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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Clueless People
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"Hey."
"Ah, it's fucking cold. What?"
A pot-bellied, bald middle-aged man sidled up to a man in his twenties and whispered.
"Doesn't that bastard piss you off?"
"He does. But what can we do? He's just using his own stuff however he wants."
"How about we don't? Let's gang up on him and split his gear."
The young man glanced at Kang Min-jun.
He was decked out in perfectly equipped winter gear, as if he'd prepared for exactly this situation. His backpack was bulging—who knew what he'd stuffed in there—and on top of it all, a neatly rolled-up sleeping bag...
It was definitely tempting.
If they got their hands on that stuff, clearing the upcoming trials would be way easier than for everyone else.
"...Just the two of us?"
"Nah, we gotta do this together. Everyone's gotta be an accomplice so no one rats out to the grave."
"Sounds good. When do we do it?"
"Let's wait till he catches both foxes, then we look for our shot."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Now that my arm was warmed up, I hurled the axe at the next fox.
Thud.
Good, that's two.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙You have passed the trial.⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙Would you like to end the Tutorial and proceed to the next area?⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Rejected.]⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙However, since you have completed the trial, you can proceed to the next area at any time. Please check the quest window.📜 QUEST 📜
Stage: First Trial
Content: Kill two foxes. (2/2)
[Proceed to Next Area]
A tiny activated [Proceed to Next Area] button under the quest.
It's saying I can hit it and go whenever I want.
Of course, it's a button I won't need for a while.
Whish—thud!
'Finally getting the hang of it. Lucky my axe skills from a year ago haven't rusted.'
Throw the axe, nail it.
Go over, finish it off.
Accuracy and speed both climbing now.
'Okay. Another score.'
⚔ ITEM ACQUIRED ⚔
Name: Snowfield Ring
Grade: Common
Description: Increases magic defense by 8.
The reason snowfield accessories are key is the magic defense.
Outside the Tutorial, early trials don't drop magic resistance gear.
— Some PlayerAh, shit! Why'd the difficulty spike like this all of a sudden?— Another PlayerThis is too much!
That's what the clueless Tutorial-rushers will be spamming later.
'At least the ones who can complain have it better.'
The rest? Cold corpses turned into monster chow, or worse—limbs hacked off to serve as fucktoys for their lust.
— VictimPlease... kill me...
Anyway, hunting's going smooth.
Smoother than planned, even.
'One more.'
Right as I thought that and cocked my arm to throw—
'Hm?'
Someone snatched the axe lodged in the fox, like they'd been waiting. At the same moment, footsteps rustled from all directions.
I looked up. The others who'd been hunting on this snowy mountain were closing in on me.
'Well, look at these guys.'
"What is it?"
"Fuck, we let it slide earlier 'cause shit was hectic, but the more I think about it, the more it grinds my gears. If you didn't wanna lend it, just say no—why glare at us like that?"
"I wasn't glaring."
A guy in his twenties stepped up, picking a fight.
Meanwhile, three other young guys circled to my flanks and rear.
Behind them, the women shrieked.
"Wow, kid's half my age and mouthing off like that. Teach him a lesson!"
"It's cold—hurry up and finish it!"
GREEDY eyes on me and my pack. No need to ask for explanations.
"Earlier you called me worse than a beast. Now you're about to do worse?"
They flinched.
"Sh-shut up!"
Caught red-handed, huh? At least they've got some conscience.
"But seriously, I don't get it."
"What?"
"That bald guy's just flapping his gums from the back, and the girls are all talk too. Yet you split the loot even?"
"That's..."
"Nah, that'd be a raw deal. What is this, some quota system? Freeloaders' paradise?"
Boom—backlash erupted from behind the guys.
"You little shit, accusing us? When'd I just yap from the back?! Look, I'm gripping this axe tight!"
"Y-yeah! We were gonna help!"
Oh, really? Thought you were just blabbing.
But from now on, you'll have to step up for real.
Trials don't discriminate by age or gender.
The proactive survive. The cowards who hang back? Horrific ends.
That's the world we're in.
"Hey! Why's everyone standing around?"
The young men, enthusiasm deflated, didn't budge.
The middle-aged man, nose red from the cold, raised his voice to egg them on.
"C'mon, folks! Weather's shit—let's wrap this and head to the next area!"
"...Why should we take point?"
"Ugh, that bastard's words getting to you? Pathetic! Listen up—that punk's just talking shit to wriggle out."
Baldie's sharp. Ate his age for brains or what?
Still, the guys didn't move. Any sense, no reason to.
Then the middle-aged man played generous.
"Fine. Job done, you four take 50%. First pick on gear. Deal?"
"Huh? What kinda bullshit is that?!"
"You crazy, old man? Who died and made you boss?"
The women rebelled.
"Then you ladies step up?"
They scowled, kicking at the snow in annoyance.
"Deal. You three take 50%. Cold as balls—let's end it quick."
Tsk. Won't resolve easy, huh.
Sure enough, after pondering baldie's honeyed words, the three guys nodded at each other.
Striding forward—they must've found my gear that appealing.
'Too bad. Told 'em as fellow guys they'd get used, and look.'
The moment I saw fists clench, I rolled my right shoulder.
"You guys really doing this?"
"Fuck, should've just lent the shit earlier. Your greed brought this disaster."
"Oh, yeah?"
No more talk. No choice. I clenched my left hand and yanked hard.
Bang! Axe flew right back to my grip.
"Huh?"
The four guys surrounding me looked shocked at the axe in my hand, then at the bald middle-aged man who'd held it till seconds ago.
"Hey! What about snatching that?!"
"N-no, I... I had it gripped tight. But..."
My Strength's at 18 now.
Double a grown man's average.
Too much for some middle-aged slob to handle.
"Th-that guy's strong! Look at me—tried holding, ended up faceplanting."
"Useless! Why didn't you cut the cord sooner?!"
"I-I..."
Axe in right hand, I said,
"We done talking? Can we fight now?"
I tossed and caught the axe with a grin. Baldie yelled,
"D-don't chicken out! He's human—he won't swing on another person, right?"
Whoosh.
My axe flew and sank perfectly into the middle-aged man's knee.
Crunch!
A gruesome sound, and he toppled, rolling.
"Sorry. I'm worse than a beast."
"Wh-what?"
Splurt!
Red blood sprayed across the pristine snow. The fallen man's eyes bulged.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Kyaaah!"
"M-Mommy!"
Screams and blood—everyone recoiled in horror.
"B-blood? He actually swung?!"
"Crazy murderer! Fuck, psycho bastard!"
People freaked, bolting.
How often do modern folks see blood, anyway?
"End Tutorial and send me! Send me now, you damn thing!"
Mashing at thin air.
The women who'd hidden behind the guys and goaded them fled to the next area first.
"Hurry! Hurry!"
Baldie followed, hammering air till he faded like a mirage.
Knee shattered—must hurt like hell, but damn fast on his feet.
'Everyone's pro-level at running.'
In the now-quiet snowy mountain, I shook my head at where they'd vanished.
'Clueless doesn't even cover it. At least scout your target first. Tsk tsk. None of 'em long for this world.'
Even if not, no familiar faces among the nine.
Monster chow soon enough.
'Their lives, their problem. Not mine.'
Retrieved the axe, went to the fox I'd snagged, finished it.
Thud!
"Huh? Where am I?"
"Tutorial?"
As people vanished, new ones trickled in, one by one.
Tutorial zones cap at ten.
Dunno how many zones, but empties fill from Earth instantly.
'Like channels in a game.'
Hunting grounds refilled with fresh faces clueless about the crimson snow in the corner.