More of a Loser Than Me?
Tes-hyung’s curiosity about why the Mir Guild was looking for me made me decide to take action myself.
“From now on, don’t leave Oryukdo Gate alone for a while. You might get kidnapped.”
“Really? Here?”
I had to go catch a leech, and I’d already prepared the Hydra’s heart—the perfect leech bait.
But there was nothing to do about it.
If Tes-hyung said so, then that’s the way it was.
“Just go catch a spider or two and have some fun.”
“But why? Can’t you just grab me and meet me right away?”
“You want me to meet the strongest with this kind of outfit?”
“Why my outfit?”
“There’s a saying: don’t judge people by their appearance. But other people will judge you by yours.”
I looked at my own outfit through Oculus’s eyes.
“Hmm.”
The robe was already tattered, and the bag looked like it might contain something valuable.
It was definitely cool.
“Then what should I do?”
“You say you made a lot of money? That money will just rot away. We need to customize it. Let’s go. Follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
“The Breath of Steel.”
I was already planning to head there anyway.
[Breath of Steel]
Dang-dang—
“Oh, Doosik-gun, you’re here? Heh, looks like you brought a pet.”
“A pet?”
Kim Cheolgeun, the workshop owner, stood up from his seat, unlocked the manager’s office, and scooped up a handful of something.
His large hand pulled out a blue paper that peeked out.
A bribe.
“Tes-hyung, everything going well lately?”
“Nothing? There’s always something happening every single day.”
“Hahaha.”
“Hahaha.”
The two men exchanged bribes and let out somewhat forced hearty laughs.
“By the way, what brings you to this shabby place?”
“I want to entrust some custom work to you. Of course, the cost will be on your end.”
“Customizing Doosik-gun? It’s necessary. But why? Oh, right, right. Doosik-gun was Tess-hyung’s kid, wasn’t he?”
Who is this kid and that kid? Kim Cheolgeun, the workshop owner, was getting close to calling him a pet.
“Ah, that’s just a figure of speech...”
Seeing me uncomfortable, Tes-hyung surprisingly stepped in.
“He’s not a kid. He’s my brother.”
“Oh. I see. Heh heh.”
Brother...
It was oddly pleasant.
But when I looked at the two of them side by side, Kim Cheolgeun really looked much older.
He could easily be ten years older, or even fifteen.
Yet they talked to each other like old friends.
It was strange, but in the hunter world, that was common.
Even if born in the same order, they traveled different roads—because the hunter path had no fixed bottom.
In other words, when someone called you out of your name, it meant: ‘Even though I’m younger now, you might live longer than me?’
The stronger the hunter, the higher the survival probability, and that’s why the phrase ‘level is age’ was born.
After confirming that Tes-hyung wanted to entrust custom work, Kim Cheolgeun stepped closer and started inspecting my physique.
“Let’s see. What’s the concept?”
“My skin is cool-toned, so a bit brighter—blue or white tones...”
In the meantime, Tes-hyung jumped in.
“You sound like a cool-toned stereotype. First, let’s go with a full-face covering helmet. The skeleton concept works, and it’s cool. But if the skull looks plain and boring, it’ll seem weak. Goblin skull? Oni? You know what I mean?”
“No! I’m matching my artifacts! Why are you bringing in your own taste?!”
“My taste? Kid, are you on a blind date? Cool tone is nonsense.”
“Cool tone? You know that’s crossing the line, right?”
“Oh, right, sorry. Sorry.”
“And still, covering the face isn’t exactly right, is it? If my info gets leaked, anyone can figure out my face anyway?”
“So you want me to remove the face?”
“There’s no reason not to, right?”
“Even if you can’t read my face, you still have to face the strongest? Do you have the courage for that?”
I pondered for a moment.
The strongest was a warrior hunter.
One of the top ones.
A bear-like guy with a tough, fierce face.
The moment we met, my neck would shrink and become a giraffe’s.
Tes-hyung was right.
“Boss, please follow Tes-hyung’s advice. But since I care a lot about first impressions, make it a smiling face.”
“A smiling face... okay. Then how about the color palette?”
Kim Cheolgeun asked, and Tes-hyung jumped in again.
