Late at night, in some back alley.
Han Gi-hoon, a well-known drug dealer in this world, was once again selling his product. The transactions happened through ‘Black Messenger,’ an app that guaranteed anonymity, allowing dealers and buyers to connect.
“The prices keep rising…”
A woman with heavy dark circles under her eyes, exuding an exhausted aura, voiced her complaint. Her life had completely unraveled due to her addiction; she had abandoned her civil service studies and now took on day jobs just to afford her drug money.
Han Gi-hoon wasn’t sympathetic. He knew his customers’ situations well but cared little, thinking, “Not my problem.” His cold-hearted nature never allowed him any guilt.
“Then buy from someone else. I give the cheapest rates around here.”
In truth, Han Gi-hoon, a C-rank Awakened One, had eliminated all competing drug dealers. Thanks to his monopoly, he could undercut prices while raking in money.
“Hall, hallucination maybe?”
Thinking the woman had come to buy drugs while already high, he turned his head and didn’t pay much attention.
“H-Heavens! Dark Knight!”
At the mention of “Dark Knight,” Han Gi-hoon panicked, shoving the woman aside and bolting away. The presence of the vigilante in such a deserted area was clearly aimed at him.
‘I can’t die like this!’
His quick assessment was correct but ultimately futile. The ‘Dark Knight’ merged into a cloud of Black Mist that slithered across the ground, reappearing behind Han Gi-hoon. Without hesitation, the figure swung a sword.
“A-Ah! My leg….”
Han Gi-hoon collapsed, his knees buckling upon seeing his severed limb dumped among the garbage bags at the alley corner.
The ‘Dark Knight’ had cleanly cut his leg off with the sword.
“S-Save me! This doesn’t warrant death, right? Shit! There are people who can’t live without the drugs too! It’s kind of medical care!”
While crawling on the asphalt, he screamed in despair.
However, the ‘Dark Knight’ proceeded as if it were an assembly line worker, emotionlessly continuing their task.
“Khh…”
A sharp blade slashed through his back, pulverizing his spine. Han Gi-hoon realized, in horror, that his limbs no longer obeyed his commands.
“Huh… Why can’t I use my abilities…”
Although stories varied, with some claiming the ‘Dark Knight’ was A-rank while others said S-rank, Han Gi-hoon thought that if he had been able to use his skills, he could have resisted at least a little.
“End.”
The cold verdict was delivered by the ‘Dark Knight.’ Tears streamed down Han Gi-hoon’s face as the realization of his impending death hit him. Even hardened criminals dread their own demise.
The ‘Dark Knight’ reached for the red gem that had emerged on Han Gi-hoon’s body. In his last moments, Han Gi-hoon erupted in blue flames, his body burning furiously like it had been doused in oil.
The ‘Dark Knight’ produced a sticky note, hastily scribbling “Drugs” on it.
I placed the sticky note on the pile of ashes.
‘Finding criminals is getting harder these days. Is it because of me?’
Lately, patrolling crime-prone areas no longer revealed the abundance of current offenders like it used to. The number of wanted criminals was also decreasing.
Of course, the idea that my actions were significantly reducing crime rates was likely excessive self-importance.
‘Haha, if my vigilante work really is reducing the crime rate…’
Eventually, I might have to go overseas on a hunting expedition.
————<Succession>————
[Strength 031 has permanently increased]
[Agility 038 has permanently increased]
[Intelligence 008 has permanently increased]
[Luck 030 has permanently increased]
———————————–
A surge of heat enveloped my body as a translucent window signaling the completion of the ‘Succession’ skill appeared before my eyes.
I instinctively knew I had become stronger.
“Status Screen.”
————<Status Screen>————
◈ Name
n̶̡̡̛̟̠͈͎̟̍͜͝͡͠ų̢̰̭̲̋͒̓͊̀̒́͘͡l̴̳͙͓̞̻̝͇̥͆̋͂̉̕͡͠͠l̨̛̫̖̝͓̮̳͓͆̃̈̈́̈́͆̈̕
◈ Stats
[Strength 374 A] (+1100)
[Agility 008 A] (+1300)
[Intelligence 372 C] (+800)
[Luck 411 F] (+1000)
[Overall C]
◈ Skills
[Succession 003 S]
[Dragon Heart — A]
[Telekinesis 835 C]
[Magic Inscription — B]
[Polymorph — S]
———————————–
After the Shaks incident, I realized my own weaknesses and dedicated myself fully to hunting. And today, I finally improved my rank.
