Chapter 94 – The Legend of Black Cow (1)

-The Disaster Safety Agency’s Wizard System. It once predicted disasters while simultaneously declaring danger zones, but what about now?

-…The government has announced that a new version of the Wizard System is currently being tested…

-Damage from the sporadic appearance of gates is mounting. The government is increasing military deployment while also reinforcing patrols.

-Hunter Lee Hyunbin, the Delivery Man, has reportedly rescued the hostages at Daegwang Building and captured all the villains. The Daegwang Group and government agencies will be presenting him with a plaque of appreciation…

Ever since the Wizard System disappeared.

People now lived day by day, never knowing where a gate might appear.

Public anxiety skyrocketed, and the sight of armed soldiers patrolling the city streets became commonplace.

It was, for all intents and purposes, a state of martial law.

Despite their best efforts to minimize the damage, there was a stark difference from the days when disaster prediction was possible.

As a result, the damage steadily mounted, and the public’s fatigue reached a breaking point.

“Aaaah!”

“Dammit, the car! Move the car!”

“Aaaah! Run, just run!”

A cacophony of screams filled the air.

A gate had appeared out of nowhere, right at the entrance of a building.

Just moments before, it had been the entrance to an office, but now it was a literal gateway to hell.

“Moo, moo.”

From the cramped gate emerged a cow with two horns on its head.

A Minotaur, straight out of mythology.

A jet-black bovine, much like it, walked on two legs, its gaze filled with contempt for the humans fleeing before it.

“Moo.”

A hostile enemy had invaded their home, yet they all scattered, desperate to save their own skins.

At the pathetic sight, the black cow let out a long, drawn-out moo.

It would kill the women and ravish the men.

Just then, someone walked up to the black cow.

A tan-skinned man with blond hair.

His cocky smile was irritating.

“A hunter, it’s a hunter!”

The fleeing people, one by one, stopped to look back at the man confronting the black cow.

It’s a well-known fact that anything black is three times faster.

This human must be stronger than the others.

But still, just a human.

The black cow commended the human’s courage for standing before it.

“Moo.”

“Guess I have no choice.”

The blond-haired man’s hand retrieved a kukri from his subspace.

Seeing the dark gleam of the blade, the black cow deemed him a worthy warrior and tightened its grip on the handle of its axe.

* * *

Kim Tae-yang was on his way to the guild when he saw the gate suddenly appear.

Seeing a hulking, two-meter-tall bipedal cow emerge, Kim Tae-yang changed course.

It had muscles more solid than any human could possess, and its sheer size radiated an unusual aura.

Kim Tae-yang tensed up, thinking it might be dangerous.

But the outcome was anticlimactic.

“What the hell.”

The black cow was ridiculously weaker than he expected.

The gate seemed to be a solo affair; no other monsters appeared.

A cheer erupted from the crowd.

Kim Tae-yang awkwardly scratched the back of his head as he saw people recognizing him. Just then, something caught his eye.

-Black Cow’s Hat

An item had dropped.

‘Damn.’

Kim Tae-yang cursed inwardly.

The aura flowing from the hat faintly emanated shades of red and purple.

At least Unique. Or even Legendary.

Some Unique items were worth hundreds of millions.

Kim Tae-yang picked up the item and headed straight for the guild.

Items that could be transferred to a new owner via the system usually required ‘appraisal.’

It didn’t matter that he didn’t have an appraisal skill. The guild’s analysis lab could handle it.

As soon as he arrived at the guild, Kim Tae-yang left the item at the analysis lab.

It felt like scratching a lottery ticket.

This was an item that could be worth anywhere from ten million to hundreds of millions of won.

If so, his wallet would be…

*Crack!*

“Hey, are you okay?”

Kim In-ho asked in surprise.

During their sparring match, Kim Tae-yang had been spacing out and took a direct hit, sending him tumbling weakly to the ground.

“This is nothing. A piece of cake.”

Kim Tae-yang shot up and grinned.

“You’re bleeding.”

At Kim In-ho’s words, Kim Tae-yang wiped his nose.

