Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Every Awakened person’s crest was different, but within the same combat archetype, there were similarities.
For instance, Damage Dealers usually had sword-shaped crests.
Tanks had shields, while Mages had staffs or magic orbs.
Supporters had hands or hearts.
In my case, back in my previous life, the crest engraved on me had looked like two hands cradling a heart.
‘What is this?’
The crest engraved during this Awakening was something I had never seen before in my life.
A snake was biting its own tail, forming a circle, and inside that circle was a five-pointed star.
Wasn’t that kind of star called a pentagram?
‘Has a crest like this ever existed?’
In my previous life, I had met all sorts of Hunters and seen countless verification photos from Awakened people.
“SKREEE!”
WHAM!
“URK!”
After smacking away the Goblin lunging at me with my bare hand, I resumed my train of thought.
The Goblin flew nearly ten meters and crashed into the bushes.
This phenomenon was called [Blessing of Ether]. A newly Awakened person could display monstrous strength for roughly five to ten minutes.
You could think of it as a special boon granted to those who had just Awakened.
“Status Window.”
The moment I focused my mind and spoke the command, my current condition appeared in a simple, intuitive display.
Name : Cha Eunseong
Primary Role : Guide
Secondary Role : (∞)
Class : Collector of Madness
Rank : ★
‘Guide?’
It was a role I had never heard of before.
There were five role categories in total: [Warrior], [Assassin], [Mage], [Guardian], and [Supporter].
All Awakened fell under those five role categories and were assigned one or at most two of them.
For example, in my previous life, my primary role had been [Supporter], and my secondary role had been [Mage].
But [Guide]?
And on top of that, my secondary role was Infinity (∞).
‘So that’s why my class was Collector of Madness?’
While I was still reeling from this completely unexpected Awakening result, an announcement rang in my ears.
Attention to everyone at the scene. Bombing will begin shortly, so please evacuate the area at once. We repeat. Bombing will begin shortly......
I snapped back to my senses.
Right. This was no time to stand around like this.
“Summon Spirit Sword.”
The Spirit Sword was an item that symbolized all Awakened, a companion that constantly grew and changed alongside its master.
Overseas, it was called a [Soul Caliber], but despite the name, its form varied widely.
Even the chain Choi Yura was wielding right now was a Spirit Sword.
True to my role as a Supporter, my Spirit Sword in my previous life had been a large leather backpack.
Then what would it be this time?
A band of golden light wrapped around my waist.
Before long, my Spirit Sword took on its full shape.
“A belt?”
Looking more closely, it was not just a belt.
Like magazine pouches, rectangular leather pockets were attached on both sides.
[Infinite Deck]
A deck containing [Cards] that can hold everything.
As the user’s rank rises, the number of cards they can utilize increases as well.
In theory, the number of cards is infinite.
Enhancement, Healing, Loot, Search, Full Moon
Even after reading the explanation, I still did not really understand, so I decided to try using it first.
The moment I reached toward the leather pouch on my right, a card slipped into my hand on its own.
It was only a card, yet it felt strangely heavy.
It had to weigh at least a kilogram.
[Healing]
Magic Card
★
Restores the target’s health, Ether, and stamina.
‘Healing?’
Choi Yura, who was struggling, caught my eye.
‘Let’s try it.’
I had never thrown a card in my life, so the motion was a little awkward, but it was good enough.
FWIP!
The card shot toward Choi Yura at incredible speed.
***
“What is that?!”
RATTLE!
Startled, Choi Yura swung her chain to knock the card away.
It seemed she had mistaken it for some kind of throwing blade aimed at her.
TING!
The card bounced off after being struck by the chain.
Ah, damn it.
What was I supposed to do if she kept batting it away like that?
“Haa.”
I let out a deep sigh and tried to draw another card, but there was no need.
FWIRRRK, THUNK!
Like a boomerang, the card came back and lodged itself in Choi Yura’s left side.
“Gasp!”
Choi Yura sucked in a sharp breath in surprise, but the result was not bad.
A soft glow spread as the card dissolved into light and brushed over Choi Yura’s wounds.
“Th-this......”
Choi Yura looked genuinely shocked as she realized that the heaviness weighing down her body had vanished.
“Don’t dodge the cards! And don’t knock them away either!”
“You threw that?!”
“Yeah!”
“You Awakened?”
“Yeah! Focus!”
I drew another card from the deck.
[Enhancement]
Magic Card
★
Temporarily strengthens the target.
I did not know the exact effect, but it looked like it would help, so I threw it at Choi Yura for now.
FWIP, THUNK!
The card lodged itself in the exact center of Choi Yura’s chest.
With a blazing flare, Ether flames wrapped around Choi Yura.
CLACK!
The chain grew thicker, and the blades protruding from each link lengthened.
“What is this?”
Choi Yura frowned as if she could not believe it, then, deciding she might as well test it, swung the chain.
RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE!
The chain shot out vastly faster than before and wrapped around one of the 3-Star Wreckers.
“Urk!”
YANK!
Choi Yura hauled back with all her might.
“AAAAARGH!”
