I Possess Too Many Attributes Chapter 3

The next morning.

“Hehehe.”

Jeonghyun was still grinning.

A bit more cunning and appears quite dangerous.

Of course, the place and reason had changed a bit.

Jeonghyun turned around to look at the building he had just come out of.

It was the headquarters of the Korean Hunter Association, occupying a vast area of 30,000 square meters in the heart of Seoul.

And the reason Jeonghyun had come out from there was right in his hands.

“So, this is what they call a Hunter ID, huh?”

The country operates a registration system for awakened individuals targeting hunters.

Since using the power needed to capture monsters towards ordinary people posed a greater threat to the nation, they implemented a registration system.

However, registering the rank and level of attributes was a personal choice, so Jeonghyun had not registered yet. Revealing that he awakened to an EX rank after just two years from his Mana Injection would not only attract attention but might also lead him to a research lab instead of a gate.

“It might be tough at first, but I have to endure it.”

Those who hid their attributes generally fell into two categories.

Either because they were embarrassed to certify their insignificant F rank, or because they were afraid of exposing truly rare grades and attribute.

Since the association’s main purpose was not to know about the hunter’s attributes, if someone said they didn’t want to register their attributes, they would skip the certification process and issue a certificate based on the attribute patterns that emerged during awakening.

In places where hunters manifested their attributes, unique patterns were always left behind. These patterns were used to reconstruct situations in crime scene analysis or in cases of accidents occurring at gates.

But the reason Jeonghyun needed a Hunter ID immediately was none other than,

“Let’s see… HunterNet, HunterNet…”

It was for joining the community of hunters, HunterNet.

In fact, the hunter community was as massive and active as it gets, more critical for information exchange than any other profession.

Recruiting for a party in a general community without going through the clearly authenticated HunterNet?

It would undoubtedly raise suspicions and seem sketchy to anyone.

Jeonghyun had visited the association the day after awakening precisely for that reason—to obtain a Hunter ID.

If he had the Hunter ID, joining would be relatively easy. It would just take a little time for the uploaded photo verification of the Hunter ID.

“There are things I need to do in the meantime.”

Jeonghyun turned off the message requesting to wait for verification and looked around.

The association also rented equipment at discounted prices for those who had just become hunters. Well, for hunters without money, that is.

Hunters with financial status tended to buy advanced equipment right after awakening.

In any case, for Jeonghyun, even the rental fee was a burden, so having his own personal equipment was out of the question.

“Where’s the rental center?” Having seen a someone working here, Jeonghyun approached and asked.

“Oh, the rental center is to the right of the main building.” The guide replied.
His tone contained a bit of worry as if asking, ‘Are you really going there?’, but what could Jeonghyun do? He can only rent equipment now.

However, the real issue was, “Where is the right side?”

Finding the rental center was not easy.

The building was very wide, mostly due to outdoor facilities like training grounds or simple strength measurement office.

The area next to the main building where Jeonghyun came out was also a flat area.

But since there was no one to ask around, Jeonghyun decided to walk to the right.

And at the back of the main building, he found a building with an appearance that if he pass by it, he wouldn’t want to go in.

“Could it be that?”

Approaching it, the old building seemed more fitting for a warehouse than a rental center.

Rust covered the rough slate building, a stark contrast to the splendid Hunter Association buildings.

It looked like it had been in this spot long before the construction of the association.

But Jeonghyun had no choice but to push the heavy iron door.

Beside it was a sign on a wooden board that read ‘Association Equipment Rental Center.’

Creak—

A sound as if it had never been oiled.

Nevertheless, there were several lights inside, so the atmosphere was not as gloomy as Jeonghyun had expected.

“Is anyone here?”

Jeonghyun looked around with his head inside.

Sure enough, the interior was tightly packed with shelves that seemed to reach the ceiling like warehouse shelves, and there was a makeshift counter in front.

Behind it was an uncle whose head was bald.

“Oh, come on in.”

He spoke in a very welcoming tone.

“Um, I came to rent some equipment.”

“Of course.”

What?

Obviously, most people who come to the rental shop are probably there to rent an equipment, but the response was strangely monotonous.

Nevertheless, Jeonghyun, who approached the counter with hesitation, was asked by the uncle.

“How much money do you have?”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, come on. Even renting requires money. Money. I need to know your budget so I can make recommendations.”

“Uh, about 1 million won (around 750 USD)?”

“Poor life… Well, we’ll manage somehow.”

Hearing Jeonghyun’s budget, the uncle turned away towards the inner part of the warehouse.

It seemed like this was a situation where one would get angry, but for some reason, Jeonghyun remained calm.

It was partly because it was true that he had a poor life, and partly because the uncle’s expression seemed more like sincere sympathy than mockery.

However, the overwhelming feeling of being overwhelmed by an atmosphere he had never imagined was the biggest factor.

“I didn’t expect it to be like this…”

Chasing after the man who disappeared into the warehouse, Jeonghyun pondered.

When he first heard the words “Association Equipment Rental Center,” doesn’t an image come to mind?

He imagined it to be a place where novice hunters, who have just received their licenses and are dreaming of the hunt, would be around searching for appropriate equipment for them. It should have been a lively place but reality was different from expectations.

