I Became a Mythical Hunter After Killing the Golden Goblin - Chapter 1

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 1. The Golden Goblin
“I’m heading out.”
Stepping out of the empty house where no one waited, I uttered the habitual words into the void.
Emerging from the damp, musty underground, I tapped the sword at my waist in a familiar rhythm as I arrived before the colossal portal.
“How tedious…”
Three hundred sixty-five days a year. For ten years without missing a single day—this place had become less a workplace than a love-hate relationship.
“Beginning entry now!!!”
The Abyss. Approximately two hundred years ago, it emerged alongside a phenomenon known as the Great Cataclysm—a realm from another dimension.
The world transformed with the Abyss’s arrival.
Infinite monsters dwelling within the Abyss, knowledge from other dimensions encountered through it, Constellations observing and watching as they traversed between the Abyss and other realms, and countless treasures slumbering within the Abyss itself.
From this point forward, marked as the Fifth Industrial Revolution, the world entered the age of Hunters, and I became one of them.
Though merely an [F-] rank Hunter—the lowest of the low.
As I stood in line to enter the Abyss, I quietly summoned my status window.
『Status Window
Name: Shin Ju-ha
Title: Goblin Slayer [F+]
LV 10 (0%)
Stats
Strength (Normal) F- (15/100)
Stamina (Normal) F- (21/100)
Remaining Points: 0
Unique Ability
[???]
Skills
[Basic Swordsmanship (Normal) LV7] [Power Strike (Normal) LV8]』
The status window was nothing short of pathetic.
I’d barely managed to acquire two of the four fundamental stats—strength, agility, stamina, and endurance—yet I remained a worthless bug stuck at [F-] rank for ten years.
My unique ability existed in an ambiguous state; I couldn’t even tell if I truly possessed one.
In a word: I had no talent for being a Hunter.
I stared blankly at the status window for a long while, waiting for my turn, when finally it arrived.
I handed my Hunter license to the entrance examiner.
“[F-] rank Hunter, Shin Ju-ha, confirmed. Please proceed with entry.”
After a cursory inspection, I moved forward.
Without hesitation, I pushed my body into the colossal portal that swirled like a black hole, and as an indescribable sense of alienation washed over me, a brief weightlessness followed.
〚Transferring to the previously designated point, Tutorial Zone 11!〛
My vision shifted with the status window message.
***
“Hey there~! Shin Ju-ha~! Showing up faithfully again today, I see! Here’s a canned coffee for you.”
“Ah! Thanks.”
Upon arriving at Tutorial Zone 11, the one greeting me was Park Ju-chul—a guy shackled to the same [F-] rank Hunter existence as myself.
Was it because our situations were similar? Or was it a case of shared misery?
Among those living this bottom-tier life, he was the only one I’d grown close to.
Though I’d been scraping by for ten years and he’d only been at it for three, sharing that common ground made it easy to find common ground, and we became friends quickly enough.
Still, all we really did was meet like this before hunting in the same zone, sharing trivial small talk over a cup of coffee.
Neither he nor I had money to waste on drinking or eating meat after a hunt.
He had sick parents to care for, and I had a sick younger sibling—both of us bound by that responsibility.
“You hear about it?”
“About what?”
As I swallowed a refreshing gulp of canned coffee, Park Ju-chul broached the subject quietly.
“You know Moon from Zone 7? The bald guy?”
“Oh! That bald man who seems like a good guy? Of course I know him. I hunted with him a few times back when I was just awakening.”
He was a man living the bottom-tier life just as I was.
Forever trapped by the [F-] grade, never escaping the Tutorial Zones—that was his existence.
As a Hunter, he earned enough to live decently, but it was hardly a life worth celebrating.
“But what about Moon? Did something happen to him?”
When something happens to a Hunter, it’s one of two things.
Dead or struck it rich.
Polar opposites, but in this damned bottom-tier Tutorial, the latter was virtually impossible—so naturally my mind went to the former.
But what came out of Park Ju-chul’s mouth was nothing short of shocking.
“Don’t you watch the news? Moon caught a Golden Goblin and completely turned his life around! He got over ten unique-grade treasures alone and sold them all at auction—then retired!”
