Chapter 6
The Jin residence, located on top of the hill, looked like a village.
On a large land, dozens of small buildings were spread out and surrounding the buildings was a tall stone wall, with the Jin family crest.
Not only that, but the shadow the Jin residence cast was spectacular.
The nature curled around the family crest.
Just looking made me feel overwhelmed.
“Wow.”
Even the driver was impressed. No, wait.
“Haven’t you come here often?”
“This is my second time.”
“… When did you start working again?”
“It hasn’t even been a little over a month.”
This is my first time seeing someone who was like an onion.1
He looked like he was a 20 year veteran but to think he was a newbie.
‘But then again, if he had that much experience, there was no way he wouldn’t recognize me.’
I was a face who was seen coming in and out often from the brothel. It was understandable if he thought I was Jin Mukyung if he was a new employee.
‘It’s a good thing everything went well.’
I finished the last tutorial quest and on top of that, I felt thankful it happened right in front of the Jin residence.
“Please drive slowly.”
“Ah, yes.”
I felt the carriage slow down and opened my skill window.
[Qi Sense]
Rank: None (無)
Stage: ★
Restrictions: Jin Taekyung
Effect: You are able to sense opponents below level 30
Description: You are able to sense opponents if they are within your range. As your stage increases, your range increases.
As I finished reading the description, I thought of something.
‘It’s that. Sensing your opponent’s power level.’
In famous manhwa’s, characters used devices2 to sense their opponents power level but I wasn’t sure what [Qi Sense] was like.
‘Activate Qi Sense.’
Was this right? The second I paused, underneath my feet, a blue circle appeared. And at the same time, an alarm went off.
Ring.
You have used [Qi Sense]. As the current stage is 1 star, you will be able to sense opponents less than level 30, within 10 zhang3.
If it was 10 zhang, then that would be 30 meters.
Swaaak. The blue circle widened underneath me and I could feel a person enter into the range. Above the driver’s head, a window appeared.
Through [Qi Sense], you are able to sense your opponent’s power level.
[Lv. 4 Jang Sam]4
Ah ha, so it was like this.
‘It’s easy, simple, and above all else…’
It was a skill I needed to survive. To see if someone was stronger, or weaker or at the same level as me. I would be able to sense it with Qi Sense.
‘They gave me something decent.’
I nodded my head up and down and opened the quest window. And upon confirming the [Main Quest], my mouth opened.
“… What?”
It was like everything in front of me brightened. Compared to a ray of light in a ditch, this was the sun. My heart started racing.
[Log Out]
You now need to leave the rough Murim world.
Become stronger and gain more fame.
Until that day…
Rank: Main Quest
Restriction: Jin Taekyung
Mission: Reach [First Rate] (Incomplete)
Reach Lv. 30 (Incomplete)
Reach 500 Fame (Incomplete)
Reward: [Log Out]
The words that I desperately wanted.
‘Log out!’
I was happy and surprised. Even though I was determined to survive no matter what, I did feel a small amount of anxiety.
Would I be able to leave? What if I was stuck here? Those kinds of anxieties.
‘I can leave.’
But now it was different. I got confirmation that I could log out. It was a feeling like I was awake for the first time.
‘Fuck yeah. This is just a game.’
Quest? What was so hard about that.
I lived day after day struggling to make ends meet. The ordinary life of a citizen couldn’t be compared to a hunter’s life.
‘And this strength.’
I made a fist. Even though this was all just a virtual reality, the strength I felt, felt real.
That was why I knew.
The me inside the game was stronger than the me in reality.
Even though it was a small difference.
‘It’s all because of the system.’
Levelling up, quests, the stats and the skills. This was all the system’s strength. It was possible because it was a game and I was the player.
It was only a matter of time before I logged out if I combined my experience as a hunter and the system’s strengths.
‘Everyone’s dead when I’m out.’
Including the game developers. Those assholes. The sound of someone’s shout reached my ears.
“Stop!”
—
A uniform. An upright posture and a firm voice.
The thought that flashed across when I saw the guard in front of the game was the word ‘Murim-in’5.
‘A prestigious family.’
It was really different. If Jang Sam and the bandits were disorderly, then the guard could be described as someone who received formal training.
The NPC walked towards the driver. He had a youthful face with big, thick eyebrows like caterpillars.
“I am the captain of the gatekeepers for the main Jin family, Hyuk Mujin. Please reveal your identity and purpose.”
The captain of the gatekeepers. Now that I was paying attention, I noticed the armband around his arm. Although looking at him, he looked like he was only around twenty years old.
‘But then again, if your skills are great than who cares.’
While I was thinking this, the driver replied.
“We have come from Hong Hwaru6.”
“Hong Hwaru? You mean the brothel?”
“Yes.”
Beyond the window I could see the NPC, no Hyuk Mujin scrunch up his face. I heard his respectful tone of voice cut in half.
“What business does the brothel have?”
“Ah, that…”
No matter where you went, there was always someone like that. Someone who thought he was a chaebol7, just because he worked at a large company. But there was actually a real chaebol. I quietly opened the window and coughed.
“Cough. Hmm. Hum.”
In many ways, it was an intentional fake cough. The kind of fake cough only someone who was successful in life could do. As if to say, ‘don’t you know who I am?’–that kind of fake cough.
“Mmmh.”
