I returned from working out in the middle of the night and collapsed on my bed. I found it difficult to fall asleep ever since I came into this world. My body felt tired, but countless random thoughts filled my head.

How could I survive? What should I do? Should I just secretly support the lead characters? Or should I become a villain and fight evil from the inside like the noir movie I just saw?

I grew curious about my current stats and checked them on my laptop.

▷Stats: Variable stats [Strength 1.735] [Stamina 1.845] [Speed 2.15] [Perception 2.605] [Vitality 1.65] [Magic power 1.3]

All my stats, except for magic power, had surpassed an average adult male at 1.5. My perception was already beyond an ordinary person. Still, I was far from ready. I needed money and it wouldn’t be long before Packhorse Master went public. A thought flashed in my head. Indeed, going to the field was the most honest way of making money. I put it off because of my lacking stats, but I could make up for that by using the laptop to strengthen my weapon. Like how Kim Suho would later sever a mountain with a holy sword… It seemed like the quickest way to become stronger, but also required the most SP.

Currently, I only had the training gun provided by Cube and 380 SP from destroying my potential friendship with Chae Nayun. The training gun would likely only equal a famous handgun like the Desert Eagle if I invested all my SP into strengthening it. I should invest more efficiently into weapons with a better base performance.

“Hmm…”

I suddenly grew curious about the Desert Eagle since it was the only firearm I included in my setting.

Without getting up from bed, I turned on my smartwatch and entered a weapons dealer website called Essential Armory. It was operated by Essence of the Strait. Essential Armory was the most popular website for factory-manufactured weapons since weapons above the artifact grade were only sold in auctions.

[Welcome to Essential Armory.]

As expected, the most popular weapons dealer had a well-designed website. The homepage featured new items and the top bar included multiple categories such as sword, spear, bow, and rapier. They also provided a wide selection of guns for regular mercenary customers.

I clicked on the [category – gun]. It displayed several types such as handguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles. For now, a handgun suited me best since it didn’t hinder my movements. The Desert Eagle seemed quite popular.

Desert Eagle — Feel the transcendental power! Built-in magic amplification that boosts the power of magic bullets! The Desert Eagle is only recommended for the most proficient sharpshooters because of its huge recoil. Weight: 3.5948kg (1.2938kg with weight reduction magic add-on) Length: 333mm (Identification and contract required for purchase.)

Its picture looked much more beautiful than the original design. The barrel was an elegant platinum with a majestic eagle inscribed on the grip. This weapon looked like a work of art and boasted a heavy weight with its bulky size. I could tell it was powerful from just a glance. There was only one problem.

“It’s too expensive.”

The base price was 20 million won and the price doubled when I clicked on full attachments. I needed the weapon to make money, so buying it for that much almost seemed counterproductive.

“Sigh.”

I tried to think of a solution, but I felt tired and went to bed. I turned off the smartwatch and postponed it for tomorrow.

It was Wednesday when I woke up. A bright light shone through the curtain. I always found it unpleasant since it signaled the start of another exhausting day.

“Whew.”

I brushed off such negativity every morning. After trudging to the bathroom and washing up, I put on my uniform and left. This routine only took 10 minutes.

Once outside, I saw other cadets going to school. They busily laughed and chatted early in the morning. I realized why I felt so lethargic watching them enjoy their school life.

I didn’t have any friends in this world. I didn’t even have someone to talk to. What kept school from being boring was friends, but I was no longer in my world.

Should I try to look for a girlfriend? No, I was too lazy. My situation could worsen if I spent too much emotion on needless human relationships. Yep, I should just be content with dying alone.

I quickened my pace to the classroom.

***

“As you know, a guild’s database contains various useful information, but you must reach a certain rank to access it.”

I thought about my weapon as I half-heartedly listened to an old professor’s lecture. The figure of a majestic eagle shimmered in my mind. How could I make enough money to buy it? The first thing I thought of was selling information. I had designed most of the monsters myself, so I roughly knew their vital points and attributes. Since each guild had different data, if I sold them the information they didn’t have… No, this wasn’t the best idea. It took 5 years for an information broker to build up their reputation. It didn’t seem like a good idea to disrupt the world’s balance just to make money.

“Now, let’s continue after a little break.”

Break time rolled around before I noticed. I turned on my smartwatch to enter Essential Armory, but I received an unexpected message.

[Excuse me.]

I was familiar with the sender, Rank 7 Yoo Yeonha. Cadets’ smartwatches all connected to Cube’s intranet, so we could message each other without contact addresses. This was the first time I used this feature. Yoo Yeonha sat in the front row. After glancing at the back of her head, I replied.

[What?]

[What are you?]

What nonsense was this?

[What do you mean?]

She didn’t reply for a while. I wondered where this was coming from. Then I remembered what I told her before. I peeked at the time. It was 1 P.M. I gave her the information yesterday and she already confirmed it?

[Ah, is it about that? I’m surprised you believed me.]

[What?]

[So? Wasn’t I right?]

Honestly, I was also dying to know whether the mountain tyrant’s setting had remained unchanged. I would have a tough time ahead if this unknown co-author changed everything.

[Yes.]

“Whew.”

Thankfully, it seemed that wasn’t the case. I breathed a sigh of relief.

[How did you know?]

[You think I’d tell you?]

Yoo Yeonha’s shoulder twitched. She briefly replied.

[No.]

A smirk emerged on my face. I recalled the Desert Eagle when I was about to end the conversation. The elegant, dignified bird of prey. I gave her the information for times like these. Coincidentally, Yoo Yeonha’s guild owned Essential Armory.

[Anyways, I’d like to ask for a favor if you benefited from the information.]

Yoo Yeonha suddenly turned around. She knew exactly where I sat as though she kept an eye on me. She still looked sharply at me, but her gaze held less weight now.

How should I put it? Right, she looked like a big bag of money.