LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 5
Chapter 5: Is This Reality?
As soon as Si-hyun came home, without even washing up, he plopped down on the sofa and checked his inventory.
Inside the inventory, there were only two items.
‘Why are there only two? They always said there would be at least four or five, including armor and weapons, plus some accessories or gear.’
Even in this, they looked peculiar.
But not discouraged, Si-hyun examined the first item.
What appeared on the screen looked like a blunt club made of wood.
[Po-ahim’s Guard Baton] [Normal] Durability: 35 Sharpness: 0 – A guard baton made from oak that Po-ahim personally carved in his youth. It really hurts if it hits.
“Huh….”
What is this?
Si-hyun stared blankly.
Normal? The item I have is normal?!
It’s just a scrap item, a normal of all normals!
…Could it be that this guy is really E-rank?
He couldn’t hide his deep disappointment.
He had heard that equipment was as important as personal ability when hunting monsters during a raid, but how could he hunt with this?
After a moment of being frozen like a rock, Si-hyun paused before checking the next item.
‘No, no.’
He felt the need to honor himself with a proper bath before checking the last item.
He scrubbed himself vigorously with warm water and came out again.
“This time, with a truly reverent spirit.”
Taking a deep breath, Si-hyun checked the item.
‘A sword?’
The scabbard was adorned with various glittering jewels that made the sword look extremely expensive.
‘Please.’
He slowly lowered his gaze to read the description below.
[Acureruts] [Legendary] Durability: 83 Sharpness: 91 Engraved Magic: Hellfire (Cooldown 24 hours) – A masterpiece among masterpieces crafted from amantium by the legendary artisan Johan. One of the five famous swords of the Reiter continent. Both its strength and sharpness are exceptional, and the blade is beautifully inscribed with the Hellfire magic etched by the Great Sorceress Hyris. It is a keepsake from Po-ahim, kept after his friendly companion was executed by Po-ahim.
“Gasp… what, what is this…?!”
Si-hyun’s eyes widened immensely.
Is this for real? Seriously? Is this reality?!
Le-le-legendary?
A real legendary item?
Earlier, that friend’s thing started at no less than a billion dollars…
“….”
He felt like he had been dazed for about 20 minutes.
He was in shock that such an absurdly expensive item had appeared in his inventory.
With this one, how many houses could he buy…?
He could buy a house for his father, mother, and younger sister, and still have money left over for a building.
…No, no. Calm down, calm down.
He was so excited about the amount that he momentarily forgot he was an Awakened Being.
It’s meant to be used, so use it.
If he doesn’t use at least a decent weapon, how can he survive longer in that treacherous Gate?
Besides, thinking about it, such an item is not something an individual can easily dispose of.
By the way, why did this appear?
A legendary item that’s said to appear only for S-class Awakened Beings, why did it show up for him?
With a bottom-tier reputation, skills, and stats, how did a legendary item appear in his inventory?
What kind of horrifying hybrid is this?
No, no.
Could it be that if he fully recovers his abilities, he becomes S-class?
Amidst surprise and a glimmer of hope, Si-hyun read the item description carefully again.
– A keepsake from Po-ahim, kept after his friendly companion was executed by Po-ahim.
‘…Oh crap, it was my friend’s.’
Great.
Come to think of it, he remembered hearing that his friend was down about losing a dear friend before the quest appeared.
Must have had a really accomplished friend.
A slight disappointment crept onto Si-hyun’s face, but then he relaxed.
After all, just getting a legendary item is a stroke of incredible luck.
‘Acureruts.’
Fully immersed in reality, Si-hyun drew out Acureruts.
Upon closer inspection, the scabbard was stunning.
It wasn’t just a haphazard attachment of jewels; they were arranged in a harmony of colors and spaces that was exquisitely refined.
Swish.
And the blade.
As soon as he drew it, beautiful white light scattered, reflecting off like neon lights.
The smooth blade had unknown characters intricately and neatly engraved on it.
Even an outsider could tell this is the sword of swords.
“Wow, this….”
What he thought made Si-hyun’s expression darken slightly.
This isn’t something he should flaunt as a “legendary” item. It was a tremendous item that anyone, even the least perceptive Awakened Being, would easily recognize.
If he pulled it out carelessly, he could genuinely be killed without anyone knowing.
Not by monsters, but by other Awakened Beings.
“This is a problem, being this good.”
If he had known what he was doing, it would have been fine.
But right now, Si-hyun’s stats were at the bottom tier.
Treasure too extravagant for someone without abilities was merely a tool inviting death.
“I don’t know, maybe I just have to be cautious for now.”
Si-hyun put Acureruts back into the inventory.
Maybe he was too excited, because even though it was past eleven, he didn’t feel sleepy at all.
So, Si-hyun accessed the country’s largest item sales website that Sang-kyu had informed him about earlier.
“Hmm….”
After browsing for about 30 minutes, Si-hyun made a face as if he’d figured something out.
First, there were no unique-grade items.
Perhaps sales routes only begin at unique.
Also, there was not a single item with durability or sharpness over 70; the rare items seemed to be below 70.
