Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: 2. Occupation
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'Good thing I heard about the title from Young-gi.'
If I had mentioned something like "Betrayer" or "Cowardly Survivor" here, he would've been on guard immediately. But "Brave Survivor" was different. The man relaxed his grip on his spear just a little.
If it had been "Cowardly Survivor", he might've hesitated a bit, but if it was "Betrayer", he would've ignored me without a second thought and added me to his blacklist.
"My name is Kang Mu-han. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Yoo Sung-hoon. So, what's this about?"
"Nothing much. Why don't you join up with us?"
This guy's got some fresh ideas.
The thought of teaming up with someone in this world had never even crossed my mind. There's a saying that gentlemen see only gentlemen in their eyes, and dogs see only dogs. And I had learned that lesson down to my bones. Back in society, I was just a listless young man drifting through life day by day. But since coming here, I'd changed fast.
Everyone around me looked like a murderer. They seemed like the type who'd stab you in the back without hesitation for a single coin, and I was constantly on edge, my head burning from worrying about ambushes or sneak attacks. The very idea of trusting someone else and traveling together felt downright bizarre.
"What do I get out of teaming up?"
"Simple. There are three benefits. First, you'll have reliable comrades. Sure, you'll have a duty to protect them, but in turn, they'll protect you."
"Reliable? I just met you today. What am I supposed to trust?"
"Everyone here ends up forming groups like an army. You think betrayal's possible in that kind of setup?"
Sure, with more people around, it'd be harder to act out of line.
"Second, you'll get financial support. I've already gathered over a hundred people, and we pool all our money together."
"You pool your money?"
"Yeah. It's not easy to even afford meals with what you earn individually. And as you know, the missions aren't a walk in the park. So I decided to invest that money heavily in the strong ones. If you join us now, I can spot you about 10,000 guild."
"Impressive."
With that many people, all kinds of ideas pop up. Pooling even small amounts adds up to a fortune. And they're investing it all in a select few to build them up. A little thought showed it was a pretty enticing offer.
By this city's standards, a meal costs about 20 guild. Lodging is 100 guild. Three meals a day totals 160 guild. For a hundred people, that's 16,000 guild gone. But as I proved on day one earning 70,000 guild, anyone with a bit of sense can scrape that together in a day. Running a guild like this through investments seemed smarter than half-assed mission grinding.
This was the kind of info that stuck to your ribs. While I committed every detail to memory, Mu-han laid out the final third benefit.
"Third and last, you'll have the backing of the strong."
"The strong? Where are they?"
I brought a hand to my forehead, pretending to look around, prodding him a bit, but Mu-han just smiled.
"What's your strength stat?"
"Not telling you."
"Mine's 50. And I've got Low Spear Technique too."
"50?"
The unbelievable number twisted my lips. Even with my job change bonus, my strength hadn't broken 20 yet. I couldn't help but be shocked by someone suddenly revealing over 50.
"Can't believe it? But it's real. These stats are measured against the global average. I'm exactly five times stronger than average."
"What the..."
Mid-sentence, I realized what he meant. People like me—no, the overwhelming majority of the world's ordinary folks—were all around that average. But specialists in any field boast multiples of that. The difference in strength between an average Joe and a world-class powerhouse could be several times over.
Knowledge worked the same way. I'd thought my wisdom of 16 meant I was smart. But anyone who's gone through basic schooling and college would hit around there. Meanwhile, folks scraping by in some African village probably had wisdom scraping the bottom.
What an unfair game.
"Lives in this world come in just two flavors. Yours doubled from one, but earning money got twice as hard, so of course we cherish them. So, what do you say? These terms aren't bad for teaming up, right?"
"Sorry, but I'll pass."
"Why?"
"I prefer going solo."
I figured I'd form alliances once I had a solid footing later. For now, solo play appealed more.
Mu-han eyed Sung-hoon for a moment. Scrawny build, weak-looking face. Looked like he wouldn't last a single blow against Mu-han's spear. But instinct held him back. He wasn't an idiot. Judging by appearances was foolish, especially here. Just moments ago, a frail woman who couldn't swat a bug had lopped off a man's arm like it was nothing.
No point stirring up trouble by pushing it.
"Fine. If you change your mind, come find the Hae Tae Faction. We'll treat you right based on your skills."
Whoosh!
The air-splitting whoosh from a casual spear swing was terrifying. Head-on, I wouldn't last a single exchange before dropping my sword. As Mu-han took the lead, a horde of people followed in his wake.
Should I start my own group?
I mulled it over briefly, but the answer was no. Being a member was fine. But leading one? I knew better than anyone that I didn't have what it took.
After that unexpected encounter, the next stop was the general store. There, Sung-hoon got a brutal lesson in local prices firsthand.
"How much for the lowest-grade poison?"
"500 guild per vial. And the rations you want? About 1,000 guild."
"What the hell, everything's so expensive!"
"Too pricey? Don't buy."
In the Starting Room, twenty vials cost 200 guild each, total 4,000. Here, prices had jumped 2.5 times overnight. Low-grade poison potions? 3,000 guild a pop. Everything else had ballooned several times over, leaving his jaw on the floor.
Only now did he realize how blessed he'd been. Gritting his teeth through the sticker shock, he bought another twenty poison potions and rations. Carefully stowing them in his coat, his thoughts drifted to the Ambush skill book sitting dormant in his inventory.
It was a tutorial quest reward, but somehow he'd never checked it out.
Just 1%? He considered selling it, but learned it anyway. At max proficiency, it'd probably tick up a bit.
"Got materials for trap-setting?"
"Plenty. Lowest-grade mechanisms, fishing line, smoke bombs, hooks—you name it."
"One of each, then..."
"Buying one of everything? Grab the lowest-grade trap set instead. 20,000 guild."
"Just the fishing line and smoke bomb."
His 70,000 guild dwindled to 700 in a flash.
Gotta grind money like crazy.
Just prepping for hunts burned through guild like this. With skills to learn and gear to upgrade ahead, expenses would skyrocket. And the gap between haves and have-nots would only widen.
Weaponless folks probably stuck to pest control, cleaning, or farm work for cash. Even slaving all day might net 1,000 guild. Covering food, shelter, weapons, job change, and skills with that? A month at least. And in a month, he'd be way stronger.
Eying the still-long line, he put off sword repairs and headed to the mission office. Sara greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome, Player! You're an early bird today!"
"Early bird gets the worm, right?"
"Love that saying. So, what mission can I get you?"
"E-grade only. Preferably uncleared first-clears with fat guild rewards."
"Got it. Here's the list."
E and D-grades were worlds apart. He'd gotten stronger with a job, but D was still too much. Even E-grades varied wildly—pest removal was easy mode, wolf hunts top-tier.
The good rewards with low risk were mostly cleared. From here, difficulty would ramp up.
[Sick Orc Hunt]
[Slime Pack Extermination]
[Ratman Removal]
[Goblin Tooth Collection]
[Zombie Repel]
From the decent list, Sung-hoon pondered briefly and picked Sick Orc Hunt. Solid guild, 2 bonus stats. Best of all, he could poison-bait traps for orcs.