Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: [Abyss Miner] Steel Body
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Today’s the day."
The moment I opened my eyes, I clenched my fist tight.
Today was the day I’d finally claim the last reward: Steel Body.
Into the Comics (Lv. 2), Earth's Blessing
Clubbing (F), Mining (F)
"Ugh."
Just looking at my status window made my stomach full.
Strength 15.9.
A few days ago, I was a total anchovy with strength 1. Thinking back nearly brought tears to my eyes.
And on top of that....
Just 173 more, and I could claim Trait: Steel Body.
Adding a B-rank physical enhancement trait like Steel Body to someone who’s already a human weapon?
This wasn’t just wings—it was like strapping on jet engines.
From today, I quit being human! Jojo!
"Heh heh heh."
I whistled a tune as I left the inn.
Even the drab gray sky over Lumina Mine Village looked pink today.
The stray dogs passing by even seemed cute—what more could I say?
I slung my pickaxe over my shoulder and headed for the mine entrance.
"Huh? Lee Jun?"
A clear voice called from ahead.
It was Erika.
Her glossy black hair cascaded to her waist, fluttering in the morning breeze. Just standing there turned the scene into a photoshoot.
"Oh, hey. Erika. Good morning."
Erika hurried over with quick steps and bowed her head in greeting.
"Good morning! Heading to work?"
"Yeah, pretty much. You?"
"Me too. Thanks to you yesterday, I got some good rest, so I’m in top form today."
She smiled shyly.
Her eyes sparkled in the morning sunlight, curving into gentle arcs.
Damn, she’s fucking gorgeous.
If Luna was a flashy rose, Erika was a pure lily— the kind that stirred protective instincts just by looking at her.
Should I ask her to come along?
My lips twitched.
We were headed the same way anyway. I could watch out for her and rack up some favor points.
"Hey, Erika."
"Yes?"
Watching her smile brightly as she answered, a realistic calculation suddenly hit me.
Wait, her favor’s only at 25 right now.
25 out of 100.
Was that high?
No.
It was just barely passing.
Come to think of it, her relationship rank was still [Acquaintance].
She wasn’t smiling because she liked me.
She was just politely smiling at the guy who saved her life yesterday.
If I clumsily suggested, "Wanna go on a date?" here?
I’d get shot down 100%.
Or worse, she might feel obligated to say yes because she owed me, but that’d burn all the goodwill I’d built.
I was a total monitor-sol virgin who’d only ever talked to girls on screens—never even made eye contact with real ones.
Screwing up here could mean I’d never see her again.
Better to play it cool and keep some distance.
"Be careful out there. Don’t get chased by any more weirdos."
"Ah... Yes! I’ll keep that in mind. You be careful too, Lee Jun!"
Erika waved with a big smile and walked off.
"Phew, good restraint."
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Better to stay the cool lifesaver than come on like an idiot and get rejected.
I adjusted my pickaxe and headed into the mine.
Clang! Clang! Claaang!
Today, the pickaxe strikes felt especially satisfying.
"Nine hundred... nine hundred one..."
The countdown had begun.
But this spot wasn’t great.
The iron ore concentration felt low.
"Let’s move."
I packed up and headed deeper in.
Searching for a prime corner spot, I spotted someone’s back.
Blond hair.
Handsome aura radiating off him.
Kyle?
The protagonist from the original story.
First time running into him in person.
I hid behind a rock and watched.
He was handsome in the comic too, but I was curious how my trait rendered him in this world.
A moment later, he turned to wipe his sweat.
"....Ha."
Un-fucking-believable.
The guy was ridiculously good-looking.
Face smeared with sweat and dirt, yet his handsomeness shone through.
Fuck, parasite pretty-boy bastard.
Just seeing his face pissed me off, but watching him swing the pickaxe shocked me more.
His form screamed raw power—about equal to mine.
Crazy bastard.
I’d suffered through hell, cashed in trait rewards, and ground nonstop to reach this point.
And this guy started out this strong?
With zero muscle on his skinny anchovy frame, no less.
Even for a protagonist, this was too much.
Though others would call my trait broken too.
That was that, and this was this.
The guy was a protagonist—fast growth, handsome as hell.
"Ah."
I stared too long, and our eyes met.
Kyle gave a light nod and went back to work.
I set up nearby and mined while sneaking peeks at his swings.
But something was off about him.
Clang! Ting!
The pickaxe bounced off.
No iron ore—just rubble falling.
He frowned and shook his wrist.
"Not easy, huh."
Strong, but no technique.
He didn’t read the rock’s grain—just smashed down with brute force.
Proof of zero skill.
Glancing around, other miners were peeking too.
They knew but weren’t helping.
Obviously.
Who’d look kindly on a handsome guy who was strong too?
Jealousy alone made them ignore him.
Yeah, spin your wheels, asshole.
Serves him right.
No mercy for the guy hogging Luna’s favor.
Sure, as protagonist he’d figure it out eventually, but let him struggle till then.
Suddenly, I thought of the old-timer who taught me mining on day one.
Skinny, coughing old man.
The only one in this cutthroat, personality-shredded mine who gave me advice.
"Guy was a legend."
In a place where even pretty boys got isolated, advising a nobody like me was something.
Without him, I’d be wrist-dead like this protagonist punk.
"Gotta buy him a meal and drinks next time I see him."
I pulled my gaze from Kyle and focused on my work.
I’d widen the gap while he flailed.
Clang! Clang!
The sounds rang crisp.
Rocks split wide, red iron ore spilling out.
Nine hundred ninety-eight.
