Obtained End-Game Gear for a Bowl of Ramen - Chapter 11
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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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Episode 11. Hourly Wage: 1.2 Billion
Jung Ho entered the Chaos Gate.
Jung Ho already lived with constant Mana Pollution at 99%. If anything, this reduced it by nine percent—wasn’t that a blessing? He looked around the Chaos Gate.
“Kee-hee-hee!”
“Kee-kyak! Kee-kyak!”
Goblins darting about noisily over there. Why were only goblins appearing? A post he’d glimpsed on HunterOn came to mind.
-Baek Mi-na (A): The stronger the curse in the Chaos Gate, the weaker the monsters. The balance works itself out, so don’t fret over curses.
Constant Mana Pollution of 90% was an absurdly harsh curse by that logic. Which meant the spawn rate was only pathetic goblins.
‘Still, those goblins don’t appear in earnest until the Tower of Trials’ eleventh floor.’
Goblins first appeared on floor two, but back then they were poorly equipped and weak. The goblins in the Chaos Gate were the elite variants from floor eleven onward.
Jung Ho had only just cleared floor ten. They were still appropriate-level monsters, and he’d hunted them before in the Hero’s Diary.
‘Might as well try. Water Shield. Fire Bolt.’
[You are wrapped in a protective barrier of water.]
[Distraction Technique activates!]
[You fire an arrow of flame.]
Boom!
An orange-bright fire arrow traced the arc of a swift bird, locked onto the goblins, and struck home. A single Fire Bolt cleared an entire section.
[Warning! Mana Pollution: 99%!]
[Warning! Mana Pollution: 99%!]
[Warning! Mana Pollution: 99%!]
His Mana Pollution climbed, of course, but it could never reach 100%. Though admittedly, Jung Ho was hurting almost badly enough to pass out.
‘Suffering is the price of youth.’
He endured. There was plenty of meaningless pain in the world that earned no reward, but the Chaos Gate did pay out. Pain was worth bearing for that.
He staggered forward until a goblin appeared,
“Kee-yaaaak!”
“Fire Bolt.”
Bang!
Then he tottered on until another goblin showed up,
“Kree-hee-hee!”
“Fire Bolt.”
Bang!
He stumbled forward again, and kept stumbling—how vast was this accursed gate anyway? Frustration was starting to bubble up.
“Stay calm!”
A human voice from across the way. Another team must have entered the Chaos Gate. Jung Ho quietly hid himself and peered over.
An East Asian man in a black long coat, staggering on his feet. Several people lay sprawled nearby, and the healthier ones were escorting the wounded.
“…First priority is understanding the situation! The stronger the curse…”
‘Is that Li Wei?’
By the tone, he seemed to be speaking Chinese. The only Chinese hunter Jung Ho knew was Li Wei. He couldn’t make out what he was saying, though.
“…I’ll demonstrate it myself—!”
Li Wei’s eyes opened wide. A strange light gleamed in his gaze, but then it faded like a flickering bulb dying out.
“Kee-yaaaak!”
In the same instant, a goblin charged at Li Wei. Without thinking, Jung Ho reached out his hand.
“Fire Bolt.”
Boom!
A tiny sun poured rain of fire down from the ceiling of the Chaos Gate. The goblins near Li Wei were obliterated in an instant.
‘Honestly, I don’t want to help Li Wei, but it might not have been him.’
Just because someone speaks Chinese doesn’t mean they’re Li Wei. There’d be over a billion Li Weis in China by that logic. Besides, neighbors ought to help each other—wouldn’t that be nice.
‘And the Hero’s Diary is on my mind.’
Seeing that hunter being one-sidedly slaughtered by goblins, he couldn’t just leave. It definitely wasn’t about stat increases or anything.
‘The boss ought to be coming up soon. Is that it?’
Jung Ho moved past the group of hunters he presumed to be Li Wei’s. Soon a chamber appeared, conspicuously larger and wider than the rest. The boss monster was a Hobgoblin.
“Kree-hee! Kree-hee-hee!”
The Hobgoblin was large, strong, and intelligent, they said. Could Fire Bolt even scratch it?
Bang!!
[Small Chaos Gate cleared!]
[Contribution Rate: ???(100%)]
He couldn’t hold out. The heavens were fair after all—a tall, handsome goblin couldn’t withstand Fire Bolt.
‘My mind’s rotting from Mana Pollution. I keep thinking strange things.’
For a gate called Chaos, it had been surprisingly smooth. But would they really not give rewards for an easy clear? Jung Ho’s status window flickered open, dispelling his half-formed worry.
[Gate Clear Reward: Intermediate Mana Stone x12]
[Top Contribution Rate Exclusive Rare Reward: Twilight Cherry Blossom Bow (Epic) x1]
‘That’s it?’
All his anticipation deflated at once. No Legendary drops, just twelve Mana Stones…….
‘Wait. Mana Stones drop from gates? And Intermediate ones, at that. Isn’t one Intermediate Mana Stone worth fifty million won?’
An Intermediate Mana Stone was worth a thousand times a Basic one. Fifty million won per stone, times twelve—that was six hundred million won?!
