Chapter 276 – Part 2 – Nam Dong-il

“Urrrrgh…”

Nam-gi grimaced as soon as he opened his eyes.

It was because he felt pain all over his face.

At the same time, the face of the person who had put him in this state came to mind.

“Seong-min, that son of a bitch…”

Despite being beaten to near death, Nam-gi’s spirit wasn’t broken.

Rather, he was burning with rage.

“Damn it, if I hadn’t let my guard down…”

He thought more that he had been caught off guard by his own mistake rather than that his opponent was strong.

In the first place, the existence called Seong-min was ingrained in Nam-gi’s mind as a herbivore.

His pride might be hurt, but he had no intention whatsoever of acknowledging that the other was stronger than him.

‘You’re really dead. Get ready to go into a coffin, you fucking bastard.’

Nam-gi got up from his position, harboring thoughts of revenge two or three times over.

Looking around, it had already gotten dark.

In other words, it also meant he had been left abandoned until evening.

“Look at this fucking civic consciousness. Someone’s collapsed but nobody takes them to the hospital?”

It was probably because they knew he was a commoner.

You could tell someone was a commoner just from the clothes they wore.

“They probably thought they wouldn’t get any reward for helping. What a shitty world.”

This world only revolved around those with power.

That’s why hunters were like nobles, but now that monsters had become extinct, awakening was useless.

‘I gave up on the dream of social advancement long ago. To make a living, I have no choice but to wag my tail at those above me.’

For commoners to make a living, the only answer was to ride the right lines.

Fortunately, Nam-gi had a connection he was holding onto.

Ring ring ring- Ring ring ring-

‘Please pick up.’

Nam-gi, who was calling someone, greeted them politely as soon as the call connected.

“Hello, Manager.”

-Who are you?

“It’s me. Nam-gi.”

-This bastard is calling his superior in the middle of the night? Are you crazy?

“I’m sorry. It’s really urgent business.”

-What is it? If it’s not urgent after I hear it, know that you’re going to die.

“Seong-min has woken up.”

-Seong-min? Who’s that?

“You know, the one who was in a coma…”

-Ah, that bastard’s name was Seong-min? But why is that guy…?

“I want to get revenge on that guy, but could we meet and discuss the details?”

-This bastard is bothering his superior to come and go?

“If you give me your address, I’ll come to your house. Please help me. I need Manager’s help.”

-Ha, this guy is really annoying. I’ll send you the address, so get over here within 20 minutes!

* * *

E-rank Manager Nam Dong-il burst into laughter as soon as he saw Nam-gi.

“Puhahaha! What’s with that pathetic state of yours?”

“…”

Even though his front teeth were all gone and his shirt was stained with blood, Nam Dong-il just laughed as if it was someone else’s business.

“Did that bastard beat you up? So that’s why you want revenge?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

“Kek kek, oh my. Nam-gi. You idiot. To be beaten like this by a loser who just woke up from a coma. How embarrassing.”

“Th-that bastard cowardly ambushed me…”

“Anyway, getting beaten is getting beaten. Kek kek.”

“…I’m going to get revenge. Please help me.”

At those words, Nam Dong-il’s expression, which had been laughing until now, completely changed.

“Why should I?”

“M-Manager…”

“What does it have to do with me? Are you some hidden brother of mine? Why should I wipe your ass?”

“…”

“Do you think we became close because I helped cover up that incident last time? So you’re looking down on me and crawling up? Is that it? You commoner bastard.”

“Th-that’s not it…”

“If that’s not it, then clean up your own shit, bastard. Don’t keep thinking about crossing the line. Should I, whose time is gold, help you for free?”

As expected, he draws the line saying he can’t help for free.

Nam-gi didn’t expect him to help for free either.

“Seong-min, that bastard has a younger sister.”

Nam-gi said this while showing a photo of A-yeon that he had secretly taken.

Then Nam Dong-il’s ice-cold expression brightened.

“Ooh, nice face. She’s my type.”

“Originally, I was planning to get this girl drunk and offer her to Manager.”

“Oh, really?”

“But Seong-min woke up and it failed. He’ll keep interfering in the future too.”

“Hmm…”

“She’s a lowly girl, so Manager could take her anytime if you set your mind to it, but wouldn’t it be better to remove the obstacle?”

“That makes sense.”

Looking at him grinning while looking at the photo, he seemed quite pleased.

“Good. I’ll help you remove that obstacle.”

“Thank you!”

“But the debt from helping you last time still remains, right? This is this and that was that.”

“Ah… yes.”

‘Fucking bastard. He’s trying to suck me dry to the bone.’

Curses naturally came out internally, but Nam-gi was still in a good mood.

Because he’d be able to properly get revenge on that bastard Seong-min.

“Nam-gi. By the way, you have to get revenge with your own hands, right? I’m not at a level to get involved in commoner fights.”

“I understand. If you just lend me weapons and equipment, I’ll take care of the rest myself.”

Nam-gi didn’t expect the manager to step in directly from the beginning.

He wasn’t that kind of person.

‘I just need hunter equipment.’

Even if it’s F-rank, there’s a world of difference between wearing equipment and not wearing it.

‘You’ll get hurt badly if you underestimate F-rank equipment.’

Wearing equipment was like being armored all over your body and holding a sword.

No matter how well Seong-min could fight, he wouldn’t be able to handle an armed version of himself.

“Oh, really? You were planning to just borrow equipment from me from the beginning?”

“Yes. I thought Manager, who manages the armory, could help me.”

Nam Dong-il was called a manager because he managed the armory under the Hunter Management Center.

It was just an armory containing only F-rank equipment, but in this world where item supply was blocked, even that was in short supply.

