Chapter 17

The Golden Goblin

“The mark of a high-level hunter is how well they can draw out the potential of a relic. After all, a relic’s power is a hunter’s power.”

Kang Cheong-hwa’s words suddenly drifted back into my mind.

In a world where awakening magic power didn’t grant standard skills or special abilities, a hunter’s success came down to how masterfully they could utilize their relic. In other words, as Black Heron grew stronger, my path to becoming a high-level hunter would open wide before me.

“Three options, huh…?”

Black Heron’s most fundamental power was its ability to absorb blood and karma. Because it could consume the karma of others, I was unintentionally forced into playing the role of a special healer.

“So, what kind of abilities can I unlock?”

【Heh heh. The first ability is Blood Slash.】

According to its explanation, Blood Slash was a technique that allowed me to unleash a wave of blood-based energy using the blood I had absorbed from enemies.

“How powerful is it?”

【That entirely depends on you.】

“Can’t I just use a gun instead?”

If I needed a long-range attack, wouldn’t it be better to just carry a handgun?

Of course, firearms weren’t an all-powerful solution. As magic capacity increased, a natural biological magic barrier would form, rendering most modern weaponry useless. Looking at the bigger picture, a technique like Blood Slash seemed necessary, but was it something I urgently needed right now?

“What’s the second one?”

【Blood Seal.】

It was an ability that left a mark on a slashed target. It accelerated the victim’s bleeding and left behind a thick, pungent scent of blood.

“What good does leaving a scent do?”

【Does it not make tracking easier?】

“I have rhinitis.”

【Ah…】

It wasn’t severe, but my inability to smell things well was a clear disadvantage.

【Th-There must be relics out there that grant animalistic senses.】

“As if those are easy to come by.”

If I asked the Bureau, I might actually find one surprisingly fast, but asking for an expensive relic just for the sake of a single ability felt a bit much.

【The main purpose of the seal is to maximize blood loss anyway! Do not dwell on trivial details!】

“Well, true enough.”

Even if I couldn’t utilize it to its fullest extent, the core function was increasing blood loss. It seemed worth considering for now.

“What’s the last one?”

【Vampirism.】

The final ability allowed me to absorb surrounding blood to heal myself.

“How much does it heal?”

【It will restore your stamina and heal external wounds. It can even regenerate muscles and soft tissues to a limited degree—though the latter will take some time.】

Now that was good.

Mainly because it didn’t seem to have any glaring flaws. Fighting in the Dark Zone meant I would inevitably have to worry about injuries, and this offered a primary means of self-recovery.

“Wait, absorbing surrounding blood? Doesn’t that mean automatic farming?”

【It won’t be as efficient as plunging a blade directly into someone or slaying them outright.】

Still, auto-farming was auto-farming. The added bonus was that while automatically absorbing nearby blood during battle, Black Heron’s blood energy would recharge simultaneously.

“Besides, I happen to have a relic that strengthens bones now.”

The ‘Iron-Bone Bracelet’ I received as a reward from the Bureau directly reinforced the bones themselves.

“Hmm? Wait, if I combine this with Blood Slash or Blood Seal, wouldn’t it become even stronger?”

【Kekeke, realized it, have you?】

Vampirism automatically drew in nearby blood, while Blood Slash compressed gathered blood to launch it like a flying blade. On top of that, an enemy marked with Blood Seal would bleed profusely, making blood collection even easier.

【Amass high-quality blood and immense karma. The more you gather, the more abilities you shall unlock.】

In the end, it meant I had no choice but to enter the Dark Zone to hunt, or ‘specially treat’ patients.

I chose the third ability: Vampirism.

“Though, naming every technique with ‘Blood’ in it is a bit tacky, don’t you think?”

【It is magnificent!】

For a while after that, I was forced to listen to a lecture about how manly it was to tread a path stained with Black Heron’s blood.

“Congratulations on reaching Level 2.”

Once the unlocking of my new ability was officially recognized, my promotion to Level 2 was immediately finalized. Normally, there was a strict procedure to follow, but thanks to my connections with the Bureau, it took less than half a day.

“Honestly, other than unlocking the new ability, nothing feels all that different.”

At my comment, Kang Cheong-hwa shook her head.

“Relic ability awakening isn’t the only criteria. Your magic capacity and quality are also measured.”

“Come to think of it, the examiner was pretty shocked by how much those two stats went up.”

“That elf you stabbed from behind… she might be a far bigger deal than we imagined.”

