Seo Woojin — Part 1
Ding!
With a cheerful chime, a green light flickered.
I took a deep breath.
The damp air that had been suffocating my lungs was replaced with a fresh breeze, tickling my windpipe.
‘My efficiency is terrible.’
This was taking way too long.
Last time I came here with a team, it hadn’t even taken four hours to clear a single zone.
In the game, if I sent out four Warrior Kims as a party, it would’ve taken an in-game hour to finish the job.
But now, it had taken me a whopping 10 hours.
I glared at the black flames flickering around me.
‘It’s because of this.’
I had tailored all my traits to the [Mana Shield].
[Holy Resistance], [Mana Shield], [Mana Core].
[Mana Recovery], [Deep Breathing], [Mana Absorption].
These were my current traits.
If I had swapped out [Holy Resistance] and [Mana Recovery], and instead used [Contamination Resistance], [Endurance], and [Vigor], the rate of absorbing contaminated mana would have been twice as fast.
The difference between 5 hours and 10 hours was huge.
It could mean the difference between commuting back home or spending the night here and pulling double or even quadruple shifts.
‘There’s no way I’m staying here overnight.’
At that moment, I felt a pang of guilt toward my past self, the one who had played as Warrior Kim.
Back in the game, I had organized expedition squads, and poor Warrior Kim never got any rest, grinding on auto-expeditions 24/7.
But now that I was actually here? Sleeping in this place was out of the question.
There weren’t even any bathrooms. The cleaners used to relieve themselves wherever they could, and the smell of waste was mixed with contaminated mana and piles of buried garbage. The air was thick with humidity, mold, and even toxic mushrooms. It was, by far, the worst environment imaginable. Anyone who could sleep here wasn’t human.
Honestly, the inner zone, which I had just purified, was better than the corridors.
I checked the time and leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes for a brief rest.
Despite everything, mining here was still a solid way to make money.
Even clearing just one zone per day would bring in a purification fee of 10 million won. And since I wasn’t working through a labor office, there were no deductions. Plus, I got level-0 mana cores as a bonus, which I could use for synthesis.
‘Becoming a superhuman was definitely the right choice.’
Flashing my superhuman certification had been like a free pass.
Government officials had been more than happy to open the doors for me.
In this world, it was common sense that a level-1 superhuman was worth more than a team of ten regular people.
Of course, most superhumans avoided jobs like this because they were dirty, dangerous, and exhausting.
‘Let’s change up my traits a bit.’
I replaced [Holy Resistance] and [Mana Recovery] with [Contamination Resistance] and [Vigor].
Immediately, the black flames surged and began scorching my skin.
The mana density in this area was high, and while the contaminated mana was somewhat usable thanks to [Contamination Resistance], it wasn’t as effective as [Holy Resistance] and [Mana Recovery].
“Ugh, damn it.”
It wasn’t as bad as the first time I received the Saintess’s blessing, but it was still plenty painful.
Even as I groaned, I calmly did the math in my head.
At this rate, it would take me around 8 hours to finish the purification.
This wasn’t going to work.
Shaking my head, I reverted my traits back to their previous setup.
As much as I’d been through, I wasn’t some masochist with the willpower to endure continuous searing pain for 8 hours straight.
It would be better to buy a magic tent and get some sleep rather than subject myself to that kind of inefficiency.
‘This is so unproductive.’
Making a lot of money is great.
If I could pull off two shifts a day, I’d be guaranteed at least 20 million won, and with the mana cores and other loot I’d collect, I’d earn even more.
If I worked every day for a month, I could make around 600 million won. If I stuck to a five-day workweek and calculated for 4.3 weeks, it would still be 430 million won.
With just a few months of this, I’d have enough seed money saved up.
But…
Isn’t there a better way to earn money and traits, while also finding artifacts or rare drugs?
Preferably, something like Nectar.
If I could get my hands on Nectar, I could finally get rid of this Divine Fever debuff.
“Ugh, whatever.”
I shook off the stray thoughts and stood up abruptly.
Might as well exercise if I’m going to waste time like this.
There were still some traits I could unlock through physical activity.
Stuff like [Leap] or [Tough Body].
So, I started exercising on the spot.
I leaped as high as I could, ran at full speed, and threw my body against the concrete walls, then sprinted back in the opposite direction.
They didn’t unlock easily.
My body had grown too strong, and moderate exercise wasn’t enough to exhaust me anymore.
Compared to my old days working out at a neighborhood park, it was like night and day.
Riiing!
I had been exercising for a while when my phone started ringing loudly in my pocket.
[Manager Choi Sunsoo]
Why was this guy calling me?
