Chapter 1: The Greatest Envy |
The Black Dragon Guild attempts to conquer the 40th floor of the Tower. Didn’t they confidently declare that they were going to finally show the might of the greatest guild? Unfortunately, they have returned empty-handed.
The Rank 1 Hunter! The Flame Emperor (炎帝) has single-handedly subjugated a Boss once again!
I envied him.
While blankly staring at the TV, I thought to myself: ‘I envy him. I envy him so much—it’s driving me crazy.’
Hello Flame Emperor-nim!
Ah, right. Hello…
The Flame Emperor furrowed his eyebrows. For some reason, even his scrunched brows looked handsome.
You have set a new record once again! You are the only person who can single-handedly subjugate a boss monster. May I ask you to share your impressions?
First of all, I would like you to change that shitty title.
I’m talking about the Flame Emperor. Call me by my name instead of using that shitty title. Like, what is the Flame Emperor supposed to mean? It’s embarrassing. I would rather be called the Plague than the Flame Emperor. [1] Someday, I’ll definitely find the bastard who gave me this title and beat the living shit out of him.
U-Uhhh.
The surprised reporter stuttered. He could only stammer, unable to respond. Because the formidable man in front of him was widely known as the protagonist of this era. The subject of countless legends being written.
In comparison, I was just an extra who couldn’t even take on a minor role.
“Aaah,” I mumbled. “I really envy him.” How nice would it be to live a life like him? A life where you can say anything in front of a camera. I touched my smartphone and entered a random Internet community bulletin board for Hunters. I wanted to see how others reacted to the interview.
Hey, the Flame Emperor is screwing around again! [2]
2 minutes ago | Report
Reply ⏷
He is always on air, just like a plague.
2 minutes ago | Report
Reply ⏷
As expected, the community was on fire as they watched the interview. With a flick of my finger, I continued to scroll through the comments.
Can’t he hold his tongue when the entire world is watching him?
1 minute ago | Report
Replies 5 ⏶
ㄴIt’s not like this is the first time.
1 minute ago | Report
ㄴIt’s the broadcaster’s fault for doing this even though they know what kind of a person he is.
56 seconds ago | Report
ㄴReal talk… They’re doing this just for the views…
44 seconds ago | Report
ㄴWow. Even this place is plagued. How sickening.
37 seconds ago | Report
ㄴI want to become just like the Flame Emperor.
1 second ago | Edit
The internet community was divided into two sides: Those who defended the Flame Emperor and others who ridiculed him.
Flame Emperor-nim, I wish your personality matched your skills. Please bear in mind that you represent all Hunters in Korea. As a fellow Korean, I feel embarrassed whenever the interview gets transloted and distributed across the globe…
1 minute ago | Report
Replies 5 ⏶
ㄴIt is translated and not transloted. Before considering other languages, please give Hangul some more love. Also, your nationality does not matter inside the Tower.
1 minute ago | Report
ㄴAnd you guys can tolerate your master cursing in Korean? Flame Emperor, you are a disgrace.
50 seconds ago | Report
ㄴIt’s just a grammatical mistake. Why do you need to insult him for that? Your personality is fucked up.
38 seconds ago | Report
ㄴIt’s not my personality that is fucked up. It’s yours. GG.
23 seconds ago | Report
ㄴI want to become just like the Flame Emperor.
1 second ago | Edit
What utter chaos. But, this wasn’t the only community that was noisy. Any place that talked about Hunters was like this.
The Flame Emperor got a girlfriend! Apparently, it is the Saintess!
1 minute ago | Report
Replies 4 ⏶
ㄴThe Saintess? Really?
48 seconds ago | Report
ㄴMy friend is a Hunter and he saw the two of them together!
39 seconds ago | Report
ㄴMy friend is the Saintess and she said that isn’t true;
27 seconds ago | Report
ㄴI want to become just like the Flame Emperor.
