Chapter 2

Chapter 2

2. I Made 1 Billion Won

[Accessing ‘Hunter’s Inventory.’]

[Please choose a nickname.]

When I came to my senses, these messages were floating before my eyes.

Hunter’s Inventory.

I’d heard of it.

It wasn’t some kind of subspace. Apparently, it was a community that only awakened hunters could access.

“God.”

[That nickname is unavailable.]

Of course it wouldn’t work.

“Tsk.”

If it had, I could’ve sold it for at least a million won.

“Divine One.”

I chose it with the meaning of a divine being.

Most people would probably interpret it as “newcomer,” but whatever.

[Nickname created.]

[Accessing ‘Hunter’s Inventory.’]

That actually worked.

Maybe duplicate nicknames were allowed.

[You have entered the Free Board.]

If I wanted to get a feel for Hunter’s Inventory, I first needed to thoroughly read the Free Board.

[Title: I awakened an ability that shoots water. Is it any good?]

[Nickname: WaterPpomi]

-I heard fire ability users have insane firepower, and summoning types can even auto-hunt... but I honestly don’t know what’s so good about water ㅠㅠ The damage doesn’t seem that great either, and it feels like it’s only useful for washing and drinking... It is A-Rank, but maybe it kinda sucks? ㅠㅠ

A-Rank was a dream rank that anyone in the world would envy.

Of course, S-Rank existed above it.

But S-Rank was considered something you had to be chosen by the heavens to receive.

Maybe that was why most S-Rank hunters were supposedly arrogant assholes.

But this ‘WaterPpomi’ bastard wasn’t much better.

“You dare humblebrag?”

Today was the meaningful day I awakened as a hunter and made ten billion won... no, the day I rescued Lady Shin Saimdang.

And the moment I accessed Hunter’s Inventory, I had to see a shameless post like this?

Talk about rotten luck.

Sure enough.

The comment section was going absolutely wild too.

-If you’re A-Rank you can probably reach at least the 50th floor, spoiled bastard

-This is 100% a humblebrag

-Blocked

As a proud member of Hunter’s Inventory, I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

At that moment, I came up with a brilliant way to take revenge on WaterPpomi and soothe the hearts of my comrades.

With one hand, I opened the camera app on my smartphone, and with the other, I held up a bundle of Shin Saimdang bills.

Click!

Then I posted a reply to ‘WaterPpomi’s’ thread.

[Title: Wow, I’m sooo jealous you’re A-Rank ㅠㅠ]

[Nickname: Divine One]

-I’m like E? Rank or something ㅠㅠ My ability seems kinda weird too ㅠㅠ Maybe that’s why my earnings aren’t great either... This is all ㅎ I managed to make today ㅠㅠ

(Photo attached: bundle of 100 50,000-won bills)

WaterPpomi, you’re A-Rank, so you must make waaay more than this, right? ^^*) I’m sooo jealous~~~

[Post submitted.]

“Why do I suddenly feel like years of indigestion just vanished? Buuurp. Man, I haven’t even eaten anything and I’m burping.”

I’m getting hungry anyway. Maybe I should hit the café in front of my place.

“Heh heh.”

* * *

Somewhere in Seoul, South Korea.

Lee Geonho, a man in his early thirties and an A-Rank hunter.

He had recently awakened as an A-Rank hunter and felt like he could fly through the sky.

Shaaaaa!

Lee Geonho turned off the shower, stood before the mirror, and struck what he considered a devastatingly handsome(?) angle.

“Geonho, why are you so amazing? Handsome, awakened, and even A-Rank. Huh? Come on, answer me. Hahahaha!”

The moment he awakened, he quit his job, took out a loan, and rented a two-bedroom apartment in Seoul.

It left him buried in debt, but that was fine.

He was an A-Rank hunter, after all.

“Ahahaha! Oh, would you look at that? Someone’s already jealous.”

After drying himself off and checking his smartphone, Lee Geonho’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

‘Nothing boosts your self-esteem like showing off.’

The post already had hundreds of views.

And malicious comments dripping with envy and jealousy kept pouring in.

“Hah, look at these bastards. They’re so jealous.”

There was even a reply.

[A reply has been posted.]

[Wow, I’m sooo jealous you’re A-Rank ㅠㅠ]

His shoulders began bouncing with delight.

He immediately opened the reply.

The grin that had nearly reached Lee Geonho’s ears began to rot away.

“This fucking bastard...!”

A bundle of one hundred 50,000-won bills!

And as if it had been intentional, several identical bundles were subtly visible at the edge of the photo.

His insides boiled with rage.

Lee Geonho opened the comments to post something nasty.

But then.

-You’re amazing, bro.

-What floor of the Tower are you on?

-Must’ve run into a Golden Goblin or something. Congrats

-Daaamn~

-Is it even possible for an E-Rank to make 50 million in one day?

┗This kid knows nothing lol. There are always ways~

┗It’s possible if you try reeeeally hard. Like the comment above said, Golden Goblins exist too lol

‘I’m buried in debt, though?’

Some mere E-Rank had supposedly made 50 million won overnight.

On top of that, the users of Hunter’s Inventory, commonly called ‘Hunven,’ were being extremely friendly toward ‘Divine One.’

‘Wait.’

-Did you take out a private loan or something? lol

He posted that comment.

┗What kind of loan shark lends someone 50 million won? Lmaooo

And got that reply.

‘W-Well, that’s true too...’

Complete and utter defeat!

His hands and feet trembled.

Clack clack clack clack!

His upper and lower teeth kept knocking together.

“Damn it!”

