Chapter 12 - Chapter 12

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 12

Chapter Title: Points

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Points

Points are virtual currency earned by selling items, clearing trials, or receiving rewards.

Through them, players buy necessities and trade with others.

They're essentially the most crucial element for preparing for trials—a realm of hard work that's the polar opposite of innate talents like unique abilities.

"Hey, handsome brother, how about me? Give me 1 point, and I'll let you have a go."

"Oral, vaginal, anal—whatever you want, oppa."

As I silently stared at my virtual funds, the Saintess whispered to me.

"Why are they doing that kind of work?"

There were quite a few women selling themselves along both sides of the street.

The reason was simple.

"Because they need money."

"Huh? Did they not get points after finishing the tutorial?"

"No way. They're doing it because they need more money."

To reiterate, points are in the realm of effort.

One of the few elements players can use to grow stronger through hard work.

Selling your body to make money might be scorned on Earth, but not here.

'A very realistic strategy.'

In fact, among the survivors of my first round, prostitutes outnumbered everyone else by far.

They looted spoils during trials and sold their bodies in rest areas, allowing more stable preparations than others.

'Above all, it's a win-win. The women earn money, and the men relieve their urges.'

That's why I don't look down on women who sell themselves. They have their own code of ethics.

Of course, the opposite can happen too.

"Excuse me, young folks."

I furrowed my brow at the old man blocking our path.

"If you have some spare change, how about buying me a meal?"

Some random old guy approached with a pitiful look, begging for help.

"Ah."

Our kind-hearted Saintess, seeing his wretched state, looked eager to assist.

Yeah, no chance.

I yanked Song Ha-na back just as she stepped forward.

"Eek?!"

Then I quietly warned the old man.

"Nothing to see here. Move aside."

"Come on, just a little bit."

Even as I glared with all my might, the old man shamelessly held his ground. Seeing I wouldn't budge, he turned his focus to Song Ha-na.

"Miss, talk your boyfriend into it. I'm really starving."

His face was endlessly pitiful. Before long, our Saintess, swayed by it, pleaded with me too.

"Come on, Min-jun. Just 1 or 2 points to help her out."

"No. Elder, if you keep blocking our way, I won't hold back."

"Please. Even 1 point would do."

Finally, as I reached for my axe handle, the old man spotted the bloodstained blade and yelped, scrambling back in panic.

"M-murderer! Everyone, watch out! That guy's a killer!"

"Huh? No, he's not! Min-jun is…!"

The other beggars approaching us froze.

"What? A murderer?"

They too spotted the bloodied axe and flinched away, putting distance between us.

I lifted the axe right in their faces and swung it over my shoulder.

Like shaking an enemy's severed head impaled on a spear.

"Th-that guy's axe has blood on it!"

"Run!"

People scattered in all directions.

Whew, this axe really is all-purpose. Perfect for shaking off scum.

Might as well name it while I'm at it.

'Anyway, time to educate our naive Saintess about how the world works here.'

I turned to Song Ha-na.

"That was too much. Min-jun isn't like that."

She puffed out her cheeks and stomped her feet, expressing her frustration.

As I approached, the Saintess looked up at me with a somewhat sullen expression.

"In the end, we couldn't help the grandma, and I couldn't clear up Min-jun's misunderstanding."

I watched the crowd disperse and re-slung my axe to my thigh.

"Ha-na."

"Yes."

"How long do you think it takes an average person to clear the tutorial?"

She pondered for a moment, tilting her head.

"30 minutes?"

"Right. Even at most, it wouldn't take more than a day. But how many days did we spend in the tutorial?"

"10 days."

"Then how long has that guy from earlier been here?"

"Ah."

Finally grasping the situation, Song Ha-na let out an exclamation laced with mixed emotions.

In a self-deprecating tone, she said,

"He got his 100 points too. And spent it all."

"Exactly. Even if we help, nothing changes. For him to survive, he needs to move on to the next trial. Giving him money would actually hinder that."

Of course, going into the next trial unprepared means a high chance of death.

Those 100 points are key to lowering that mortality rate.

Squandering them here means paying the price with death.

'In that sense, the rest area might be a trial in itself.'

No complacency allowed here—you'll be weeded out eventually. No welfare system exists.

No one takes responsibility for you; you pay fully for your own actions.

That's the world we'll live in from now on.

I took Song Ha-na's hand and started walking again.

"Hey, young friends. If you have some spare change…"

After that, Song Ha-na no longer fell for beggars' pleas.

It wasn't that her personality suddenly sharpened; she just hesitated to help, realizing it could harm them instead.

"Um, excuse me… I mean…"

"Ma'am, nothing to see. Please step aside."

Of course, she still struggled with refusals, so I had to fend them off one by one.

Once we did, no one else approached.

'They've realized we're not suckers anymore.'

And that's when I stopped walking.

With no more beggars, Song Ha-na finally relaxed and gulped at the sight of restaurants lining the street.

"We're a bit late, but we should eat breakfast too."

"Yes!"

"How about here?"

The place I pointed to featured a grand building looming imposingly.

Not just large—the luxurious exterior screamed high-end at first glance.

It was the flashiest restaurant we'd passed so far.

"Uh, s-sure, looks good. Nice atmosphere, feels like they'll have really tasty food."