1 second ago | Edit
Along with the Flame Emperor, the Saintess was one of the most popular Hunters. In one post, someone even kindly left an attachment file called, “Best Photo of the Saintess.” She was famous for her exceptional beauty that matched her stellar personality. And he is dating her?
“Uwauu.” I put down my smartphone and rubbed my head in frustration. By the way,
ㄴI want to become just like the Flame Emperor.
1 second ago | Edit
were all written by me. I wrote those posts as I surfed across a whole bunch of conversations. I would normally leave this comment on every post I visited. Why have I posted the same remark over and over?
Because: “I envy him! I really envy him! I want to be successful, too!”
Because I’m envious. This is how I truly feel. Since I live alone in a single room apartment, I can honestly admit how envious I am. Because I live alone. Because it’s my space.
So, of course, if anyone were to enter my space, they would be shocked. To say the least. Every wall held countless magazine and newspaper scraps accounting the adventures of the World’s Rank 1 Hunter, the Flame Emperor. Every day, I’m surrounded on all sides by his great legacy.
『The Flame Emperor single-handedly subjugates the 39th floor!』
『The Flame Emperor solo clears the 38th floor! Another legendary feat!』
『Hunter Yoo Sooha crowned as the World’s Rank 1. The first Korean to achieve it!』
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『Disappearance of the Sword Saint & the empty Rank 1. Who will take the throne? Expert foreigners believe “Yoo Sooha from Korea is the best candidate.”』
『The impregnable 10th floor cleared! Who is the mysterious hero?』
『22 days since the Sword Saint’s disappearance. Will the Hunter Association face its worst crisis?』
The oldest articles dated back to 10 years ago, their yellow and curling edges proof of the time I’ve followed his feats. Of course, the newest articles of him held firmly to the wall, pristine and flawless. This was history. The Flame Emperor’s history. No. This was Hunter Yoo Sooha’s history that was recorded long before he received the title, and it surrounded me in all its glory. In this room. With me.
Ahhh. I clutched my head, staring at his accomplishments all around me.
‘I want to be successful too! Just like the Flame Emperor!’
I want to be so successful that others would become envious of me. By becoming successful, I would make an example out of everyone who looked down on me or failed to respect me. After making an example of them, I would tell them to “Live properly from now on.” Afterward, I’d kindly forgive them. I would forgive them—then everyone would praise me as a man with a big heart.
A hero with a big heart.
That’s right. I envied the hero on TV.
Flame Emperor-nim.
Wow. Didn’t I just tell you to not call me by that? I already knew from your trash journalism that your brain was rotten but were your ears also rotten?
S-sorry. Before you leave, please tell our viewers one last thing!
Hah? What do you want me to tell them?
There are many aspiring Hunters who look up to you and try their best. Awakening soon after entering the Tower in his early-20’s! Defeating a boss monster in less than a month later! A Hunter who literally writes legends, the Flame Emperor Yoo Sooha! Please tell your aspiring fans the key to success in one phrase! Just one piece of advice, please!
The Flame Emperor smirked.
If my advice could make them succeed, they would succeed with anything. If so, what difference will I make if they’ll succeed anyways?
Even so, please say something!
Ah, this is why fucking reporters are really… Fine. Just a few words then.
The Flame Emperor scratched the back of his head. His front hair was pulled back and tied with a rubber band. Was that hairstyle called a ponytail? His black hair, which was long like a horse tail, shook a bit.
Those who will succeed will succeed.
The Flame Emperor glared directly into the camera.
But, don’t get in my way even if you succeed. Or I’ll kill you.
Excuse me?
That is all. I don’t have anything else to say, so don’t follow me.
And it really ended with that. The Flame Emperor left the camera and walked away, alone. The reporter shouted, “Flame Emperor-nim! Flame Emperor-nim! What do you mean by that?” But he was completely ignored.
I gaped at the Flame Emperor’s back, slowly fading away.
