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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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——————
Chapter 06
"Now I'm getting the hang of it."
It had been three days since I obtained Napoleon’s Rifle.
During that time, I had hunted several aberrations, gaining experience and improving my control over the weapon.
At first, I could barely extract 1% of its potential in a controlled manner, but now I had managed to push it to around 3%.
Of course, if I let my guard down for even a moment, I’d end up drained of my mana just like on the first day, teetering on the edge of exhaustion.
‘And I’m already low on mana.’
As an E-rank Appraiser, my mana reserves were, at best, below average.
If I measured it numerically, an A-rank Hunter had almost thirty times the mana I did.
No matter how incredible Napoleon’s Rifle was, at this rate, I could only fire a few shots before completely burning out.
To put it simply, Napoleon’s Rifle was like a high-end sports car with abysmal fuel efficiency.
And it wasn’t like I could just guzzle expensive mana potions like water every time I needed to recharge.
‘I should at least get my hands on a mana stone.’
As I sat at the counter, lost in thought.
Ding-a-ling!
The bell on the door chimed as a sturdy-looking man stepped into the shop.
I immediately glanced over his outfit, subtly tensing up.
Sneakers, tracksuit, black baseball cap.
‘A modern guy.’
Thankfully, he wasn’t another historical figure like Napoleon.
"Do you have any longswords here?"
"Welcome. If you’re looking for swords, they’re over there."
I personally guided the man to a shelf displaying various blades.
In times like these, when monsters ran rampant, acquiring weapons wasn’t particularly difficult.
Any shop that catered to Hunters was expected to have weapons in stock.
Since my store was a general goods shop, I carried a little bit of everything, including a few weapons.
Most of them scavenged from Samdocheon.
"Oh! This one’s a fine piece."
‘…Is it, though?’
I glanced at the katana the man was admiring, feeling a bit doubtful.
=
「Uchigatana」
Attack Power: 30~35
=
A completely ordinary katana with no additional effects.
For comparison, Napoleon’s Rifle had an attack power stat of 3000~???.
A 100-fold difference, at minimum.
Yet the man looked absolutely thrilled, as if he had just struck gold.
"A store that isn’t even specialized in weapons, yet you have an Uchigatana? This is a proper shop."
"…Thank you."
In truth, I had just picked up whatever weapons were lying around inside the Gate, yet he was treating it like a rare treasure.
It was almost embarrassing.
It really drove home how broken Napoleon’s Rifle was.
"Oh, and do you have any vision goggles?"
"If you check the right shelf over there, you’ll find them."
Watching the man carefully select various magic tools, I grew curious and asked.
"Planning to raid a Gate?"
"You haven’t heard? today is the day the Coffin of Trials opens."
"So, it’s that time of the year already."
The Coffin of Trials was a Gate that opened once a year.
It ranked participants based on their clear performance and rewarded them with magical relics accordingly.
For Hunters, securing a top rank often led to guild scouting offers, earning it the nickname: ‘SAT Gate’.
[PR/N: The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized college entrance exam that measures a student's readiness for college.]
"I heard this year’s first-place reward is a Snowflower Stone."
"That’s a fine prize."
"Haha, exactly! That’s my goal this year."
"I’ll be rooting for you."
After sending off the eager newbie with a small chuckle, I returned to the counter, tilting my head in thought.
Wait a minute.
‘Snowflower Stone?’
Wasn’t that a mana-restoring stone?
"It is."
A quick internet search confirmed it.
==
「Snowflower Stone」
A mysterious stone imbued with mana. Occasionally given as a reward from the Coffin of Trials.
==
Hmm.
"Maybe I should join too."
My goal? First place.
***
At the foot of Dobongsan, where the Coffin of Trials appeared, countless Hunters had already gathered.
It was the same scene every year whenever the Gate opened.
But today, there was an especially large crowd gathered around a specific spot.
‘She’s here too.’
Kim Hayoon.
Team 3’s leader of the Dawn Constellation , and the rising star who had defeated Udamhwa in a single strike.
It seemed she was also competing in the Coffin of Trials this year.
After glancing at her briefly, I shifted my focus to Dobongsan.
At the mountaintop, an eerie white coffin had risen unnaturally from the earth.
I fixed my gaze on it.
────.
In that instant, my consciousness blurred and when I came to, I was standing inside a pure white temple-like space.
Around twenty Hunters had already arrived before me.
"Alright, everyone, gather up over here."
A tall, well-groomed man called out to the Hunters.
"I’m Kim Woojin, a C-rank Hunter. This is my third time in the Coffin of Trials."
He made sure to emphasize that this was his third run, naturally taking charge of the conversation.
"Let’s go around and introduce ourselves just your name, Awakening Rank, and Class would be great."
"I’m Kim Jinhee, C-rank, Healer."
"Oh Junseok here. D-rank…"
As people took turns introducing themselves, the man eventually turned his gaze to me.
"And you?"
"E-rank."
"Ah, I see. Then, what about your class…?"
"Appraiser."
After that, the man didn’t spare me another glance.
Everyone was busy searching for potential party members, but I didn’t care. I had planned to go solo from the start.
"What should I set as my nickname?"
Before entering the Coffin of Trials, participants had to choose a nickname for the rankings.
─ Connector.
Without much thought, I simply wrote down my ability as it was.
Once I had registered my nickname, I took a look around. Surrounding the temple were a dozen stone gates.
As I approached one of them, the gate hissed and opened automatically.