‘Was being a hunter an hourly wage job worth six hundred million won?!’
Jung Ho was incredulous. Setting aside the Epic item, the Mana Stone reward alone was this much. But that wasn’t all.
[Blessing of Abundance triggered!]
[Additional reward obtained: Intermediate Mana Stone x12]
A lucky hit on the random double earnings event. His hourly wage had become twelve hundred million won. How much even was that? Could he buy a house in Seoul?
‘Stay calm. It’s not your money until you sell it. And you haven’t even checked the items yet.’
Jung Ho carefully sorted the Intermediate Mana Stones into his inventory and examined the Epic item.
—Twilight Cherry Blossom Bow (Epic): A bow that fires pure mana instead of arrows. Strikes never miss, and dealing five hits on the same target causes instant death.
One hundred percent accuracy and instant death after five shots? Ignoring both health and defense entirely? This was practically Legendary, not Epic.
Were all items of the same rank created equal? No. The Twilight Cherry Blossom Bow was the highest tier of Epic—near Legendary in power.
‘Now I get why people make such a fuss over the Chaos Gate.’
His inventory was full. His heart was full. His mood was light. But it didn’t last.
‘How am I supposed to settle this?’
Twenty-four Intermediate Mana Stones. A top-tier Epic item. If he listed them on the Hunter Auction House, the police—or maybe the entire world—would track him down.
But if he came forward as EX-rank, would Li Wei just sit quiet? And what about everyone else?
‘Is there any way to sell without exposing my identity?’
I’d have to go back to the Hero’s Tower and ask Dae-young about it.
* * *
Hunter Management Bureaus across the globe were in chaos.
A Chaos Gate appearing at all was newsworthy after four months, but clearing it in three minutes? Everyone had naturally assumed it was Li Wei. That is, until the gate registry updated.
[Chaos Gate cleared!]
[Contribution Rate: ???(100%)]
The name was ???. Contribution Rate was 100%. Unless someone was a fool, there was only one conclusion: Korea’s EX-rank hunter.
“No, ma’am. We’re still investigating. We don’t have information yet. My apologies.”
The moment Director Oh Seung-woo hung up, the phone rang again. The Korean Hunter Management Bureau’s lines wouldn’t stop ringing. Unable to take it anymore, Director Oh gave orders.
“Unplug all the phones! Post an official statement on the homepage. I can’t work with all this noise.”
Peace finally returned to the bureau. But it was short-lived.
Buzz—buzz—buzz.
This time, it was Director Oh’s cell phone.
“Yes. Director speaking.”
-Director Oh! Long time. Ha ha. I hear an EX-rank just cleared the Chaos Gate?
“That appears to be the case. We’re still verifying the details.”
-Could you give me a small heads-up? I’d be grateful. Maybe let me give them some pocket money, take them around town, let them experience the world…….
“My apologies. We’re still investigating.”
The moment he hung up, another buzz.
“Yes. No. Still investigating. My apologies. Yes. My apologies. Investigating. Director Oh speaking.”
In the end, Director Oh Seung-woo powered off his cell phone.
“Phew. That’s better.”
“Director. I brought your coffee.”
Administrator Kim Min-jae couldn’t stop grinning. How could he? An EX-rank hunter—face unknown, name unknown—and he’d just made the headlines.
“See? I told you! The EX-rank clearing the Chaos Gate! Didn’t I say it was possible?”
“Don’t be happy yet. The real problem starts now. If items from the Chaos Gate show up on the auction house, the whole world will smell it and come running.”
Director Oh Seung-woo took a sip of coffee. It was far too sweet—like someone had stirred in two lumps of sugar separately.
“If you’re worried about that, just tell them not to use the auction house.”
“That’s a monopoly on gates by one person. Not allowed. We can’t put that burden on a single hunter. Think back to when Korea’s top S-rank, Shin Geon-woo, went missing.”
“But EX-rank is higher than S-rank. How would they go missing?”
“Hunters are still human. Someone approaches quietly, does the deed—and then what?”
Director Oh Seung-woo drank his coffee. The sweetness had turned to bitterness.
* * *
The Muryong Guild lay in tomblike silence. Its master, Li Wei, stood vacant as a corpse, then
“EX-rank exists. And he was Korean.”
he repeated those senseless words. By now, the guild members were genuinely frightened, their anxious chatter filling the void.
“The master’s become a husk.”
“Li is human too. He can be shaken for a moment.”
“How can he be human? He’s a god! A god must never waver!”
Chang Yao, the Muryong Guild’s assassin, flared up like a struck match.
“That damned EX-rank destroyed the master. If I kill him, the master will pull himself together.”
“Chang! Calm down. And without the master’s permission either—”
“I’m nothing like you cowards. Liu Zhe! Open the gate!”
Liu Zhe refused adamantly, but Chang Yao’s hand moved to his neck. Crackle! Purple sparks erupted from Chang Yao’s palm.
“Liu. You know humans run on electricity, right? Open the gate while I’m asking nicely. Before I force it.”
