Free Web NovelChapter 4: Greedy Survivors
The crimson liquid energy swirling around Min-jae’s hand gradually solidified, cooling into a weapon that looked like it had been pulled straight from the depths of a nightmare.
The blade was forged from a pitch-black, matte metal that seemed to absorb the ambient light of the apocalyptic red sky. Running down the center of the fuller was a jagged, pulsing vein of glowing ruby light, mimicking the rhythm of a beating heart. The hilt was wrapped in a coarse, dark leather that bonded perfectly to Min-jae’s grip, feeling less like a tool and more like an extension of his own arm.
Min-jae checked the newly updated item information.
[Equipment Profile]
* Name: Cursed Blood-Drinker Blade
* Rank: S
* Attributes: +30 Strength, +15 Agility
* Passive 1 (Life-Force Theft): Every successful strike absorbs 30% of the target’s dealt damage and converts it directly into the user’s Health or Stamina.
* Passive 2 (Eternal Hemorrhage): Inflicts a permanent ’Bleed’ status on the target upon contact. The target loses 2% of their maximum health pool as True Damage every second until death. Cannot be cleansed by spells below the Legendary Rank.
Min-jae swung the dagger through the empty air. A faint, whistling hiss followed the movement, accompanied by the metallic scent of copper.
At Level 1, a player’s base Strength attribute was usually around 10 points. This single S-Rank weapon provided an immediate +30 to Strength. Min-jae felt his muscles tighten and density increase, his physical power instantly quadrupling. Combined with his absolute physical immunity, he was no longer just a defensive wall— he was a mobile siege engine.
"Help! Someone please help!"
A series of frantic, echoing screams shattered his focus, originating from a convenience store roughly fifty yards down the block.
Min-jae turned his head. Through the shattered glass storefront of the market, he saw five people barricaded behind a row of overturned metal shelves. Outside the glass, a pack of six Grey Goblins was relentlessly throwing themselves against the makeshift barrier, their bone daggers hacking away at the metal.
Among the survivors, a tall man wearing an expensive tailored suit was screaming the loudest, shoving a young female employee into the front lines to hold the shelf while he cowered backward toward the storage room.
Min-jae recognized that man immediately.
Kang Tae-hoon.
He was the CEO of a mid-sized real estate firm in this district. In the past life, Tae-hoon used his wealth and remaining corporate influence during the early weeks of the apocalypse to bribe local thugs, creating a small, tyrannical faction that hoarded food and exploited vulnerable refugees. Min-jae had briefly fallen under his payroll back then, receiving nothing but moldy bread crumbs in exchange for fighting monsters on the front lines.
A familiar face, Min-jae thought, a cold, mocking smirk playing on his lips. Let’s see how much his money is worth today.
Min-jae walked toward the convenience store, his heavy boots clicking rhythmically against the asphalt. He didn’t bother hiding his footsteps.
The sound immediately drew the attention of the six goblins. Seeing a solitary human walking toward them completely unarmed, the monsters abandoned the barricade. They turned around, salivating, and rushed toward Min-jae like a pack of rabid wolves.
"Gigi! Giyaaa!"
The front two goblins leaped simultaneously, their rusted iron blades aiming for Min-jae’s face.
Min-jae didn’t even bother to raise his new S-Rank dagger to block. He just stood his ground, letting them strike.
Clang! Clang!
The weapons struck his cheeks and bounced off with a loud, metallic ring, leaving behind zero marks.
[Ding! Received 28 points of physical damage. Damage negated.]
[Reflecting 14 True Damage to the attackers.]
Before the two staggered goblins could recover from the recoil of their own rebounded attacks, Min-jae’s arm blurred. He swung the Cursed Blood-Drinker Blade in a horizontal arc.
The blade sliced through the green-grey necks of the two goblins as if they were made of warm butter. No resistance. No friction. Their heads flew into the air, black blood spraying across the pavement.
[You have killed a Grey Goblin (Level 1). Gained 10 EXP.]
[Ding! You have killed a Grey Goblin (Level 1). Gained 10 EXP.]