A smear of thick blood came away on his hand.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Kim Tae-yang said with a bold laugh.

Seeing his friend’s sudden strange behavior, Kim In-ho felt a sense of unease and shivered slightly.

*Ding!*

Seeing a text message on his phone, Kim Tae-yang tore off his gloves and leaped out of the ring.

-Item analysis complete.

“Ooh.”

Excited, Kim Tae-yang immediately prepared to head down to the analysis lab.

Worried by his friend’s odd behavior, Kim In-ho followed close behind.

The analysis lab on the third basement floor.

When they got there, they saw quite a few people who had also submitted items for analysis.

Usually, after a group raid, items were turned over to the guild for distribution.

If a member wanted to claim an item for themselves, they could get a discount of 20 to 50 percent.

However, an item obtained through a personal hunt, like Kim Tae-yang’s, belonged entirely to that person.

“Pray that your big bro hits the jackpot.”

“That would be great, but don’t you think it’s just a red item (Unique item)? It’s unlikely a purple item (Legendary item) would drop from a single monster…”

“No, I’ve got a good feeling about this. If I hit it big today, your big bro will treat you. We’re going to party hard tonight!”

“Ah, I can’t really drink. My kid’s waiting for me.”

Kim Tae-yang grumbled that he was still no fun.

Such a diligent guy, raising his older sister’s child on his own.

The child had recently been cured of the mana stone disease, and the dark expression Kim In-ho sometimes wore had vanished.

“Ah, Hunter Kim Tae-yang from Team 3?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

They had finally arrived at the analysis lab.

“Congratulations. It’s a Unique+ grade.”

As expected, it wasn’t Legendary grade.

Kim Tae-yang felt a pang of disappointment. Still, a Unique+ item would fetch a pretty good price.

“I’ve included the analysis results and the item’s options, so you can either keep it or sell it to the guild. Congratulations.”

Kim Tae-yang thanked the friendly analyst and stepped outside.

Hanul Guild had recently made large-scale investments and brought in new personnel, staffing the labs with numerous experts.

At any other guild, an item analysis would have taken over a week.

With a swelling heart, Kim Tae-yang checked the analysis sheet.

Kim In-ho peeked over his shoulder.

-Item: Black Cow’s Hat

-Grade: Unique+

-Description: An item imbued with the spirit of the Black Cow. The wearer becomes a pushover.

“…”

“…”

Kim Tae-yang and Kim In-ho stared at the absurd analysis sheet for a long time.

“Son of a bitch.”

Kim Tae-yang muttered under his breath.

* * *

“Don’t be disappointed. It’s still appraised at 100 million won.”

One hundred million.

It was a lot of money. Far less than he had hoped, but a good drop was a good drop.

Just as Kim In-ho’s words were starting to lift his spirits, they heard their team leader’s voice.

“Are you kidding me? This is a total rip-off, isn’t it?”

“Have you spent your whole life getting scammed? Regular items are one thing, but enhancement is for personal satisfaction, isn’t it? And do you know what enhancement stones are made of? Mana stones, that’s what.”

“What, are mana stones some kind of miracle substance now? This is made of mana stones too?”

“Who do you take me for? Don’t you know who I am? I’m the greatest blacksmith on the continent.”

“You mean the blacksmith who kisses the Demon King’s ass.”

“Where there’s demand, there’s supply.”

The team leader was arguing with the head of the development team.

“Hmph. Fine, I’ll just try it once.”

“Honestly, a man of your caliber should be using a +9 weapon. Am I wrong? Go for it, go for it.”

At the development head’s urging, the team leader placed a sword on the golden anvil.

The two Kims recognized it at a glance as the sword their team leader always used.

“Alright, place the mana stone here. And now… enhancement begins. Ta-da!”

The development head pressed a button, and a transparent cover descended over the golden anvil. A bright light flared.

-Enhancement Failed.

The sword on the anvil turned into a brick.

“Aigoo, what rotten luck. First time I’ve seen something break at +1. Hey, wait a minute. You’re giving up after one try? Between us? Don’t you trust me? Don’t you remember I made all your armor and swords back on the continent?”

