Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The 701st Wave (1)
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After receiving the payment for the request and returning home, I booted up my computer, just as I always did.
Normally, I would have launched ‘MonMonMak’ and started my stream.
But that crappy game no longer exists in this world.
‘Instead, it’s inside my body.’
Or perhaps I should say, inside my status window.
In any case, one thing was certain.
This game had changed my life.
I took a swig of cola and went to the news section of a portal site.
The top ten most-viewed news articles were all related to Hunters, Gates, or Dungeons.
“Hunters, huh.”
It was a dream I had given up on.
A dream I still lingered on, but not one I clung to at the expense of reality.
Seven years ago, when I left the Hunter’s Den with an E-rank evaluation, ridiculed by everyone.
Back then, I thought I would have no connection to this world that monopolized every headline.
‘But now.’
It hasn’t even been four days since I awakened my ability.
Yet I’ve already taken a huge step into this world.
To the point where I have a connection with a celebrity of this world, someone who creates buzz with every single action.
[Pungbaek Guild’s Yoon Sua reveals A-rank item, Ring of Horus, obtained from the dungeon “Garden of Observation.”]
I clicked on the top headline and skimmed the article.
“The Ring of Horus.”
The content of the article was just as the headline suggested.
Yoon Sua, the Team 2 Leader of the Pungbaek Guild, had revealed an A-rank item she acquired from a dungeon a week ago.
An A-rank item was something that would fetch over a billion won in cash.
The ‘Ring of Horus,’ with its brilliantly shining sapphire embedded in the center, looked precious at a glance.
The detailed effects weren’t disclosed, but it was likely an item that significantly increased stats or enabled the use of a new skill.
Naturally, most of the comments on the article were envious of her lucky drop.
- Wow, fr, A-rank items just look different.
- So how much stronger is Yoon Sua gonna get? Wasn't she already on par with her brother?
└ Nah, she can't mess with Yoon Suhyeok yet.
└ Ikr. Still, she’ll probably hit S-rank soon. lol
└ lolol S-rank ain't just some common name. There are only a handful in the entire world.
- Must be nice. I wish I could get an A-rank item even in a game T-T
- Btw, what's with that pic of Yoon Sua? Isn't she a real goddess?
└ Damn, first Yoon Suhyeok and now his sister. The siblings are both Hunter stunners;
“So that’s an A-rank item.”
But I couldn’t sympathize with the reactions in the comments.
For me to be envious of an A-rank item right now would be nothing short of hypocrisy.
“I wonder what grade this would be in reality.”
I murmured, gazing at the silver-rimmed glasses I had taken out of my pocket.
[Beholder Sage’s Glasses]
A Unique-grade item.
The item grades from the ‘MonMonMak’ premium gacha and the grades of items in reality were one and the same.
I could reach that conclusion without much thought.
After all, I had seen with my own eyes a mere goblin one-shot a house-sized ogre thanks to its gear.
These glasses, too, grant a stat increase and a new skill just by wearing them.
If sold as a physical item, it would surely fetch at least several billion won.
‘Of course, selling items from the premium gacha is impossible.’
There was no need to get into complicated matters like the instant attention it would attract or the interference from guilds.
[Items obtained from the Premium Gacha can only be equipped by the linked user and their monsters.]
A new line of text had appeared below the Mystery Box in my status window after I obtained the Sage’s Glasses.
In other words, the items I pulled from here were ‘bound items.’
It was a little disappointing that I couldn’t sell them, but it didn’t really matter.
I just needed to get stronger by monopolizing the items myself and then find other ways to make money.
The real question lay elsewhere.
“Why is it doing so much for me?”
Having started working quite early and getting knocked around here and there, I had learned one thing for sure.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Even if it seems like someone is giving you something for nothing at first, they’ll eventually backstab you in the most unimaginable way.
This unidentified ability was no different.
I couldn’t let my guard down.
I needed more information.
“Looks like he’s not showing up either.”
I muttered with a disappointed expression, looking at the window that had popped up in the corner of my computer screen.
My broadcast channel, which automatically synced when I turned on my computer.
Perhaps because it had been a while since I last streamed, not a single viewer had joined.
Not even ‘Viewer 1.’
As of now, the only person I could ask about this ability was ‘Viewer 1.’
‘Well, I can just find out myself. There’s still plenty of time.’
After waiting for about five more minutes, I cleanly ended the broadcast.
I couldn’t hold onto it forever.
In any case, I was bound to learn more information as I continued to use skills like the ‘Premium Gacha.’
*Trrrring!*
Just as I was about to return to the news section.
My smartphone rang.
I checked the text message with a listless gaze.
[Hello, Hunter Hanul. This is Yoon Sua from the Pungbaek Guild. Would you be available for a quick call?]
I immediately sat up straight.
* * *
- Ah, hello, Hunter Hanul!
Yoon Sua’s voice came through the receiver.
It felt strangely surreal.
Especially since I was looking at an article about Yoon Sua and comments praising her right at that moment.
“Yes, hello.”
But I didn’t openly show such feelings.
“How was the disposal of the ogre carcass handled?”
- Oh, yes! That’s actually why I called, regarding the payment registration with the headquarters.
As I got straight to the point, Yoon Sua answered in a slightly flustered voice.