In a fit of rage, he hurled his smartphone.

Smack!

He had a short temper.

Countless cracks spread across the screen like a spiderweb.

“Ah, shit! I just bought this phone last week!”

Then he remembered he was locked into a two-year contract.

“GRAAAAH!”

What was ‘that bastard’s’ nickname again?

“Divine One? Just you wait. I’ll get my revenge!”

Lee Geonho wasn’t merely hot-tempered.

He absolutely couldn’t stand losing.

* * *

Home, my sweet home.

“Hmmm-hm.”

On my way back home.

I found myself humming.

Just thinking about the billion won waiting at home made my steps feel lighter.

Crash!

“Argh!”

I got too bouncy with my steps and ended up falling over.

My cinnamon honey bread went flying.

‘My 4,800-won cinnamon honey bread!’

It wasn’t even something I normally ate much.

But what a waste.

“Ow, my knee.”

I rubbed my knee to soothe the pain, only to find my palm covered in blood.

I’d scraped my knee raw, and blood was streaming out.

“Ah, shit... What a waste of cinnamon honey bread.”

The 4,800 won I’d spent on that cinnamon honey bread came to mind before the fact that I’d hurt myself.

“...”

Just as I began feeling depressed over how pathetic my situation was.

Wait?

‘Hold on. I’m not living the kind of life where I need to cry over wasting a measly 4,800 won anymore, am I?’

I had an entire billion won.

Sure, it wasn’t enough to buy a house in Seoul.

But?

‘A studio is enough for me.’

I live alone. If I lived in a two- or three-bedroom place, who would clean it?

Me.

And cleaning is a pain in the ass.

I pictured the piles of trash and dirty dishes filling the corners of my studio.

I headed straight back to the studio apartment building where I lived.

But then.

Thud!

At the building entrance, I bumped heads with some balding middle-aged man.

Shine!

“Argh!”

I was blinded by the Solar Flare coming off the middle-aged man’s breezy scalp.

“Goddammit! Hey, punk! Watch where the fuck you’re going!”

Seriously.

Were his own eyes just for decoration?

But I was younger, so I had to hold it in.

“Ah, yes. Sorry.”

Just as I tried to walk past him into the hallway.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Get over here.”

“Why?”

He reeked of alcohol.

My face twisted before I could stop it.

“What do you mean, why? You little fucker, still wet behind the ears, making that face while an adult is talking to you! I oughta—!”

Smack!

“Ow!”

He slapped me across the side of the face.

My cheek and ear stung.

“Keep your damn eyes open when you walk.”

“Yes... Sorry.”

Fucking bastard!

Come to think of it, this guy seemed to be the culprit who got drunk and screamed his head off every dawn.

‘Now that I’ve heard his voice, it’s definitely him.’

I wanted to rip out what little hair he had left.

Anyway, after all that trouble, I finally made it home, and the mountain of cleaning waiting inside immediately caught my eye.

‘Ugh, I can’t be bothered to clean.’

I called a cleaning service.

-Hmm... I think the estimate will be around 800,000 won.

“You charge 800,000 won just to clean a studio apartment?”

-Yes.

Firm and decisive.

I could practically hear the ‘take it or leave it’ in their voice.

‘Let’s think about this.’

Even if I subtract 800,000 won from one billion?

999.2 million won!

I wouldn’t even notice it.

More importantly, there was a very good reason I absolutely had to hire someone else to clean.

‘I made one billion won in just fifteen minutes today.’

That’s four billion won an hour!

In other words, I’m a precious man whose hourly wage is four billion won!

Looking around the place, it seemed like it would take about five hours to get everything clean.

‘But if I clean it myself?’

I’d work up a huge sweat, so I’d have to take a proper shower afterward too.

And if I included the opportunity cost?

All things considered, I’d be losing a whopping thirty billion won!

‘Lose thirty billion just to save 800,000?’

Nobody in the world was that stupid.

-Hello? Sir? Are you there? Are you doing it or not?

But then.

Bang, bang, bang!

Someone knocked on my door.

Who is it?

“One moment. I’ll call you back.”

-All right.

I hung up and checked the intercom screen.

“Who is it?”

-Um... Please open the door. I’m begging you.

That voice?

‘It’s that bald guy from earlier.’

For some reason, his way of speaking had suddenly become extremely polite.

‘It’s only been ten minutes since we met.’

Had he turned over a new leaf in that short time?

Impossible.

Click.

When I opened the door, the bald guy was prostrating himself on the floor in front of me.

‘What?’

What the hell was going on?

Had he seriously turned over a new leaf?

“Bald guy? Why are you suddenly doing this?”

“P-Please! I’m begging you, lend me just 100,000 won!”

“What?”

“100,000 won... No, just give me 50,000! I’ll never forget this kindness for the rest of my life!”

He suddenly showed up asking me to lend him 100,000 won.

But about ten meters down the hallway, a scary-looking man was smoking a cigarette.

The guy practically had ‘I’m dangerous’ written all over his face as he glared fiercely at the bald man.

‘Is he a loan shark?’

Probably.

I’d seen plenty of loan sharks since I was a kid, and he gave off the exact same vibe.

‘This bald guy really is something else.’

A second ago he said ‘lend me,’ and now he was just saying ‘give me.’

‘Hey, mister. When are you going to pay back the money you borrowed?’

‘What? When did I ever say I was borrowing it? I told you to give it to me! What, you young bastard, are your ears broken too?’

I could already picture the future perfectly.

“Mister. Want me to give you 50,000 won?”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah. But in exchange, clean my apartment.”

Both men’s expressions turned strange.