Chapter 15: But That’s A Fraud

As soon as the day broke, I asked to be discharged from the hospital. Since I had fully recovered, there was no point in extending my stay.

Although my older sister said she would pay for it, I didn’t want to be indebted to her, especially since she had already settled the damages from the fire. We may be family, but I should refrain from being overly dependent on her.

“

Haa

, I lost everything to the fire.” I let out a sigh upon seeing the aftermath of the incident.

Whoosh~!

Huge gusts of wind mixed with fine dust blew through the large hole in the wall where the Hunter had saved me. I felt refres—no, musty.

“Is there anything of value left in here?”

Not only did I have to renovate the entire house, I also had to buy some necessities. Everything needed money. If only I could ask for an advance in royalties from the publishing company... Unfortunately, I had to be a famous writer for that, which I wasn’t.

Sigh, couldn't the heavens rain some gold for me? What a waste, maybe I shouldn't have eaten that Berry of the World Tree...

Something that could heal burn injury overnight should be able to fetch at least tens of million of Korean won. Never would I have imagined that items obtained through God-Maker would have such effects.

“Ah! I remember leaving it somewhere around here!”

I rushed to search through the burnt desk in front of me. Soon, I found the item I was looking for. Thankfully, it was also safe from the fire. It was the first item I had obtained from God-Maker, Druid’s Ring.

“Here it is!”

-----

[Druid’s Ring]

A ring imbued with the vitality of the forest. No.808 never took it off.

Special note: Increases elemental power.

-----

***

Back in the days, Jongno was packed with rows and rows of jewelry shops. Now, they had all turned into trading shops specializing in items or monster loots.

“Huh?! Only this much?! This is a Gorgon’s Horn, y’know! You wanna die, Boss Park?!”

“How much longer do I have to fucking wait?!”

“You blockhead! How dare you scream at me!”

I never knew there were this many Hunters in South Korea. All of them had huge builds, with battle scars all over their bodies, exuding aura like that of proud warriors.

Knowing full well that I was a weak and timid writer, I’d like to avoid brushing with them if I could. Thus, I headed to a less crowded area.

Hye-Ja[1] Trading. I liked the shop's name, it sounded quite reasonable.

“Hello?”

When I opened the door, a bell with a classic sound that was unfitting for the 21st century rang. The interior resembled an antique shop instead of a trading shop.

The weapons on display were mostly cold weapons that weren’t commonly used in this day and age.

“Welcome. How may I help you?” An innocent-looking female with disheveled hair tied into a ponytail and large horn-rimmed glasses greeted me.

Ding!

-----

[The innate power Blind Eyes of God has been activated.]

[Appraising target.]

[Appraisal complete!]

-----

[---]

A female human. Around for 26 years.

Special note: E-cup.

-----

This time, the unique power activated on its own like a passive skill.

But, E-cup?

I restrained myself from shifting my gaze to her torso.

“

Uhm

, I want to sell off my item.”

“Are you a Hunter?” Her eyes widened slightly.

I know, I know, I don’t look like a hunter. No need to look at me like that, Boss.

“While I did awaken my ability, I still don’t have a Hunter license.”

I had no intention of getting one, either. Why should I, when not a single dungeon would allow the participation of a G-rank Hunter?

“I happened to get my hands on an item, so I’m thinking of selling it.”

“I see.

Uhm

, it’s slightly more troublesome to trade items without a Hunter license. Could you fill this out for me first?” She handed me a few pieces of paper.

I began filling out the empty field. Soon, I found a tricky question: where did I obtain the item from?

I played a mobile game called God-Maker. There, I killed an ant with a druid-looking beard with my fist and ding! It popped out from my phone.

Yeah, there was no way I could write that.

At times like this, I needed to use my imagination as a writer. Now, should I write it in a sensible manner or in a dramatic manner? Just as I was contemplating that...

Click.

“Please have some of this while filling out the form.”

The female store owner served up a cup of green tea and some cookies. The cookies weren’t commercial products, but freshly-baked, high-quality ones from a bakery.

“Thank you, you don’t have to.”

“No, you’re our store’s esteemed customer.” The store owner of Hye-Ja Trading gave a soft smile.

Despite being addressed as a customer, my sloppy training suit only made me feel like an unemployed guy undeserving of such treatment. Moreover, she had no idea what I was about to sell.

Growl! Growl!

My stomach rumbled at that exact moment as if mocking me. Thinking back, I hadn’t had a proper meal today. Unable to control myself, I took a bite of the cookies. It melted in my mouth in an instant.

Wow, it's delicious!

Fascinated by the flavor, I wolfed down the cookies. At that time, the familiar doorbell sounded once more, and in came three men.

Ding!

[Appraisal succeeded.]

My unique power activated on its own again.

-----

[---]

A male human. Around for 29 years.

Special note: Has weak muscles.

-----

[---]

A male human. Around for 35 years.

Special note: Also has weak muscles.

-----

Hey, how are they weak? They are so huge, with their muscles bulging everywhere! They can probably catch a lion with their hands alone.

These men seemed like they belonged to the Reinforce-type Hunters.

Reinforce-type Hunters had enhanced physical abilities. They would usually play the role of intercepting monsters at the forefront of the party, much like tanks in games.

“Oi, whatcha’ lookin’ at?” One of the Hunters growled like bulldogs upon noticing my gaze.

Flinch!

As a peace-loving weak writer, I averted my gaze in a hurry. I pretended to fill out the papers.

“So

uhm

, do I have to fill this...?”

“

Ha!

He’s straight up ignoring me!”

The angry Hunter seemed like a bull that would charge at any moment.

“Now, now, that’s a civilian, don’t scare him too much.”

