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I Level-Up Alone

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I Level-Up Alone

Chapter 1

The Daily Quest has arrived.]

A clear and articulate female voice spoke to him.

This was not a video game. Nor was it a dream.

The voice spoke to him, only in his head. On top of that, an informative quest screen floated in front of him, waiting for his access.

‘Can’t be… today too?’

With a heavy heart, he opened the quest and read its contents.

ring~ ring~

Daily Quest: The Preparation To Become Powerful

Do 100 Push-ups:

(Incomplete) (0/100)

Do 100 Sit-ups:

(Incomplete) (0/100)

Do 100 Squats:

(Incomplete) (0/100)

Run 10 kilometers:

(Incomplete) (0/10)

*Warning: Failing to complete the Daily Quest will result in a Penalty Quest.

He cursed as he verified its contents.

“G.o.ddammit, how many days has it been!”

-1. The E-rank Hunter-

“E-rank Hunter” Sung Jinwoo.

It was a t.i.tle that followed him wherever he went.

Even as a Hunter, his abilities were barely above that of an ordinary person. If it wasn’t for his slightly more durable const.i.tution or his slightly increased healing factor, there was but a little difference between him and a non-Hunter. As such, his Hunting career was riddled with a variety of injuries. There were even times where he toed the line between life and death itself.

But he was not a Hunter because he enjoyed the job.

It was dangerous, filled with ridicule, and the pay was disappointing.

No. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Hunter a.s.sociation provided support for the medical bills of his mother, he was more than ready to give it up and start an ordinary employment as an ordinary person.

But how could he, a man in his 20s with no special talents or background, afford to pay the medical bills that amounted to several million won a month[1]?

You could say he had no choice in the matter.

And so today, with a silent cry in his heart, Jinwoo took part in an a.s.sociation-supervised Raid, same as any other day.

–

Hunters who operated in the same area knew each other well. This was due to the collective gathering of all Hunters in the area whenever a Gate opened up. And today, the Hunters who’ve gathered shared a cup of coffee while greeting each other.

“Oy, Mr. Kim, over here.”

“Ooh, Mr. Park, what are you doing here? I thought you were done with the Hunter business.”

“Ah that… The wife just got pregnant with number two.”Hahaha, is that so? Well, nothing better than a Raid to fill the pockets of a Hunter!”

Both Mr. Kim and Mr. Park laughed.

“You know, it seems like the a.s.sociation’s been calling us less and less lately. Wonder if the rate of Gate appearances decreased?”

“Eh, nonsense. It’s because the Guilds have been working harder than the a.s.sociation lately. Whenever large sums of money’s involved, you just know the Guilds pounce on’em with that fiery look in their eyes.”

“Well then, I guess this Raid being supervised by the a.s.sociation means it’ll be pretty safe, right?”

With a slight concern, Mr. Park took a look around the area. A Gate ignored by a Guild meant low pay, and a low paying Gate meant low difficulty. Of course, there was nothing in life that was 100% certain. Similar to Mr. Park, other Hunters in the area shifted their eyes with nervousness.

“Perhaps…”

As he finished the coffee, Mr. Kim suddenly waved to someone he saw approaching in the distance.

“Oh, wait, look who it is. Mr. Sung! Hey Mr. Sung!”

Other Hunters also looked at the newcomer with familiarity and relief.

“h.e.l.lo.”

It was Sung Jinwoo.

Briefly greeting Mr. Kim with a nod, Jinwoo continued his walk. After he pa.s.sed, Mr. Kim lightly chuckled and loosened his worries.

“So Jinwoo came. Then this place should be safe.”

With his eyes widened, Mr. Park asked Mr. Kim.

“What? Is Hunter Sung Jinwoo that strong?”

“Ah, Mr. Park wouldn’t know. He started the job a little after you left. There’s no Hunter here who doesn’t know Sung Jinwoo.”

“That strong? Why is he working under the a.s.sociation, then? Why not freelance or join a large Guild?”

Chuckling, Mr. Kim’s eyes narrowed.

“You know what that man’s nickname is?”

“How would I know? Come on, spit it out.”

“Humanity’s Weakest Soldier”

“…Weakest? Not Strongest?”

“Listen to yourself, that kind of t.i.tle belongs only to the S-rank Hunters. That man over there is the Weakest Soldier. Probably the weakest Hunter in all of Korea.”

“Eh?”

Mr. Park furrowed his brows. If he was that weak, why would the Hunters look so relieved at his appearance? A fellow Hunter was someone who had to be relied upon in a Raid. He could not understand the other Hunters’ reactions.

Seeing Mr. Park’s tilted head in contemplation, Mr. Park ribbed him with his elbow while laughing.

Don’t you get it? If Sung Jinwoo appeared in today’s Raid, it means it’s gotta be an easy one. The a.s.sociation wouldn’t risk putting him on anything hard. n.o.body wants to see someone die pointlessly.”

And now, Mr. Park’s face brightened.

“Is, is that so?”

Coming back to the Raiding scene after a long break, both he and his wife were ladened with uneasiness and concern. But listening to Mr. Kim’s words, his mood lightened up.

Mr. Kim continued,

“Once, that man got injured in an E-rank Gate and had to be hospitalized for a week.”

“A Hunter got injured in an E-rank Gate?”

“Yep. n.o.body expected someone to actually get hurt in an E-rank Gate. I heard they didn’t even take a Healer-cla.s.s Hunter.”

Seeing Mr. Park laugh loudly in response, Mr. Kim shifted his eyes toward Jinwoo.

“Hey, hey, not too loud. He might hear.”

“Oops, didn’t think about that.”

Mr. Park shifted his eyes towards Jinwoo and quieted his laughter. Fortunately, Jinwoo appeared some distance away and probably couldn’t hear their conversation.

But he did.

‘I heard everything, you geezers.’

Doing his best to ignore their laughter, he met their gaze and put on an ignorant smile. At times like this, he cursed his rather keen hearing.

‘Did I come too soon?’

It was some time before the Raid would begin. While waiting, Jinwoo approached an a.s.sociation Employee for some coffee.

“Could I get a cup as well?”

“Ah, Hunter Sung Jinwoo-nim[2]… I’m so sorry, we just ran out…”

“…”

A cold winter breeze slapped his face. Jinwoo wiped his nose with his fingers.

It was a rather sad day where even the coffee ran out just as he got to it…

–

“Why are you so stubborn about this whole Hunter business, Mr. Jinwoo?”