Furthermore, swords that were heavy, like two-handed swords, tended to have high durability but low sharpness, while lighter, sharper swords like scimitars had high sharpness but low durability.
There wasn’t any two-handed sword like Acureruts that had both high durability and sharpness.
And on top of that, Hellfire.
Though he wasn’t well-versed in magic, he had heard that Hellfire was a powerful attack magic.
“So this is what you’d call an OP item, huh?”
He had awakened and possessed an item that was more than sufficient.
Now all that was left was to get as strong as he could.
‘First, I’ll carry out quests to restore my powers and then obtain a license from the Hunter Association.’
Planning that out, Si-hyun giggled.
Thinking about it, this power of awakening from another dimension fit him in bizarre ways.
From the job to the quests.
For an ordinary person, completing quests wouldn’t be easy at all. Correctional facilities aren’t places anyone can visit freely, after all.
It felt as if fate was guiding him down this path.
“Ah, whatever. Good things are good, right?”
Saying that, Si-hyun flopped onto his bed.
He wasn’t sleepy, but he decided he had to get some rest if he wanted to work again tomorrow.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Hey, I heard our assistant duty officer’s kids are behaving well these days?”
Duty Chief Park Young-hwan, who worked with Si-hyun on the 5th Floor, Unit 2, said.
“It seems like the order among the inmates has been restored a bit, right?”
“It’s all thanks to this guard doing a good job keeping the kids in line, don’t you think?”
“Haha, it’s nothing. I’ve just done my part. It’s thanks to you, Chief, for maintaining the atmosphere in the ward.”
Si-hyun said with a smile, humbly.
“Come on. How long have I been in this field? You think I wouldn’t notice? I’ve reevaluated this guard, for real.”
Guards are subject to rotation. There is no fixed period, but they change positions every few months, sometimes up to a year.
Si-hyun and Young-hwan had also switched positions two months ago to work on the 5th Floor, Unit 2. This was their first time working together.
So, they could only assess Si-hyun based on the rumors they’d heard.
Daehan Correctional Facility is one of the larger correctional facilities, with over 500 staff members; yeah, it’s a place where rumors spread astonishingly fast.
Who does well at work, who doesn’t, even down to personal matters are common gossip.
So, it’s also a place where one needs to be cautious about their usual behavior.
Si-hyun’s reputation was of being diligent but average in his work.
Hence, Young-hwan’s expectations were set at about that level.
But lo and behold. Having worked directly with him, it turned out the three-year veteran guard knew how to handle inmates. He could let them go when appropriate and catch them firmly at the right moment. It was a skill honed by experience, and there wasn’t a clear formula for it.
Yet, this three-year veteran, despite his lack of experience, was managing the order among inmates quite well.
Young-hwan couldn’t help but revise his evaluation of Si-hyun.
“Thank you for the kind words.”
Si-hyun beamed with a broad smile.
They say a guard’s face is their greatest asset.
Guards use their face to make an impression on inmates and fellow officers.
If an inmate thinks a guard is soft, news spreads fast among the inmates. Being locked up in a cell? That doesn’t even slightly impede gossip.
It doesn’t end there.
Inmates circulate. Many get released only to commit another crime and return. They spread rumors to new inmates that this guard is easy to deal with. This creates a vicious cycle where it becomes challenging for guards to do their job.
Conversely, if someone is known as a tough guard, that rumor spreads easily too.
In front of such a guard, inmates are more likely to hold back.
Hence, work becomes that much easier.
The importance of reputation is significant at that level.
Si-hyun knew this well.
Since his awakening, he had successfully cultivated a positive reputation among both inmates and fellow guards.
Completing quests and getting good workplace reviews, it truly was a win-win situation.
“By the way, Chief, I heard that Kim Man-deok is coming forward to this side this afternoon?”
“Kim Man-deok? Ah, that lunatic?”
Kim Man-deok, a notorious problematic inmate known for habitual self-harm.
After being hospitalized for self-injury, he was set to be transferred to the 5th Floor, Unit 2 as part of the bomb transfer due to the punishment block.
“Yeah, that lunatic is likely to come forward this afternoon.”
“Good, I heard right. So, Chief, can I have an interview with that guy when he comes over?”
“An interview? With this guard?”
Usually, the duty chief is responsible for interviewing newly transferred inmates.
“Yes, I want to have a serious talk with him in my youthful vigor.”
Young-hwan looked incredulous.
“Hah… that lunatic is someone even the head of security dismisses. You do know how infamous he is, right? Don’t you think you might just provoke his temper for nothing?”
“Either way, whether I worry or ignore it, he’s an inmate with a high chance of causing problems in our ward. I just want to have a chat with him to see how he is.”
“Hmm… well, alright then. If you want to handle it, go ahead. I wouldn’t mind that since it’s a pain for me to talk to him.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Si-hyun secretly thought, Nice!
His eyes subtly glanced at the quest window.
[Po-ahim is the foremost guard who can rehabilitate habitual problem inmates like no other. Right now, he wishes to see his junior rehabilitate a habitual problem inmate.]
[Quest: Rehabilitate a habitual problem inmate.]
Those words were written in the window.