Chapter 7: Life Sucks

Chapter 7: Life Sucks

But nobody believed me when I said I had been clinging to life like that.

Among adventurers, I soon became known as an ominous totem that brought death if taken along, effectively blocking any chance of getting porter jobs.

Of course, such rumors were usually short-lived, like a fad, but my special ability had the knack for dragging out even those fleeting happenings

Woo Hyo-sung? Where have I heard that name before?

Thats the guy. The one blacklisted at the adventurers guild.

He sends everyone he goes with to their doom.

Rumor has it he was hired by some assassin guild?

And he always goes around crying Woo Hyo, Woo Hyo.

Eek, a monster. Get out of our empire right now!

I didnt do anything like that.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

I understood that being remembered for a long time led to rumors, but in truth, I was just a hardworking foreign laborer seeking romance in this world.

Becoming a scapegoat just because I had desperately survived felt truly unjust.

Sigh, this damn ability is no help at all.

Others received abilities that were somewhat helpful unless they were idiots like Oh Deok-hun, but I never once received proper help from mine.

After all, people tend to remember the bad things more.

If I were a civil servant at a local office or a service employee at an AS center, surely all kinds of jerks would remember my name and flood me with complaints, blocking my way out.

If things went wrong, I thought of taking a civil service exam and putting snacks in the iron rice bowl to eat when bored, but even that option was blocked now.

Life sucks.

The fundamental reason is this world that just gives heroes false hopes.

Of course, it was a problem that the powerful enticed heroes with sweet talk from within their wells, but considering the default was all grown adults, I couldnt just blame the world.

First of all, no matter how much money and connections you might have, if a crazed person with nothing to lose swung a knife at you, your life was in peril in this world.

Likewise, even if you obtained the legendary Mithril to forge a weapon, youd become a target for those who envied you, risking ambushes and possibly losing both your life and your treasure.

So, what was the best way to live in such a harsh world?

You must conceal any power you possess, live modestly, and seize opportunities when they arise.

If I were given Mithril, I would craft a crutch and feign a disability. Then, when my underestimators approached, Id crush their skulls, erase any witnesses, and complain to scrape together a little more profit.

If even the mighty must resort to such schemes to survive, what couldnt I accomplish?

So, dear status window, grant me just enough strength to fashion a crutch from Mithril.

Argh, status window!

A status window pops up as I shout in frustration.

I yearned to find something within it to escape my dire straits, but alas, there was no such luck, Hyo-sung.

No sudden leap in the talents you wished for, no secret to turning your abilities around.

Why are all my pulls in this cursed lottery duds?

Just not me, pleeeaaase!

I overheard cries from a lottery stand in the marketplace as I strolled by.

Witnessing them clutch at each others collars and bicker, they seemed to be living on the edge of fortune, but Id always steered clear of gambling.

It was true that one must labor earnestly. If you become entranced by games of chance, youre likely to forfeit both your wealth and your life.

Still, some good luck would be welcome for a change.

Hoping for a stray piece of Mithril to craft my crutch, I roamed the streets deep in thought.

Out of the blue, I spot a collection of notices pinned to a bulletin board in the plaza.

There were imperial edicts, local announcements, and job offers

Could I take on these requests as well?

Now that I thought about it, the adventurers guild primarily offered day labor, short-term work, and fragmented tasks like subjugation and exploration, which were unsuitable for long-term employment.

So, for more official matters, these bulletin boards were commonly used.

They were stable but not high-paying, which was why Id ignored them until now. Given my current situation, however, I had no choice but to consider this option as well.

Lets see, a suitable job would be Hmm?

Among the documents hanging there, one caught my eye.

The request, written in poor handwriting on quite old paper, also bore the official mark of the Mage Tower.

Had a mage affiliated with the Mage Tower written this document because they needed to assign some tasks while staying in this city?

But, if necessary, I could always break a window to escape, which I considered an opportunity.

Click.

As I stood there, tense, the door finally opened, revealing the inside.

Hehehehe

The faint laughter that ensued probably belonged to the person I presumed was the client.

Wh-Whos there? Are you the one who answered the request?

A disheveled woman with a trembling voice and weak laughter.

Her hair was unkempt, and her clothes were wrinkled, revealing her collarbones and chest.

Hardly a sight one should present in front of a man.

Ah, yes, thats correct, but

Youve youve finally come. Hehe.

Yet, seemingly oblivious to her disheveled appearance, she blinked her unfocused blue eyes and gestured quietly for me to enter the mansion.

Co-Come in. Ill Ill explain the request right away

Ah, yes. Understood.

It was surprising that she was a woman, but the atmosphere remained eerie

Well, it didnt seem immediately dangerous, so I decided to follow her. As I stepped inside, I noticed blue lights swirling around the dark room.

Not lighting Could they be magic circles? Or perhaps a reaction caused by magic stones?

Ah, ah-ah. Th-The those things over there, yo-you dont need to worry about them. Th-Theyre just various re-research outcomes, thats all

No, thats not what concerns me.

I glanced around the room stealthily.

Surveying the room illuminated by the blue light, I felt my breath stop.

It wasnt because I found something dangerous. Rather, it was a compulsive reaction to the cleanlinessor lack thereof.

The dirtiness of the room is somewhat concerning.

I knew that people from the Mage Tower only cared about their research, but wasnt this an excessive disorder?

Pfft!

As I pondered this, she burst into laughter.

Feeling slightly uneasy, I watched as she looked at me, her eyes brimming with mirth.

Yo-Youre concerned about the room being dirty? Re-Really?

Why was she suddenly laughing?

Was she offended because I mentioned it?

Should I consider breaking a window to escape?

Th-Then cleaning Dirty things ne-need to be cleaned, right?

Just as I was about to succumb to that impulse, she spoke.

For a moment, not grasping her point, I faced her with a blank look.

Huh? Cleaning?

Yo-Youre a housekeeper, arent you?

Housekeeper? What was she talking about?

Confused, I continued to stare at her, and soon, she wrapped her arms around herself, chuckling and making a sweeping gesture.

If I hire a housekeeper then then I wont have to clean my room anymore, right? Right?

Well, yes. A housekeeper usually does that kind of work

Now, the room cleaning, laundry, and even the foodI wont have to touch them with my hands. I can eat without Ehehe, Im free from all the annoying tasks. I can now focus on my research!

Pfftt. She stifled her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand and bowing her head.

Staring blankly at her unnaturally trembling form, which was difficult to see as normal, she suddenly raised her head and asked me.

You will do it, wont you? The cleaning

Oh, yes. If you pay, Ill have to do it.

After all, I had struggled so far; I deserved some good fortune to make life more enjoyable.

Life is sweet as honey.