“Here, it’s a set for a million won.”

The old man threw a box towards Jeonghyun.

Jeonghyun took the equipment from the box.

Of course, he already expected that an equipment borrowed within a million won (around 750 USD) budget would be any good. Regardless of being second-hand, the materials of the equipment itself were likely to be of poor quality.

“Skeleton bone helmet, goblin leather armor… Is this orc leather?”

Jeonghyun asked, holding the gloves with only his thumb and index finger. The condition of the equipment was so poor that he felt embarrassed to look closely towards the armor.

The armor pieces were not even a set and were made of various materials, patched together. Moreover, the original layer of protection of removing the stench of monster byproducts from the equipment seemed to have been lost over time, despite efforts during the crafting process.

The smell, which would make an average person grimace, was familiar to Jeonghyun.

The old man noticed Jeonghyun and looked at him with curious eyes.

“Do you know anything about equipment?”

“Yes. I’ve worked in the monster byproduct processing unit before. Anyway, I can’t use these, can I?”

Jeonghyun placed the gloves on the counter, all of them made from materials he had handled. Thus, their condition was, to put it simply, bottom-tier.

Leather had not been treated, making it stiff and cracking in various places. The helmet had marks on its sturdy skeleton bone, as if someone had used it roughly. Venturing into battle with such equipment would undoubtedly lead to a miserable end.

Even though it was a rental center funded by the government, was it okay to provide such equipment?

To someone unfamiliar, receiving these might seem like a good deal, but Jeonghyun, who knew the materials to some extent, saw it as nothing more than a form of recklessness, putting their lives at stake.

“Hahaha! It’s been a while since a decent hunter showed up.”

But for some reason, the old man laughed heartily.

“These days, all we get are clueless novice renting equipment, and there aren’t many of them. Anyway, if you work hard for a few days at the Level 2 gate, you can afford proper equipment without much risk. Sorry about this.”

The old man, who had been staring at Jeonghyun for a moment, introduced himself.

“I’m Cheolyong, Park Cheolyong. And you?”

“I’m Han Jeonghyun.”

Due to having the old man’s trustworthiness decreasing in front of Jeonghyun’s eyes, Jeonghyun’s words came out quite rude. But Cheolyong continued as if he didn’t mind.

“Good. Now that a proper hunter has come, I should give you proper equipment. Just wait a moment.”

Cheolyong disappeared, then reappeared with a new box on the counter.

“Oh, this one looks quite decent.”

The foul odor was still present, but it was much milder. Upon closer inspection, the equipment was in generally good condition for second-hand items.

“I honestly never get bored of being in this business. But at least what’s inside here is what I’ve personally taken care of.”

“Yes… it seems so.”

Still not fully trusting, Jeonghyun answered while keeping his gaze on the equipment. What he said didn’t seem false, Jeonghyun got nothing to say.

Satisfied, Cheolyong nodded and placed something on the counter from below.

“And for you, I’ll throw in a weapon.”

Typically, for novice hunters, a shortsword was recommended—affordable, versatile for slashing and stabbing. However, the weapon Cheolyong presented had a distinct sound.

“Isn’t this a mace?”

It had the typical shape of a mace, with a pointed spike about 5cm long at the top.

Jeonghyun raised an eyebrow.

Maces were often used by healers who doubled as melee hunters. It wasn’t a widely used weapon, and this particular mace with its unique shape stood out even more.

But Cheolyong spoke with a serious expression.

“I guarantee, there’s nothing better for novice hunters. It might not look as cool as a sword, but these days, it’s a hidden gem.”

He seemed confident, so Jeonghyun tried to read the intention behind his words.

Although the mace was not something he was looking for, but it was not necessarily bad.

“If you want to pierce a goblin’s vitals, there’s nothing better than this spike.”

As Jeonghyun tried to comprehend Cheolyong’s words, the two exchanged meaningful nods.

“All right, I’ll take it.”

“Great! Hahaha.”

Perhaps it was a satisfying deal after a long time, as Cheolyong laughed heartily once again.

Then, as Jeonghyun took out his card to pay, Cheolyong casually mentioned, “It’s 1.2 million won for a month.”

“What?”

“1.2 million.”

Even though Jeonghyun clearly stated that the budget was 1 million won, it seems like Cheolyong added more.

Jeonghyun was genuinely annoyed at Cheolyong’s shameless face, demanding more than agreed upon.

“After a long time, I finally encountered a proper hunter, expecting to receive some hidden tips or discounts. ‘Didn’t I tell you? Everything, even rentals, is about money. Considering the additional cost for the mace, it was quite a discount.” Cheolyong added as if explaining himself.

Suddenly, Jeonghyun realized the main reason why beginners avoided using maces – they were more expensive than short swords.

“If you could give me a little more discount…”

“Oh, planning to enter the gate with a short sword now?”

Having already appreciated the efficiency of the mace, Jeonghyun couldn’t go back to the short sword.

In the end, Jeonghyun reluctantly paid 1.2 million won, which included his living expenses.

Anyway, bit by bit, he would eventually turn his miserable life into that of a rich man.