The team leader sighed and placed another sword on the anvil. Once again, a light flashed.

“Hold on, this brick is actually a throwing weapon! It can pierce +9 armor. Hey, wait! My head can’t be enhanced! I told you not to put it in there! I even prepared a… a new weapon for you, and this is how you treat me?”

The team leader loosened his grip.

Having barely escaped, the development head straightened his beard and clothes and let out a sigh.

“Phew, this dwarf almost died. Your temper is the same as ever… Wait, look at this. You’re a close-range specialist, so long-range attacks have always been a problem. But with this weapon, that’s no longer an issue.”

The dwarf showed off his masterpiece.

“So, do you like it?”

The team leader looked the machine gun over.

“That thing fires sixty rounds per second. The ammo automatically links from your inventory. Pretty amazing, right?”

The development head laughed heartily, stroking his white beard.

“How do I equip it?”

The development head chuckled.

“You’ll need to bring a chopper for that. Oh, why a chopper? To attach it in place of your arm, of course… Wait, I told you my head can’t be enhanced!”

The team leader shoved the struggling development head onto the anvil and slammed the enhancement button.

*Crack.*

-Enhancement Failed.

“My beard! My beard…!”

The development head’s lush beard vanished in an instant.

Ignoring the man’s despairing wails, the team leader placed a dagger on the anvil and tried again.

-Enhancement Failed.

The team leader let out a low sigh. He rummaged in his coat and pulled out Katrinne’s coupon book.

Seeing it, the two Kims felt a pang in their hearts. If Seo-yeon were here, she would have run off sobbing.

But unfortunately, Seo-yeon was not here.

-Enhancement Failed.

The coupon book turned into a pile of scraps.

The team leader’s brow furrowed deeply.

The two Kims knew their team leader was incredibly stubborn.

He was the type who couldn’t rest until he made the impossible possible.

The team leader rummaged through his inventory. Finding nothing else to enhance, he placed his own right arm on the anvil and went to press the button.

“Team Leader! Stop, stop!”

The two men, who had been watching from the sidelines, rushed forward to stop him.

The team leader had almost enhanced his own arm.

Gambling leads to ruin.

“You shouldn’t be doing this! It’s all just gambling!”

Despite Kim Tae-yang’s plea, the team leader’s eyes still burned with dissatisfaction.

Just then, Kim Tae-yang remembered the item in his possession.

“Team Leader, if you absolutely have to do it, use this.”

It was only a Unique+, but since he had dreamed of a Legendary, he wanted to get rid of it anyway.

Besides, its option was absurdly useless.

“Try this, and if it doesn’t work, let’s just call it a day and try again next time,” Kim In-ho added.

The team leader nodded and initiated the enhancement on the anvil.

Kim Tae-yang offered a silent prayer for the item that had, for a brief moment, let him dream of winning the lottery.

-Enhancement Successful!

The success message flashed.

The three men fell silent.

The team leader tried again.

It was an obviously useless item. There was no point, even if it succeeded.

-Enhancement Successful!

The +2 Black Cow’s Hat emitted a faint glow.

There was a theory about this.

It was called a sacrifice.

You enhance a useless item first to get it out of the way, then enhance the item you really want.

In a fit of anger, the team leader kept hitting the button, as if venting all his frustration from the items that had broken.

-Enhancement Successful!

The team leader now had a +7 Black Cow’s Hat.

The fully enhanced hat could no longer be upgraded, no matter how many times he pressed the button.

“The things you want to succeed never do.”

The team leader laughed in disbelief.

The two Kims felt the same.

“Team Leader, let’s try again another day. You’re plenty strong even without this stuff.”

The team leader replied to Kim In-ho.

“Yes.”

“…?”

Kim In-ho tilted his head.

It had been a long time since he’d heard the team leader speak so formally. But unlike in the past, it didn’t feel terrifying.

“Team Leader?”

“Yes.”

The team leader was now wearing the enhanced hat.

The two Kims could feel it.

The sadistic aura that always radiated from their team leader’s eyes was gone, replaced by a dazed, vacant look.