She really might be. She was carrying the flute that caused the gate to open in the first place, and everyone called her ‘Princess.’ Above all, even though I couldn’t fully ‘treat’ her, the absorbed karma exceeded 400,000. Just how much karma had she accumulated for Black Heron to be unable to consume it all?

“You know by now that all the inhabitants of the Dark World are corrupted, right?”

“I knew. They were enchanted by the sound of the flute, so they couldn’t distinguish friend from foe.”

This was a proven fact over the decade humanity had traversed the gates: every living creature in the Dark Zone was corrupted.

“Of course, not every corrupted entity possesses massive amounts of karma. Just like hunters, the stronger an individual is, the more extraordinary their accumulated karma becomes.”

The elf princess I stabbed must have been a prominent figure even within the Dark World. That was likely why Black Heron’s abilities unlocked after stabbing her, whereas stabbing dozens of elite foot soldiers hadn’t been enough. Even Black Heron had called it high-quality blood and karma.

“Based on your testimony, that forest seems to have been a Dark Elf village.”

“Dark Elves??”

“Yes. Even among the native species of the Dark World, they’re infamous for being particularly malicious.”

While various non-human races existed in the Dark World, elves were considered especially lethal. They possessed deep knowledge of cursed beasts, excelled in spirit arts, and were known for being cunning and wicked.

“Cunning and wicked?”

“Because they use honey traps.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Elves are exceptionally beautiful, after all. Humans are weak to beauty.”

“I… suppose so.”

“After luring them in, they either torture them or corrupt them into slaves. That’s why people say elves are the most dangerous things to watch out for in the Dark World.”

Kang Cheong-hwa mentioned that many had met tragic ends after being bewitched by elves. Male hunters were particularly prone to falling for it.

“Men, honestly…”

“Uh, well…”

“You did nothing wrong, Ga-on. You were just bewitched by a cursed beast, right?”

“R-Right?”

Thinking that an elf playing such a sweet, beautiful melody couldn’t possibly be a bad person was strictly because I had been enchanted. Yes, I definitely hadn’t fallen for a honey trap.

“Ah, right. What happened to the flute? I heard cursed objects need to be stored separately.”

I asked about the flute I had taken from the elf princess. I had brought it out by chance, but who knew it was the very item that opened the gate?

“They said it’s not a cursed object.”

“Huh? But it bewitched people and lured monsters!”

“That’s just what the flute does; the item itself isn’t cursed.”

Which meant…

“Here. Since it’s not a cursed object, this is officially your rightful spoils of war.”

Kang Cheong-hwa pulled out the flute and handed it to me. Relics found in the Dark Zone were high-value items starting at tens of millions of won at minimum. If it were a cursed object, the Bureau would confiscate it due to the danger, but harmless relics were returned as loot.

“Study it well and try to use it. Word is the material it’s made from is no ordinary timber.”

“Looks like a pretty plain wooden flute to me, though.”

What kind of wood was it made of to enchant monsters like that? I slipped the flute into my coat.

“Do you have plans after this?”

“Not really.”

I was planning to head into the Dark Zone soon anyway. Black Heron had been pestering me about needing real combat practice, and I also wanted to test out its newly unlocked .

“If you have time, would you like to participate in a Bureau experiment?”

“An experiment?”

“Yes. It’s related to Vault 7.”

There was no reason to refuse. According to the ‘Vault Contract,’ the more relics stored, the higher my maintenance compensation would grow.

“Aigo…! Mr. Ga-on! You’re finally here!”

The moment I stepped into the Bureau building, Isolation Division Manager Kim Jeong-ho came running out frantically. Word was he was perpetually overworked from isolating cursed objects in Vault 6. I had heard he was the most enthusiastic supporter of the Vault 7 plan—a.k.a. the cursed object trash bin.

“It’s been a while since the last incident.”

“Are you doing alright with the Inner Flow Heart? It’s a special-grade cursed object, so the karma buildup must be insane.”

“That part turned out to be fine. My purification speed is faster.”

Although the karma generated by the Inner Flow Heart was empty of nutrients, it remained within a manageable range for me.

“A Level 1 hunter handling a special-grade cursed object… normally, anyone would turn into a corrupted entity instantly.”

“I’m Level 2 now.”

“Pardon?”

When I showed him my Level 2 hunter certification on HunterWeb, Kim Jeong-ho’s face twisted in sheer shock.

“What? How did you reach Level 2 so fast?”

“I absorbed over 400,000 karma at once.”

As I explained the incident where I absorbed the elf princess’s karma, Kim Jeong-ho let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha… You absorbed over 400,000 karma, and all that happened was growing an extra finger?”