Strength S-rank, Agility S-rank, Intelligence B-rank. While these stats were boosted by gear, who fights without their equipment? Even factoring that in, this was undeniably part of my skill.
‘Now that I think about it, Invincible didn’t wear any gear when he attacked, huh? Such a reckless guy.’
Shaks’ “one-hit defeat” of Invincible, who was originally a decent tank character, showed how much gear matters.
“Succession.”
I opened my mouth to examine the changes in my newly upgraded S-rank ‘Succession’ skill.
————-<Skill>————-
◈ Name
Succession
◈ Rank
003 S
◈ Description
1. Execute enemies in critical condition to permanently absorb 1% of their stats.
(Targets eligible for execution will have a red gem visible on them.)
2. Steal one skill from executed enemies.
(The stolen skill’s proficiency is reset. You can decompose one of your existing skills to enhance the stolen skill’s proficiency.)
———————————–
“What!”
I couldn’t help but exclaim loudly.
Stealing skills? This was an absurdly overpowered ability.
“Laura, thank you so much!”
[Hem hem. Do you finally understand my greatness? I am not just some demon.]
The randomness was a bit disappointing though. Even if I defeat someone with good skills, I might end up stealing a useless one.
‘Still, can’t complain.’
Whoosh!
At that moment, a heavy rain began pouring down as if the heavens had opened up.
‘Does this mean there’s going to be a flood?’
It was an absurd thought. A flood in Seoul, the capital of South Korea? Surely they’d be prepared for something like that.
‘Talking about floods makes me think of Leviathan. How do we deal with that…?’
Leviathan, a monster appearing during vacation periods after final exams, had B-rank stats but was extremely difficult to hunt due to its aquatic nature.
‘I should head back. Park Hayeon will be angry if I’m late.’
I rummaged through the deceased drug dealer’s bag, took some cash, and left the scene.
On the way to the Blue House to meet with the President, I decided to hitch a ride with Yang Min-seo.
A top-of-the-line Mercedes S-Class Maybach – the interior was luxurious beyond belief. The seat fabric was as soft as a woman’s skin, and the ride felt like floating on a comfortable bed.
Though there was one uncomfortable point.
“What’s your relationship with Miss Ashikaga? You two seemed rather familiar despite just meeting recently.”
Yang Min-seo kept asking about Hitomi, her expression unusually dark.
“It’s not what you think. We just met a few days ago.”
“I’ve been observing. Over 70% of Ashikaga-san’s conversations in class have been with you.”
Yang Min-seo wasn’t smiling as she usually did. Her narrowed eyes made her seem a bit sinister.
“She’s just friendly, that’s all.”
I found myself trying to justify it, even though I shouldn’t have to.
“Hehe. Perhaps she heard of your reputation and is trying to friend-zone you for some ulterior motive. Such a calculating person~”
“Ah, yeah. Probably.”
Yang Min-seo finally cracked her usual gentle smile, slightly belittling Hitomi. I responded with a shaky voice.
‘She’s not ordinary either.’
Every woman around me seemed to have a strong sense of self. Park Hayeon appeared kind on the surface but had her own stubborn streak and hidden thoughts. Others weren’t any different.
‘Ji Soyeon is the most obedient, but she’s too creepy… not really my type.’
I leaned back into the soft seat, indulging in thoughts that would surely anger the women if they heard.
“By the way, don’t give direct answers to anything the President says. Just ignore it.”
Yang Min-seo suddenly spoke with a serious tone.
“What do you mean by that?”
I didn’t understand. Don’t answer the President’s words? What could she mean?
“Do you even know your current situation?”
“My situation?”
What situation was she referring to? Was there a surprise party planned?
I shook my head, signaling I had no idea.