Was he trying to renegotiate our contract?
I hesitated but decided to answer.
I wasn’t planning on cutting ties completely, and I couldn’t spend my entire life mining, so I figured I might as well hear him out.
“Hello.”
[Ah, hello there, Warrior Kim, our esteemed superhuman! It’s been a while. I heard you got your superhuman certification recently, congratulations!]
“Yes, I did. How did you know?”
[Oh, of course I know! Who wouldn’t? You’re the super rookie who showed up after a whole year! Word’s already spreading fast in the industry.]
His voice was unusually smooth and friendly.
Completely different from how he’d spoken to me when we first met or even when we were settling accounts at the office.
“So, why are you calling?”
[Haha, I just wanted to congratulate you and see if I could treat you to a proper meal sometime. I feel like I never gave you the proper welcome you deserve. Is there a good time that works for you? I know a great place…]
What welcome? I don’t need any of that.
What I really need is Nectar.
Just get me some Nectar…
Wait, hold on.
A sudden thought hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Finding Nectar was incredibly difficult. Later in the game, during episodes 5 and 6, you could obtain it by raiding arch-demons and evil dragons, but before that, you’d have to rely on special quests, limited events, or an incredibly low chance from random draws.
What if I used Manager Choi to get it?
Granted, asking Choi Sunsoo to personally acquire Nectar was nearly impossible.
But still. This guy had tried to take advantage of me from the very beginning. No matter how nice he was acting now, that fact hadn’t changed.
Our roles had reversed.
I didn’t need Manager Choi anymore, but he probably needed me desperately to keep the contract alive.
Especially now that Roe Deer was dead.
“I don’t need a meal. But there’s a request I’d like to make.”
[A request? You can ask me anything! Whether it’s mediation or a recommendation, whatever it is, I’ll handle it for you!]
“I need Nectar.”
[N-Nectar?]
“Yes. You know what that is, right?”
[Yes, of course. The elixir of immortality, right? It’s priceless, and when superhumans take it, they level up rapidly. It’s one of the rarest treasures around. But you’re asking for that?]
“Yes.”
[Well, um… superhuman, you see, Nectar is… not something you can just… easily… find…]
“If it’s impossible, then forget it.”
Of course it’s impossible.
No way you could pull it off.
I’d rather go to a major corporate labor office or join a huge group like the Legion or a conglomerate. Why would I stick around with a small local office like yours?
It’s not like we had a great first impression, and I didn’t trust you anyway.
As if he sensed my thoughts, Choi’s tone suddenly became more desperate.
[No, no! I’ll find a way, or rather, I’ll mediate a job that offers Nectar as a reward! Is that what you’re looking for? Me just handing it over would be nearly impossible, but I can definitely find a job that offers it!]
“Exactly.”
Even for a level 5 superhuman, finding Nectar would be incredibly difficult.
Why would anyone just hand it over to a level 1 superhuman?
That would be 100% a scam.
In fact, I’d be skeptical even if it were offered as a reward.
“If you can bring me a contract where the reward is Nectar, I’ll consider renewing my contract with you.”
That should be enough of a carrot to motivate him.
There’s a 99% chance he’ll fail, but…
Gulp.
I heard Choi Sunsoo swallowing nervously over the phone.
[You’re serious, right? This isn’t a joke?]
“Of course. Think about it. If you’re a manager who can mediate a job offering Nectar as a reward to a level 1 superhuman, that makes you a top-tier agent. Why wouldn’t I want to keep working with you, even if your company isn’t huge or well-known?”
Gulp.
He swallowed again.
[Does it matter what the conditions are?]
“It has to be reasonable. Nothing absurd like dissecting me alive. Even if the job is difficult, it has to be something I can actually do.”
[It won’t be easy… but understood! If I find such a job, superhuman, you’ll renew your contract with me!]
“I’ll look at the terms first.”
[Yes, yes! I’ll keep that in mind! Just give me one week. One week!]
I didn’t have high expectations.
I just quietly returned to the first landfill, focusing on mining mana cores and traits day by day.
But four days later, Manager Choi contacted me again.
[I found it, superhuman.]
His voice was filled with excitement.
“What did you find?”
[The job that offers Nectar as a reward.]
“Seriously?”
Even as I heard him say it, I found it hard to believe.
But Manager Choi’s voice was brimming with confidence.
[Absolutely. I’d rather explain it in person, so could you come by the office? I’d like to give you all the details face to face.]
“Alright. I’ll be there soon.”
I had just finished my shift.
After four straight days of spending the night at the first landfill from Monday to Thursday, I was exhausted.
