I Became a Mythical Hunter After Killing the Golden Goblin - Chapter 63

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 63. 0-rank Merchant—Gold Ring (3)
It was a transparent provocation. Part of me wondered if he intended to throw me into a trial and watch me perish, while another part suspected he merely wanted to deflate my pride with a humbling blow.
‘But there’s no murderous intent in his eyes, so it seems like the latter.’
It was irritating. Yet the die had already been cast. Gold Ring burst into laughter so hearty his entire domain seemed to shake, then withdrew an item concealed within a transparent box from his personal space and handed it to me.
It was a scale. Though small enough to rest in the palm of my hand, it contained an immense power that belied its appearance.
“There! Why don’t you try clearing it? Not a single being has ever passed this trial! Even those ancient deities who strut about with such confidence have fallen to their knees and cried surrender! I’ve gathered that the Lord is an arrogant one, but arrogance is a poison far too potent for any leader to bear—unless the Lord possesses arrogance as the cardinal sin itself, like that monstrous Lucifer. Yet even Lucifer ultimately fell prey to arrogance and perished! So experience failure once, and through that despair, learn!”
Wait, so he doesn’t mean this maliciously?
And he’s telling me to learn through failure?
I couldn’t help but laugh at those words. It was absurd. He spoke with such certainty while knowing nothing about me.
And how presumptuous—a follower daring to test his own lord?
“I’ve already learned once through failure and begun this life.”
Failure is merely a worthless word that renders me pitiful and weak.
In this life, I must not experience failure. My path forward must be paved only with victory and conquest.
Yes, I must become arrogant. I must advance without falling, with everything beneath my feet.
Keke, keke.
I heard something laughing, but I ignored it.
What mattered more was the scale I now held in my hand.
〚Item: Scale Containing Half of a Certain Origin [Origin-EX+] prepares a trial to test you!!〛
From the small yet immense scale poured forth a sacred and mysterious energy that enveloped my body.
“Yes, go through it and come back. I’ll have selected a better item for the Lord by then.”
Gold Ring said this while raising his hand, and the trial was about to engulf me—!
…?
Huh?
Where did the trial go?
I tilted my head in confusion and tapped the scale in my hand, wondering if it was defective.
“What’s this?”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand the situation. Gold Ring also appeared baffled, his eyes darting back and forth between the scale and me.
That was the moment. The scale transformed into a mystical light and began to be absorbed into my body.
“Hueeeek!!!”
How many times had he managed to be startled, shocked, and radiant in such a brief span? Watching Gold Ring’s excessive reaction, I clicked my tongue while my mind raced to comprehend what was happening.
And the answer to that seemingly unsolvable mystery soon materialized before my eyes.
〚Item: Scale Containing Half of a Certain Origin [Origin-EX+] discovers the other half dwelling within you!〛
“What? The other half is within me?”
I have something like that…?
〚Unique Ability: Equivalent Exchange [Origin] becomes one with its counterpart, the Scale!〛
Equivalent Exchange! So you were the other half!
My lips curved upward so far they seemed to touch the heavens. What fortune was this?
My luck seemed extraordinary. No, mere luck alone couldn’t explain this. Was it destiny?
“Has fate itself intervened?”
Since no message appeared, it seemed unlikely—though that lazy one might simply be refusing to answer. In any case, I couldn’t say for certain.
Someone as chronically unlucky as me obtaining such a miraculous opportunity for free seems absurd, so I’m inclined toward the latter explanation.
Regardless, excitement floods through my body at the prospect of gaining new power. Indeed, how will this transform?
〚Unique Ability: Equivalent Exchange and Item: A scale containing half of a certain origin fuses together!〛
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange (等價交換) LV 3 is created!〛
Another authority has been imprinted upon me. As if finally discovering my complete self from those deep recesses of consciousness, the ego of Equivalent Exchange sheds its suffocating constraints and reveals itself.
It roared, pushing aside the other egos and soaring to the highest point where the Golden Tower exists, establishing itself there. Even that lofty Golden Tower, upon witnessing the ego of Equivalent Exchange rising to an equal position, showed no reaction as if acknowledging it.
I finally understood why it possessed a complete ego despite being a unique ability.
Equivalent Exchange was originally an authority. It was merely confined within the constraint of a unique ability because its rank and power were halved when divided.
“I’m quite satisfied.”
My level had barely risen before another one increased. I swallowed hard and opened my status window to confirm the authority.
〚Authority
[Golden Tower LV 2]
[Heavenly Fortune LV 1]
[Noon Sun LV 2]
[Equivalent Exchange LV 3]〛
〚Authority: Equivalent Exchange LV 3
Rank: Origin
Grade: Origin
Description: One of the oldest laws that existed even before the beginning. Its very existence is the concept of origin, and its potential is infinite.
Abilities
-Summon a scale of equivalence to exchange price and desire through Equivalent Exchange. (Cooldown 6 hours)
-Exchange range expands. (Stats, ability levels, skill creation) (Self, one other—simultaneous maximum 2 people)
-Under specific conditions, permanent application exchanges become possible.
-Under general conditions, when the exchange duration ends, residue remains and a small amount applies permanently.
-LV 5 Unlocked〛
The most striking change was singular: the exchange range now encompassed not just stats, but raising ability levels and even creating skills!
Moreover, I could now apply it not only to myself but also to others.
