Chapter 3. Reward

Temporary waiting room.

The corpse disposal department was always drenched in blood, and the blood of monsters emitted mana.

If ordinary people were exposed to mana, they would suffer from addiction, so there was a shower and a waiting room to change clothes at the entrance of the dungeon.

I sat on a wooden chair in the men's changing room and checked my inventory.

Inventory

A box for players who passed the beta test.

Reward: LV. 1 / LV. 10

A box gifted by the Source of Greed, containing its own magic power.

You can obtain the item you need the most.

Miscellaneous items.

The reward box for beta testers could not be opened yet due to insufficient level.

However, the box from the Source of Greed was different.

For the past 20 years, the stars had shown no interest in me, but after passing the beta test, they began to show interest. When I decided to snatch the Sword Star's opportunity, the flickering light revealed disappointment, and the Source of Greed even gave me a gift.

The system explained that the Source of Greed had attempted to recruit me.

If so,

it meant that the stars existed, and becoming one of their followers would allow for rapid growth.

I decided to open the box gifted by the Source of Greed.

There was no need to hesitate.

Seeing that there was a system for intimacy, I assumed I wouldn't be immediately recruited and that certain conditions were required.

Based on my personality, the stars seemed to be attempting to recruit me.

A blue pill formed in my inventory as a bright light flashed before my eyes.

It was a kind of elixir that permanently increased mana by 30.

"......!"

I almost shouted in surprise.

Increase my magic power?

For 20 years, what I had consistently desired was magic power.

Magic power is what allows a hunter to fight like a hunter.

Awakened individuals are divided into those who possess magic power and those who do not.

Those who possess magic power can naturally use various skills and become strong quickly.

Of course, those without magic power, as is known, are not completely powerless.

Their sensitivity to mana, the speed of physical growth, and reflexes were unparalleled. Without these, an awakened individual like me, who had not possessed magic power for 20 years, would not have survived.

A small amount of magic power settled near my heart.

At the same time, a mana circuit was drawn in my mind.

I had never given up the belief that I could obtain magic power and had read books related to it whenever I had time.

Although I lacked magic power, my knowledge about it surpassed that of most heroes.

With a snap of my fingers, mana flowed naturally, and the air was torn.

I was overjoyed.

The stars, which only chose the chosen ones as their followers, had shown interest in me.

'I will delay becoming a follower as much as possible.'

Choosing a star would allow for rapid growth, but was it necessary to make a choice now?

I lacked information about the stars, and more importantly, if my value increased, many stars would show interest and offer various benefits, so it was important not to make a hasty decision.

I looked up at the sky.

"Thank you. I now possess magic power thanks to your grace."

The Source of Greed was probably watching me.

Originally, stars were beings that did not express emotions well.

I didn't know how my prayer of gratitude would be conveyed.

I clenched my fist tightly.

If the Sword Star's ramblings were true,

then his opportunity is mine.

The thin packaging was disturbed by the rain.

It was dark enough, and office workers returning home in small groups stopped to enter the food stand, attracted by the subtle smell seeping through the packaging, and enjoyed a bowl of udon and a glass of soju.

In front of me were chicken feet, chicken gizzards, udon, and a bottle of soju.

Lee Hana was not disappointed that the food stand was offering a meal.

On the contrary, she thought this was a great meal for us commoners.

"Hey, Han Sung, your service is really good today. How much is all this? A bowl of udon, chicken feet, and chicken gizzards must cost at least 50,000 won, right?"

"Please, eat more."

I smiled bitterly.

Lee Hana definitely didn't know her future.

In other words, she was not a beta tester.

She was a beacon that illuminated the path for humanity and a wise sage who had toppled enemies in countless battles.

She was also known as the Goddess of Wisdom.

Not only was she exceptionally intelligent, but she had also learned magic late and was treated as a strategic weapon.

When she rose to the level of a human hero, immense wealth and honor would follow.

Yet, she was now happily tearing into chicken feet.

"Are you not eating?"

"Please, eat more. I feel full just watching you eat."

"Hehe, no need to say anything else. I'll treat you to all of this."

"I can order more if you want."

"Wow, what a surprise! What's wrong with you, Mr. Scrooge Han Sung? Did you do something wrong?"

She chewed on the chicken feet and spat out the bones.

"It's because of me that you got fired. If I can't even buy you a meal, I'm trash."

"Ha, it's fine. I didn't want to stay in that trashy place anyway."

Splash, splash, splash, splash!

Thinking about that made her pour soju into her glass to the brim.

"Let's do a shot."

"Thank you for coming out with me."

"Would you just stand by and do nothing after being treated like that? That's not human. That's an animal."

"Ha ha ha!"

"Why are you laughing?"

"No, it's nothing."

The word I heard the most over the years was 'animal.'

We were slaves and animals raised by hunters, and it was natural for us to live off the scraps they gave us.

Thinking about that, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Actually, I was happy."

"Happy?"

"When you gave that pervert a taste of his own medicine, it felt so satisfying. It was like a decade of pent-up frustration was released."

"That's good to hear. But..."

"Is there something you're worried about?"

"I know why you started this job. It's for tuition, right? You're on a break from school, and if you lose this job..."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm not a prostitute or anything, but I can't just stand by and let this happen every time."

"You're right."

We drank toasts to each other.

After filling our stomachs, it was natural to crave alcohol.

If people who quit their jobs didn't seek out soju, soju companies would have gone bankrupt long ago.

Lee Hana's face began to turn red.

As the drinking session deepened, I knew it was time to get to the point.

"Lee Hana, I have a proposal. Would you like to hear it?"

"What kind of proposal? I'm ready to accept anything except a proposal to live together."

"Ha ha, joking. I'm planning to go independent."

"Independent? Are you going to start a subcontracting company with your experience?"

Her face was serious.

Given that she had learned thievery and had been handling monster corpses, it was natural for her to think of a related job.

From the look in her eyes, she was ready to join if I started a company.

But my answer was different.

"I'm planning to start a guild."

"Ha! What did you say?"

She spat out the soju she was drinking.

It was because what I said lacked realism.

"A guild? Even in a world where guilds are rampant, who would join a guild led by a guild leader without magic power? I understand that we have a lot of experience and that we want to work together, but we need to face reality."

It was a harsh truth.

Her words contained no flawed logic.

However, there was one fact missing from her words.

"I have a good reason."

"Surely... you don't mean..."

"Yes, I've awakened."

"Wow! Really!?"

She genuinely rejoiced for me.

She knew better than anyone how the underprivileged in this industry were treated, so she was the first to celebrate my awakening.

It was a chaotic era, and most of the top players' levels were in the 30s, so it seemed to have merit.

If I had gained the power to move towards the future, I should use it.

It was a strategy for survival.

We were in the midst of discussing the creation of a guild.

Unlike her appearance, the cautious Lee Hana suggested waiting to see my growth before discussing the guild's creation.

If I proved to be the right person,

"Of course, I should help."

Her recruitment was a done deal.

While she thought I needed more growth, if I really started a guild, she would support me in every way.

"If you start a guild, what will you name it?"

"I've already come up with a great name."

"What is it?"

"The Rebellion of the Underdogs. That's what I've decided."