Chapter 16
Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: 6. Golden Rain (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘There really was something to it.’
Young-woo stared at the newly appeared trophy icon in the corner of his vision.
The icon immediately flashed, filling his entire field of view with golden light.
“Huh?”
「Welcome to the Achievements, Jeong Young-woo07!」
「Change the world through achievement completion and become a great one.」
‘Change the world… what? Become a great one?’
Feeling awkward at the grandiose welcome message, Young-woo examined the achievement window that followed.
Flash!
But unlike the previous message, the nuance of the first line was…
〔Your achievement alignment is “Blockhead.”〕
||Completed Achievements: 1
|The One Who Calls the Golden Rain [Legend] - First
“Uh…?”
Young-woo doubted his eyes.
At the very top of the solemn-looking achievement interface was the word ‘Blockhead.’
‘Me, a Blockhead? Who decided that?’
While Young-woo fumed at the achievement window, recommended achievements appeared below.
They were probably achievements recommended for a ‘Blockhead.’
〈Recommended Achievements〉
[Golden Platform]
|Call the Golden Rain in two or more regions. (1/2)
[Special Social Worker]
|Send a mutant back alive.
[Jeweler’s Touch]
|Equip two or more Hero-grade or higher rings on your index and ring fingers. (1/4)
[Perfect Orphan]
|Find and eliminate your parents. (1/2)
Young-woo flinched at the final item as he read down the recommended achievements.
Not only was the content to find and eliminate his parents, but the progress was also meaningful.
‘1/2…?’
From the context, it meant only one parent was still alive.
In other words, whether ‘father’ or ‘mother,’ it was an order to track down and remove the last remaining root.
‘The more I learn, the more this world is a dog-eat-dog place.’
The very fact that such a mission was included in achievements was nonsense.
Just moments ago, hadn’t it said to become a great one through achievement completion?
‘Well, they’re just recommendations, so I don’t have to complete them.’
Since no other achievements were visible besides the recommended ones, the rest seemed to be hidden.
‘Alright, next.’
As Young-woo wished to see if there was anything else, the achievement list automatically scrolled up to show the next screen.
「You have 2 unclaimed achievement rewards.」
「Golden Flash」 - Legendary Gauntlets
【Steal 50% of enemy senses during combat.】
【Cumulative Golden Rain: 1】
*Perk of ‘The One Who Calls the Golden Rain.’
「Stealth Mark」 - Relic Tattoo
【You can conceal your title.】
*Obtained through achievement unlock.
‘Legendary Gauntlets…’
Even Young-woo, who didn’t know this world’s equipment grade system, could tell they were incredibly good.
Stealing 50% of the enemy’s senses was an absurd effect.
‘So if the opponent’s sense stat is 1,000, I take 500?’
On top of that, ‘steal’ meant taking it away, so if the tooltip effect was literal, the opponent would fight with their senses halved.
No matter who he faced from now on, he’d have the upper hand in senses.
‘And below that.’
Young-woo’s gaze naturally shifted to the second effect of ‘Golden Flash.’
【Cumulative Golden Rain: 1】
‘I don’t know what this is. Maybe additional effects unlock as the number of Golden Rains called increases.’
Since these gauntlets were a reward for the Golden Rain achievement, it made some sense.
The name was Golden Flash, after all.
Shhrrk.
After some time, the tooltips filling his vision faded, replaced by a message asking whether to claim the rewards.
「Would you like to claim all achievement rewards?」
‘O-of course.’
Young-woo nodded with a tense expression, and instantly, both his hands were enveloped in golden light.
“…Gasp!”
Even Young-woo, who had braced himself, couldn’t help but tremble at that moment.
His hands were being wrapped in real-time by gold-tinted iron plating.
Every time the cold metal pieces barely grazed his palms and the backs of his hands, a prickling sensation ran through him.
Clank, click!
After a dozen seconds, with the sound of metal clashing, the light wrapping his hands vanished, leaving only golden iron gauntlets.
And finally.
Sizzle!
“Ugh.”
A sharp sting suddenly pierced his left chest.
Young-woo yanked open his shirt to look at his chest.
‘Damn it.’
Young-woo’s brow furrowed immediately.
As expected, a tattoo had been etched there.
「Stealth Mark」 - Relic Tattoo
【You can conceal your title.】
This spiral flame-like tattoo was etched quite largely on Young-woo’s left chest.
For someone who had never even dyed his hair, let alone gotten a tattoo, this change felt unpleasant.
“What’s this now?”
Ye-chan, who had approached right in front of him, asked while eyeing the ‘Golden Flash.’ It was natural to be curious about Young-woo’s hands gleaming more brilliantly than before.
“Achievement reward.”
“Achievement?”
“Seems like compensation for giving up the 3 million.”
Young-woo briefly explained the achievement system to Ye-chan.
Ye-chan then looked up at the clear sky and asked.
“So from now on, you have to keep throwing money around?”
“If I want to keep getting achievement rewards, yeah.”
