Epic Weapon (1)

Jeonghyeon had seen those words the moment he regressed, and at first he'd mistaken Epic Weapon for just some rare-grade gear anyone could snag. It wasn't until he truly grasped their meaning that he realized what kind of power he'd been handed.

"Shit..."

A low curse slipped from Jeonghyeon's lips, but the corners of his mouth were already curling up in a grin he couldn't suppress.

An Epic Weapon was a blade that transcended weapon grades—a weapon that carried a skill all its own.

"I'd only ever laid eyes on a handful of Epic Weapons in my whole damn life, but of all things, it's a harvesting knife? That bastard Demon King really went all out preparing this."

Jeonghyeon's mind, stocked with foreknowledge from one regression, spun at full speed. He flipped the now blood-red harvesting knife into a reverse grip and sauntered toward a goblin like it was no big deal.

"Malekith that son of a bitch wouldn't just hand over some scam Epic Weapon for nothing. Since it's a harvesting knife, its trait must only trigger on harvests. Fucker."

The way Jeonghyeon muttered it, like he already knew without looking, carried a hint of the Demon King's own style.

It didn't take long to spot one—a goblin lurking in a gap between bushes.

"Kreek!?"

Shwak!

Jeonghyeon sliced its throat so fast it wasn't worth wasting breath on. He immediately focused on the harvesting knife.

"Alright... show me what you got...!"

Then, slowly, he began dissecting the goblin with the knife now named Blood Dissector.

"Oh...! Oh! Feels like it's cutting way smoother?!"

It was wishful thinking.

"I can see the lines now? Feel the grain!"

No—it was his own accumulated knowledge and muscle memory kicking in.

"Nice! Even the mana stone comes out clean!"

The near-hundred mana stones he'd harvested so far were damn near perfect.

Jeonghyeon stared at the low-grade mana stone in his hand for a few silent seconds before realizing... nothing had changed.

"It's an Epic Weapon, damn it!!"

Scammed again?

That dogshit Malekith...? As the thought crossed his mind, a faint ache stung his eye.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"...! Something's coming!"

Having come to welcome the pain, Jeonghyeon felt anticipation swell as his eye throbbed.

And sure enough, at the end of the pain came the status window.

"Goblin... comprehension?"

What the hell did that mean?

Monster comprehension out of nowhere? Was that even a stat?

Jeonghyeon suddenly recalled the moment Attribute Disruption hit level 2—it had let him analyze his own attributes too.

"My... my attributes!"

In his haste, he blurted out a random command, but thankfully, the status window popped up anyway.

That "comprehensible monsters" count—it had to be the goblin from earlier.

"The damn status window said my knowledge is already too much—what more is there to comprehend?"

The words had barely left his mouth when rustling came from outside the bushes.

"Kreek...! Human...!"

Jeonghyeon's gaze snapped precisely to the sound's source, and the goblin froze in terror, hunching down before bolting away.

"Wait. Just now...?"

Pasasak! The sound of trampled bushes faded into the distance. Jeonghyeon muttered to himself as he listened.

"Did I just understand goblin speech...?"

Did high comprehension let him understand their language? Or communicate somehow?

If so, this was an even better ability.

"Too much to figure out... It's late anyway. Test it tomorrow."

Jeonghyeon glanced at the deepening night sky and grumbled.

Head back for now. This haul of mana stones would let him coast for a day.

"Survive today, then roam starting at dawn tomorrow...!"

He crammed the last mana stone into his porter inventory and trudged back to the field porter dormitory he'd dreaded so much.

"What the hell are you...? You finally kill a hunter or something?"

That was the mana stone settlement officer's reaction the moment Jeonghyeon returned to the dorm and turned in his first batch.

"Eh. Close enough."

(Who knows if those F-rank hunters got goblin'd after I clocked 'em...)

Jeonghyeon was annoyingly honest where it didn't matter.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"No way a non-awakener like you stole 'em... And were they ever this cleanly prepped before...?"

The officer, face twisted in confusion, had been eyeing Jeonghyeon with suspicion for over ten minutes straight.

Even as F-grade stones, ones this perfectly trimmed were rare as hell. Good enough that an F-grade could fetch E-grade value.

"Cut 'em nice and clean, right?"

"Nice? This is pro-level. Like you yanked the stones straight out of living monsters."

"Heh. That's my skill."

"You know mana stones get harder to process the more flesh or bone crap's mixed in."

"Yeah. So?"

"So, at this yield rate? The blacksmiths taking delivery would cream themselves."

True enough. The more processing steps, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the worse the efficiency tanked. They called it yield loss.