‘For others, I can lower stats, reduce ability levels, and erase skills?’
It was satisfying growth. Indeed, an origin-grade ability that evolved into an authority had become even more powerful.
‘The permanent application ratio increased slightly, the special conditions relaxed somewhat, and the cooldown shortened a bit.’
It was worth the cost of consuming an origin-grade item. And this wasn’t even the end—as it grows, its capabilities will expand further, making it tremendously valuable in the long term.
As I closed the status window with a smile, Gold Ring stared at me as if lost in a dream, rubbing his eyes repeatedly.
“What a shame. I would have liked to experience that trial myself. Unfortunately, half of the origin was with you.”
“You possessed an origin-grade ability? A mere mortal? No, I know you’re extraordinarily exceptional compared to other mortals, but… how?”
“I wouldn’t know either. How do I explain obtaining such a unique ability due to superior potential?”
Gold Ring lamented as if disappointed, yet was moved as if witnessing a miracle, grieved at having been robbed of the most expensive item, and was delighted that the item’s true owner had finally appeared.
No matter how I looked at it, he seemed genuinely bipolar, so I ignored him and smiled.
Brilliant nectar—thanks to it, the possibility that bloomed from my origin connected all the way to this authority.
‘Even if I try to call it fate, I can’t believe it. Heavenly Fortune, you were involved, weren’t you?’
As expected, no will was conveyed from it, yet I could be certain. Heavenly Fortune had exerted its power. In exchange, it still slept, when it should have awakened long ago.
‘If I fell asleep before Misfortune, I should have already awakened.’
If that’s the case, I’ll have to break through this attack from Misfortune without relying on Fortune.
It will be grueling enough to kill me, but I don’t think it will be easy.
Misfortune has always imposed trials beyond my abilities or inflicted cruel pranks that put me in difficult situations. Probably this time will be no different.
If I’ve suppressed my nature and conserved my strength to this degree, it’s likely preparing another scheme to kill me.
But now I’ll accept it as it comes. I’ve faced death a few times already, and life itself is a spectacular hard difficulty—I’m tired of being surprised every time.
I simply prepare more thoroughly, judge more carefully, and push through more desperately.
So I should purchase a good item from our Domain’s merchant to help ensure my survival, shouldn’t I?
“I have 10,001 coins left now. What should I buy with this?”
Gold Ring, tired of my indecision, abandoned all pretense and handed me the list to choose freely, becoming a plaything for Golden instead.
How long did I agonize over the choice? In the end, I selected one item.
“Gold Ring, I’ll purchase this.”
He grumbled that I was tearing out his roots as he looked at my selection, but took the coins and handed me the item.
***
Whoooosh~
Beneath the Primordial City, in the depths of Terrarium. There lay an Underground Waterway system as vast as a great city itself.
Long ago, when the Primordial City was absorbed into the Abyss, the ancestors who first settled this land commissioned great mages and master magitech engineers to construct this vital facility.
Divided into two sections—one drew up groundwater, amplified and sterilized it into drinking water distributed to each household in set amounts, while the other purified and eliminated waste from the Village, handling its treatment.
But at some point, that magnificent facility was completely sealed under the Guard Captain’s orders, becoming a forbidden zone where no one could enter.
Some whispered that the Guard Captain had gone mad. To suddenly close an essential Village facility?
They gossiped about what he’d do if something went wrong with the waterway—how would he take responsibility?
Yet others firmly believed the Guard Captain had discovered a monster in the waterway that he couldn’t handle.
Otherwise, they reasoned, he wouldn’t have sealed it without cause—a man who dedicated himself infinitely to the Village.
Both the former problem and the latter truth were facts.
The Guard Captain could never forget that rainy evening when he descended underground to check if there was a problem with the waterway.
Merely recalling that moment sent chills across his entire body, terror flooded through him, and his reason paralyzed. Those who whispered he’d gone mad?
Yes, he had gone mad. Could anyone witness that with their own eyes and remain sane?
It existed yet did not exist. A ghost? No, it was far worse than such trivial things.
It was malice itself. A spirit that had consumed all the world’s negativity.
Shudder.
His clenched fist trembled. As deep evening darkness settled over the Village, the Guard Captain exhaled heavily.
“Can he do it?”
Since first witnessing that entity, he had secretly commissioned numerous Players to subjugate it—all those rumored to be strong enough to be called indiscriminate killers.
But the results were devastating. Not a single Player emerged alive from the Underground Waterway.
“Ah…! Because of me!”
Guilt gnawed at him. But an even greater fear consumed him.
What if that malice found him again? For a time, he couldn’t sleep—the moment he closed his eyes, its form appeared before him.
So he set a criterion. Mere strength would no longer suffice.
‘Malice can only be stopped by benevolence.’
Only those who are virtuous and kind can challenge this monster. Only Players recognized by the Village as virtuous and kind can accept this Quest.
Yet the world was not so beautiful. The condition was far from being met, and no player had ever helped the residents purely out of goodwill.
Rewards. Or perhaps some hidden Quest lurking in the shadows. All that filled their hearts was greed and selfishness, nothing more.
Just as I was about to give up and reveal everything to the residents, thinking I would need to recruit a more powerful and capable player, he appeared. A man who carried his daughter with him wherever he went, clearing the residents’ Quests one by one.
Shin Ju-ha. To Braymun, he was the last hope and the savior who would rescue this village.

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