"Take care out there!"
Standing before the rift, Haegyeom Yi bowed deeply to the hunter in front of him.
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind.
'If this jerk goes into the gate, I can at least catch a three-hour break. That should be enough time to handle the backlog and maybe even squeeze in a nap...!'
It was a desperate yearning for rest.
The thing was...
He was a hunter manager. The kind who handled all the cleanup after hunters.
The problems? The company he worked for was a black-hearted Exploitative Guild operation. And the hunter he managed was a total delinquent punk.
"Hey, Haegyeom Yi."
"Yes."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"...Pardon?"
"The porter bailed for today, didn't he? You're filling in."
Haegyeom snapped his head up to stare at the hunter's face.
'Fuck.'
Hyeontae An. The sleazy bastard's face was full of mischief.
Yeah. The porter really was a no-show today. But that wasn't the issue.
'We were supposed to go in without a porter from the start!!'
The gate Hyeontae An was tackling today was D-rank, and due to the danger level, official rules banned anyone below the 5th floor from even entering. Naturally, porters below the 5th floor were banned too. And that included him, who wasn't even a porter.
'Even if the rules are basically ignored...'
Haegyeom tried to point that out.
"But I'm─"
"Shut up and follow me."
"..."
He couldn't even finish. No choice. The punk always pulled this crap.
'Total loose cannon.'
And Haegyeom had a pretty good idea why the guy was throwing this tantrum. His gaze was locked on a woman standing nearby. She was the hunter teaming up with him for the gate today. Pretty, by the way. A porter with a backpack stood next to her.
'Damn flirt-chaser.'
Did he think he'd look bad without his own porter?
'Sigh.'
All Haegyeom could muster was a sigh. But what could he do?
'Gotta earn that money...'
He didn't want to get fired. And Hyeontae An had more than enough pull to make that happen.
"Grab the backpack and let's go."
"...Yes."
Haegyeom followed Hyeontae An's orders without showing his irritation. Unfortunately, in this harsh world, he had neither money nor connections. And this company paid pretty damn well, for what it was.
"Well, well. Teaming up with a beauty like you? I'm one lucky guy today. Hyeontae An of Jet Guild."
"You've got an eye for talent. Sookyeong Park of Lone Spider Guild."
"Haha, and I've got 50,000 Tower Stream subscribers, even if I do say so myself..."
Haegyeom quietly watched Hyeontae An lay on the cringey flirting.
'Whatever...'
Silver lining in the misfortune, at least. If the guy was distracted by a girl, he'd harass Haegyeom less.
Then.
"Hey there."
Sookyeong Park's porter approached him. Haegyeom gave a perfunctory reply.
"Looking forward to working with you today."
He wasn't keen on chatting up someone he'd never see again after today. But the guy was chatty.
"You a porter too? Your employer's a real asshole, huh? Must be tough."
"Yeah, well..."
"Can't talk, though. Mine's no picnic either. Hang in there. Who knows? We might awaken outta nowhere."
The porter seemed to feel some camaraderie, unloading complaints about his boss and lamenting his lot in life.
"I've had the worst luck in life, tsk. But hey, a guy can hope, right? If I'm gonna awaken, make it magic or summoning... Boom skills from a safe spot! Ugh."
Haegyeom listened quietly, thinking to himself.
Yeah, sure. To normals, awakening was hope. A lottery ticket. Grab a decent ability, clear up to the 10th floor of the tower, and you could make bank on E- or D-rank gates.
But. 'I don't even have that hope.'
Haegyeom felt a bit down. Why? Because he'd already awakened. And gotten a trash trait that kept him from even clearing the 1st floor of the tower.
His awakening ability was this:
[Unique Ability: Inventory Master]
[Ability Description: Your inventory is large and clean.]
He'd thought 'Master' meant something good at first. But no. Every awakener had an inventory. His was just a bit bigger and cleaner.
'What the hell is this even good for?!'
Awakening was a curse to him. A curse of despair that shattered any dreams of hope.
Then Hyeontae An's nagging voice rang out.
"We're going in. Porters, hurry your asses up!"