I had considered working one more day, but since government employees don’t work on weekends, I decided to call it quits for now.
I had earned enough, anyway.
After collecting my purification fee and returning the keys, I showered, went through the sanitation process, and hailed a cab.
By the time I arrived at the labor office in Sillim-dong, it was already afternoon, well past lunchtime.
The office was empty.
Only the employee I’d seen when I first came here was sitting at the front desk, and she bowed politely when she saw me.
“Welcome, Warrior Kim. The manager has been expecting you.”
“I hope I didn’t keep him waiting too long. I had some personal business to attend to.”
“No, not at all. You’re always welcome, superhuman. Whether it’s late at night or early in the morning, feel free to visit whenever you please. The manager will be more than happy to wait.”
“Superhuman! You’re here!”
Normally, Manager Choi didn’t react until one of the employees announced my arrival.
But not today.
Before the receptionist could even guide me, Choi heard our conversation and burst out of his office, practically sprinting toward me.
He grabbed my hand eagerly and started shaking it.
“Please, come in! Quickly! Oh my, is that the famous Divine Flame I see? It’s incredible!”
Choi was being overly dramatic, making a huge fuss.
Being this close to another man wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.
I subtly pulled my hand away, and Choi laughed it off with a cheeky grin.
He led me to his office, sat me down, and brewed coffee himself. Then he pulled out two cubes of something blue that glowed faintly.
“Would you like sugar with your coffee, superhuman?”
Sugar?
Wait, that’s not regular sugar.
“No, just coffee, please.”
“Haha, of course, superhuman. My senses aren’t as refined, so I need to add sugar and some holy milk to enjoy it.”
The sight of what he referred to as “holy milk” was quite a spectacle.
It was a sparkling pink liquid.
In a transparent crystal cup, the black coffee, pink milk, and blue sugar cubes swirled together, creating a mesmerizing dance of colors.
If you ignored the overpoweringly sweet scent that felt like it could burn your nose off, it was a pretty scene.
Choi took a sip of the tri-colored coffee, his face lighting up in ecstasy.
“Oh, this is what I live for. Superhuman, you really should try it. I can provide an unlimited supply of sugar and holy milk for you.”
“No thanks.”
Was he trying to turn me into a junkie?
There was no way I was letting my guard down around this guy.
“Let’s get to business. What’s the job?”
My tone turned businesslike, and the grin fell from Choi’s face.
He could sense the silent warning I was giving him.
“It’s a tricky job, but I don’t think it’s impossible, which is why I brought it to you. Superhuman, have you ever heard of Jaelboan?”
“Jaelboan? No, I haven’t.”
The name sounded like some kind of security company.
But I doubted it was an ordinary one.
In this world, whenever the word “security” was involved, it almost always referred to private military companies.
“Then, are you familiar with Jaegumun and Ilgeomun?”
“I’ve heard of them.”
“Well, Jaelboan is the result of those two clans merging. The clan leaders married, and now they run the company as the President and Vice President.”
“I see. That’s interesting.”
Jaegumun, Ilgeomun.
I’d seen these names in the game’s lore before, but where exactly had I read about them?
While I tried to jog my memory, Choi continued his explanation.
“Since they’re both traditional martial clans, Jaelboan is a pretty well-known private military company. They’re ranked in the top ten. You know the top five are monopolized by the conglomerates, right?”
“Of course. I’m well aware.”
“Well, this request comes directly from the Vice President. Both the President and Vice President are level-6 superhumans, but their son has reached his twenties without awakening his superhuman powers, and they’re extremely worried.”
“Into his twenties and still not awakened? Are they sure he even has mana potential?”
“They’re certain. According to some rumors, mages from the Mage Tower confirmed that he has the potential to reach level 7, possibly even level 8. The problem is that he just hasn’t awakened yet.”
“Huh, is that so? And what exactly is the job?”
“It’s simple.”
Choi pulled out his smartphone and showed me a picture.
It was a photo of a young man, handsome enough to be mistaken for a woman.
“The task is to awaken this young master, Seo Woojin, as a level-1 superhuman. The requirement is that he must pass the official certification as a level-1 superhuman, and it has to be in the warrior class. If you succeed, the reward is one bottle of Nectar.”
I recognized that face.
The Black Reaper.
Or the Sword of the Evil God.
One of the eight mid-bosses from Episode 3.
Seo Woojin.
Just like the Saintess, he was another infamously difficult boss who had crushed countless players’ hopes.
And now, there he was, staring back at me with bright, innocent eyes from a smartphone screen, waiting to be awakened as an 8th-level paladin—one of the deadliest bosses in Arcane Seoul.
–TL Notes–
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