Fuming rage.
I was furious.
It was the reporter who was being ignored, but it felt like I was personally being spurned, as well. From the bottom of my heart, I was boiling mad.
“If I just had one decent skill,” I said out loud to myself. Yearning was clear in my voice, but I didn’t care. To wish and to reach for something better was human nature.
In reality, I was the lowest F-Class Hunter. I didn’t have such things like making the Internet heated up—in real time—from an interview. Or having people interested in trivial matters of my private life. Or most importantly, succeeding with my own skills… and becoming rich. My life was far from such a successful life. Light-years away, if I was being honest.
But I didn’t care about petty semantics right now. What I wanted in this moment wasn’t to highlight how unattractive my life was. It was my yearning. “I want to succeed,” I said to the walls all around me. “I want to have an S-Rank skill too.” I considered the Flame Emperor’s bold face and all of the exclamations telling of his prestige. “And it’s not about the money,” I said. “I just want to succeed. How great would it be if the Flame Emperor’s skill was mine!”
If someone saw my current state, they would probably think I was insane. Obsessive. A freak. Annoying. After all, I was talking to myself and being quite explicit about my desires. But I’ll say this again. As many times as it takes. This is my single room apartment—my space. And in my room, I will say it out loud as many times as it takes.
“I want to succeed!”
And I’ll continue saying this because venting out my frustration in an empty area is my unique stress relieving method. It’s really unsightly to see, but who cares? It’s better than going outside and disturbing others.
It’s not like anyone was listening to me.
“… Huh?”
But it seemed like I was wrong.
As if someone heard me, a golden light flashed in front of me!
“I-Is this…?”
A scene that I’ve only seen from videos. A scene that I’ve rewatched hundreds of times—no, thousands of times. A scene that fueled my envy every morning because it’s never happened to me.
The light that appeared when a Hunter awakened their skill!
And—“It’s a golden light!”
Hovering before me. The light I’ve been wanting, needing, and coveting over. It was mine! And it was a golden light! A GOLDEN LIGHT.
At least an S-Rank skill! The golden light only appeared if the skill was at least an S-Rank skill!
My heart pounded like crazy, loud in my ears, as if it wanted to leap out of my chest.
The golden light concentrated in one spot and shaped into a card.
| An unsightly envy that is yet to be found in History!
| The Tower, astonished by your unsightly envy, throws you a skill.
Wait… The skill awakening sound was different compared to what I was told.
Normally, you would hear something cool like, “The Tower is moved by your determination,” or “The Tower rewards you for your honest efforts,” or “The Tower praises you for your achievements.”
But it threw me a skill because of my unsightly envy? It’s as if the Tower is treating me like a beggar.
‘N-Nah. Why should I care about its tone when I just received an S-Rank skill?’
Unease rose in my chest, but I brushed it aside. How long have I been waiting for this moment? It was not the time to be concerned with negative thoughts.
| Creating a skill card.
The light exploded one last time and a golden card waited before me.
With shaking hands, I grasped the card.
I blinked.
For a moment, I thought I misread something.
So, once again, I slowly read the last sentence written on the bottom.
However, you die!
It really said that. Right there, all in red. Exclamation point. As if the system was laughing at me. At my ten years of yearning and wishing.
If I use this S-Rank skill, I’ll die.
I blankly stared at the card.
The wind blew from the open window and shook the scraps of paper glued all over the walls. The crinkling of the paper tickled my ears. Time passed.
Then I screamed. Everything in me tore out of my throat. “FUUUCK! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO USE THIS SKILL?!”
On this day, I obtained the greatest ever S-Rank skill. [3]
The greatest ever SHIT skill.
[T/N]
[1] The Plague (염병) is a play on words with the Flame Emperor (염제).
[2] 염병 is an insult that can mean screwing / fucking around or causing trouble.
[3] 역대급 which translates to all time greatest was simplified to the greatest ever.
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