Chapter 2 - Life in Hell Mode Begins.
Life in Hell Mode Begins.
Translator : Elizabeth
Humiliation has two meanings.
To despise and shame someone, or to forcibly take and violate a woman.
[Curse (??? Grade): Humiliation.]
[Feel the irresistible terror with the worst body that can never become strong.]
[All stats fixed at the lowest level. Growth impossible.]
[Harassment from hostile entities increases.]
[If caught by someone holding hostility, the probability of suffering terrible acts increases significantly. This applies regardless of species or gender.]
[You will not die easily, and wounds will recover automatically. While being humiliated, you are immune to death.]
[If the Humiliation value rises above a certain level, you will be unable to refuse anyone's words.]
“Is this real life….”
In the end, unable to hold back my curiosity, I checked the curse.
There are two meanings to humiliation, and this curse seemed to lean much closer to the latter.
Chills.
Just reading it gave me goosebumps.
Becoming a girl was dizzying enough, but a crazy curse that pairs perfectly with that?
I couldn't help but imagine it.
If I were caught by someone in this state.
Tremble.
For some reason, my legs instinctively pressed together.
I must never be caught by anyone.
It’s unfair enough that I ended up like this, but if I suffered that kind of thing on top of it, I truly wouldn't have the confidence to go on living. Even worse, if I get caught, dying isn't even an option.
It’s just too malicious.
Moreover, the biggest problem is.
“Growth impossible….”
All stats are fixed at the lowest level.
Awakening as a trash-tier Hunter was sad enough, but isn't 'Growth Impossible' just too much?
For a Hunter, strength and stamina superior to ordinary people are their lifeline, but I’m worse than a normal person.
How am I supposed to live from now on?
There's no way I can go to my workplace looking like this.
And if I ignore that and try to work as a Hunter, I’m terrified of what might happen because of the Humiliation curse. If I at least had strength, I might be able to muster some courage.
“Urghhh!!….”
Just as expected.
It’s hard to even lift a single dumbbell in my room.
I used to work out a lot, but all the muscles I worked so hard to build have completely vanished.
“Haa… haa…….”
After that, I conducted several physical tests.
Strength was trash, needless to say, and agility wasn't anything special either.
If there was one thing worth looking at, it was flexibility.
My kick went up above my head easily.
High-difficulty stretching movements were also successfully performed without issue.
Instead, my stamina was terrible. I didn't know I'd be out of breath from just this much.
“Hng….”
I stood before the mirror again.
Not the full-body mirror I broke with a headbutt earlier, but a stand mirror on top of the dresser.
The appearance of a frail young girl.
Obviously, working as a Hunter with this body would be extremely dangerous.
In other words, I can’t earn money.
It’s as if my life has turned into Hell Mode.
What am I supposed to eat and live on?
Let's see, the money I had stashed away….
[Balance: 721,400 Won ($540 USD)]
“Is this all I have?….”
A disappointing bank balance came into view.
Changing my computer not long ago was the problem. Why are prices skyrocketing so much these days?
If 500,000 won goes out for rent here, I have to survive on 200,000 won for a month.
I’ll have to eat ramen every day for the time being.
Is it at least a small relief that my stomach has shrunk?
“Hmm… the wound disappeared?”
Suddenly looking in the mirror, I noticed something strange.
The skin on my forehead, which had torn from the headbutt earlier, had healed cleanly. After washing off the bloodstains and looking again, sure enough, there was no wound.
This might be okay.
It was probably intended to keep inflicting pain if I were captured, but in normal times, isn't this an incredibly good ability?
Well, since I have a weak body, they probably included it to prevent me from dying easily.
I don't know if I should be happy about this.
At this point, I’m getting curious.
That red eyeball said this was a punishment the 'Watcher' fears… who is the Watcher?
They must be an entity related to the Tower.
Since I've never climbed it, I have no idea.
In times like this, asking is the answer.
Tap.
Dragging my exhausted body, I sat down in front of the computer.
To cool my stinging head.
[Republic of Korea Official Hunter Gallery]
I accessed the community.
I am what you call a 'lurker'.
It’s very rare for me to write posts myself; I usually just leave comments occasionally.
But today, I mustered the courage to post.
After waiting a bit, a few comments appeared.
[Who is the Watcher?][Poster: OO]
It seems the System really hates a guy called the Watcher, why is that?
OO: Watcher? What's that now. 2EE: Did the System mention it directly?
OO (Poster): Yeah. 2EE: What was the situation? OO (Poster): That's a secret…. 2EE: Don't get involved. I know that most people related to them are dead. OO (Poster): Can you tell me in detail? 2EE: I need to know the situation to tell you.
Most people seem not to know the Watcher.
The named user '2EE' seems to know a little, but doesn't seem like they'll talk first. And I can't exactly explain my current situation either.