"Right?"

As we headed to the entrance, I overheard someone muttering nearby.

"Tch tch, more idiots living day-to-day. That expensive place."

It did look pricey.

But people spend according to their pockets.

I'd gotten the starter funds, and above all, I hadn't sold any accessories yet. Plenty of money.

'Plus, our cute Saintess is sparkling with excitement. Might as well treat her to a meal.'

Her eager tugging was clearly screaming, "I'm so excited right now!"

Of course, that wasn't the only reason.

"…"

I paused at the door and glanced back subtly.

A group of men who'd been tailing us secretly clicked their tongues and turned away.

'Crimes happen in rest areas too. Even murders.'

Coming at us with numbers meant one thing.

They spot newcomers to the rest area, surround and threaten them to extort money.

You might say just run to the next area before they rob you, but human psychology resists leaving a rare rest spot immediately.

—Just 10 points, bro, and we won't bother you again.

They take just enough not to push too hard, so victims often hand it over thinking it's bad luck.

'But they stopped chasing us because this place is that expensive.'

They figured we'd have no money left after eating.

"Huh? Wha?"

Sure enough, Song Ha-na's eyes widened at the price list by the door.

"72 points per dish? Th-this place is way too expensive, isn't it? Let's go somewhere else."

"It's fine. I sold some accessories while you were washing up, so we have plenty. We worked hard—might as well splurge on a good meal."

Honestly, her meal costs weren't in my plans, but with the generous starter funds...

"Ah."

The Saintess finally relaxed with relief.

And even without that reason, there was another good cause to come here specifically.

I accepted and entered. Notifications popped up immediately.

I couldn't help but smile.

The gap between refugee and resident treatment was this extreme.

Loving it more by the minute.

"Welcome."

A middle-aged waiter with a stylish mustache approached and bowed politely.

"Two guests confirmed. This way, please."

We entered an empty, luxurious hall with no one else around.

The vast space held 12 tables, and the well-dressed middle-aged waiter guided us to the center.

After ordering via the menu and sitting, the Saintess beamed with enthusiasm.

"Min-jun, are you tired?"

"Hm. Coming from the cold to warmth, yeah, a bit fatigued. Why?"

"Hold on."

She held out her palm to me.

Suddenly, white light enveloped me.

'...Recovery Authority!'

Song Ha-na's unique ability.

The cheat skill that made her an S-Rank Saintess.

It consumed the least mana among all recovery skills while healing the most.

I used Full Appraisal to check Song Ha-na's info.

Name: Song Ha-na

Level: 0

The bizarre stat distribution—Intelligence higher than the sum of her Strength, Agility, and Stamina—caught my eye.

Name: Kang Min-jun

Level: 0

A stark contrast to my evenly balanced stats—even after my perk boosted all by 10.

'Her Intelligence is higher than mine even with that.'

A vessel worthy of a Saintess.

I closed her status and switched to the [Unique Ability] tab.

It was pure astonishment.

Not just partial healing—full recovery.

Especially the absurd "10% of current mana" cost. Nothing but "total cheat" came to mind.

Essentially unlimited healing.

No wonder she's the Saintess.

"How's that? Feeling better?"

"Yes, perfect."

With fatigue gone, the food tasted even better.

Or maybe my appetite was boosted by joy that this S-Rank Saintess was mine.

"What next after eating?"

"Buy supplies for the next trial. We've rested well—time to move on."

"Ah, right…"

"No need to worry. Like the tutorial, we'll handle it together."

...Nod.

Honestly, with half the population vanishing in the next trial, we needed full prep—but our healing Saintess had no reason to fret.

The meal ended enjoyably.

"Did you enjoy the feast?"

The middle-aged waiter approached with dessert and asked. Song Ha-na smiled.

"Yes, it was delicious."

"Glad to hear."

I asked the waiter,

"Can we order something extra?"

"Of course. What would you like?"

The menu appeared on the table. New items were now active.

"Huh? More food, Min-jun?"

"Not that. Just stretching after a good meal."

"Pardon?"

A notification blinked before me.

From her puzzled head-tilt, Song Ha-na couldn't see it.

'Challenge quests normally require special items to unlock.'

You enter with them to activate.

But resident perks made it free now.

After paying for a fancy meal, no reason to skip. I tapped the challenge on the menu toward the waiter.

"This one."

"...Understood."

Then, the restaurant lights flickered wildly, dimming sharply. Darkness fell.

The waiter dissolved into black smoke and vanished.

"Wha-what?!"

The panicking Saintess.

I was just as shocked.

'Damn, thought the first rest area's challenges would be easy. Out of all of them, this one?'

Instinct told me what it was. I pulled Song Ha-na up and retreated to a corner.

From the dim hall floor under shadowy light, pitch-black somethings began emerging.

Faceless, featureless black heads.

Eerie, gloomy forms like living shadows.

Over fifty, by rough count.

Each gripped a sharp knife.

Kiiik. Kiiik.

The freshly summoned horrors twisted their heads grotesquely and turned toward us in unison.

Sending blatant, dark, sticky malice our way.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Read 397 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!

https://noveldex.io/series/ive-been-preying-on-s-tier-women-since-i-was-a-newbie

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━