More precisely, to maintain the ‘Blockhead’ concept.
It seemed recommended achievements changed based on achievement alignment.
‘But since higher achievements exist, it’s wise to stick to one alignment.’
Young-woo recalled one of the recommended achievements he’d seen: ‘Golden Platform.’
[Golden Platform]
|Call the Golden Rain in two or more regions. (1/2)
Anyone could see it was the advanced version of ‘The One Who Calls the Golden Rain.’
So, with high probability…
‘Completing that will give another reward. Maybe even better than this one.’
Of course, Young-woo knew well what he’d face if he continued down that path.
‘To call Golden Rain in multiple regions, I’d have to give up massive karma each time, and on top of that…’
He’d have to compete with mutants over them. With the people who originally hunted mutants in that region.
For example, that region’s Greatest Swordsman… someone who likely caught the previous mutant and chose the 3 million karma.
“…….”
Realizing this, the effect of Golden Flash took on a different light.
「Golden Flash」 - Legendary Gauntlets
【Steal 50% of enemy senses during combat.】
【Cumulative Golden Rain: 1】
‘It’s for sniping Greatest Swordsmen from other regions.’
The Stealth Mark that let him conceal his title might have been given in the same context.
Wandering other regions with the Greatest Swordsman title would inevitably draw attention.
‘But can I really beat other regions’ Greatest Swordsmen just with a sense advantage? Doesn’t seem easy.’
Young-woo looked around to check if any other mutants were in Gumi.
No other red pillars were visible. Instead, people from Heaven Pavilion came rushing over.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
“Do you need something?”
Young-woo didn’t know, but they had been watching his every move since earlier.
After all, he was Gumi’s Greatest Swordsman and the benefactor who bestowed grace upon them.
They knew full well that if he wished, he could easily confiscate the ‘commemorative coins’ given to them, so they were acting cautiously.
“Hmm. Not exactly something I need.”
As Young-woo shrugged and was about to say this, his stomach growled loudly.
“Rumble.”
“Ah.”
“…Oh.”
The crowd stirred.
Come to think of it, dusk was already falling.
‘The reset started around 10 a.m. I’ve been fighting nonstop without eating until sunset. No wonder I’m hungry.’
Grumble.
The offending sound came again.
“…….”
Perhaps the tension had finally eased.
An immense hunger began to surge.
“I wonder if everyone’s eaten.”
Young-woo muttered casually as he rummaged through his backpack.
And finally found it.
Shh.
The chocolate bar turned to stone.
“……!”
The moment Young-woo picked up the gray chocolate bar, not only the Heaven Pavilion people but even Ye-chan licked his lips and focused their gazes.
‘For the quality of my life, I need to shake these people off quick. Can’t even eat a chocolate bar in peace.’
Young-woo took out a 1,000 karma coin from his backpack and pressed it against the chocolate bar.
Ping.
Then…
[Chocolate Bar: 500]
The price of the chocolate bar appeared.
The first food price he’d seen since the reset.
‘500 for one chocolate bar… more expensive than I thought. The bicycle was 3,000.’
Perhaps prices were set high for survival essentials.
Ping.
When Young-woo pressed the coin again to confirm purchase, smoke billowed from the chocolate bar, releasing the petrification.
Whoosh…!
“Ooh?”
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Even the sight of petrification lifting was novel to them, so the Heaven Pavilion people stepped a couple paces closer.
Feeling threatened unconsciously, Young-woo gripped the chocolate bar tight.
It was ridiculous, but in this situation, the chocolate bar was an irreplaceable resource.
And at the same time.
Clink.
A familiar sound rang out as a coin dropped from thin air.
“Huh?”
A small turquoise coin.
Equivalent to 500 karma.
It was the moment a new denomination of currency was discovered, but no one paid it any mind right then.
The important thing was…
“…….”
The chocolate bar Young-woo was rustling open.
Rustle.
Soon, a chunk of chocolate popped out in Young-woo’s hand, and the watching children’s eyes went wide.
Young-woo subtly avoided their gazes as he took a sweet first bite.
Crunch…
The chocolate bar hadn’t melted at all.
The chocolate coating was quite hard, giving a snapping texture.
‘The state right before petrification is preserved perfectly.’
Young-woo breathed slowly through his nose, feeling the caramel smeared beneath the chocolate layer stick all over his mouth.
‘Ha.’
A completely new kind of pleasure and satisfaction washed over him.
The joy of restoring and eating a stone-turned chocolate bar right in the middle of the city street, where 2-meter goblins could charge at any moment.
Rustle.
About halfway through the chocolate bar, the children finally came into Young-woo’s view properly.
But with no telling when the next fight would break out, he couldn’t just hand over these precious calories.
Even if it was to kids who’d been starving since morning.
“…….”
Young-woo stared at the child’s small open mouth, then averted his gaze and finished the remaining chocolate bar.
“Mmm.”
His stomach was still empty, but the mental fullness was immense.