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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Knight's Penalty
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"Phew~ I've seen plenty of corpses, but this is my first time making one myself."
I'd already gotten numb to the destruction of human flesh from endless dissections back at Academia, so a headless body didn't faze me. But one I'd made with my own hands? That was new.
Maybe that's why my hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Still, I forced them steady and got to work on what needed doing.
"Guess you really were sent to take me out."
Awakeners had this handy thing called an inventory—a personal vault—so they didn't bother locking their phones. Seemed true enough.
The messenger app on his phone laid it all bare: the contract to kill me, and the back-and-forth with the target.
"Black-haired beasts can't be trusted, after all."
I wouldn't call myself old, but I was way past the age of blindly trusting people.
I'd lived moderately, but I'd tasted society's bitterness firsthand. And even if he wasn't after me specifically, now that he'd spotted me in this golden armor, letting him go wasn't an option.
"If word gets out that a Golden Goblin showed up in Scavenger territory… No way I can let him live. Oh? More loot coming out?"
When an Awakener dies, everything in their inventory spills out automatically.
I picked through it for anything useful.
The dead return to dust anyway, so putting their stuff to good use is the best send-off.
'Some cash, emergency rations, combat meals. I'll dump the body in a dungeon, and the wild monsters will handle cleanup.'
Once I'd grabbed everything worthwhile, I tossed the corpse through the nearest open portal. Perfect evidence disposal.
Just in case they tried tracking it, I copied the phone's photos and data to mine, snapped pics of the Scavenger too, then chucked the phone into the dungeon with him.
'Alright, next up: more level grinding and tweaking this armor's settings?'
I changed the flashy golden armor from auto-equip on dungeon entry or combat start to manual summon only.
All these options really made it something special.
Just as I thought about heading out to clear more dungeons, blaring alarms hit, and status windows popped up in front of me.
[Warning! Deviation from Knightly Code!]
[Ambushing an defenseless foe! Dishonorable.]
[Penalty: Next reward forfeited.]
[Warning! Deviation from Knightly Code!]
[Winning with cowardly tricks and looting spoils! Dishonorable.]
[Penalty: Reward after next forfeited.]
[Warning! Deviation from Knightly Code!]
What the hell? Dogshit nonsense?
After I'd handled things neatly and moved on, these windows scolded me like I'd committed some grave sin, docking three whole rewards.
One for the dagger feint, one for the fake potion, one for the stab? Felt unfair.
They'd already limited me to melee only, and now this penalty crap too.
"…Well, nothing to be done."
I was used to bullshit by now.
Not like I could change it. When life shoves it in your face, you just take it.
At my age, getting mad would just waste energy and stamina.
Anyway, the skill traits demanding I be an honorable knight had cost me three rewards upfront. No regrets on my end, though, so I pressed on to earn new skills.
'It's just three dungeons. Won't take long.'
With the Martial Talent skill making combat second nature, I figured I'd burn through the penalties quick. I cleared another F-rank dungeon, Brutal Hound territory, but no skill-specific reward, and the penalty stock stayed.
"What didn't you like this time? At least my level went up...."
Level hit 6 normally, stats improved, but penalties lingered.
Looks like our 'Path of the Great Knight' was a picky gourmet.
Why? Weak monsters? Brutal Hounds weren't weak, and I'd gotten rewards without fighting before, so not that.
'No clue. But levels are coming, so I'll keep clearing F-ranks and figure it out.'
Stats rose with levels, so I kept raiding F-rank dungeons, stacking XP.
Why not E-rank if stats were climbing?
F-ranks, with monsters around wild animal level, cleared faster than E-ranks' traps, smarter mobs, higher risks—unless you were so overleveled you got zero XP.
Plus, running into other Awakeners spelled trouble, so maxing at F-rank cap of level 15 was optimal.
"Anyway, keep pushing."
I blazed through dungeons.
Legendary-grade armor packed with conveniences, plus talent and stats-boosting skills—what even were Awakeners? Dungeons felt like a joke.
No wonder the talented looked down on the rest. I got it now.
[Dungeon cleared.]
[Reached Lv. 10.]
[Dungeon reward consumed by penalty.]
[Level 10 reward: +1 Skill Point.]
"Levels give skill points too? But penalties eating rewards like this...."
