Chapter 2
Chapter 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Fuck!"
A capsule hotel somewhere in Seoul.
The young man who emerged from the capsule suddenly spat out a curse.
Slightly curly hair.
Distinct facial features.
A lean build.
That young man's name was Yoo Seokwoo.
A 26-year-old dark gamer in Agas.
"H-Hyung? What happened?"
"Haa, haa."
"Seokwoo-hyung?"
Park Jonghyuk, the capsule hotel part-timer.
He came scurrying out from the counter and asked.
Seokwoo quickly came to his senses and replied.
"Tch, it's nothing."
"Ah, you scared me. I thought something happened again."
"What would've happened..."
Seokwoo brushed it off vaguely and headed into the break room.
Hiss, sizzle!
No way. Yeah, it can't be. There's no way I actually died, right? Nah, I must've seen wrong.
Even as he tried to deny it desperately, his hand holding the cigarette trembled.
Fucking hell.
How much was that character worth?
The items inside it alone were worth a fortune—how could he let himself die?
And right after becoming the Worst Criminal in History, no less?
It was ridiculous.
Really.
Ridiculous...
Damn it.
Not ridiculous at all.
He'd seen the death message with his own eyes.
At that realization, Seokwoo finally hung his head.
...That bastard.
Gu Hwi.
He was the only prime suspect.
What the hell? Is he using hacks or something? How does a level 300+ player get cut in half in one hit? And how did he pinpoint my stealth position?!
Questions everywhere.
On the surface, he just looked like a scrub player.
Yet Seokwoo had been sliced apart by that one cheap-looking sword.
A complete reversal.
Probably the biggest twist of the year for Seokwoo.
Not a top 100 ranker.
Why?
Because he knew all their aliases and faces.
But he killed me, so his skill is on par with them. No, better—an unofficial ranker.
Then what was his goal?
Obvious.
The bounty.
There was no personal grudge or bad blood.
"...Aaaah, fuck. Seokwoo, who gives a shit about that now! My character's dead!"
That's right.
The most important thing was that he had died.
Infamy at 1 million.
Even 100+ made you a murderer with penalties—how much worse for the Worst Criminal in History?
Ughhh, my precious items...
Level drop was bad, but the dropped items hurt most.
If he'd sold them off in advance, he wouldn't be tearing his hair out like this.
Seokwoo regretted that most, but it was too late.
Sizzle...
...Alright, log back in tomorrow. It's not completely over yet, right?
Seokwoo stubbed out his cigarette and steeled his eyes.
According to the message, he was imprisoned in Sentinel, the empire's capital.
So there was still hope.
In reality, money ruled.
And Agas was no different.
He could hire top lawyers through brokers or bribe judges—plenty of ways.
Money fixes everything.
Seokwoo believed that without a doubt.
Yeah, with money, somehow...
He'd believed it would work out somehow.
Believed it without a doubt, but how did it come to this?
Luke couldn't comprehend being slapped with life imprisonment out of nowhere.
Grab!
He was just dazed as the guards seized him and dragged him to the top of the grand prison.
"Since the empire was founded, you're only the second to be locked here, you demon in human skin. Don't even dream of escaping."
The warden side-eyed him with a stern face.
Sentinel grand prison, designed like a tower.
Its height easily surpassed 100 meters.
Whoooosh.
Wind blew up from below.
Looking down made his heart sink.
High.
So high that people on the streets looked like dots.
Only one path downward.
But even that was guarded four layers deep by jailers and soldiers.
"Atone there for life!"
Creeeeak!
The iron door slammed shut.
Pitch-black darkness and long silence followed.
...'.
Dark.
And eerily quiet.
Only faint light beams from ceiling holes.
No meals or slits in the door.
"Ha."
So Luke laughed.
"Hahaha."
Dazedly.
Without meaning.
Just kept laughing.
"Ahahaha!"
He had to laugh.
The 24-hour login ban after death ended, he logged in—and boom, life sentence.
Without even a proper trial.
"You fucking bastards!"
Luke finally exploded.
"At least give me a trial, damn it?!"
Human rights?
Protection?
He didn't expect those.
But life sentence just like that?
Dragging him away out of the blue?
Ridiculous.
"Haa, haa!"
Thud!
Exhausted, Luke collapsed to the floor.
"...What the hell?"
Drained.
Just a little outburst, and his body was spent.
"Even with the level drop, my stamina shouldn't suck this bad..."
Uneasy, Luke hurriedly opened his status window.
Gah?!
His eyes trembled.
Wondering if he'd misread, he rubbed them—but same.
Level 1.
Stats at 1.
Everything 1 except Infamy and Faith.
...No way?!
Skills and items too?
...'.
Spot on.
Gone.
Skills.
Items.
All vanished.
Late to notice these messages.
His eyes trembled.
Th-The warehouse items too...?
His last hope was the warehouse.
Wealth hoarded visiting lawless cities criminals frequented.
Luke's real assets, saved to sell at peak prices.
But the empire took even that.
As if he had stolen from others.
"Y-You..."
Of course, for Luke.
"You crazy fuckeeeeers—!"
His eyes rolled back.
Karma, maybe.
Payback for toxic play and mindless killing.
Finally paying the price.
Life in prison to atone...
Yeah, right.
Luke looked up.
Regret?
Never.
He just made money his way.
The game was built for it—not exploiting that was stupid.
Haa, doesn't change that I'm screwed...
Yeah.
Beginner days aside, he was a dark gamer now.
Of course this mess hurt.
Ughhh, all that was worth how much!
Money was key.
Level 354 high ranker character.
Cash and items piled up.
Value in real money? Massive.
Fuck, at least with capital I could delude myself and level a new char.
But all gone—Luke tore at his hair.
Who the hell is that guy anyway?
Gu Hwi.
All his fault.
If not for him.
No, questioning that is weird too. Who knew he'd be a monster? Stealth detection, fine—but how does a high ranker drop in one hit?
And the empire's fishy too.
Continent's core empire.
Ruin.
Why not announce capturing him continent-wide?
Publicizing it would've glorified them.
Instead, hiding it.
Info blackout.
Even cover-up.
News not spreading yet? Proof.
And how'd they confiscate my warehouse?
Leak somewhere?
Not just one lawless city, yet they pinpointed his and seized.
NPCs interfering with player storage? First time learning, with the sentence.
Not even mentioning Gu Hwi. What deals? Or he asked them not to? No, empire wouldn't accept that.
Mystery.
Just chaos.
"What a clusterfuck."
Luke gave up.
"Ah, whatever. Quit the game or something. This stress'll make me bald."
Spit in anger, but no better money-maker.
So he tried logging out to cool off.
Clink!
Hm?
Sudden tactile sensation—head turned.
What's this?
Too dark.
Brought it to faint light.
Soon, shape emerged in dark.
Bone?
A bone.
Pristine white skeleton piece.
"Uwak?!"
Startled, Luke fell on his ass.
Human bone in solitary cell out of nowhere.
What now?
Then.
"Since the empire was founded, you're only the second to be locked here, you demon in human skin. Don't even dream of escaping."
Warden's words flashed.
Second?
Prior prisoner before him.
Even the Worst Criminal got life atop this tower?
"Fuck, for real?"
Visible.
Pristine white skeleton.
Almost intact.
"What crime landed this guy here? I didn't even know Sentinel had a solo cell at the top."
Life sentence first for players, sure.
"Here..."
Luke brushed rags off skeleton.
Full skeleton revealed.
Leaned against wall, starved?
Shape suggested it.
Hm?
Then.
Worn paper bundle amid bones.
Looked like diary.
Grabbed it.
Night King?
Not just a diary.