Field Porter (3)
After stepping into the field, **Kim Jeonghyeon** first recalled the main quest.
*"Demon King's Eye… it says to use Attribute Disruption?"*
The **Demon King's Eye** must be referring to the red-tinted right eye he saw reflected in a nearby stall's mirror.
"So… it has some kind of analysis or counter ability?"
Without much expectation, Jeonghyeon spoke the activation words.
"**Attribute Disruption!**"
But his eye showed no reaction.
"Nope. That bastard is making even this difficult."
Clicking his tongue, Jeonghyeon was about to head straight to the hunting area when the guards inspecting the entrance blocked him.
"Where do you think a porter's going alone? Bring a hunter with you."
"Oh, right."
There was something he hadn't needed to worry about even once after awakening.
**Field porters must enter the field together with a hunter.**
"But I awakened."
Jeonghyeon pointed at himself with a puzzled look.
*Come to think of it, I awakened as a Demon King. Doesn't that make me an Awakener too?*
"…You're dressed like a porter and you're saying that?"
Jeonghyeon was wearing an **inventory** larger than what most hunters had, along with a harvesting knife perfectly sized for tearing monster meat. Nine out of ten people wearing that combination were porters. It was even nicknamed **"porter fashion."**
That was also why the hunter group earlier had instantly recognized Jeonghyeon as a porter.
The guard gestured toward Jeonghyeon's outfit and held out his hand.
"Show me proof. Your hand."
"Why my hand? I'm not into that kind of thing."
"What nonsense! Neither am I! I'm checking your Awakener information through the barcode."
"Ugh, disgusting."
"I told you it's not like that!"
Reluctantly, Jeonghyeon extended his hand. A red beam scanned the barcode on his wrist.
*Beep.*
The scanner made an odd sound before the blinking light vanished.
"What? You're not an Awakener."
"Excuse me? That can't be right. I just awakened!"
"Damn it… Recently there was a porter who awakened through **Ignirn**, so I thought maybe you were the same… Get lost!"
"No, seriously, I awakened! Can't you see my eye?"
Unable to hide his temper, Jeonghyeon covered one eye with his hand and thrust his face toward the guard, showing his right eye.
The guard flinched for a moment at the sudden aggression, then snapped back.
"If the dragon's power isn't registered in this barcode, you don't count as an Awakener! So whose power awakened you?"
Jeonghyeon immediately tried to shout the answer.
"Well obviously the De—!"
"The De?!"
"The De…"
"The De what? **Mirtus**? Some dragon from Mokdong?"
"No, that's not it…"
"Then what? Something from the demon realm? That doesn't count either!"
Jeonghyeon finally lowered his head.
He couldn't bring himself to say **Demon King** out loud.
*Damn… I almost shouted that I awakened through the Demon King's power.*
"See? Not an Awakener, right? Come back after bringing a hunter, porter."
Jeonghyeon gave up and turned around.
At that moment, a sharp pain stabbed his right eye.
A crimson **Status Window** floated into the air.
[**Rare Achievement:**
"You said you were an Awakener, but actually you weren't." has been achieved.]
"What kind of ridiculous achievement is this?"
Jeonghyeon let out a hollow laugh, imagining **Malekith** smugly designing even something this petty.
[**Reward:** The Demon King realizes you achieved this and laughs at you.]
"What kind of reward is that—!"
The smile vanished from Jeonghyeon's face as he read the next line.
[The Demon King takes pity on you and gives you a hint.
Hint: First the weapon. Then the monster. Then… what comes next?]
A deep irritation welled up inside him.
Jeonghyeon looked down at his waist, forcing himself to calm down.
"Fine. If you're going to laugh, you'd better laugh properly. First is the weapon?"
If it was a weapon, there was only one he had.
The tool given to field porters.
A **harvesting knife**.
Jeonghyeon sat on the guardrail marking the boundary between the safe zone and the hunting area and pulled it out.
"So… what am I supposed to do?"
He swung the knife around and glared at it with wide eyes.
Nothing changed.
"…Not this?"
He tried squinting and widening his eyes, but felt nothing.
"What the—"
The moment he slightly closed his left eye, a red glow flickered in his right.
Instinctively sensing something, Jeonghyeon shouted.
"**Attribute Disruption!**"
Information appeared above the knife.
[Rusted Harvesting Knife
Attribute: Iron Weapon
Attribute Liberation: 0%]
"Oh! It worked!"
Jeonghyeon shouted without realizing it.
[Quest: **Demon King's Eye – Use Attribute Disruption** completed.]
[**Attribute Disruption:**
The most basic ability of the Demon King's Eye.
It reveals a weapon's attributes and eventually allows you to identify weaknesses, strengths, usage, and even history.
**Demon King's comment:**
A weapon whose Attribute Liberation reaches 100%… might become something different from what you expect.]
"Ha… What a thoroughly committed bastard."
Jeonghyeon was annoyed by the Demon King's dedication, yet almost impressed.
