Chapter 4

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 4

Chapter Title: Rift

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Before checking out the [All Things Shop].

I'd been entranced, stuffing this and that into my inventory, until I finally snapped out of it.

Once I learned that time didn't pass for items stored in the inventory, I tossed most of my stuff ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in there.

Before I knew it, the house felt completely empty.

'Pretty clean?'

It wasn't a bad thing at all. With all the clutter gone, my cramped studio apartment felt a little more spacious.

After finishing my experiments with the inventory, I remembered the next thing to check.

There had definitely been a message yesterday about the [All Things Shop] opening.

'Shop.'

With a bizarre roar, my cramped studio expanded in an instant. The sight of my surroundings stretching out endlessly was enough to make me nauseous.

I blinked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without thinking.

Flash!

"Huh...?"

A vast universe unfolded before my eyes. Star clusters twinkled everywhere the eye could see.

I belatedly closed my gaping mouth and looked around. It felt like I was floating aimlessly in space. Countless stars glittered from every direction.

'This is...?'

I flinched upon closer inspection. The moment I realized what the starlight really was, goosebumps rose on my skin. They were all individual items.

From golden liquids bottled in glass to weapons radiating a chilling aura.

Dazzlingly beautiful.

Countless items scattered across an infinite universe... I vaguely grasped the potential of my own superpower.

"...Anyway. 90% discount only for this entry?"

I immediately checked my current Karma. The [All Things Shop]'s currency was Karma.

I had no real sense of how much that was. As I narrowed my eyes in thought,

I absentmindedly picked up an item floating in the void.

"Huh!"

Si-woo's eyes went wide. It was a simple description, but that made it all the more incredible.

A miraculous panacea that could cure any ailment. An unbelievably valuable treasure.

If I sold it, I could get tens or hundreds of billions of won for it. If it found the right buyer, I was confident it'd fetch over a trillion.

'Of course, I've got no plans to do that.'

A treasure like this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would only bring disaster to someone without the power to protect it.

Gazing at the Elixir, I thought to myself.

'An item like this for 5,000 Karma...'

Getting 1,500 Karma all at once must have been incredibly lucky.

Plop.

I reluctantly set the Elixir down for now and pondered what to buy. I wanted to make the most of this 90% discount opportunity.

'Skills too?'

I wanted something permanent, not a one-use consumable—something to fundamentally boost my power.

A parchment unrolled before my eyes with a rustle.

Tempting choices that made me want to buy them on the spot.

"Whew..."

With 1,526 Karma, after the discount I could afford up to something worth 15,000.

I pushed aside the tantalizing [High-Grade Martial Bone] shimmering before me and thought it over.

'What I need most right now...'

Scanning through the multitude of skills, I realized what I had to get. Even after thinking it through calmly, my decision didn't change.

'A mental resistance skill. 15,000 Karma or less.'

Linking to the life of a child not even ten years old had altered my personality. I couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen again, so mental protection was the top priority.

In other reincarnations, dying carried no major risk anyway... Even reconsidering, it was still a mental resistance skill.

Simple description, but it suited me perfectly. And a 'Special Price'? It felt like the [All Things Shop] itself was recommending it.

'What's the original price on this?'

It looked like an insanely expensive skill, yet they were selling it for 15,000 Karma.

"Wow... what a steal."

I couldn't help whistling in amazement.

I could snag an essential skill right from the start. Talk about lucky. For a moment, I even felt grateful to that Sword Phoenix kid or whatever.

I bought it immediately.

My head felt refreshed. The oppressive feeling from all the surrounding starlight was gone.

It felt as comfortable as being back in my own home.

'Nice.'

With the remaining 26 Karma, I bought an Iron Sword and a Lowest Potion.

The moment I decided to leave the shop,

the endlessly expanding universe contracted in an instant. Countless starlights converged into a single point.

I watched the spectacle, entranced. At some point, I realized I was back in my house.

"Ah."

Even after witnessing such a majestic sight up close, I felt no dizziness.

My mind was perfectly clear—proof that [Mental Protection] was quite effective.