Beyond it, a dark passage stretched into the unknown.
I stepped forward, following the path until I emerged into a massive cavern.
At its center stood a Skeletal Knight, its hollow sockets glowing with an ominous red light.
[Welcome—— I am——]
Bang—!
I fired Napoleon’s Rifle before it could finish its introduction.
The magic bullet shot forward, obliterating its skull instantly.
A critical hit.
【The Coffin of Trials acknowledges your astonishing feat! You have been awarded 1,000 points!】
Behind the collapsed Skeletal Knight, another passage awaited.
I didn’t waste time and immediately proceeded to the next stage.
The Stone Golem that appeared next looked quite sturdy, but it was no match for Napoleon’s Rifle.
【Congratulations! You have cleared the Coffin of Trials!】
After defeating just two monsters, I was transported back to the temple where the test had begun.
The other Hunters were still milling about, forming parties for the trial.
Judging by the untouched stone gates, no one else had even started their test yet.
I walked up to the man I had spoken to earlier and asked,
"Excuse me, where’s the exit?"
"Hmm? You’re already leaving? Are you giving up on the trial?"
"No, I’ve already completed it."
"Haha! I see. No need to feel discouraged. Many people fail on their first attempt. This is already my third time."
The man looked at me with pity, as if he saw me as a delusional dropout refusing to accept reality.
His slow, understanding nod suggested that he had once been in my shoes as if reminiscing about his own past failures.
Honestly, I found it annoying.
But his reaction was understandable.
No one would believe that I had already completed the trial because, without Napoleon’s Rifle, such a clear speed would have been impossible.
"If you challenge it again next year, I’m sure you’ll do better. My advice? Join a party. Even if you manage to defeat the Skeletal Knight, the Golem afterward is a massive pain to deal with alone."
"Where’s the exit?"
"Just stand by that wall over there, and you’ll be teleported back to the entrance of Dobongsan."
"Thanks."
I walked over to the designated wall and in an instant, I was back at Dobongsan’s entrance.
At the same time, a notification echoed through the Coffin of Trials.
【The first trial clear has been achieved!】
"……Huh?"
The man stood frozen, staring blankly at the spot where I had just disappeared.
***
Kim Hayoon stood outside the Coffin of Trials, waiting for the rankings to be revealed.
Her goal was simple to claim first place and win the Snowflower Stone.
With its dual attributes of fire and ice, the relic would perfectly complement her mana affinity.
"Unni, do you think I’ll get a good score? I just want to make it to third place."
"It’s Team Leader’, Arin."
"Yes, unni."
Kim Hayoon flicked Seo Arin’s forehead.
"Hehe."
Seo Arin stuck out her tongue, attempting to ease her nerves with playful teasing.
To Kim Hayoon, who knew exactly how strong Seo Arin was, the girl’s worries seemed unnecessary.
"You’ll be fine, don’t worry."
"Still… Team Leader, you’re definitely taking first place, right?"
"It’s too soon to say."
Despite her cautious words, Kim Hayoon was confident.
There was no one noteworthy competing in the Coffin of Trials this year.
Yet, she found herself unable to focus.
Because her mind was occupied with something else entirely.
‘Who is he?’
A man with a rifle, the one she had seen at Hangang Park
The one suspected of slaying Udamhwa.
At first, she thought it was a coincidence, but after reviewing the footage of the hunt, she had no doubt.
The masked man wielding the same rifle was the true hunter of Udamhwa.
She had been investigating him ever since, using the distinctive features she had memorized.
Bzzzt.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated inside her coat pocket.
The caller was Kim Jinhyuk, the Vice Team Leader of Team 3.
─Hayoon-nim, we found him.
Kim Hayoon’s eyes gleamed.
She had assigned Kim Jin-hyuk to investigate Choi Seojun.
And the fact that they had found him so quickly meant that he was a well-known figure.
"So, he really isn’t just someone”
"He’s just an ordinary general store owner."
"That can’t be right. Are you sure?"
─Yes. We confirmed it.
Kim Hayoon narrowed her sharp eyes.
There was no way an ordinary shopkeeper could annihilate Udamhwa in a single strike.
─There is one unusual detail, though.
"What is it?"
─He’s an E-rank Appraiser, someone who was exiled from Samdocheon. That’s why we found him so fast.
"……"
An E-rank appraiser?
Kim Hayoon's eyes widened as he was stunned by the incomprehensible information.
‘False expulsion!
There was no way Samdocheon would exile someone with the power to one-shot Udamhwa.
Unless the exile had been staged—just a cover to send him outside.
Could it be that the E-ranked appraiser was just a fake identity prepared by the Samdocheon to conceal his identity?
‘Then that general store must be connected to Samdocheon too…!’
Kim Hayoon's expression became serious as he continued to reason with the secret he had just realised.
"Unni! The rankings are up!"
Seo Arin shook her shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Kim Hayoon quickly pulled up the status window.
And at that moment her eyes widened in shock.
===
1st – Connector
2nd – Heavenly Sword Flower
3rd – ArinArin
.
.
.
===
Her nickname, Heavenly Sword Flower, was not in first place.
Some unfamiliar name sat above her.
‘Connector?’
A complete stranger had outperformed her.
Which meant—
"…Ah."
She had lost the Snowflower Stone.
***
Meanwhile…
At that very moment—while Kim Hayoon was still stunned over losing first place—
"Where is this place?"
Choi Seojun, back at his general store, was welcoming a new customer.
——————
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
——————