Hit 10, got a free skill point. Dungeon clear reward vanished to penalty.
I sighed, sinking down as I started to get why the Knightly Code mattered.
"Hmm~ Need to pick a skill anyway. Rest and browse? And what's the deal with these reward conditions?"
This dungeon's mobs: Ruby-Eye Spiders. Giant spiders with red eyes.
What differed from Blood Turtles and Brutal Hounds?
I'd brought some monster habit and info research docs, so I ate while reviewing.
Damn Knightly Code penalties were priority one.
"Knowing how to clear obstacles matters too...."
My personality? I'd rack up more code violations later. Better nail down penalty fixes now.
Research showed: Brutal Hounds and Ruby-Eye Spiders shared traits Blood Turtles lacked.
'Ah, Blood Turtles aren't hostile to humans....'
They only aggressed in their turf on intruders—pure wild monsters, not human-hating like the others.
Turtles fought to the end 'cause their shell-slow asses couldn't flee.
"Turned out simpler than thought. So rewards only for critters purposely targeting humans? Thought it'd be trickier. Anyway, next skill...."
One issue down, new dilemma up.
No sweat this time.
I'd scouted one earlier: had to grab it ASAP.
[(Unique) KMG TECH Master Device]
Nano-machine device used by the KMG TECH master engineer awarded the galaxy's one-and-only Silver Galaxy Knight medal. Expands system windows with scouting, minimap, and more conveniences.
'Got fantasy, why not SF? Good find. Galaxy Knight counts as 'knight' for the skill? Really....'
Advanced science indistinguishable from magic, right?
With godlike Constellations around, SF elements wouldn't shock.
My legendary armor was SF vibes already—no biggie.
Skill acquired: menus expanded, new functions bloomed.
'Ooh, minimap makes it game-like. Temperature, weather, news feeds? Status window got a computer.'
Now spotting monsters easy, I cleared the dungeon, kept leveling.
Jang Yunseong's retaliation I'd guessed at became real. Scavenger sent, contact lost—they'd send follow-ups to assess.
'Issue's solving it cleanly....'
Wanted to off him like the Scavenger, but he was Avalon Guild heir.
Rich, connected. Killing him? They'd hunt me forever.
No networks for a commoner like me. No clear fix.
"But waiting might bring answers."
Yeah, Avalon was mid-tier.
Good spin: decent size. Bad spin: rivals above and below itching to kneecap climbers.
'Jeyang Guild's leadership guy too, and top three guilds won't like it.'
To them, prime chance to tarnish Avalon's image.
Let suspicions brew, rivals pounce—I hide, return to Academia claiming I left.
Dock my pay for no-shows? Fine, when life's on the line.
'Life never goes to plan, though....'
Or guilds shrug it off as usual power plays, shield Jang Yunseong.
Predators don't fight peers—save claws for weaklings. Ecosystem balance: team up, bury me.
'Can't have that. Spark a little fire? Force negotiations....'
To steer off that path, leak Scavenger data online. I checked a nearby PC bang address.
***
Three days later.
Academia, Earth Class.
Break time.
'Damn! That Scavenger bastard, why no contact? Said he'd handle it today!'
Jang Yunseong grumbled at his silent phone during class.
The guy who'd screwed him over? Sniffed it out, bailed from Academia yesterday. No word since.
'Did I stir shit I shouldn't?'
"Yun-seong, big trouble. Someone posted what looks like messages from you to that Scavenger on the Academia intranet."
"What?"
"Staff buzzing since the guy vanished. Word's hitting discipline committee kids, other guilds. Even that Jeyang Guild jerk. Normal issue, we'd borrow Guild Master's pull, but...."
Inter-guild power struggles? No explanation needed—Jang Yunseong got it.
Heir seat shaky already, recruitment flop, now rumors he sicced Scavengers on a solid Academia Staffer out of spite? Image killer if true.
'R-Really? Did I fuck up?'
"Told you not to! Wait till after graduation, do it quiet! What's punking that loser get you...."
"Sh-Shut up! Damn! Damn!"
Guild heir or not, just a late-teen boy. Rash grudge blew up, face paling—he had zero clue how to fix it.
'What now? Huh?'
Bzzz!
Pocket phone vibrated as he stewed, hating frontline fights.
Pulled it out: unknown number on screen.