Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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I've always wondered about it.
Why do protagonists in comics and novels always take the hard road when the easy path is right there?
If they have a burning goal they absolutely must achieve, shouldn't they use any means necessary?
Desperate people don't care about getting their hands dirty, after all.
And the same went for games.
Agas, the virtual reality game that launched not long ago.
Built on cutting-edge technology, Agas quickly gained worldwide acclaim and sparked a massive craze among gamers.
Not only was it fun, but you could make serious money too—which is why Yoo Seokwoo, like so many others, jumped in for the cash.
Talent?
He had it in spades.
Greed?
Obviously.
So selfishness was inevitable.
Even so, at first, Seokwoo followed the crowd: hunting, quests, rinse and repeat.
Why?
Because that was the meta.
Thus began the tedious grind.
The meaningless hours piling up.
Seokwoo started to question it all.
Growth in the game.
High earnings.
Fame.
Recognition.
Everyone wanted the same things, so why make it so damn hard?
If you had talent.
If you wanted to get strong.
If there was something you craved...
'Just steal it from someone else.'
The moment it hit him, Seokwoo stopped mimicking the herd.
If playing the good guy meant constant losses, he'd become the villain instead.
Exploiting idiots, killing them, taking their stuff—proper gains, that was the way.
From then on, he held nothing back.
PK.
Teamkills.
Steals.
Every dirty trick in the book to snatch gear and level up.
Penalties?
Sure, there were some.
A lot, actually.
Hunted for life was standard.
Lost most functions in the game and turned the entire continent against him.
One death, and poof—almost everything gone.
Maybe that's why most players shied away from PK.
But Luke was different.
High rewards made those penalties worth it.
Why?
He had the talent and skills to back it up.
He was confident he'd never get caught, so he could piss off the whole world and keep committing crimes.
Criticism?
Tons of it, but he just scoffed.
'Illegal? Morals? Why sweat that here? It's a game. The devs made it this way—only idiots don't play it. Jealous? Go do it yourselves.'
That's what he'd say.
Two years later.
Deep in some mountain.
"W-Why are you doing this to me?!"
A man with a deep gash collapsed, screaming.
The black-haired man standing opposite sighed and approached.
"Hah, you bastard. You know damn well why."
"...You fucking trash. Don't ruin the game like this!"
"Fine by me."
The black-haired man, hooded and masked, replied.
"Love it, actually. What could be easier? Kill one player, score items and EXP instantly. Jackpot, right?"
Yep.
This was PK—Player Killing.
The worst kind: preying on weaker players.
"You types always misunderstand one thing."
"What?"
"That the strongest guy makes the most money. Sure, that's partly true. OP enough, you can solo and hog everything. But there's an easier, bigger payday. Know what it is?"
His lips split into a grin.
"Stealing from others."
Kill 'em and take their shit.
Infamy penalties sucked, but with talent, you could tank it.
"Right? Why grind forever when you can kill grinders and loot? Beats me why everyone detours."
"...Bullshit."
"Huh?"
"I said bullshit!"
The fallen player screamed in outrage.
"Damn it, if you're so hot shit, go hunt real pros! Why pick on trash like me?!"
"What kinda stupid question is that?"
"What's stupid..."
Psshk!
"I told you from the start."
The black-haired man cut him off, stabbing his throat with the blade.
Then smirked down at the player whose HP hit zero.
"One kill, instant items and EXP. Better than dozens of mobs, you moron."
Agas.
The VR game the whole world was obsessed with.
Genre: RPG.
Setting: Fantasy.
Unmatched freedom and a vast world.
It hooked global gamers overnight, turning operator Rover Company into a powerhouse.
Now boasting millions concurrent...
One player had ascended to the ranks of history's worst.
'Worst Criminal in History?'
The black-haired man—Luke—scooped up the dropped items, then looked up.
'What, for this? Doesn't feel like I've killed that many. Maybe 100k? Huh, more than I thought.'
Two years of nonstop dirty play—numbers like that were par for the course.
From lowbie newbies.
To top-ranked whales.
He killed without discrimination.
His infamy was legendary worldwide.
Plus killer gear stolen along the way—no top ranker dared touch him now.
'Whatever.'
Luke shrugged and checked the achievement.
'Whoa, nice.'
Achievements were rare.
This was his first real one—and it dropped god-tier options.
100% more damage to humans.
Top-shelf for Luke.
Double damage on players? Yes please.
'Worth being history's worst. Now...'
Luke pulled up his status.
Job: Shadow Assassin, top thief class.
Level 354 already.
Faith in the negatives—over a thousand deficit.
The epitome of history's worst criminal.
'Fits perfect.'
He smirked to himself briefly.
Then scanned the surroundings sharply.
'No witnesses. Victim was in combat, no screenshots. ...Good, clean kill.'
They'd chatted, but he always voice-modded low in-game.
Hide the real voice.
Just erase tracks and bounce.
Could sneak into town and vend, but hunting fresh prey elsewhere wasn't bad either.
So he turned leisurely.
The late ping forced him alert.
'Now?'
In these deserted mountains?
'Not random... Bounty hunter, then?'
His crimes had bounties now.
From small cities.
To kingdoms.
Empires.
Wanted across the continent.
'Hide first.'
Shh!
His form vanished.
At the same time, a black-haired man emerged from the bushes.
Droopy eyes.
Expression screaming "too much hassle."
And a long scabbard at his waist.
Alias: Gu Hwi.
New name to him.
'Face looks unfamiliar—not famous...'
Could be unranked.
Luke didn't rule it out.
Checked gear as usual.
'Cloth training robe, long sword only. Gear looks trash overall. Tempting...'
Normally: free lunch, charge.
But something felt off.
'Gut says no?'
His instincts screamed: don't touch.
'Plenty of fish anyway.'
So he slipped away quietly.
"Ah, found you."
But then.
'What?'
Why'd stealth break?
No clue.
Only certainty: his body splitting in two.
You have died!
And that he'd died for the first time. That's all.