A Ring of Fortune
Three cards floated before Kang Hyuk's eyes. The leftmost card depicted a shield, the center card featured a pair of boots, and the rightmost card showed a ring.
"A shield, boots, and a ring...!"
Kang Hyuk stroked his chin, his mind racing.
As a veteran player of Hero of the World, he was intimately familiar with how the trait skill trees branched. Yet, he found himself slightly bewildered by the appearance of these three cards.
By his calculations, this should have been the moment a skill to create firearm modifications appeared.
First, he had chosen the firearm. Second, the frost bullets. Naturally, the third choice should have been firearm attachments, shouldn't it?
Instead, the skill tree was demanding he choose between a shield, boots, or a ring.
Perhaps the firearm-related branch ended with the frost bullets.
Hmm... I thought I'd eventually be able to create bazookas and the like, but I guess I was wrong. Or maybe those will show up later down the line.
Kang Hyuk scratched the back of his head. Having his expectations subverted was always a minor annoyance.
But he quickly calmed his mind. No matter which skill he chose, it would undoubtedly make him stronger than before. There was no use crying over spilled milk; he just had to look on the bright side.
Right, let's stay positive. First, what do I need most right now? A shield means defense, boots mean speed, and a ring is likely tied to stats...
Kang Hyuk weighed his options carefully.
Choosing the shield would allow him to create defensive gear. Choosing the boots would let him create speed-boosting footwear. And choosing the ring would likely grant him the ability to create stat-boosting accessories.
If only there were detailed descriptions, this would be a lot easier. Hmm...
Kang Hyuk stroked his chin. About thirty minutes passed in deep contemplation.
Finally, after agonizing over the decision, he made his choice. The card he selected was none other than the ring.
Yes. The ring is the right choice for now. I experienced the sheer power of stats firsthand today. Even a single-point increase makes a massive difference.
Nodding to himself, Kang Hyuk tapped the ring card.
Instantly, a chime rang in his head.
You have acquired the skill: Magic Ring Creation!
A magic ring! Kang Hyuk clenched his fists in excitement.
Soon, a flood of knowledge regarding the skill rushed into his mind. It was time to return to reality.
When he opened his eyes, Networker's corpse lay before him.
Kang Hyuk froze the body solid and stuffed it into his duffel bag.
This guy's bounty is twelve million won...! Quite a tidy sum.
Of course, he wouldn't pocket the full twelve million due to the broker's fee.
If the broker took a ten percent cut, he would be left with exactly ten million eight hundred thousand won.
Even so, nearly eleven million won was nothing to scoff at.
Wearing a satisfied smirk, Kang Hyuk slipped out of Networker's safehouse. He intended to leave this neighborhood immediately.
"...Ah, wait."
But a moment later, Kang Hyuk retraced his steps. A sudden realization had struck him, sparked by Networker's final words.
He said he distributed free adult videos? That means his hard drives must be packed to the brim with them.
Kang Hyuk swallowed hard and began unscrewing and packing every single hard drive Networker owned.
He was, after all, a healthy young man. It was only natural to be curious about what kind of legendary stash a master hacker had compiled.
First, I'll find a broker and hand the body over to the Busan Public Security Bureau. Then, I'll head back to the hotel and test out this Magic Ring Creation skill.
Having quickly mapped out his next steps, Kang Hyuk vanished into the night. Behind him, only a biting, desolate chill remained in the empty house.
By the time he returned to his hotel room, it was already 11 PM.
Kang Hyuk took a quick shower and collapsed onto the bed.
"Ah, that's the stuff."
Having successfully disposed of the corpse, a wave of exhaustion washed over him, tempting him to drift off to sleep.
However, he forced himself upright. He had to try out Magic Ring Creation before calling it a night.
I recall that Magic Ring Creation can only be used once a month, and the stats granted are entirely randomized. In other words, it's a gacha.
With a racing heart, Kang Hyuk carefully prepared to cast the skill.
The execution was simple enough. All he had to do was chant the skill's name in his mind.
Magic Ring Creation!
...Flash!
The moment he thought the words, a brilliant burst of light erupted before him.
When the radiance faded, a dull, dark, metallic ring clattered onto the bed.
"Damn it... Just looking at this cheap metal makes me think I pulled a dud."
Feeling a sudden pang of anxiety, Kang Hyuk slid the ring onto his ring finger.
At that exact moment, a series of chimes echoed in his mind.
Your Stamina stat has increased!
Your Stamina stat has increased!
You can now use the magic spell: Shield!
"Whoa!"
As the notifications rang out, a sudden surge of vitality coursed through his entire body.
Incredible! It had boosted his Stamina stat by two whole points!
And it even granted him a defensive spell?
Shield can be used up to 10 times a day.
Each cast lasts for 10 seconds.
As the follow-up notification appeared, Kang Hyuk nodded and decided to test the spell.
Instantly, a one-meter-square, semi-transparent barrier materialized in front of him.
Hummmmm!
"Haha... This is absolutely insane."
Kang Hyuk let out a dry chuckle as he stared at the barrier.
Magic Ring Creation was far more potent than he had initially anticipated.
If he could craft a ring of this caliber once every month, his growth would skyrocket.
And it's not just about getting stronger. If I mass-produce and sell these rings, I'll make an absolute fortune.
Kang Hyuk chuckled greedily.
Of course, he had no intention of selling his creations to others just yet.
No matter how carefully he hid his identity, putting such items on the market would inevitably draw massive attention.
And in this world, drawing that kind of spotlight before he was ready would paint a massive target on his back.
He simply didn't possess the power to protect his assets yet.
But Kang Hyuk knew that day wasn't far off.
He was confident he could grow stronger faster than anyone else.
After all, he was the only entity in this world bound by the rules of Villain Mode, and the sole possessor of the god-like trait, Creation.
Heheh! At any rate, this brings my total stat boosts to Strength +2, Agility +2, and Stamina +2! Plus, I have a Shield spell on top of that!
Filled with a deep sense of satisfaction, Kang Hyuk pulled the covers over himself. He knew he would sleep like a baby tonight.
The next morning, Kang Hyuk boarded a train bound for Seoul.
Truthfully, he had toyed with the idea of hunting down a few more local villains while he was in Busan.
However, his primary territory was Seoul, and the main storyline of this world revolved almost entirely around the capital.
In the long run, it was far more beneficial to return to Seoul immediately and resume his operations there rather than lingering in the south.
"The train is now departing."
As he gazed out the window, the train slowly began to chug forward.
Kang Hyuk silently prayed for a peaceful journey this time.
On his way down to Busan, he hadn't been able to rest for even a second because of Aila and those Black Dragon Society thugs.
"...Gasp! Y-You? How are you here?!"
But his hopes were dashed only a short while later. Hearing a painfully familiar voice from the seat right next to him, Kang Hyuk's face twisted in sheer disbelief.
What kind of twisted, persistent fate is this?
"Sigh..."
Kang Hyuk let out a long, weary sigh. The owner of the voice was none other than the Witch of Seduction, Aila.
W-Why is this guy here?!
Aila, upon spotting Kang Hyuk, was utterly dumbfounded.
When they traveled to Busan, fine. It could have been a colossal coincidence that they booked the same train, the same car, at the exact same time.
Stranger things had happened in life.
But this time, the universe was playing a joke that was entirely too cruel.
Of all the departures, of all the seats, how on earth did he end up sitting right next to her again?!
How could such a ridiculous thing even be possible?!