife?"
"Do it!"
Even with a blade shoved in his face, no fear.
Just don't get stabbed.
"Robbery plus attempted murder... mm. Whatever, let's beat 'em first. Pound till it feels right."
At least no excessive force backlash.
"What nonsense you spouting since earlier...!"
"Hiii-yaaah!"
Haegyeom sidestepped their lunges lightly, then lashed out with a kick.
Bam!
"Guh, ack...!"
One flew back into the air.
"Huh?"
"...Huh?"
Dazed sounds from Haegyeom and the other thug.
The airborne one plummeted to the ground—
Roll roll roll tumble crash.
And tumbled wildly down the hillside.
Hm.
Stronger than expected.
The moment Haegyeom thought that.
"... "
"... "
His eyes met the remaining collector's.
The thug casually pocketed his knife and asked.
"Uh, um... call it a draw...?"
......Yeah, right?