Just how twisted did someone have to be to design something this elaborate?
"Quest."
He opened the Status Window again to check the completed quest.
The pain spreading across his eye was already becoming familiar.
[Reward: Attribute Disruption Level Up]
[Attribute Disruption upgraded to Level 2.
– You can now analyze your own attributes.]
[Additional Reward: Next quest unlocked.]
[Quest: Reach 100% Attribute Liberation]
[Reward: Attribute Disruption Level Up, Next Quest]
There was quite a lot.
*Oh. The rewards are pretty good. This might actually be doable.*
Five minutes later, Jeonghyeon would regret those words.
To raise the Attribute Liberation, he began looking for any hunter he could bring into the field with him.
---
"Hey, what's with this guy? I let you go earlier—why are you back?"
The hunter Jeonghyeon approached was the bald one from the trio who had picked a fight with him earlier.
His shiny bald head seemed to reflect his personality perfectly.
The hunter approached with a scowl.
"I'll be your porter."
Jeonghyeon answered with a wide grin.
Of course, only he failed to realize how unsettling that smile looked.
"I need a hunter to enter the field with. How about it?"
"Yeah right. I'd rather—"
"You're on the **blacklist** anyway. You treat porters like trash, so none of them work with you. That means you can't earn money either, right?"
The bald hunter hesitated.
Jeonghyeon seized the moment and pressed further with experienced precision.
"I know a good spot. How about a quick run? If things go well, your blacklist might get cleared."
The bald hunter looked suspicious but eventually nodded.
"Listen here! I'm not blacklisted for mistreating porters! I'm just too competent!"
"Of course! I know! Let's go."
Still smiling unnaturally, Jeonghyeon led the bald hunter into the hunting area.
---
The field looked like a peaceful grassland with a gentle breeze blowing across it.
But in reality, it was land corrupted by mana, where plants and creatures mutated into monsters.
"By the way… are you sure you're okay?"
The bald hunter drew his long iron sword.
"Why?"
"This is an **E-rank field**. Most porters only go to F-rank fields."
"Don't worry about it."
Jeonghyeon punched the hunter in the face.
"Ghk!"
The man collapsed instantly, eyes rolling back.
Jeonghyeon didn't even change his expression.
"Because I'll be doing the hunting anyway."
The hunter had only been an entry ticket.
Jeonghyeon considered looting his pockets but decided against it.
Too much trouble if the guy woke up later.
Besides—
"Killing an E-rank monster should be enough."
He looked at the harvesting knife in his hand.
---
Soon he reached deeper into the field.
Goblin growls echoed through the grass.
"Let's see… goblins aren't F-rank, right?"
It had been so long since he dealt with F-rank monsters that he barely remembered.
"Then a little deeper should have E-rank ones…"
Goblin.
Then **Hobgoblin**.
Then **Goblin Chief**.
Jeonghyeon opened the quest again.
[Quest: Reach 100% Attribute Liberation]
"Attribute Liberation… if it's a weapon's attribute, I just have to use it."
He walked toward the goblins.
"Kiik!"
Three goblins were roaming together.
"Three of them…"
Jeonghyeon grinned and spun the harvesting knife before gripping it in reverse.
*A harvesting knife? It's basically a dagger.*
Remembering techniques he had learned from the master assassin **Redgon**, Jeonghyeon lunged forward.
"First one!"
His blade slit the throat of the first goblin.
Without stopping, the dagger pierced the heart of the second.
Before the third could even turn to run, the knife buried itself deep into its neck.
It all happened in an instant.
By the time the first goblin realized his presence, all three were already dead.
"Oh… this body…"
Better than expected.
No—young bodies really were different.
Years of porter labor had made his body sturdy.
His finesse needed work, but that could be trained.
All his combat knowledge was still engraved in his mind.
But he hadn't expected his body to follow it this well.
His old body had been worn down by fifteen years of brutal training and protecting a prince.
But this body—
This one might actually reach those speeds.
"Good… this is it! This!"
How long had it been since he fought monsters under warm sunlight and cool winds?
Jeonghyeon leaped high, recalling his original goal.
Slaughter as many monsters as possible.
One.
Two.
Three.
Goblin heads flew like wheat cut by a sickle.
By the time he had killed around fifty—
"Huff… huff…"
Jeonghyeon finally reached the area where **Hobgoblins** lived.
"Damn… getting out of breath from goblins…"
He gasped heavily.
"Looks like… I need more training…"
Still, this was satisfying.
Jeonghyeon wiped the sweat from his clothes and checked the knife.
"**Attribute Disruption!**
After this many kills, the Attribute Liberation should be at least 50%, right? Even if it's just 1% per kill…"
But he stopped mid-sentence.
[Rusted Harvesting Knife
Attribute: Iron Weapon
Attribute Liberation: 0%]
"…What? Still 0%?!"
Standing among piles of goblin corpses, Jeonghyeon shouted.
The **Attribute Liberation** had not increased at all.