The Wrecker wrapped in the chain let out a desperate scream and was torn cleanly in two.
“Fuck!”
“That bastard! Kill that bastard first!”
The Wrecker bastards were not idiots, so instead of targeting Choi Yura, they came for me.
But Choi Yura was never going to let that happen.
RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE!
The chain, empowered by the card, tore through the Wrecker bastards.
“AAAAAGH!”
“Aagh!”
While Choi Yura ground the Wreckers apart with her chain, I threw myself toward Kim Duhyeon and the couple.
‘Do I have an attack skill?’
The [Full Moon] card came out of the deck.
With a low hum, the card flew out and transformed into an extremely thin disc.
SHHK!
The disc slit the throats of the Wreckers who had been attacking Kim Duhyeon and the couple.
Bright red blood burst up like a fountain, and the Wreckers’ heads dropped to the ground.
A chill ran through me.
‘They come off that easily?’
It was such a terrifying sharpness that I could hardly believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes.
‘Let’s try more.’
Wanting to test its power, I threw [Full Moon] again.
With another low hum, the thin disc sliced across the throats of the three Wreckers fighting Choi Yura, one after another.
With fountains of blood, the three Wreckers’ heads dropped, and their headless bodies collapsed.
“So this is what it means to be a Damage Dealer.”
A thrill ran through me.
In the past, this would have been something I would not even have dared dream of.
In my previous life, I had been a 10-Star Hunter, but because my primary role had been [Supporter], I was a Supporter without a single attack skill.
So all I had ever done was clean up after my fellow Hunters.
And all the credit had gone to the bastards who stood on the front lines.
No one had ever acknowledged me.
I had even been forced to hear the humiliating claim that the reason the Hunters in my raid team kept me around was to trot me out as a showpiece.
And yet now I was cutting off my enemies’ heads in a single stroke.
I had prayed that I would be anything but a Supporter. Had that wish really come true?
‘I still don’t know.’
I decided not to get ahead of myself.
I still had not figured out exactly what kind of class [Collector of Madness] was.
‘First, let’s deal with the situation.’
This time, I threw [Full Moon] at the monsters.
With a low hum, they were sliced apart like tofu.
***
Choi Yura finished off the battle.
WHIRRRRR!
The chain shredded the body of the bastard wearing the Joker Pepe the Frog mask.
“You’re the boss, aren’t you? Ho ho!”
Choi Yura approached the fallen leader of the Wrecker gang and removed his mask.
A face that looked to be in his mid-forties was revealed.
“Now then, shall we keep our promise?”
“Promise?”
“I told you, didn’t I? I’d cut that thing off and shove it down your throat.”
“......!”
“Hold still.”
“Aagh, AAAAAAAAAAGH!”
I turned my head away.
Of course, the Wreckers were bastards who deserved something like that, so I did not stop her.
I simply did not want to watch such an ugly sight with my own eyes.
“Hah! I finally feel better now!”
Choi Yura looked utterly refreshed.
Watching her grin like a madwoman while drenched in blood, I could not help thinking that the call sign [Bloody Mary] suited her perfectly.
“Thanks for earlier. Good work. Ah, and congratulations on Awakening. You’re a noble now.”
“What noble? Even nobles have their own hierarchy.”
“Well, that’s true.”
As befitted a 4-Star Hunter, Choi Yura seemed to understand exactly what I meant.
“Supporter?”
When I did not answer, Choi Yura began laying out her own deductions.
“No. Your killing power is way too high for a Supporter. But if you’re not a Supporter, then the healing and enhancement don’t make sense. What are your primary and secondary roles?”
“Hmm.”
I pulled my shirt collar together and covered my chest.
There was no real need to hide it, since the tattoo was invisible when I was not using Ether.
It was only for psychological reasons.
“I don’t see any reason to tell you. It’s not as though we know each other.”
“If you don’t want to say it, then don’t.”
Choi Yura did not press the matter.
Unless they belonged to the same raid team, it was considered rude for Awakened people to ask about each other’s information.
“You two really went through a lot.”
“Thank you.”
The couple approached and offered their thanks.
“Congratulations. I’m really jealous.”
From the look on his face, Kim Duhyeon was immensely envious that I had become Awakened.
“Save the thanks for later and get moving. Bombs are going to start falling on our heads soon.”
“Right, let’s go.”
Just as I was about to move at Choi Yura’s urging—“Huh?”
Several cards floated out of the deck on their own, and each of them hovered above a Wrecker corpse.
“......?”
What was I supposed to do with this?
I could not even begin to guess why the cards were acting like that.
“What is that? Why are they doing that?”
“I don’t know. I just Awakened. How would I know?”
“Well, fair enough.”
Choi Yura nodded as if she understood.
“Figure it out quickly. Unless you want to get bombed to death right after finally Awakening.”
“Okay. Got it.”
I walked toward the nearest card.
Let’s see.
What does it say?
[Loot]
Equipment Card
★
Retrieves something valuable from a corpse.
Something valuable?
As if bewitched, I picked up the [Loot] card.
SHWOOO!
The dagger lying beside the corpse was absorbed into the [Loot] card as though it had been sucked inside.