The remaining four goblins hissed in sudden terror, instinctively realizing that the human before them was a monster far worse than themselves. They tried to turn around and flee, but Min-jae’s Agility had been heavily boosted by the weapon.
He closed the distance in a single step, his black blade darting out like a striking viper. He didn’t even aim for lethal vitals; he merely grazed the shoulders and legs of the remaining four monsters.
The moment the crimson edge touched their skin, the S-Rank passive Eternal Hemorrhage activated.
"Giyaaaa—!"
The four goblins dropped to the floor, convulsing violently. Dark, smoking blood began to pour out of their pores, their health bars rapidly draining by 2% every single second. Within less than a minute, their internal organs completely melted from the True Damage bleed effect, and they dissolved into black ash.
[ You have killed four Grey Goblins. Gained 45 EXP.] ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
[Ding! You have leveled up! You are now Level 2!]
[Gained 5 Free Attribute Points. All status parameters fully restored.]
Min-jae felt a refreshing wave of cool energy wash over his body, erasing any lingering stamina fatigue. He casually poured all 5 free attribute points directly into his Strength, raising his raw physical power even further.
Inside the convenience store, the five survivors watched the entire sequence through the shattered window, their jaws dropped in absolute, paralyzed disbelief. Six monsters that had driven them to the brink of despair had been wiped out in less than two minutes by a single young man who didn’t even break a sweat.
Kang Tae-hoon, the wealthy CEO, was the first to recover from the shock. His eyes locked onto the black-and-ruby dagger in Min-jae’s hand. Even a blind man could see that the weapon was an extraordinary treasure. A flash of pure, unadulterated greed crossed the older man’s face.
Tae-hoon straightened his rumpled suit jacket, pushed open the broken glass door, and stepped out onto the sidewalk, adopting his usual authoritative, corporate posture.
"Young man! Outstanding work," Tae-hoon called out, his voice booming with forced warmth and unearned superiority. "I am Kang Tae-hoon, Chairman of the Tae-hoon Property Group. You have performed a great service for me and my staff today. The government will undoubtedly reward citizens like you once order is restored."
Min-jae wiped a drop of black blood off his blade, not even looking up. "Move aside. You’re blocking the entrance."
Tae-hoon’s face stiffened at the blunt disrespect, but he quickly forced a smile, stepping closer. "Now, now, let’s not be hasty. The world outside is chaotic, and we need to cooperate. As a civilian, carrying a dangerous weapon like that is highly irregular and unsafe. As the highest-ranking official here, I will take custody of that dagger for the collective safety of our group."
The survivors behind him exchanged uneasy glances, but no one dared to speak up against the powerful businessman.
Tae-hoon reached out his hand, confidently aiming to grab the hilt of the Cursed Blood-Drinker Blade. "Hand it over. In return, I will grant you a guaranteed position as the head of my personal security detail when we relocate to my private estate. I will even give you a triple salary and double rations of food."
Min-jae finally raised his gaze. His eyes were completely devoid of human warmth, looking at Tae-hoon as if he were looking at a piece of garbage floating down a river.
"Are you deaf?" Min-jae said softly. "Or is your brain just fundamentally broken?"
Tae-hoon’s hand froze in mid-air. His face flushed a deep, angry red. In his entire life, no ordinary kid from the lower class had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner.
"You ungrateful little brat!" Tae-hoon roared, losing his sophisticated facade entirely. He signaled to the two large, muscular male employees standing behind him. "Do you have any idea who I am? I can ruin your entire lineage with a single phone call! Men, take that weapon from him! If he resists, break his arms! We don’t need arrogant dead weight in our group!"
The two large employees hesitated for a fraction of a second, but looking at the chaotic, lawless state of the red sky outside, their darker instincts won. They stepped forward, their faces twisting into aggressive scowls as they lunged toward Min-jae, attempting to pin him to the concrete.
Min-jae stood completely still, a cruel, mocking smile spreading across his face.
I was wondering when the first face-slapping session would begin, he thought. If you want to offer yourself up as a stepping stone, who am I to refuse?