The corners of my mouth turned up on their own. To achieve this much in just one day after awakening... I was so excited for what lay ahead that my stomach was already full at the thought.

*

720,000 won.

I stared at my bank balance, deep in thought. After paying rent, I'd have practically nothing left.

'Gotta make some money first...'

Having sunk my entire fortune into gear, I was already fretting over living expenses.

Hunters' ways of making money were obvious. Most of an Awakener's income came from rifts.

'Let's hit a rift today.'

And beyond the money, there was another reason I had to go.

The memories of that third-rate hunter Park ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jin-su, gained as a quest reward from my awakening. Roughly 20 hours remained on them.

Despite the 'third-rate' label, Park Jin-su had been a pretty skilled monster hunter. It'd be a waste to let that slip away.

I searched for rifts using the Hunter Association app they provided. I found just the right one.

'Extra-small F-rank rift... perfect.'

Everything from the location to the scale suited me.

It was about 30 minutes away by taxi, and being extra-small meant I could clear it solo.

Even an unawakened civilian could clear the lowest-grade rifts with proper training and gear.

For someone like me, whose body was reinforced by mana, it was a given.

No reason to hesitate. I geared up and headed out.

*

Si-woo narrowed his eyes.

A distorted shape loomed a few steps ahead.

Empty air had shattered like a broken glass window, cracks spiderwebbing out from the center where a circular portal shimmered faintly.

This was a rift.

A dangerous place teeming with monsters brimming with infinite hostility toward humans.

Hunters had good reason to venture into these perilous rifts. If left alone, the monsters trapped inside would pour into reality. That was called dimensional erosion, and rifts had to be cleared before it could happen.

'Whew.'

It was my first time entering solo, so I felt a slight tension. I loosened my stiffened body and reviewed how to resolve a rift.

Destroy the rift core or kill the boss monster.

'Wonder what monsters are in this one.'

A natural curiosity. Byproducts varied by monster type in a rift, which meant varying profits.

Crack.

Stretching while imagining what might come out eased my tension.

I nodded and approached the rift.

That's when a man bent at the waist in greeting. He was a low-level Association employee, a non-Awakener civilian.

"Hello. Are you Hunter Choi Si-woo?"

"Yes, that's me."

I returned the greeting and handed over my Awakener registration card.

Beep!

The employee scanned it with his device and spoke up.

"But... you're going in solo? Records show it's your first time. Want me to match you with a party?"

The employee hesitated a bit before speaking. His tone was cautious, likely due to dealing with so many foul-tempered hunters.

He seemed worried because rookie hunters who awakened recently often charged into rifts fearlessly and ended up as corpses.

'Haven't seen someone this nice in a while.'

There were plenty of Association staff on the take, but this kind of kindness?

Si-woo smirked and waved it off.

"I'm good. I've been a porter for three years. Not my first rift."

"Ah...! Sorry. I overstepped. Good luck, then."

"No worries. Take care."

Seeing the employee's face brighten, I could guess what he was thinking.

'Even a porter with three years under their belt should at least be able to run if things go south.'

It was plain on his face.

I left the employee behind and stood before the rift. During a final gear check, I paused.

Suddenly, I grew concerned about the sword I'd bought at the shop.

'Can this sword even enter the rift?'

If it wasn't made from materials sourced inside a rift, it couldn't go in. It'd just drop out at the entrance. That's why rift-compatible gear was so pricey—even basic cloth clothes cost tens or hundreds of thousands of won.

'Better test it.'

I still had my old porter iron sword in the inventory, so I went ahead and entered.

Flash!

I dropped into a low stance, sword pointed forward. Fortunately, the sword remained firmly in my grip. Items from the [Shop] could be used inside rifts.

'Forest terrain.'

I reflexively scanned my surroundings but spotted no immediate threats.

Shing.

I carefully sheathed my sword.

I recalled what I'd learned at the academy.

'F-rank rift with forest terrain... probably wolf-type beasts or goblins.'

I marked a nearby tree and headed south.

Time to scout the area.