“What?!”
My eyes nearly bulged out of my head.
“He really found and caught a Golden Goblin?”
“Yeah, and his luck was incredible. That creature has only appeared three times worldwide… no, four times now—and Moon was the one who found it! He’s already sold all the treasures, bought a building in Gangnam, and even built a mansion in the countryside.”
I pushed the last of my coffee down my throat and smacked my lips.
Envious. How wonderful would it be if such fortune came to me?
If such luck could grace this life of nothing but misfortune?
Did Park Ju-chul read my thoughts?
He laughed with a chuckle and patted my shoulder.
“Hey, hey! Haha, wake up from that dream. For unfortunate souls like us, dreaming of such luck is a luxury. Come on, let’s get today’s hunt done. We need to hit fifteen kills, so it’s going to be rough! You got everything you need?”
“Yeah, I hunt every day anyway.”
“Right, good luck out there!”
Watching Park Ju-chul tap my shoulder and wave before disappearing, I rose from my seat with a hollow laugh.
He was right. For those of us cursed with such misfortune, such extraordinary luck would never come our way.
“Might as well earn some money.”
Tutorial Zone 11 is a forest. Only three types of monsters inhabit it.
Horned rabbits with antlers on their heads. Poison snakes carrying paralyzing venom. And finally, goblins—small demons as they’re called.
Among the three, the goblin was naturally the strongest, followed by the poison snake, and then the horned rabbit.
And my prey—the stagnant water among stagnant waters—is the goblin. Of course, I lack the pure strength to capture one, but…
Since it’s the monster that earns the most money, I have no choice but to hunt it with my life on the line.
I navigated through the forest as if I could traverse it with my eyes closed, heading toward my secret hunting ground.
Whoosh!
The moment I arrived at the hunting ground, a goblin respawned with perfect timing.
〚Common-Rank [F-] LV 7 Goblin has respawned!〛
As light gathered in the air alongside the system message and the goblin materialized, its green, vicious eyes locked onto mine.
-Kiieeek!!!
True to its nature as a low-tier monster, it didn’t hesitate or question—it simply charged at me, thrusting the dagger in its hand.
“Then let’s begin!”
I drew my sword from my waist to meet its assault.
Over the past ten years, the goblin is the monster I’ve hunted most frequently.
I’ve memorized how to fight it so thoroughly that the knowledge is etched into my very body.
Clang!
But there was an unbridgeable gap in physical ability between us—I was always the one being pushed back.
“Tch! This damned green runt!”
The average goblin’s stats fall in the F- range (40~50).
One with stats closer to 40 would be manageable. But from the force of its attacks, I could tell this one had the misfortune of being a stronger specimen, with stats closer to 50.
“Damn it, that doesn’t mean I’ll give up!”
The gap in stats can be compensated for with experience.
Besides, the higher the stats and power, the larger the magic stone—so I couldn’t afford to surrender if I wanted to earn more money.
And doing this work, I’ve faced dangers of this level dozens, hundreds of times already.
-Kiieeee!!
Perhaps the goblin was frustrated that this weaker human kept blocking its attacks.
It shrieked, its eyes rolling back in its head.
This was the racial trait of goblins—their extreme lack of reason and intellect, their tendency to excite easily—and the activation of its Rage Burst skill.
I watched as red light frosted the goblin’s body and its stats surged. Without hesitation, I retreated, stepping beyond the reach of its attacks.
“Phew, I thought my arm was going to break.”
If I’d forced it to use its Rage Burst skill, half the battle was already won.
“Now, if I throw this…”
I pulled a chunk of chicken wrapped in plastic from my prepared bag—covered in blood—and tossed it toward the rampaging goblin.
-Kyaaaak!!!
It slashed wildly at the meat that fell to the ground, as if possessed.
“Phew, luck’s on my side today.”
Now there’s nothing left to do. I just need to wait until its Rage Burst skill ends.
Rage Burst is a Common-Rank [F] skill with a definite penalty.
The penalty: after the skill’s 10-minute duration expires, it falls into a state of helplessness for 1 minute.
Ten minutes passed in a flash, and by the time the chicken had become unrecognizable.
-Kir… ruck….