“Cool-toned skin, right? Is silver cool-toned too?”
Kim Cheolgeun agreed with Tes-hyung’s words.
They circled me like hyenas, chatting and analyzing every detail.
“Silver is a matte finish, right? No, if it’s matte, it’s gray. Let’s go with a pearl finish. Champagne silver sounds good. Finish it with anodizing. Silver matches well with almost any color, so it’ll be the accent. Doosik, what’s your personal color?”
“Black.”
“Putting a little obsidian point would work.”
Kim Cheolgeun immediately responded to the rough concept.
“Oh? It feels right? I’ve always thought Tes-hyung’s fashion sense was pretty good.”
“Professionals always know instantly.”
“Then the overall concept should be something that feels capable, right?”
“Not too over the top. Otherwise the effect gets diminished.”
“A mysterious figure hidden behind a veil?”
“That’s good.”
They bounced ideas off each other, refining the feeling.
“What about material?”
“I have to consider practicality too. You know Kim boss is a summoner, right? Medium armor isn’t allowed.”
“Then we need to match it with Runelite that’s light and has mana options. But Doosik-gun. What’s your main stat? Unlike items, artifacts can boost specific stats.”
Items usually used multiplication for options. For example, attack power +30%.
But artifacts used addition. Like stat +10.
“Luck.”
“?”
“What?”
My words made Kim Cheolgeun and Tes-hyung, who had been deeply focused, frown.
“Are you crazy?”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Really, it’s luck. I just raise luck.”
“Doosik-gun, I know you’re addicted to synthesis lately, but even so, raising luck just for a tiny bit of gambling probability...”
“What? Gambling? Kim boss, he’s into synthesis now?”
“Brings in tons of junk items and does it every single day.”
“Ha, what a wild bunch. Hey, Lee Doosik, you have to climb step by step in this world. If you rush and make equipment flashy and get hooked on synthesis and ruin it? Then it’ll be hard to recover...”
And on and on.
Kim Cheolgeun nodded silently, arms crossed.
“Think about it? If you farm a rare B-rank item and lose everything to synthesis, you should drop to D-rank, right? Is that satisfying? In the end, you live your whole life on synthesis items, never escape D-rank, get loans, get chased by debt collectors, have your life mortgaged, and become a useless person overnight...”
It sounded terrifying.
There were circumstances, so raising luck made sense.
And I was trying to stay away from gambling.
Just using synthesis on junk items to turn them into new gear.
“But if I raise luck, does the gambling probability go up?”
“You crazy kid.”
Tes-hyung grabbed my ear hard.
“Ouch! Ouch! No, it’s not that. I’m different from normal hunters. I have to raise luck to get strong! For real!”
“Raise luck to get strong? Kim boss, does that ever happen?”
“Hmm... let me think... there are cases. There was a magician with a skill that randomly deals damage. He was all equipped with luck gear. But it’s been a while. I think he’s dead.”
“First time hearing that? You too?”
“It’s similar. Anyway, luck is the most important to me! And MP recovery! Attack power isn’t needed!”
“Recovery? Yeah, that’s one thing, but luck... man.”
“For real. Please raise luck.”
“Alright, Kim boss, do as he wants.”
“Hum... to raise luck stat, I need to combine Emerald Leaf and mana stone powder, so there will be a slight green tint overall.”
“Silver with green... I think it’ll look cool. That should work.”
“What about the weapon too?”
I answered.
“No, this is the weapon.”
I lifted Tigrial’s Bundle.
The seams in the shape of a (-_-) stood out.
A momentary silence fell.
“You crazy kid. Even looking at this, it’s obviously a crazy guy.”
“I agree with that.”
Tsk... he didn’t know anything.
“Then one shield, please. I can carry a shield even if I can’t use the weapon.”
“Carrying a shield and the bundle together? Look at the silhouette. Think carefully. Are you a fashion pervert?”
“Then what do I do?”
“Throw away the bundle.”
“Throw it away?! This is a good item!”
“Ha... a real idiot... Who uses a bundle as a weapon? Are you Santa?”
Tes-hyung, who seemed to have gotten a headache, pressed both temples with one hand.
