Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Eye of the Prodigy (2)
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I never imagined I'd achieve something meaningful with such a brute-force method. Sure, I'd stubbornly kept pressing, but I figured the system wasn't some kid's toy—it wouldn't crack just because I mashed the button like a maniac. Who knew "never say never" would bite me like this.
Even fifty hours might've been barely acceptable, but a mere five? Unbelievable.
"What kind of half-assed system is this?"
A voice laced with pure disbelief escaped my lips. The system window still showed "Loading," with a gray circular bar spinning endlessly.
Is this thing pretending to fetch data while screwing with me?
I worried that the moment the update finished, it'd spring a trap and blow up the guild. Second-guessing my stubbornness, I tapped my foot anxiously against the floor, passing the time.
The ticking of the second hand on the wall clock echoed as time dragged on.
One minute.
Two minutes, then three.
After ten agonizing minutes, the endless spinning gray bar and "Loading" text finally vanished.
[The Resistor (?)]
Will you end your life as evil?
- Additional viewing unavailable in current state.
To activate the trait 'The Resistor' or view related info, you need at least one of the following traits:
- Breaker of the Flow
- Supreme Under Heaven
"Ha."
A single exhale carried a whirlwind of emotions.
Absurdity, joy, overwhelming excitement, doubt.
It had been ages since I'd felt so many in such a short span.
Unlike what I'd hoped, I still didn't know what The Resistor was or what power it held. But progress was progress. I'd finally snagged a hint related to the escape route I'd been chasing for so long.
I'd always wondered.
Why my status window was the only weird one. What True Evil of Humanity even meant. If there was any way out of this life.
Trapped in a maze of unanswered questions, I'd circled endlessly. Now, after years of searching, I'd pinpointed where the escape map was hidden.
Awakener traits were usually singular, so context pointed to The Resistor being the polar opposite of True Evil of Humanity. If activated, it might deactivate True Evil of Humanity or weaken the system's oppressive grip on me—even just a little.
Not guaranteed, but solid enough as a hypothesis. The system blocking activation and info access was proof.
Savoring the rare thrill only briefly, Sa-yoon snapped back to cold rationality, staring at the blue window, deep in thought.
Finding the end of the thread didn't untangle the knot. This was just the start, so his pale fingers drummed his elbow. His mind raced.
"The problem is how the hell do I find it."
The only way to check traits was via status windows.
An obvious fact, but crucial: no one could view another's status window. Even if someone opened theirs, it wasn't public. If it were, others could see mine too.
The system was designed to show only to designated users, so status windows following suit was no surprise.
Why of all things did it have to be traits?
Hunters hated sharing traits most. Selfish bastards or psychopaths—traits laid bare true natures. Consensus in hunter circles: keep traits secret.
Imagine a sharp-looking stranger extending a hand: "Hi, my trait's Psychopath." Everyone would bolt.
Even with Night Rat holding the world's intel, traits were limited to sorted interview scraps—often fabricated, unreliable.
"Maybe drag in a lie detection skill holder."
Seemed safest. Line up hunters before a detector and ask, "Trait Breaker of the Flow or Supreme Under Heaven?"
But Night Rat's lie detector died in a gate two weeks ago. Kidnapping global hunters? Word would spread about my hunt, secrecy be damned. Every option screamed headache. Sa-yoon scowled.
Screw it, just slap a bounty on it?
Brutish, simple, effective. Other guilds might snag the target, but crush them later.
Money piled high—perfect for this. As he mulled splashing cash, the sidelined status window caught his eye. Like The Resistor, an unopened skill entry beckoned. He tapped his chin.
No public lists mentioned unopened skills. Unique to his window, intriguing. Then, a system phrase resurfaced.
'True Evil of Humanity does not see ordinary status windows.'
Fitted perfectly now. Eyes narrowing, Sa-yoon scanned the skill list.
Definitely not ordinary.
L-grade. No joke. In an era where two SS skills landed world rankings, L-grade was unheard of—even in Night Rat intel.
Awakener instinct or info lord occupational hazard? Calming his pounding heart, Sa-yoon checked the unopened skill.
[Eye of the Prodigy (L)]
- View others' status windows. Details available upon opening.
* Unopened: View only own growth limits & unopened skills.
Speechless.
Gulp. A swallow echoed rawly, followed by a hollow chuckle.
Not just status windows—unopened skills too.
Jackpot.
L-grade lived up to hype. Sa-yoon boasted top skills, but this was leagues above. Wouldn't blink at Jinhyun's 'Martial Reconstruction' or Greina's 'Future Sight'.
Hand it free? Bow and gobble. Perfect timing too—hunting specific traits meant peeking status windows. Gods finally blessing me?
Forgotting system gifts were 100% traps, Sa-yoon hit acquire. Face hardened instantly.
"...What?"
That bubbly emoticon clashed with the number. Joy faded from his eyes.
One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand... Fingers tracing zeros, he counted thrice aloud. No mistake.
One million.
One million Karma to unlock.
Not even a hundred thousand. Karma? Vague, but his savings? Doubtful. Gained plenty, spent plenty.
Stomach churning, Sa-yoon checked his karma tally.
Karma: 999,789
Luckily shy of a million by 300—pocket change. Relief.
But post-unlock? Broke.
Ignored it before—no use. Now? Vital. Should've listened when system said True Evil tweaks infamy—do good deeds to lower it.
No karma sinks then, ignored infamy penalties. Past choices haunting now.
Listen to system, get rich in sleep? Denied. Scoffing, he checked karma info—the wildcard.
[Karma] Metric of committed evils. Collect to acquire various rewards.
- Consume 10,000,000 Karma to open 'Karma Shop'.
Intriguing till "various rewards," then typical. Quietly, Sa-yoon hit Eye of the Prodigy acquire.
1,000,000 Karma.
Checked karma info again.
10,000,000 Karma.
One more zero. Eyes fine—confirmed.
Recounting like a non-Night Rat Leader, Sa-yoon scowled.
"Goddamn system."
Godhood requirements? Sell your soul.
Else, no explaining the thug tactics. Even shady Fox Guild played cleaner. Spitting curses, Sa-yoon massaged his temples.
Unlock Eye, start from zero. When to scrape ten million again? Headache already.