Only then did the skill sustaining that creature fade, and its verdant body crumpled to the ground like a marionette with severed strings.
“Hehehehe…”
Perhaps it sensed that death was drawing near.
As I approached with a satisfied smile, the creature thrashed about in terror, flailing its arms desperately—but to no avail.
“Surrender your mana stone and meet your end!”
In the end, it bared its neck to my blade and vanished.
〚Common-Rank [F-] LV 7 Monster—Goblin Defeated〛
〚Contribution Rate: 100%〛
〚Rewards: Purple Coin ×1, Common-Rank [F-] Mana Stone ×1〛
〚Experience: 0—Tutorial Level Cap Reached!〛
All that creature left me was a single purple coin and a tiny mana stone.
“Oho~! Such a formidable beast—the purity is excellent and the size quite generous!”
My first hunt of the day had been a jackpot. Now all that remained was to gather medicinal herbs from the forest while waiting for the goblin to respawn.
“Many a mickle makes a muckle~~”
Though the herbs were worth little individually, for someone as desperate for money as I was, every bit counted.
With that, I retrieved my gathering tools from my bag and set off deeper into the woods.
At that moment, I had no idea that this was a foolish venture into the tiger’s mouth—my excitement from the successful hunt had blinded me to the danger ahead.
***
“Hm~hm~hm~”
Fortune smiled upon me. I hummed contentedly as I gazed at the abundance of medicinal herbs filling my collection box.
I cradled the box tenderly—it held nearly twice as much as usual.
“With this, I can afford a proper meal today.”
Given the staggering medical bills I was paying, such indulgence was nearly impossible unless heaven itself intervened—yet today, luck was on my side.
“That’s right—it’s my birthday. I deserve at least this much of a gift.”
Continuing to hum, I stowed my gathering tools and made my way back to where the goblins respawned.
Believing this to be one of those rare fortunate days, I held onto that joy, hoping to forget my miserable reality, if only for a moment.
Yes, that was my mindset.
But heaven would not even grant me such a trivial, fleeting stroke of luck.
Rustle! Rustle!
Suddenly, the undergrowth trembled and I heard movement.
Reflexively, I drew my blade and began scanning my surroundings with primal vigilance.
Even in a tutorial, this place was the Abyss—a realm where monsters dwelt and death lurked at every turn!
I would not make the careless mistakes of some greenhorn novice.
‘Please, let nothing happen.’
I prepared to flee while keeping my eyes fixed on the forest.
Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!
Something was charging toward me, and within seconds, a figure drenched entirely in blood came hurtling through the undergrowth and crashed to the ground.
Thud!
The figure tumbled across the earth several times as if its strings had been cut, before finally slamming its head into the dirt and coming to rest.
“Gasp! Cough! Cough! I… Shin… Ju… ha.”
“Hey! Park Ju-chul! What is this?!”
To my shock, the figure’s identity was Park Ju-chul. The problem was that he’d lost his left arm and was drenched entirely in blood.
“R… run…”
He gasped for breath as though death were imminent, struggling to pry open his barely responsive lips.
“What? What are you saying? What in the world is happening…?”
“…Flee!!!”
With his final desperate cry, pouring the last remnants of his strength and longing into those words, Park Ju-chul’s body went limp.
“Huh?”
Alarmed, I hurried to check his condition, but Park Ju-chul was no longer breathing.
I shook his body frantically, slapped his cheeks, but his closed eyes would not open.
It was unmistakably death.
Though I had witnessed and endured countless deaths, seeing my closest friend die right before me like this…
“Ugh!”
My stomach churned and the world spun.
“Run… escape?”
A lucky day? A fortunate day? A happy birthday?
Such thoughts had long since been erased from my mind. All that remained was one thing: the terror and dread of death.
Damn it all—the heavens had not granted me even a shred of fortune today.
“Y-yes… I… I have to… escape!”
As I thought this and tried to move my trembling legs.
Rustle!
It seemed I was already too late. With that rustling sound, a figure emerged from the undergrowth.
〚Advanced (Uncommon)-Rank [F+] LV 14, Special Field Boss Enraged Hop Goblin Caractus〛
A body twice the size of an ordinary goblin, its eyes a sickly red, drenched in blood, carnage, and madness.
