Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: [Abyss Miner] Strategic Retreat
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Viper stood right in front of me.
Just seeing the scar etched into his forearm twitch was enough to size him up.
That bastard was the real deal.
A thug who scams miners for a living, but his raw physical prowess was beyond human.
'My Strength stat is 11.9 right now, counting all the gains from today.'
About twice the average adult male.
Factor in the [Earth's Blessing] bonus, and I could easily stomp punks like Pockmark or regular miners.
But Viper was a different story.
That guy pulverized rocks with his bare fists and moved with agile grace despite his bear-like bulk.
Couldn't put an exact number on it, but going by what he showed in the story, his Strength and Agility stats would clock at least 30 on my Status Window scale.
[Earth's Blessing] offered corrections to my actions, sure—but it only expanded the range of what was possible.
It could bump a 90 up to 100, but it couldn't turn a 0 into 100.
"Ha, fuck."
A sigh slipped out on its own.
In one word: screwed.
"What, fuck? Has this little rat lost his goddamn mind?"
Even as Viper sauntered toward me, cold sweat trickled down my spine.
'Can't win.'
My instincts screamed the warning.
Act tough here, and I'd really die.
Protagonist buff?
That shit was for the original hero.
I was just an extra with a slight stat bump—at best, a minor side character.
"Hey, grab him."
Viper jerked his chin.
Pockmark and the lackeys leered with sleazy grins as they tightened the noose.
My head spun.
Fight? Run?
Run? The mine entrance was their turf.
Dive into the mine?
Monsters crawling everywhere inside.
Every path led straight to hell's open gates.
That instant.
Viper's veins bulged as he hoisted his fist high.
A colossal knuckles with enough whoosh to feel the air pressure.
"Die!"
Whoosh-!
The fist plunged straight for my crown.
No dodging it.
Hit direct? Skull caved at best—instant death at worst.
'Fucked.'
My vision blackened in that split second.
One phrase lightning-bolted through my brain.
Reward? Got 'em!
So I can bail!
'Log out? Exit? Return? Whatever—just get me out! Out!'
No time to think—I screamed it in my head.
Fist a hair from impact.
'Fuck, hurry!'
The moment Viper's fist filled my sight.
Pop-!
The world turned upside down.
"Gasp! Gasp! Gasp!"
I tumbled across the floor, heaving ragged breaths.
Cold sweat poured like rain.
My heart thundered like it would smash through my ribs.
What I saw: the familiar ceiling.
Back in my cramped one-room apartment in reality.
"Sa... saved..."
I touched my crown without thinking.
Perfectly fine.
Moments ago, that fist had been inches from pulverizing my skull.
Escaped by a hair's breadth to reality.
Legs jelly—couldn't stand.
Spread-eagled, stared at the ceiling.
Whoa, really almost died.
Underestimated it 'cause it's a comic—nearly bit the dust for real.
"Crazy fucker. Fist like a goddamn iron club."
Viper's punch lingered vivid in memory.
Whistling through the air like that.
0.1 seconds later, and my head would've exploded like a melon.
Finally steadied my breath, hauled myself up.
Wall clock: frozen at my entry time.
Not one minute, not one second passed.
Then, a settlement window popped up before my eyes.
[Ending exploration of the comic world.]
[Starting achievement calculation.]
[Rewards Obtained]
[Stat Increase: Strength +0.9, Agility +0.7, All Stats +10]
[Trait: Blessing of the Earth]
[Mining Yield: 475 Iron Ore]
[Monsters Killed: Abyssal Moss Slime x141, Cave Bat x1]
[Special Actions: Subdued thugs, explored deep 1st floor, encountered variant monster]
[You have gained exploration EXP.]
[Trait ‘Into the Comics’ proficiency has increased.]
[Current Level: 1 → 2 (UP!)]
[New feature unlocked due to trait level increase.]
“Level up.”
I barely paid attention to the rewards.
That wasn’t what mattered right now.
I survived, but the problem wasn’t solved.
[New Feature: ‘Inventory (Small)’ unlocked]
[You can store items obtained in the comic world or bring real-world items inside.]
“Inventory?”
This is pretty insane.
I can bring real-world items?
But the excitement didn’t last long.
Think about it.
Time in the comic world is frozen.
Right at the moment before Viper’s fist hits my head.
Which means—
The moment I log back in, I’ll respawn at that exact moment, without even 0.1 seconds passing.
“Ah, fuck.”
I cursed.
I’m not safe—I just hit pause.
The moment I resume, it continues with my head getting smashed.
“What do I do?”
If I go back, I die instantly.
Can I dodge?
It was already right above my head.
I might die before I even regain awareness.
“This is driving me crazy.”
I grabbed my hair.
But I can’t just not go back.
I need to either see the ending of [Abyssal Mine] or die to unlock another comic.
‘Dying there might not be real death… but still.’
Dying isn’t exactly appealing.
If I give up now, I’ll be locked out from accessing other comics.
‘I’ll just live as a slightly stronger normal person, never using this trait.’