Even searching through posts yielded no results.
There was almost no information about the Watcher itself.
They don't seem like ordinary guys… The System even called them the 'Strongest'. The problem is that I'm receiving the same punishment as those guys.
Then… a dispel would be difficult, right?
I know there are a few Dispel Masters in the country, but I don't recall there being any S-Rank ones.
It would naturally be hard to lift a curse from the System.
I guess I have no choice but to live like this.
Life is truly painful.
Scroll.
After scrolling down the mouse wheel to explore the gallery posts for a while.
I clicked on a 'Recommended Post' that caught my interest.
[Is the Rank 1 guy really dead?][Poster: SteamedBunPecker]
Where did the person who went 'Burp-' at Rank 1 as soon as the Tower came out go? Is he in a 1v1 with the System?
OO: Mocking the deceased is a bit….
2EE: An official statement popped up in the Hunter Association group chat yesterday, he’s processed as deceased. He was completely wiped from the System Hunter Registry too. OO: Guess he died. OO: What is your identity? You film the culprit and now the Hunter Association? SteamedBunPecker: Fr what kind of guy is he lol OO: Is this something to laugh about?…. OO: His dying message was 'Burp-', how can you not laugh? Hahahaha.
Funnily enough, it’s about me.
The original me has been processed as dead.
Then what am I now?
Was I forcibly witness-protected (identity laundered)?
Th-then… do I not have to pay back the loans I borrowed all this time? Since that's not me?
This might not be bad.
With a slightly improved mood, I explored the gallery again.
Just in time, I discovered a post written by that named user, 2EE. It was even a Best Post.
[Season 16 Bug User Video.][Poster: 2EE]
(A video of a man disappearing before one's eyes.)
As you can see, someone reached out to the rift and poof, it vanished.
And about 30 seconds later, the man vanished too.
OO: Did he vanish while grinning by himself lol Bullshit-das: You really filmed it…. Ass-dengi: Here for the pilgrimage. OO: Isn't this edited?
My last appearance from when I was a man.
So I disappeared while feeling good like that.
Thanks to that, my mood sank again. My shameful appearance is being made public without any consent.
In the first place, dead men tell no tales.
I can't even complain.
Let's just ignore it.
Flump!~
I lay down on the bed.
Maybe because my body became smaller, the bed feels very large even though it's normal size.
Thanks to that, I stretched out fully and let out a deep sigh.
I like this sensation of melting away fatigue while lying down.
[Passive (??? Grade) Inventory]
[Stores an object.]
While lying down, I examined my only skill.
I thought it was an insignificant skill, but it had stored the rift itself that creates the Tower.
I did it out of curiosity, but actually, I was a bit serious.
Because I did some research for this one attempt.
Measuring the range of my ability was basic; I had looked up 'Tower Open Run' information in detail.
Info 1. Before the Tower opens, a rift always appears.
Info 2. Hunters near the rift are automatically entered upon opening.
So for the open run, Hunters gather in the entry zone every season, but what I wanted to know was the duration the rift is maintained at that time.
“3 seconds. Practically luck.”
Info 3. It takes 3 seconds for the rift to become the Tower.
Info 4. The location where the Tower appears is public, but you cannot know exactly where the rift will appear.
At that time, the rift luckily appeared close by, and I was able to run over within 3 seconds and store it in my inventory.
In that process, I unintentionally caught the eye of someone like 2EE.
After that, as known, the Tower was cleared, and I received a curse from the Administrator.
Retracing it one by one like this.
“Ah… I’m pissed.”
Suddenly, a stubborn streak rises.
It’s not really my fault.
If anything, I'm a grateful benefactor who handed over valuable data to fix a loophole.
Shall I just go store the Tower again?
Let's… drop it.
There's no way it would work again.
The Administrator looks stupid, but he probably isn't that stupid. Even if it did work, I don't know what terrible punishment I'd face.
I should just enjoy this in my imagination.
But….
[Passive (??? Grade) Inventory.]
Are my eyes weird?
Why did the ability that was F-Rank become ??? Grade, like the curse?
What came to mind immediately was the Reversal Curse.
From the skill description, it told me to live a reversed life. A curse that even changed my gender.
Then perhaps… does it apply to skills too?
Huh, then.
“Inventory.”
Reaching out my hand, I thought of what I wanted to put in.
The target was four barbell weight plates scattered in the room.
Distance: approx. 2m. Weight: approx. 30kg.
Normally, it was a distance and weight I couldn't contain, but I felt certain it would be possible now.
But strangely.
Craaack!
A somewhat unfamiliar sound rang out.
The plates definitely entered the inventory.
Except, the floor where the plates were sitting was torn out and stored along with them, entirely.
“Huh….”
Looks like I have something else to test.