What had appeared before me was none other than an F+-ranked Field Boss—a Hop Goblin.
“H… how is there a Field Boss in the Tutorial Zone…?”
Death. Death had appeared before me.
Tremor, tremor, tremor!
My body shook. I could not control it, though it was my own.
Time slowed to a crawl, and as every sense caught the scent of death, they heightened dramatically.
-Kiiaaaagh!!!
The creature that had been enraged at how pathetically its previous toy had died. Yet upon discovering its new plaything, its eyes gleamed as it advanced toward me.
“Gaaaaaah!!”
There was no more time to hesitate.
Just before reason was completely consumed by terror, I barely managed to rise and flee in the opposite direction from the Hop Goblin.
-Grraaagh!
But had it already been too late?
Whoosh!
The Hop Goblin’s massive axe hurtled toward me.
Crash!
The flying axe severed my left arm clean off.
…!!!!!
My body, which had been running through such excruciating pain, collapsed.
As I screamed silently, I could see what had been my arm just moments before tumbling across the ground like refuse.
-Kyakkyakkyakkyak!!
Did the creature delight in watching its prey fall, in this very moment of flaunting its own strength?
Whoosh! Crack!
Another axe came hurtling down, crashing against my body once more.
Ah… Is this how I die?
What a wretched life it had been. The world was so cruel, and happiness was a word never granted to me.
Crack!
My left arm, right leg, left eye, and half my abdomen—all vanished beneath the creature’s axe, wielded as casually as a toy.
I feel death approaching. Now I truly feel the end.
‘Ah… I don’t… want to die.’
Living day after day without a glimpse of hope, haunted by past moments when I thought death would be easier—those memories now flooded through my mind with terrible clarity.
Yet paradoxically, as death drew near, a desperate hunger to live exploded within me.
Dragging my broken body, I thrashed against the creature like the dead goblin I had once held in my hands.
I crawled and crawled and crawled, desperate to escape, pulling myself forward with whatever strength remained.
-Kik kik kik!
This creature was not hunting prey—this was play, sport, and entertainment.
When I finally stopped beneath a massive tree.
-Kaeeek!
The creature wanted to end this amusing game.
The enormous axe fell toward my head.
But my hand touched the tree first.
〚Hidden Stage discovered!〛
〚Forced entry initiated!〛
A black vortex swallowed me whole in an instant.
Crack!
My dying body vanished in a heartbeat, and the Hop Goblin’s axe struck the ground uselessly.
-Kieeeek!!!
And so the Goblin Forest of Tutorial Zone 11 echoed with the furious roar of a Field Boss that had lost its plaything and prey.
***
〚Hidden stage: Golden Goblin’s Tower discovered!〛
I feel nothing.
My vision had already surrendered to darkness, my nostrils flooded with the metallic stench of blood, and a high-pitched ringing screamed relentlessly in my ears.
As my sight dimmed further, a cavern materialized before me—countless items scattered among golden-hued creatures.
I reached out with what little strength remained, moving only by instinct toward the message that echoed in my fading consciousness.
-Kieek?
-Keeek!?
-Kryalak!
Crack!
I pressed down on whatever I had grasped. That was the end.
My time had expired. My body could no longer sustain life—it went limp, drained of all strength.
Beep!
Yet the miracle born from my final, desperate struggle was immense.
Beep beep beep beep!!
-Kieek!
-Keeek!
The golden goblins began to glow and flee in panic. But it was too late.
The bomb clutched in my hand—the very thing that had terrified them—detonated.
Kabooooom!!!
Everything in the cavern was utterly obliterated.
The golden goblins. My corpse. Every drop of blood I had shed. All of it.
〚Slaughtered 9,999 golden goblins!〛
〚Hidden stage: Golden Goblin’s Tower ownership acquired!〛
〚An impossible, miraculous Achievement!〛
〚Special reward granted!〛
〚Achievement holder confirmed dead. Forced regression of reward is now locked in!〛
Time, severed moments ago, stitched itself back together. The frozen clock began to turn backward, and my life restarted.
Flash!
“Gasp!”
And so I regressed to ten years prior—the first day of my awakening.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————