“Don’t you have any items?”

“Yes. I don’t have any.”

“Not even a basic club?”

“The wooden club I received when I awakened was confiscated when I joined the company 10 years ago.”

To think a hunter had no items at all.

“That means this guy called Seong-min doesn’t have jack shit either?”

“That would be right.”

“Then the one wearing equipment would definitely win?”

“That’s why I need Manager’s help.”

“Hehe, good. I’ll outfit you with the best items among F-rank.”

Nam Dong-il gestured for him to follow.

Because now was the right time to steal items from the armory.

* * *

There’s an armory next to the Hunter Management Center, but no one thinks of robbing it. It was made with super-strong alloy that would be hard for even hunters to break, and you needed to enter a 12-digit password as well as pass CCTV surveillance.

And such armories are managed by hunters one rank higher.

F-rank armories are managed by E-rank hunters, E-rank armories by D-rank hunters, and so on.

Of course, from C-rank armories and above, they’re managed in places with stricter security like the Association.

Beep beep beep- Clunk-

When Nam Dong-il entered the password, the heavy armory door opened.

“Come in. I’ll give you a chance to see the armory directly.”

“Uh… is it okay for me to go in when I’m not authorized personnel?”

“I turned off the CCTV, so don’t worry.”

Originally, no one except managers could enter the armory.

If someone let anyone in, it would definitely be the manager’s responsibility.

“Won’t you get in trouble because of me?”

“I turned off the CCTV so there’s no way to get caught. Unless you open your mouth.”

At those words, Nam-gi waved his hands as if it was unthinkable.

“Oh my! I absolutely have no intention of doing that.”

“I know. If you opened your mouth, you’d die and I’d die too.”

“…”

Click-

When the armory lights were turned on, many types of F-rank weapons on display could be seen.

“This side has weapons, this side has armor, over there are helmets, gloves, and shoes. They’re roughly categorized like this. Since it’s an F-rank armory, there are no accessories.”

“Wow…”

Nam-gi, entering an armory for the first time, couldn’t close his mouth at the feast of items.

“How many are all these?”

“There are a total of 226 items here.”

“Wow… Items that are hard to see even one of, hundreds of them…”

“Don’t think about sneaking one while I’m not looking. If even one goes missing, I’ll definitely think you’re the culprit.”

“Of-of course. I’m grateful enough just for you lending me some, what else.”

“Let’s pick a weapon first? I’ll lend you the best weapon among F-rank.”

Not all F-rank items are the same.

Just like level 1 weapons and level 49 weapons are different, even within the same F-rank, they’re classified as high, medium, and low according to their options.

Of course, since there was no concept of levels in this world, you could wield any weapon as long as the rank matched.

Even a newly awakened F-rank could wear the highest grade F-rank weapon.

“Manager. If possible, please give me a dagger.”

“Why?”

“My trait is one that’s good when I’m wearing a dagger.”

“Really? The highest grade dagger would be over there.”

Nam Dong-il, who was walking toward where the daggers were, tilted his head.

“What? Why are the lights off here? Did the bulb burn out?”

He had no choice but to turn on his phone’s flashlight to look for weapons.

“Huh? Where did it go?”

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t see the weapon.”

Since he was relying only on the flashlight in the darkness, his field of vision inevitably narrowed.

Was that why?

Nam Dong-il couldn’t take any countermeasures until a dagger came to his neck.

Stab-

“Gurgle!”

At the sudden sound of phlegm rattling, Nam-gi shone his phone light and was startled.

“Gasp!”

A dagger was stuck in Nam Dong-il’s neck.

It was none other than Seong-min’s doing.

Nam-gi was so shocked that he couldn’t move at all.

Thud-

When Seong-min let go of the hair he was grabbing, Nam Dong-il collapsed to the floor like a puppet with cut strings.

[You have killed Hunter Nam Dong-il.]

[You have stolen the trait ‘Stealth Detection.’]

[You have stolen 7 pieces of equipment.]

Seong-min, who had been hiding in the darkness, ambushed and killed Nam Dong-il.

By the way, Nam Dong-il’s combat power was 3,021.

An F-rank with 0 combat power had killed an E-rank with 3,000.

And in one hit at that.

“How could someone like you kill Manager…”

When Nam-gi asked with shocked eyes, Seong-min smiled.

“No matter how E-rank, if you don’t wear equipment, you can die from one dagger strike. E-rank doesn’t have that many basic stats anyway. Plus this dagger. It’s quite useful.”

Seong-min was holding the highest grade dagger that Nam Dong-il had been looking for.

“Wh-when did you get here?”

“I was tailing you guys and saw the CCTV being turned off, so I came in.”

“You came in before us? The door should have been locked, how?”

“I know the password.”

The armory password was one of the pieces of information he had heard before possession.

Seong-min had known from before possession that Nam Dong-il was behind this.

“Now, since the CCTV is off, shall we comfortably kill the remaining one too?”

When he smiled like a demon, the terrified Nam-gi ran away.

“Ah, ahhhhh! Someone save me!”

Of course, Seong-min wasn’t going to let him go.

Swoosh-

After switching to a bow he had prepared in advance, he drew the bowstring.

Then an artificial arrow appeared, and when he released the string.

Whoosh- Thunk!

“Urgh!”

The arrow hit Nam-gi’s back precisely.

Whoosh- Thunk!

“Kek!”

Whoosh- Thunk!

“Ahhh!”

Like hunting a beast, Seong-min leisurely shot arrows while walking and switched his weapon to a dagger.

Then he unhesitatingly cut the throat of the dying Nam-gi.

Slice-

[You have killed Hunter Oh Nam-gi.]

[You have stolen the trait ‘Dagger Mastery.’]