Sure enough, Hyuk Mujin recognized me instantly. I opened my mouth, adopting a calm expression on my face.
It was a sentence that high ranking officials, military officers and company workers used.
“Mmmh. Right. Work hard.”
And I made to close the window but…
Tuk. Dul kuk.
“Huh?”
It wouldn’t close. It was because of the hand that instantly gripped the window from closing.
The hand, of course, belonged to Hyuk Mujin. I saw his face which had stiffened.
“Please get down.”
“Uh, me?”
“Then would I be talking to the air?”
What is this. What’s wrong with this guy’s reaction.
‘He didn’t recognize me.’
I smiled, generously.
“You didn’t recognize me, I’m a person that lives in this residence.”
“I’m also a person that lives at this residence.”
“No, what I’m trying to say…”
“The third master of the Jin family. Is that what you wanted to say?”
“…”
He was exactly right. Hyuk Mujin spoke.
“I know exactly who master is, so please get out of the carriage. We’ll proceed according to procedure.”
No other way. He said it was procedure. But as I got out of the carriage, warning bells went off in my head.
‘Something feels weird.’
My face begun to sting8 when Hyuk Mujin brought out a brush and paper.
“Your name.”
“…”
“I’ll ask again. Your name.”
What was this. It wasn’t like I was the criminal and he was the investigator.
Even though it didn’t feel good, I decided to watch over the situation for now.
“… Jin Taekyung.”
“Your affiliation.”
“The Jin family of Taiyuan.”
“Your age and martial art stage.”
“Twenty. Second Rate.”
Hyuk Mujin’s brush paused.
“Don’t exaggerate and please answer honestly.”
Honestly?
‘I distributed my stats and got raised to Second Rate. If I say it like this, will he understand?’
Instead of answering, I just stared at him and Hyuk Mujin shook his head back and forth.
“Well, if you insist we’ll keep going. Now let’s see… It seems like you’ve been gone for a few days. Where did you go?”
“The brothel.”
“Wow, a few days at that expensive brothel? Good for you. You must have spent a lot. Or did you use the family’s public funds again?”
“Again?”
“Why are you making excuses. Isn’t that what Master from time to time or every once in a while does?”
As I saw Hyuk Mujin’s hostile stare, I felt a truth.
‘Jin Taekyung.’
I forgot for a second. What kind of character Jin Taekyung was in this game.
‘The shame of the family.’
Seeing as how I even had a title for it, there was no way NPCs would like me. I could feel the proof through the contempt he was showing me.
In this game that wasn’t going my way.
‘Ah, really…’
Somewhere deep inside me, I felt upset. My head hurt and my eyes felt hot. He spoke to me in a low voice.
“Third Master, although I am the lowest Captain, let me say just one thing.”
Pathetic fool. Hyuk Mujin spoke to me with that kind of expression on his face.
“Please stop tarnishing the family name. Live like a human being for once. Okay?”
He threw those words out casually and as he turned around, I just stared at the back of his head with a blank expression on my face. I laughed, as if it were absurd.
“Live like a human?”
I knew. That Hyuk Mujin was just an NPC who didn’t know anything.
I knew that he wasn’t speaking to me but to the Jin Taekyung in the game.
But…
‘I feel shitty.’
It wasn’t important that this was just a game or that Hyuk Mujin was just an NPC. No, I didn’t think like that.
The stress that had been piling up, exploded and my patience disappeared.
“Hey. Stop there.”
Hyuk Mujin turned around. His face was irritated. I wanted to stab his face. Like a kid who saw Santa Claus, I smiled brightly.
“You’re… dead.”
I flew towards him with my fist clenched.
—
A heavy atmosphere. A large pile of papers on a table. And like a painting, a cold-faced guard.
Ssk. Ssk.
The head of the gate guards9 swallowed. The moment he walked into the office, his mouth felt dry.
“Speak.”
His voice came from behind the tall stack of papers.
The gate guard head spoke in a barely audible voice.
“Among my subordinates, I have a precious worker. His loyalty to the main family is impressive and he is talented…”
“I’m listening.”
“Maybe it’s because he’s still young but he’s arrogant and doesn’t know his front from his back.”
“Get to the point.”
“He got into a fight with the Third Master.”
“… That’s understandable. And the youngest?”
“He’s been moved to the infirmary. Right now he’s unconscious but there is a little brusing…”
Silence.
“Everything is my fault! Please give me my punishment!”
The head of the gate guards lowered his head, sensing his dark future. He heard a voice after a long moment.
“It’s fine if it’s that much. Go out now.”
The head of the gate guards felt as if he had been promoted to board of directors and lifted his head.
“Ah. Just one more.”
“Yes.”
“Can I see that young man? I would like to speak with him.”
“That is. Master. I’m sorry to say this but that young man is still being treated.”
“Being treated?”
“Yes. That young man is in the infirmary as well. I heard that there were cracks in his bones.”
“… Really? Then that’s fine.”
It was silent even after the head of the gate guards left, when the tall stack of papers fell.
“Hui Peng.”
Hui Peng answered the just turned 35 year old patriarch, Jin Huikyung, with a hard face.
“Yes.”
“I’m going to step out for a moment.”
It has started again. Hui Peng, the guard for Jin Huikyung, sighed and looked at Jin Huikyung’s back, as Jin Huikyung walked away.