What should I do?
“Oh, right! Remove the belt. I have one I bought. Wearing this with it will definitely look capable.”
“What is it?”
I showed him the Immortal King’s Throne on my smartphone, with the [Shipping] text.
It arrives tomorrow.
“Pretty cool, right?”
Cocky.
Its own dignity.
▶ [Migrant Stone] Movement speed -100%
▶ [Soul] MP +2,000, MP recovery +500%
▶ [Reflection] HP -70%, no HP recovery
▶ [Emperor] Subordinates’ attack speed and movement speed +50%
“What is this? Is this an item? A chair? Waist worn? Are you sane right now?”
“I agree.”
“No, you don’t even show MP recovery? It’s 500%! Plus 2000 mana! Buff for subordinates too!”
“Hey, then why doesn’t this show? Reflection trait? Just let me die out there? Sit here and cross the river of hell? Ha... fine, I’ll let it slide since you’re a summoner. What is this Migrant Stone? Movement blocked! You can’t even cross the river of hell! You’re stuck! Did you see it properly? Do you have three eyes? All decorations? Where’s the brain?”
“Hyung, talk... and you did see the options, right?”
“Oh, my head. Ha, I can’t understand these kids anymore. What are they even thinking?”
Tes-hyung, stressed, put out a cigarette and left.
Kim Cheolgeun, who had hesitated a moment, followed him.
“Ha, really. This thing is insanely good...”
It was unfair.
* * *
They returned after a long time.
He looked like he smoked at least five cigarettes.
The strong tobacco smell filled the workshop.
Even so, the stress seemed relieved, and his expression had softened a bit.
Kim boss spoke.
“From today, as soon as possible within a week. Sorry, but synthesis will be tough for a while, Doosik-gun.”
“Too bad.”
“Too bad?! I said that. Gambling is... ha, fine, fine. Let’s stop talking.”
Tes-hyung had been fired up, but there was nothing he could do.
“And how about the three part-timers?”
“Of course. Summon them.”
I summoned four, not three.
And the three guys who would work as part-timers plus the veteran Changsik.
“Changsik, handle the handover to these guys. From now on, they’ll work as blacksmith part-timers. Oh, right, and boss, can you give them names? Appropriate names. Just don’t make them too random or meaningless—just like giving a reward.”
“Give names like a reward... heh heh.”
“For example, this friend will become named Changsik, and he really knows how to wield a spear.”
“Wields a spear, so Changsik? Heh heh, I understand.”
“When these guys get names, they might work even better.”
“Oh, so that’s it? If the part-timers work well, of course they have to. Great.”
Kim boss sat at the computer and started drawing blueprints for the artifacts to be made.
AutoCAD, supporting both 2D and 3D design, and Kim boss was clearly skilled.
‘Dad would need to learn this too if he wants to run an interior business.’
I thought I should send my dad to a computer academy.
“Haaam. So is that all done? I’m heading out?”
“You’re going, hyung?”
“Yeah, you pervert.”
“Why the sudden pervert call?”
This hyung sometimes treats me too harshly.
“We decided to call people who customize equipment like you perverts. Going!”
“See you later, Tes-hyung!”
Kim boss didn’t even stand up to greet us, and I walked a bit with Tes-hyung before saying goodbye.
“Hyung! When is the Busan full course?”
“Later. Hyung’s going. Haaam...”
It was late at night.
Tes-hyung walked away without looking back and left the gate.
“Summon.”
Oculus appeared.
“It’s not just about looking capable. I have to become strong too.”
Time is money.
It was a pity I couldn’t catch the leech in Upo Wetland, but I had to catch a spider at least.
Even the loser expeditionary group Louie didn’t catch just spiders up to level 10.
Really. The more I thought about it, the more amazing the person was.
No. A pervert?
‘Yeah, you pervert.’
That was exactly what Tes-hyung had said to me earlier?
Hmm...
Maybe the feeling I had when I saw Louie was similar to what Tes-hyung and Kim boss felt when they looked at me.
I followed the safe route I identified through Oculus’s eyes toward Kalid.
Kaaang— kaaang—
“?”
Familiar sound...
Is someone there?