Nine hundred ninety-nine.
And the final strike.
Krunch-!
A fist-sized high-grade iron ore chunk dropped free.
That instant.
Hot energy surged from my toes to the crown of my head.
"Grrgh...!"
I gritted my teeth and swallowed the groan.
No visible change, but inside, muscles twisted and bones hardened.
My body felt like one massive steel lump forming.
Like being crushed in an industrial press—would that describe it?
People who awaken this trait say the first time hurts like hell. Not kidding.
Just seconds, but felt like minutes.
"Hoo, hoo."
Catching my breath, I clenched my fist tight.
Power overflowed through my body, uncontainable.
And my skin, my hide—it had toughened too.
"Insane."
Durability up, strength bonus +7.
So my strength now?
23.
I couldn’t stop grinning.
Normal humans topped out around 15-16. This blew past that.
I wasn’t human anymore—more like a monster.
Kyle? Fuck off, loser.
Plus I had [Earth’s Blessing].
As long as I stood on the ground, every action got a boost.
Lifting the pickaxe, it felt weightless.
I swung lightly at the rock ahead.
Bam-!
A boom, and the rock shattered to dust.
Zero recoil on my wrist.
Partly technique, but my body absorbed the shock.
[Steel Body] boosting durability.
Insane. For real.
Now it finally felt like I’d awakened.
Until now, I was just a rare traitless awakener.
But now? Smooth sailing ahead.
Real hunters usually had one trait—double/triple were rare. I already had two.
And they synergized like crazy.
Factor in [Into the Comics], and more were coming.
"Fucking jackpot."
Grinning in satisfaction, I gathered the scattered ore.
This was the real start.
I mined like a maniac till sunset.
[Earth’s Blessing] alone was a game-changer, but with [Steel Body], fatigue vanished completely.
Three full sacks.
Personal record, but post-Steel Body, the system stopped tracking ore count.
A bummer not knowing the total.
"Time to clock out."
I tied the three sacks with cord and lifted them one-handed.
At the guild, Luna was yawning.
"Back? How much today... Whoa!"
She gawked at the three sacks.
"What’s all this? Stole it? Bought it somewhere, right?"
"What do you take my skills for? All mined."
"Liar... In one day?"
Luna peeked inside, eyes wide at the packed iron ore.
"What are you? Human drill? How do you mine more every day?"
"Trade secret."
She whistled, starting the tally.
Took forever with the volume.
"Total 1,532. Minus impurities, still 1,500. Wow..."
She punched the calculator and blinked.
"This output... You can rank up to D straight away."
D-rank.
From F to D in four days.
Lightning promotion.
"Money and D-rank tag here. Hope you can carry it all."
"Thanks, sis."
"Sis, huh."
Calling her sis as a joke on the way out got a smirk.
Getting friendlier?
Only noticed the off vibe outside.
"Huh?"
No favor gain.
What?
After thinking for a moment, it seemed like simply mining had reached its limit.
Maybe she was getting tired of the same situation every day?
Like in games, maybe I needed some kind of additional event.
‘I won’t figure it out just by thinking right now.’
I headed straight to the bustling street.
Since I had obtained Steel Body, today was going to be a crazy party.
The tavern with the sign [Orc Belly Skin].
It was the most popular place among miners.
When I opened the door, loud noise and the smell of grilling meat filled the air.
“Give me the grilled pork hind leg, assorted sausages, and the biggest beer you have.”
“Coming right up!”
A moment later, a beer mug bigger than my face, overflowing with foam, arrived.
“Kyaah!”
The tingling carbonation flowing down my throat felt refreshing all the way to my bones.
It seemed a bit stronger than beer in reality, but I liked it even more.
“Your meat is ready!”
On a large plate was an entire pork hind leg steaming hot.
The visuals easily surpassed real-world tomahawk steak.
The outside was crispy and golden brown, glistening with juices. Just looking at it made my mouth water.
“Thanks for the meal.”
I didn’t even use a knife. I grabbed it with both hands and took a big bite.
Crunch.
The skin shattered crisply, and the juices trapped inside burst out.
The salty seasoning and rich pork fat spread throughout my mouth.
The meat was so tender that it melted after just a few chews.
“This is insane. For real.”
Honestly, I thought food in a fantasy world would taste average, but because it was a comic world, everything I ate was incredibly delicious.
I even licked the oil off my fingers.
Next, I stabbed a forearm-sized sausage with a fork and bit into it.
With a satisfying crunch, the rich meat flavor hit hard.
The subtle spice aroma balanced out the greasiness.
“Beer, beer!”
The combination of oily meat and cold beer.
This was sex.
At this moment, there was nothing in the world to envy.
I ate and drank until my stomach felt like it would burst.
The noisy chatter of miners around me mixed with the sound of a bard’s lute.
Everything sounded like background music celebrating my success.
Feeling pleasantly drunk, I returned to the inn, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep like I had fainted.
* * *
The moment I woke up, I took a shower first.
After using the bath products Ah-rin had brought me, I realized how important showering was.
To keep my already non-existent charm — my truly minus charm — from dropping any further, I had to put in the effort.
After bathing cleanly, I headed straight to the smithy.
Now that I had Steel Body, I planned to get some armor and equipment and head down to the second floor or lower of Abyssal Mine.
‘I want to reach the 7th floor quickly and meet the succubus bitches.’
Those girls who fed on men’s vitality would definitely let me fall into a sea of pleasure.
With two traits supporting me, as long as I ate on time, I probably wouldn’t die.
If I went, I’d really just have to fuck all day. Everyone else could go to hell.
\