Absolute Confiscation Activates
Absolute Confiscation
Orphan. Unloved child. Tail-end labels that clung to my life like a curse.
Let's come up with a fitting title for it.
'Abandoned All Alone.'
'Orphan Mistaken for Half-Breed.'
Something like that would suit it.
The real kicker came when I started developing a bit of a brain.
On the dawn of my middle school entrance ceremony, the world went straight to hell.
An unannounced S-rank dungeon break erupted in China. Over a billion people lost their lives.
In the ensuing global chaos, neighboring Korea took a massive hit too.
The orphanage I was in crumbled right along with it. With funding cut off, it couldn't even maintain the bare minimum and shut down in less than a month.
Kids dreaming of ordinary tomorrows were tossed out onto the streets without warning.
We had only two choices.
Cling to someone, or grit our teeth and climb up no matter what.
We chose to cling.
Even if we weren't treated like humans sometimes, at least we wouldn't starve to death.
And so my adolescence began at the bottom of the dungeons.
Looking back over the years. Five years in illegal mining pits as a kid. Five more after becoming an adult, signing labor contracts.
I've scraped by for ten years, racking my brains every step of the way.
And today. Picking up mana stones in a cleared dungeon.
This place is top-tier in Korea. The Myth Guild's mining site.
Every day is the same. Head out on shift.
"Hey, you fuck! There's a line of people waiting to do your job!"
"Fucking whiner? Don't come tomorrow."
Dungeons are everyday life like this. Joints aching, crawling around collecting mana stones. Just a fucked-up hamster wheel.
"Tch…"
I sliced my finger on a mana stone fragment while grabbing it.
As I casually wiped the blood on my pant leg,
"Baek Sa-eon."
Here she comes.
"Your work pace is sorely lacking."
She picked up a mana stone with her long, slender fingers and tossed it in front of my face. It rolled away.
Fucking hell to make a living. Gotta endure. To put food in my mouth, I have to bow my head and shut up.
'Just do the job.'
I didn't even lift my head out of habit, and retaliation came without warning or blinker.
Crunch—!
"If turbidity coats the mana stone, that's a problem."
This crazy bitch…
The toe of her black combat boot ground into my finger.
Through the shoe pressing on my crushed finger, I felt the unique body heat of a fire hunter.
"Sorry. Team leader…"
"Say it with my name."
"Sorry… Team Leader Cha Do-yeon."
Cha Do-yeon. The Myth Guild chairman's youngest daughter.
Expensive perfume piercing through the sulfur stench.
Spotless, gleaming combat boots.
All a mismatch for the mining site.
Beyond the dim surroundings, Cha Do-yeon's face came into view. I'd seen that expression somewhere before. Yeah, she doesn't even see me as human.
Just like a kid innocently squashing a bug.
Maybe my reaction was too lukewarm? The air around us heated up.
My eyes naturally went to Cha Do-yeon's hand.
The rare A-rank skill, Crimson Flame.
It was her talent, awakened in resonance with Guild Chairman Cha Tae-yoon's skill, Heavenly Flower.
Talent straight from heaven, alright.
But Cha Do-yeon had never stood on a real battlefield.
To secure a safe, flawless inheritance of power?
All she did was play with fireworks in verified zones and act like a queen.
Halfway through the raid, Cha Do-yeon threw four more tantrums.
Ammo crate too light. Mana stone grade too low.
The third was outright reckless. Expanding work range beyond safe routes.
The last had no basis at all.
Behind team members battling a goblin horde, I was silently sorting high-quality mana stones.
Thud—!
Crash—!
The ammo crate next to me burst from her kick.
Mana stone fragments scattered everywhere.
"Oops. Tripped over it."
Cha Do-yeon maintained her elegance throughout.
"Pick them up again. Sorting rejects is part of the job anyway. Unawakened like you have to hustle your body to earn your keep, right?"
Has that woman ever gotten angry even once?
"Understood, Team Leader Cha Do-yeon."
This is reality. I always reminded myself that.
"Hoo…"
Without changing expression, I gathered the scattered pieces from the floor.
The team members not sparing a glance wasn't cowardice.