"Y-Yes! Coming...!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The gate raid went smoothly enough.
Hyeontae An was a 16th-floor hunter, and Sookyeong Park was 14th-floor. Hunter strength generally scaled with cleared tower floors, and D-rank gates recommended two 10th-floorers. This lineup was overkill.
Hyeontae An seemed to have started a Tower Stream, yapping nonstop.
"Bros, whaddya think of my partner today? Didn't expect it, but damn, she's a babe. Aww, you think we make a cute couple? Thanks, oppa fans. Swing by my stream too~"
Sookyeong Park was glued to his side. Probably leeching off him to boost her Tower Stream subs. Their interests aligned, apparently.
Watching them, the porter next to Haegyeom started grumbling.
"Tower Stream. They rake in crazy cash with that, huh?"
"...Yeah."
"Ugh. Jealous as hell."
The streaming system unlocked upon awakening: Tower Stream. Viewers watched via external sites, and it quickly became the dominant platform.
Then. "Hey, porter!"
Hyeontae An yelled at Haegyeom.
"Yes!"
"Put this in too."
He chucked a mana stone his way.
'At least use your inventory for mana stones... Huh?'
Haegyeom's gripe died in his throat as an alarm blared in his head.
"Oops, my bad! Tossed it wrong. Anyway, store it."
"..."
The mana stone had landed in unsecure, dense foliage. Deliberate, no doubt.
'Ugh. What do his viewers even like about this shit...'
Hyeontae An was cackling at him. The guy had built his subs on stunts like this, not actual raids. At least today was girl-focused.
Glancing over, Sookyeong Park's porter had backed way off from Haegyeom.
'...Damn.'
No choices for him. Didn't want to get fired, or slashed for ignoring orders inside a gate.
Gulp.
Haegyeom cautiously stepped toward the bushes, body tensed. If a monster popped out, he'd bolt right back. He rummaged through the foliage where safety wasn't guaranteed, visibility zero.
'Where is it... Damn.'
Chills ran down his spine, like a monster could pounce any second. Then his fingertips hit something hard.
'This it?'
If it was a mana stone, item info would pop up. Trash trait or not, he was awakened—he could use it.
And.
[Mysterious Withered Egg]
'...'
Not a mana stone. But 'an item.' Info meant it wasn't junk. Haegyeom stowed the egg in his inventory and kept searching.
[Mana Stone 0.2kg]
'Found it!'
Thankfully, no monster encounter. He scrambled out of the bushes.
"F-Found it..."
"Aw, too bad. Tsk."
Hyeontae An clicked his tongue like he was disappointed Haegyeom hadn't died.
"..."
Haegyeom ground his teeth. Suddenly, quitting the company sounded great.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"For real, bro!?"
Mid-raid. Hyeontae An's eyes went wide.
Haegyeom ignored him. Tried to.
"Face-check that bush myself? One mil won! Hell yeah, I'm doing it!"
If Hyeontae An wasn't volunteering for stupid risks. Haegyeom was his manager, duty-bound to stop dumb shit.
"Hunter, that's dangerous."
"Shut it, you loser fuck."
"Yes."
Pure lip service. Never expected it'd work anyway.
'Covering my ass, that's all.'
Hyeontae An charged into the unsecured mega-bushes. Straight-up insane. Long-range magic hunter, leading into potential danger? Asking to die.
Like right now.
Kieeeek! Slash─
'Huh?'
The guy's head tumbled clean off. Blood fountained from the stump. sploosh!
Enter the massive mantis monster.
'Giant Mantis!'
Haegyeom wasn't too worried.
'Hyeontae An's dead, but Sookyeong Park's 14th floor. She can handle─'
"Kyaaaaaaaak!"
'...'
Sookyeong Park froze at her first corpse. Panic mode as the Giant Mantis closed in.
Haegyeom turned to the trembling porter beside him.
"Run."
"Uh, wha─ Huh?"
Porter was out of it. No helping that.
"I'm out first."
Gotta survive, right?
"Kya, kyaaaaa..."