Chang Yao was the Muryong Guild’s strongest assassin for a reason.
“Yes, I understand. But—”
“But what? Success is all that matters. I’ll remove every obstacle in the master’s path. I’ve already dealt with Shin Geon-woo.”
Chang Yao stepped through the space Liu Zhe had opened. Whoosh! He dropped suddenly into the middle of Seoul’s streets.
‘Even an EX-rank is human. Living things leave traces.’
The Muryong Guild was China’s strongest, and Li Wei was the world’s greatest detection-class hunter. Their information network was unrivaled, so they had leads.
‘That C-rank gate with the weeping blood statue—the one who cast Inferno there, that’s the EX-rank.’
The witness was Kwon Min-gi. Tracking an A-rank was child’s play. Chang Yao brushed past him, his fingers grazing the man’s sleeve.
‘Psychometry.’
[Skill Activated: Psychometry]
[Reads memories left on people and objects.]
The skill that made Chang Yao the Muryong Guild’s deadliest assassin. A mere brush against fabric, and he knew every movement, every gesture of his target. And more.
Chang Yao read Kwon Min-gi’s memories. The EX-rank’s face was blurred, but the information sufficed. Height, build, clothing—that was all he needed.
From the clothing’s label, he’d find where it was purchased. From purchase records, he’d trace movement patterns. Weave Psychometry through every step, and?
‘Found him.’
Chang Yao read the memories lingering on a bus. He followed the man he suspected to be EX-rank off at his station.
‘The air here reeks of decay.’
An unremarkable Villa District. Having traced him this far, the rest was mere Psychometry—instantaneous. The road itself still held memories.
‘There.’
Chang Yao found Jung Ho’s house. Something rustled inside. A liquid bubbled and boiled. From the smell, was someone cooking ramen?
‘That’s your last meal. Goodbye, EX-rank.’
* * *
Crackle!
Jung Ho’s apartment went dark. He felt neither surprise nor anger.
“It was hanging on by a thread. Finally gave up the ghost.”
Then—crackle again! This time, the smart lock hissed open.
‘What, what is this? A burglar?!’
Jung Ho slipped calmly into the bathroom to hide. He reached for his phone to call the police.
Click. Squeeeeak.
The door slid open and Chang Yao stepped inside. He glanced at the ramen pot first, then pressed his bare hand against it.
“…Hehehehe. Hiding in the bathroom. How shall I finish you? Slip in the bath? Electrocution?”
Jung Ho understood nothing—he spoke Chinese—but this was no ordinary thief.
‘They say high-rank, high-level hunters are superhuman.’
But Jung Ho’s stats were mostly F; at best, D. Barely above average for a civilian. Fighting with those numbers was absurd.
“Whether you’re EX-rank or not doesn’t matter. I write ‘EX’ next to your corpse. Kill a dozen that way, and EX-ranks will start appearing whether they want to or not.”
‘Block his vision first. Deep Cloud.’
Woooosh! Dark, billowing clouds poured through the doorway and filled the entire apartment.
Tap-tap! Chang Yao reflexively retreated. But he laughed, realizing it was just mist.
“An EX-rank with nothing to show. Were you holding back so the surroundings wouldn’t suffer? A hero who fears sacrifice has no right to that name!”
Chang Yao used Psychometry to locate Jung Ho. He thrust his hand through the clouds, purple sparks crackling from his fingertips—
Bzzzzt—! Crackle-crackle-crackle!!
The wet, dark mist flashed purple and bright. The cloud slowly dispersed.
Chang Yao lay collapsed on the floor, electrocuted. Jung Ho stood untouched, protected by his Water Shield.
‘Thank goodness I read that science book as a kid.’
Water conducts electricity well. But too much water, and it doesn’t—the current dissipates and scatters before it can flow.
Water Shield had not merely blocked Chang Yao’s electrical attack; instead, Chang Yao had blown himself up in the wet cloud.
‘Who the hell is this guy? He sounds like a Chinese hunter. And the ramen I was cooking for Dae-young’s gone cold by now.’
“Police. Are you all right?”
Officers arrived just in time, surveying the scene and turning over the unconscious Chang Yao to check him.
“It’s Chang Yao! An internationally wanted criminal, an assassin for the Muryong Guild—what’s he doing here?”
“Headquarters, this is a Hunter crime. Requesting support from the Hunter Management Bureau!”
Only then did Jung Ho understand what had happened.
‘So Li Wei sent the assassin? Though he seemed pretty incompetent.’
Or maybe I’ve just become too strong? I’ve taken elixirs, learned skills, trained in the Desert of Spirit, raised my stats with the Hero’s Diary, and lived quite diligently.
‘Let’s say I’ve become strong. He’s pitiful, really.’
Continued in the next episode ▶
Received an end-game item from one bowl of ramen
Author
White Dried Persimmon
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Publishing House
Grae Publishing
Inquiry Email
[email protected]
Publication Date
August 24, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260423069
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and copying are prohibited. Violation of this may result in criminal and civil legal liability.
※ Pentagram awaits your precious manuscript.
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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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