Average porters lost about 30% in processing; skilled ones hit 20%. God-tier? Around 10%. Jeonghyeon's? Basically 100% yield, 0% loss.

"For real, where'd you get these? Spill it straight."

Suspicious. The officer was dying to pry the truth out of Jeonghyeon. But he didn't want to lose these 91 high-yield stones either.

His tone softened as he wheedled.

"I ain't gonna report you or nothing. It's all under the table with the fee. Just between us, yeah?"

Seeing that attitude, Jeonghyeon fired back instantly.

"I did it myself."

Switching to casual speech on purpose, and the officer's face stiffened for a split second before sliding back into coaxing mode.

"Riiight. You did it yourself?"

"Yo, Kang Moojik. Why the hell would I lie to you?"

Jeonghyeon dropped the name now, eyes lowered with a smirk.

"It's Moojik, you little shit... not 'dumb'..."

Kang Moojik. "Dumbjik" among porters. A lucky fluke of a settlement officer, living off the government's teat. Talentless sack of shit who envied awakeners and took it out on porters. Labeled "trash unworthy of the name" by the crew.

He hated mockery most, but loved padding his stats even more. Enough to openly shake down kid porters for stones.

That's why Jeonghyeon had picked him out of all the decent officers.

"Dumbjik. Jealous? Want me to take it to another officer? You skim 30% fee, but I came to you on purpose."

"Wh-why? And it's Moojik..."

Moojik swallowed the insult, his greed outweighing his pride.

"Why? 'Cause you're bottom-barrel scum. When else do I get to talk down to you? Back then, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it was a dream just to pull this shit. But after awakening? Too busy for vermin like you."

"Awakener? You're an awakener?"

"Nah. Past life."

Moojik stared like Jeonghyeon was nuts, but Jeonghyeon just snickered.

"Whatever. Whine all you want! As long as you bring stones like this!"

"Cool. Then take 15% fee. Current rate's 100k per, but 100% yield's worth double or triple—call it 250k each. 91 stones, calculate exact and wire it. Got it?"

Moojik's face flushed crimson at the rapid-fire demands. He finally snapped.

"You cocky little fuck... Getting bold, huh?! I don't care where you stole 'em! If I shake you down, it all comes out!"

"But this haul? Pretty sweet deal for you too, no?"

"...!"

"Hell, you'd kowtow for it."

Moojik was speechless. Stones like these weren't dumped all at once. 4-5 a week, drip-fed to blacksmiths to hype demand and max profit.

That meant 20 weeks of stats and cash. Prime gig.

Moojik's eyes dropped in defeat.

Jeonghyeon pinched his cheek, dragging it out.

"That's why slimy, quick-witted crooks like you are the best."

Then he showed his true colors.

"Alright. 30% fee, sell 'em however you want. But..."

"But...?"

"Switch rooms with me."

F-grade stone profits were pocket change to Jeonghyeon anyway. He'd trade cash now to avoid that stinking chicken coop where Moojik's stench lingered all day.

That was why he'd sought out the worst officer amid the good ones.

"Room...?"

"Yeah. And I hear you're related to field checkpoint staff?"

"H-how'd you...!"

"You brag about it drunk every night, dumbass."

Jeonghyeon raised a fist, and Moojik flinched back.

The porter-officer dynamic flipped completely.

"Wipe my name and face from the registry. Make sure no one stops me."

"Stops you? Why would they?"

"Dumbass questions. Get me in the field without hunters. Bring all the stones you want then."

Couldn't keep clubbing F-rank hunters forever. Jeonghyeon needed pull to roam solo.

(Sucks using trash like this right now, but...)

What choice? To grow, grab any dirty rope and climb.

"Deal?"

"...Deal!"

Blinded by the sweet stats, Moojik caved.

And the humiliation that night? It'd have him groveling to hunters soon enough.

Back in a decent private room instead of the chicken coop, Jeonghyeon showered leisurely and flopped onto the plush bed.

"AC blasting. Nice. Real nice."

Relaxing melted the fatigue away.

Porter days meant five-minute scrubs in the shitty communal bath. One floor up in officer quarters? A full tub.

"Humans are worse than demons, seriously."

Muttering nonsense, Jeonghyeon cracked open the fridge—once Moojik's—and grabbed a beer.

One cool swig, eyes squeezed shut. "Kya!"

"Man, this taste! Never had it once during the war... Fuck, good. So damn good!!"

This was it. This was life.

Beer in one hand, inventory in the other, half-draped over the bed, he plotted tomorrow.

"Tomorrow... Zzz! Snore! Pffuuu..."

Of course, tomorrow's plans were for tomorrow. National rule.