Sookyeong Park's screams trailed off behind him. Dead, probably.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Huff. Heave.
Blood taste rose in his mouth. He'd trained a bit dreaming of being a hunter, but still just normie level.
Kraaaaaagh─!
Miserable scream from behind. The other porter bought it too.
'I told him.'
His fault for freezing when I said run. Didn't even owe him the heads-up. Anyway, survival first. Haegyeom kept running.
And. Kieeeee!
Caught up.
'...Damn. Bolted right away and aggro's still on?'
Haegyeom glanced back. At vision's edge, a mantis bigger than a man leaped after him.
'Then...'
Teeth gritted, Haegyeom veered off-path sideways. Who knew what lurked, but only option.
'Need somewhere to lose aggro.'
Hidey-hole from the Giant Mantis.
"Haa, haa..."
Extreme tension overwhelmed him. Meet another monster? Dead. No hideout in time? Dead.
Kik─ Keee─
Mocking laughter from the thing. Closing in.
'Please...!'
Haegyeom scanned wildly while running. And 'there!' Small hole spotted. Barely torso-sized. No time to think—he dove in.
Crash.
"Kkh."
Innards roomier than expected; he tumbled, injuries added. But "I... lived?"
Alive.
Kiiik! Scraaaape─ Scrape─
Giant Mantis just clawed the entrance, too big to enter.
"Haa. Hoooo..."
Haegyeom caught his breath. Now, hunker down till aggro drops. Then chance to exit the gate.
So he thought.
Scrape─ Scraaaape─
'...Why isn't this fucker leaving?'
Aggro stuck after ages. Haegyeom got antsy.
'Damn.'
No way to fight it off, but trapped long-term in a gate? No hope there. Unexplored depths might hold threats too.
Haegyeom checked his stuff.
'What I can use now...'
two calorie sticks, one small knife. Won't last or fight with that.
'Inventory...'
four slots total, two occupied.
[Mysterious Egg] [Mana Stone 0.2kg]
Mana stone worth 200k cash, useless now. Only the 'Mysterious Egg' besides.
"..."
Haegyeom swallowed a scream. No way out in sight.
'If only my awakening was normal...!'
Not this non-combat garbage Inventory Master. He wouldn't feel so helpless.
But wishes aside. Not dying powerless meant deciding.
Hunker down.
Fight the outside monster.
Explore inward.
'All shit options.'
Future blacked out! Stuck with ini, Haegyeom squeezed his eyes shut.
'Hooo.'
Eyes closed, he calmed to pick survival best. Then, nagging oddity.
'Wait, this egg... wasn't it withered?'
The inventory egg. Was definitely Mysterious Withered Egg at pickup.
'...So what?'
Useless anyway. Not survival-helpful, no immediate gain...
Ding!
[The Mysterious Egg is very satisfied with the state of your inventory. Hatching accelerates.]
'What?'
Crack. The inventory egg fissured.
[The Mysterious Egg hatches.]
'Uh uh...?'
[Birth: Red Dragon Hatchling has been born!]
[The hatchling likes your inventory. The hatchling wants to make your inventory its lair. Do you permit it?]
"...Permit."
No clue, but beats doing nothing. And.
[The hatchling is very grateful to you!]
Piiiieeeeek─!
The [Mysterious Egg] in inventory shattered, a tiny red mystery wriggling out.
'What the...'
Before grasping it. Kieeeee─!
Haegyeom flinched. Giant Mantis roar boomed. Reflexive head-turn.
"Holy shit!"
Crunch─
The beast was squeezing its huge body into the hole from inside. Haegyeom freaked.
'No wonder it got darker!'
If it fully entered, game over. That do-or-die instant.
Pieeak!
Something's intent reached him. Somehow, from the inventory lifeform.
"G-Get back?"
Pip!
Affirmative vibe. Confused, Haegyeom sidestepped anyway. Thus, inventory critter faced the giant mantis.
'Wait, what the hell...'
Wondering its plan. The tiny red thing's maw gaped.
Kwaaaaaaaa──────!!!!!
Giant Mantis vanished. Along with the cave entrance.
'...?!'
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