Kim Jeong-ho looked at Kang Cheong-hwa in disbelief. Kang Cheong-hwa nodded, dispelling his skepticism.

“It’s true. There was a finger mutation, but even that recovered after a few days.”

“Phew… Good, good. Then there shouldn’t be any major issues with this experiment either.”

“So, what exactly is this experiment?”

When I asked, Kim Jeong-ho offered a wide grin.

“Project: Real Trash Bin.”

Cursed objects sought contractors specifically to corrupt them. Therefore, once they found a contractor, they stopped trying to enchant others.

“However, not all cursed objects go through a formal ‘contract’ system. In fact, those that require a contract are quite rare.”

“Then how do they find contractors?”

“They just need to be equipped. The moment they are put on, they recognize the person as their contractor.”

It seemed rare for cursed objects to possess a consciousness and entice users with a voice like Black Heron. Ego-type relics were even rarer.

‘You were pretty rare, huh?’

【Who do you think I am?! I am the demonic sword that guides the path of the Demon King! A blade forged to create the absolute ruler above all men!】

Putting aside the fact that Black Heron was a far more impressive relic than I initially thought…

“These are the cursed objects that will be used in this experiment.”

A mountain of cursed objects was poured out onto the table. There were accessories like rings and bracelets, alongside bulky pieces of armor and cloth robes.

“Don’t tell me…?”

“Yes.”

“All of these?”

“Yes.”

Kim Jeong-ho’s gaze was unwavering, looking for all the world like a man determined to dump all his garbage at once.

“Now then, esteemed customer! Allow me to introduce these fine products~”

Manager Kim suddenly switched into full salesman mode.

“Take this ring here—it goes by the name ‘Ring of Strength.’ Simply wearing it increases your muscle power.”

“By how much?”

“Enough for someone who benches 20 kg to lift 30 kg.”

“Oh~ Increasing it by 1.5 times sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it?”

“No. It just adds a flat 10 kg.”

“???”

Manager Kim proceeded to introduce the next cursed object.

“As for these gloves, they are as sturdy as gauntlets yet feel just like your bare skin—the ‘Fingertip Gloves.’ They protect your hands while allowing for delicate work—”

“—This ‘Charm of Focus’ enhances your concentration when carried on your person—”

“—And this ‘Leather Armor Belt’ hardens your skin, granting strong resistance against abrasions—”

The cursed objects Kim Jeong-ho introduced were all ‘so-so’ relics. However, true to their nature as cursed objects, simply equipping them raised corrupted values and came with several drawbacks.

The Fingertip Gloves protected your hands, but they amplified sensory feedback, delivering the exact sensation of ‘pain’ unfiltered.

The Charm of Focus improved concentration, but it made you dull to external stimuli to the exact same degree.

The Leather Armor Belt hardened skin, but it also stiffened the joints, drastically reducing bodily flexibility.

“Now! Please equip them all!”

“All of them?!”

“Yes!”

Was he serious?

Still, the core of this experiment was testing how many cursed objects I could wield simultaneously. Equipping all of this was going to double my body weight, though.

A gate in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Bureau officials were blocking civilian access and preparing for entry.

“Bicorn capture team enters in three hours… The raid party arrives tomorrow morning…”

This gate came with multiple overlapping objectives. A rare monster, a Bicorn, had been spotted, triggering a capture mission, while various monster species were confirmed, prompting an ecological survey mission from the Bureau.

Because multiple missions overlapped, a large number of hunters had been deployed, necessitating extra caution.

“Well, it should be fine. The field is broad, and the recommended clear level is Level 2.”

With heavy weaponry deployed, it wasn’t a level of difficulty that would pose much trouble. It was about time for the single hunter sent by the Bureau to arrive, but…

Clank! Clatter!

A noisy clatter echoed as someone approached the gate.

“Huh?”

Something was gleaming in the distance. The reflected sunlight glinted brightly enough to make one’s eyes ache.

Realizing it was a person, the Bureau official asked hesitantly, “Ar-Are you Hunter Yoon Ga-on?”

“Yes, I’m Yoon Ga-on.”

The Bureau official stared at the Ga-on before him in sheer utter shock.

Ten rings adorning ten fingers. Bracelets lining both arms. Multiple necklaces layered around his neck.

Over a somewhat medieval-style cloth robe, he wore a bronze scale armor. Complete with a waist belt, earrings, and even a golden crown perched upon his head.

Clank! Clatter!

“Ugh… Wearing all this at once makes it heavy as hell.”

Was he a Golden Goblin?