Myth Guild Charter Article 3. 'In emergencies, follow the raid leader's judgment.'
With Cha Do-yeon as leader, unawakened were just legal expendables here.
Speak up, and your name vanishes from the next shift.
"Huh?"
"Those Hunter Association fuckers…! It was demoted to D-rank!!!"
Death Knight…? An entity that shouldn't appear in safe zones.
That bastard popping up here was definitely because someone poked outside the route.
Boom—!
A vibration tearing through the silence climbed up my soles.
Team members drew weapons in unison.
Kaboom!
"Argh!"
The power gap was overwhelming. Standoff lasted only a moment.
No one could escape before someone became bait.
Team members backed away, but surprisingly, Cha Do-yeon stayed put.
At least she has a shred of responsibility?
I thought that for a second, but it was way off.
Cha Do-yeon extended her hand toward the Death Knight. Crimson Flame targeted its breastplate.
Fwoosh—!
But the flames slid harmlessly over the armor and scattered. Not a scratch.
"…Not working?"
Her eyes darted as her weapon failed. Predictable.
Her gaze shifted from the Death Knight to me.
"Our dear Sa-eon."
'Our dear Sa-eon'?
A bad premonition hit.
"Myth Guild Charter Article 3. In emergencies, follow the raid leader's judgment. Remember?"
"You…"
"Draw the Death Knight's attention. Lure it to the opposite side, and it'll split its focus so I and the team can secure an escape route."
Her words dripped malice. Plain speak: You be the bait and die.
Thud.
The Death Knight advanced a step.
"Compensation at max guild rate. Funeral handled fully under Myth Guild name. As an orphan, we'll donate the rest wherever you want."
No escape. Death sentence.
Even in death, I'll scar that pretty face. I gripped a blunt mana stone tight.
But Cha Do-yeon had already sensed it.
"Aww. Struggling to live is just ugly."
Fwoosh!
"Ugh!"
Needle-like flames grazed my finger.
My last weapon, the mana stone, fell limply and rolled away.
A childish memory in my heart asked me.
'So what can you do right now?'
…Fuck. Can't argue. Nothing left.
Just die like this? Live as a part, die as bait, pathetically?
"Which part should I burn? I think legs would be good."
Cha Do-yeon finished her soliloquy, her Crimson Flame intensifying.
Facing encroaching death, a laugh burst out unbidden.
"Ha… haha… hahaha."
Her face crumpled in confusion.
"This situation funny? Can't grasp reality?"
"Hunter Cha Do-yeon."
Her pupils shook. If I'm going, leave a parting curse.
A good line came to mind. I recited it.
"I hope you fail to escape and crawl to your death."
Curse hits hard. Look at her trembling. Nothing better.
She withdrew the flames briefly, picked up a sword discarded by a team member.
No more delay. She enchanted the blade with fire.
"Creepy fuck…!"
Whoosh—!
Not aiming to kill quick. That arc lands on my thigh.
Cripple the legs so I can't flee, watch me die half-broken.
No dodge. Guaranteed hit.
Last sight: Cha Do-yeon's face, pretending nobility.
Thrill of toying with another's life gleamed there now.
Shame. Wanted to see her beg and cry.
Just before the sword pierced my leg, my senses pierced through.
Beeeep—
A sound like an old PC booting. Too frivolous for a life flash.
Suddenly, a shrill alert blared in my ears.
Rebooting system for missing user ‘Baek Sa-eon’.
…What? Of all times, now. Right before my leg flies off—
Clear killing intent toward user detected.
Absolute Confiscation
Target 'Cha Do-yeon''s unique skill Crimson Flame (A-rank) and Mana Core (C-rank) seized.
….
Unfamiliar messages scrolled before my eyes in sequence.
Unknown powers seeped into my body one after another.
Everything was bewildering, but a clear voice rang out. Somehow, I knew its owner was the system.
'Confiscate the talents of those who touched you.'
…Yeah. That's exactly what I want. I'll gladly use your power.
[YES / NO]
Of course. No hesitation.
Cha Do-yeon, I'll strip every shred of talent you've blindly worshipped.
I reached toward the flickering status window right in front of me.
And mashed the button like grinding it in.
Click.