Success as a hunter? A harem with beautiful women? All gone.
Train normally instead?
Give up this broken ability and grind like everyone else?
Hell no.
And just looking at rewards like Charm +50 from Love and Peace shows there’s no limit to this trait.
I could even learn unique skills from different worlds.
Give that up?
Not happening.
“I need a plan.”
I grabbed cold water from the fridge and chugged it.
I had to think.
Dodge it, block it, or disable him somehow.
“Inventory… bringing real-world items…”
My eyes widened.
That’s it.
I’m in 21st-century Seoul, South Korea.
‘And this place is full of weapons those fantasy thugs couldn’t even imagine.’
I immediately sat at my computer and opened a shopping site.
I wanted to buy a gun, but South Korea is a gun-control country.
No way to buy firearms online.
Stun guns, pepper spray, gas guns, stab-proof vests, batons.
I added everything I could think of to the cart.
“I’ll buy it all. I’ll dump everything on him.”
No matter how strong Viper is, high-voltage electricity will make him piss himself.
Let’s see if he can stay fine after taking capsaicin straight to the eyes.
But timing is the issue.
Will I have time to take it out and use it?
No.
If it takes even a moment, I die.
“Ha…”
I felt stuck again.
I need something that activates instantly.
Or armor that can tank that hit.
“Helmet?”
Wear a motorcycle helmet?
No—what if my head explodes inside the helmet?
That’s even worse.
I need something more certain.
Not just blocking it—but something that can completely destroy him.
I searched forums like Hunter Gallery, military boards, and survival communities.
[How to fight in close combat], [Tools to subdue enemies instantly], [Real fight tips].
Then one post caught my eye.
[Title: Bear repellent spray is insane lol]
[Content: Ran into a boar in the mountains and sprayed this—made it cry and run. Range is like 5m.]
“This is it.”
If it can scare off a bear, it can handle Viper.
But the same problem remained.
Time to take it out.
“Can I hold it when entering?”
I checked the system.
[If you register items in Inventory (Small), you can start with them equipped or in hand upon entry.]
“Oh, fuck yes!”
I cheered.
This works.
I can hold the spray and press the button instantly.
Before his fist lands, I’ll give him chemical warfare training right in the face.
I immediately ordered the strongest bear repellent spray available overseas.
Delivery? I’ll pay for express.
Money means nothing compared to my life.
Right hand: spray. Left hand: stun gun.
This is dual-wielding, you bastard.
I also ordered a stab-proof vest and tactical helmet.
Who cares if it’s embarrassing?
Survival comes first.
If I can enter fully equipped, then I’ll go in fully armed.
“Let’s do this.”
I leaned back in my chair after placing the order.
A sinister grin spread across my face.
I’m curious what kind of expression Viper will make.
Imagining him rolling on the ground in agony already felt satisfying.
‘Will people there find modern items strange?’
Doesn’t matter.
I’ll just use them, beat those bastards, and put them back.
A perfect plan.
I’ll rest for a few days in reality while waiting for the items.
Time is frozen there anyway.
“Just wait. I’ll show you what gear advantage and modern science really are.”
* * *
Ding-dong!
“Chicken delivery!”
I picked up the warm chicken box from the door.
The greasy aroma hit my nose.
This is heaven.
All the fatigue from the comic world washed away instantly.
I set the chicken on my desk.
Next to it: ice-cold cola, and the game screen of Legend of Heroes in the main lobby.
“Got money, ordered weapons.”
Now I just need to rest and recover.
Forget about Pockmark and Viper for now.
This is time to enjoy reality.
I started matchmaking and took a bite of a drumstick.
The crispy coating and tender meat danced in my mouth.
“Damn… this is the life.”
Mining ores and killing slimes was exciting, but nothing beats modern civilization’s chicken.
Pure dopamine.
I watched YouTube while eating.
‘That squirrel didn’t flip off… must not be AI.’
After a while, about 15 minutes into the game—
An enemy mid hero overextended right before an objective.
“Oh? You’re coming in? Trying to die?”
I immediately comboed and got a solo kill.
Felt amazing.
‘Too bad there’s no all-chat…’
I opened the chat.
[180/72/23: It’s 4:5, give this objective and go boss. I’ve got level 20 trait Gale.]
[Republic of Korea: Let’s go, that pick was great.]
[180/72/23: Why’s this Chinese guy speaking Korean?]
[Republic of Korea: ?]
[180/72/23: What, you bastard?]
[Republic of Korea: Muted]
Then—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The front door shook violently.
“Fuck! That scared me!”
Who the hell bangs like that?
Maybe the convenience store owner?
Or a noise complaint?
“Hey! Lee Jun! Open the door!”
A familiar voice.
Annoying, high-pitched, and irritating.
“...Ha.”
I sighed.
I knew who it was.
The most troublesome person in the world.
I went to the door and unlocked it.
It swung open immediately.
“Damn, took you long enough. Got your ears stuffed or what?”
Silver hair that couldn’t occur naturally, and naturally red eyes glared at me.
Lee Ah-rin.
My younger sister.