Another Hunter stepped in, trying to calm him down. This person was much skinnier than the other two, who seemed sly.

“Well, if you say so, Hyung-nim...”

I kept up my pretense, my eyes glued to the form in hand.

Ding!

-----

[---]

A male human. Around for 31 years.

Special note: Uses puny flames.

-----

As expected, the appraisal did not reveal their names. But the note did mention that he used flames. Did that mean he was a special ability-type Hunter? Also, why was the review in the special note so harsh?

Thunder Emperor’s “electrifying” note seemed much better. Come to think of it, even her name was revealed. Was there some sort of standard in this? I still hadn’t fully grasped my own ability.

“What? You wanna say something?”

I briefly made eye contact with the puny flame user.

“If you wanna complain, I’m all ears.”

He sounded polite, but—

Flicker!

His eyes flamed up as he glowered at me.

Shiver!

It felt as if I had put my face close to a bonfire.

H-how is this flame user weak?

“I-It’s nothing.”

I lowered my head even more, transfixed on the papers in front of me. The flame guy smirked at my reaction, then turned his attention back to the store owner behind the counter.

“Ms. Da-Hye, how have you been?”

“W-welcome. I’ve been well... How about you, Hunter Park?”

“Haha, as always, I’m doing great. Ms. Da-Hye, you’re looking fine as usual.” The flame guy was basically leering at her voluminous chest.

“

Uhm

, why are you here today...?” She smiled awkwardly while covering herself with her hands.

“Haha, I want you to take a look at something. Show it, guys.”

Snap!

At the snap of his fingers, one of his men took out the case slung behind his back and dropped it on the table.

“I found something handy on a dungeon raid with my team. I was reminded that your shop was struggling recently, so I brought this for you.”

“May I take a look?” Her eyes sparkled.

“Of course.” He responded, opening the case.

Flash!

A dazzling bright light flashed from the case, reminding me of when treasure chests were opened in children’s folktales. It came from the golden armor stored within.

“T-this is...!” The store owner was mesmerized.

“It's Mithril Armor.” The flame guy smirked, before signaling to his underling.

His underling swung his great ax at the armor!

Claaaang!

The blow was so hard that it produced sparks, but the armor remained unscathed.

“What do you think? As you can see, there isn’t a single scratch. It’s one of the highest quality items out there in the market.” The flame guy spread his arms in exaggeration.

“W-wait!”

The store owner snapped to her senses. She fished out a monocle, and took a closer look at the Mithril Armor.

“560 mana points?! That's incredible! It's my first time seeing a Grade A defensive gear!”

“Of course. There's no way anyone could get their hands on something like this so easily. Take this from someone who has been in this circle for a decade. So, Ms. Da-Hye, would you like to strike a deal with me?” the flame guy nodded knowingly.

“O-of course! Please sell it to me, Hunter Park!” The store owner nodded profusely.

The flame guy clapped his hands, seemingly having predicted that response.

“Since we've known each other for a while, I’m willing to part with it for a mere sum of 300 million. But can you pay in cash? I'm in urgent need of cash at the moment.”

“3-300 million in cash?” her eyes widened.

“

Sigh

, I forgot that Ms. Da-Hye isn't doing so well financially. I have no choice but to sell it to someone else.”

“W-wait!”

The flame guy was about to stand up when the store owner stopped him.

“I should be able to prepare 300 million won from my deposits! It was meant to pay for my studio, but I can make do! Please hold on for a moment. I'll retrieve the money from my safe!”

She hurriedly went to her safe, preparing the cash for them. As the men watched her, insidious smiles spread on their faces.

Ding! Ding! Clang!

The Hunters turned their attention to me when they heard coins falling. I picked up the Godcoins in a hurry, then scratched my head awkwardly.

“I'm sorry, it's time for me to feed the ants.”

Dusting off the cookie crumbs on my hands, I stuffed the Godcoins into my pocket. Despite that, complicated thoughts filled my head.

Should I speak up or not? Ugh, I don't know.

The store owner gave me some free cookies, so the least I could do was speak up about the potential scam.

“

Uhm

, Boss. I’d like to tell you something.”

“Yes? What's the matter, Sir?”

I sighed softly, before pointing at that Mithril Armor that shone golden.

“That's a counterfeit good.”

I could see its true worth.

-----

[Old Scrap Metal Armor in Yu Il-Shin's Eyes]

Armor made of scrap metal. Around for 29 years.

Special note: Enhanced with reinforcement and deception skills.

Skill duration: 4 hours 9 minutes 32 seconds

-----

It wasn't even a real item, but one enhanced with deception skills.

“That armor is junk, so don't buy it.”

I was no saint, but I couldn’t bring myself to see the kind and naive store owner getting scammed out of 300 million won.

“What did you say?!”

“Fuck off! Who do you think you are?! How dare you call this armor junk!”

Furious at my claim, the faces of the two bodybuilder-like Hunters were distorted. I subconsciously took a few steps back.

“That’s enough,” the flame guy stopped his underlings and approached me with a shameless smile. “Look here, Old Guy. Can you back up your statement from earlier?”

Old Guy

?

He looks so much older than me!

“If you're spouting nonsense without evidence...”

Flicker! Whoosh!

A ball of fire the size of my head appeared in his hand.

“...You're dead meat.”

He was about to roast me like a pork belly with that fireball. Briefly, I regretted my actions, but...

“Go ahead.”

Whatever.

I couldn't be sure, but I'd just have to wing it. I pointed my finger at the armor.

“Crushing Forefinger of God.”

Then...

Click!

A sound rang in my ears.

1. The word Hye-Ja in Korean also means worthwhile/reasonable in value ☜