“I see. Then, would it be possible to register the payment tomorrow morning? I’d like to get it registered as soon as possible, if you don’t mind.”
The payment could only be received after it was officially registered with the management headquarters anyway, so I didn’t ask separately.
- Yes, I’ll have it registered by 9 a.m. tomorrow. We’ll also send the payment to the account you provided as soon as it’s registered.
“How much is the payment?”
- We’re covering the processing fees, so after settling the sale of the byproducts and a portion of the request fee, the total comes to thirty-three million won. I’ll send you the detailed statement tomorrow as well.
*Gasp.*
I held my breath for a moment.
It was to stop a pathetic, deflated sound from escaping my lips.
Thirty-three million won.
It took Gono less than a minute to smash the ogre’s head.
In just one minute, I had earned the same amount of money I used to make in a year slogging away as a cleaner at Gate sites.
- Um, Hunter Hanul?
When I didn’t respond for a while, Yoon Sua called my name cautiously.
“Ah, yes. Then I’ll check the statement tomorrow.”
- Understood. Oh, Hunter Hanul. If you have time…
“And I’d like to handle the registration in person at the management headquarters, not over the phone.”
Guilds usually handled such matters all at once over the phone or online.
But I needed to be there in person.
I had other business to take care of besides the payment registration.
- Ah, then you’ll need someone to accompany you for the registration process!
Fortunately, Yoon Sua didn’t ask for a reason.
And for some reason, her voice became oddly brighter.
“Yes, I’ll need someone to verify that I was the one who killed the ogre. You can just send any Pungbaek Guild affiliate.”
- Then I’ll schedule an appointment for 9 a.m. tomorrow, in front of the Awakened Being Management Headquarters!
“Thank you.”
- Of course, Hunter Hanul. I hope you have a pleasant day.
I was about to hang up but stopped.
My mouth was itching to say something.
I have to say it, I just have to.
“Ah, and.”
- Yes?
“Congratulations on the Ring of Horus.”
- Oh, thank you. To be honest, I didn’t want to show it off, but the Guild Master said every little thing helps build the guild’s reputation… Of course, an A-rank item is amazing, but I didn’t want to seem like I was flaunting it.
“It’s not flaunting, it’s an A-rank item. People’s reactions are going wild. Anyway, congratulations.”
- Thank you. But please don’t get the wrong idea! Well then, have a great day, Hanul!
Yoon Sua hung up, sounding somewhat flustered.
Of course, I wouldn’t misunderstand something like that.
I looked down at the silver-rimmed glasses in my hand and smirked.
I may not look it, but my heart was quite content.
* * *
After hanging up, I began to organize what I knew about the skills linked to ‘Monsters Are Blocked by Monsters.’
“I kill monsters in reality to get magic stones, convert those magic stones into gold, and then use that gold to hire monsters.”
Hired monsters are registered in my status window through ‘Summoning.’
Also, as was the case with Gono, they could be summoned still wearing the items I equipped them with in ‘MonMonMak.’
And right after I obtained a decent amount of gold from hunting the ogre, I learned one more thing.
“Just meeting the gold requirement doesn’t mean I can hire any monster.”
After selling the ogre’s magic stone, I had a total of 130 gold.
Normally, that would be enough to hire most goblins, including the Goblin Archer, Warrior, and Elder, as well as lower-tier Kobold units.
But the list opened through the ‘Deal with the Lord’ was still grayed out.
[List of Monsters Available for a Deal with the Lord]
Goblin Slave: Hiring Complete 1/1
Goblin Warrior: 70 Gold
Goblin Archer: 70 Gold
Goblin Elder: 100 Gold
↓
…
Only two options were highlighted in blue, indicating they were available for hire.
The first was the Goblin Warrior, right below the slave.
And the other one was.
Ogre Berserker: 420 Gold
The Ogre Berserker, glowing out of nowhere.
This meant only one thing.
‘To hire them, I have to kill at least one of that monster type.’
The ‘Soul Stone’ Gono brought back when he killed the ogre.
That soul stone was necessary not only for the premium gacha but also for unlocking monsters on the hiring list.
It seemed the goblin I killed at the Gate was a warrior, and the ogre was a berserker.
“This ability is more demanding than I thought.”
I put down my notebook and scratched my head with the top of my mechanical pencil.
Does this mean I have to kill a dragon or an 8-star monster at least once to hire them?
I guess there really is no such thing as a free lunch.
It was right after I closed my notebook with that thought.
[Prepare for defense.]
“?”
A very familiar phrase suddenly jumped into my vision.
It was a phrase I had seen to the point of exhaustion, but for that very reason, it felt extremely out of place.
That’s because it had appeared in my status window, not on my computer screen where I always saw it.
“Why is this here?”
I hastily touched my earlobe.
But the status window, which had expanded to the size of a 32-inch monitor, showed no signs of responding.
And then, all of a sudden.
“This is…”
The text in front of me disappeared, and cute pixel art filled the status window.
A pixelated maze reminiscent of an ant farm, with spacious rooms.
“This is MonMonMak?”
Monsters Are Blocked by Monsters.
That hardcore crappy game was unfolding before my very eyes.
And before I could fully grasp the situation.
[The 701st monster wave will begin in 10 minutes.]
The countdown had begun.