Doom Breaker – The Egoist

『Shin Jagun (Raider) / Level 9』

Strength: 10

Sensation: 14

Stamina: 8

Magic: 6

Jagun’s sensation had increased the most because he fought relying on evasion and reflexes.

“Well, in my prime…”

Violent Dragon Shin Jagun was over level 300, with all attributes surpassing 1,000. This was due to a combination of near-exploitative skills and item effects.

Though his class was Warrior, he was a master of all combat styles, earning him the title of an all-rounder.

“Stop dawdling and move aside.”

A man who had just finished his scan pushed Jagun as he passed by. Jagun stumbled and fell down the stairs.

Thud.

Slowly, Jagun got up. He dusted off his clothes and looked at the man who had pushed him.

“What? What are you gonna do, just stand there staring? You’re only level 9.”

The man sneered. He had glanced over Jagun’s attribute certificate. In the raider society, level equates to status. A higher level signifies superior status. Treatment varies strictly according to level and ability.

“…”

Jagun watched the man walk away, then began to follow him.

‘His level is 28.’

When Jagun fell, he had stolen a glance at the man’s attribute certificate. It wasn’t really stealing a glance; the man flaunted it openly.

‘He was basically saying, “I’m level 28, you’re level 9, so don’t get cocky and bow your head.”’

Jagun chuckled, his shoulders shaking. It was always the same everywhere. Without power, you get disregarded.

Money, power, violence, connections…

Anything that yielded power in human society meant you could despise those who lacked what you had in abundance. No matter how grandly it’s wrapped, human nature doesn’t change.

Step.

Jagun quietly pried a paving block from the sidewalk with his fingernail. He gripped the block and followed the man into an alley.

Smash.

The sound of something breaking. A brief, dying gasp, a fleeting struggle. The person walking out of the alley was Shin Jagun. He wiped the blood off his chin with a swipe.

“Reality isn’t a game, you fool.”

Jagun muttered. Raiders lived in a world akin to a game. It was a world and system constructed by the gods. Within it, many raiders lost their sense of reality.

They believed in the delusion that they couldn’t lose to someone of a lower level. Stats are just numbers.

What’s more important than stats is the person themselves.

‘Idiots who define their limits with mere numbers.’

Jagun staggered as he walked down the street.

*

A murmur rose from the gathered raid teams in the plaza. These were the people assembled for the E-rank dungeon raid. Raid teams are usually formed with well-coordinated members.

Such stable teams can grow into named raid groups with a good reputation. When a raid group consistently clears higher-level dungeons, they are officially recognized as a guild.

“Boss, have you lost your mind? Why…?”

Big Bo whispered to Jagun amid the crowd. He was carrying a bag as big as himself.

“Hey, we need to get our stuff back, don’t we?”

Jagun replied nonchalantly. He glanced at the raid members.

‘How dare you touch my belongings?’

A brief gleam of light flashed in Jagun’s pupils. Jagun and Big Bo had signed up as porters for the raid team. This was the same raid team that had taken the Mimic’s Tooth Shield from them.

They recognized Jagun and Big Bo and waved enthusiastically.

“This shield is fantastic. We’re making good use of it.”

The raid leader said teasingly. The Mimic’s Tooth Shield was in the raid leader’s hands.

“We signed up as porters. Please take care of us.”

Jagun said briefly. The raid leader squinted his eyes.

‘He doesn’t seem as dim-witted as Big Bo… but why?’

The raid leader couldn’t understand Jagun. He had come to be a porter for the team that took his item?

It was an irrational decision.

“Why did you come to our raid team, of all places?”

The raid leader felt uneasy about Jagun. Big Bo was a simpleton, but bringing someone with a grudge into the group could spell trouble.

“You seem strong. Even if I stay safe as a porter in the rear, if the raid team is wiped out, it’s over for me too. I’m a practical person. Besides, if you feel even a little guilty towards me, you’ll treat me well, right?”

Jagun said with a smile. The reasoning was convincing.

“Haha, is that why? I like your mindset. Though, I don’t like you talking down to me. If you perform well this time, I might hire you as a permanent porter. Give it your best.”

The raid leader scratched his head and shrugged. Jagun’s words were somewhat flattering. No man dislikes being told they look strong.

Especially someone who craves the prestige of being a raid leader.

‘What could a Level 9 and that idiot Big Bo possibly do?’

The raid leader had already checked Jagun and Big Bo’s certificates. The average level of the raid team members was around 30.

There was no way they could be threatened by a Level 9. This was both a certainty and common sense.

The current dungeon grades ranged from F to Triple S. These grades were assigned by the international dungeon management organization, the Dio Foundation.

Typically, dungeons under D-rank are neglected by the state. Lower-level raid teams handle these dungeons themselves for leveling up and acquiring loot.

D-rank dungeons and below have no external contamination or monster leakage. The problems start from C-rank.

If C-rank and higher dungeons are left unattended for too long, the land around them gets contaminated, and monsters start to emerge outside.

From this rank, the state offers dungeon bounties.

‘So, dungeons up to D-rank are low-level, C-rank to B-rank are mid-level, and A-rank and above are considered high-level.’

Jagun memorized the new dungeon grading system. Two years could be short or long depending on perspective. Many small things had changed.

E-rank and F-rank dungeons are usually found in remote areas, rural areas, or mountains. When someone discovers a dungeon and reports it to the nearest local office, it gets registered on the map.

‘They consider these low-level dungeons, but most people die spending their entire lives in low-level dungeons. Just like Big Bo, who’s been a porter for two years.’

Jagun carried a large backpack and walked. The raid team arrived at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain. A hiker discovered the dungeon and reported it.

E-rank dungeons don’t adversely affect their surroundings.

Murmur.

“They’re raiders.”

“I heard a dungeon was discovered recently; it must be true.”

“Mom, those guys are wearing armor! Wow! Cool!”

“Shh, don’t get involved with people like that when you grow up.”

Hikers spotted the raid team and started talking. Raiders are stronger than ordinary people, but many of them are scoundrels.

As a result, people often see being a raider as the last resort of ruined lives. It’s natural for people to be wary of raiders.

Sometimes, serious crimes committed by raiders cause social unrest.

“One crazy guy ruins it for all of us. This is just great.”

A raid team member complained.

“I heard some lunatic went on a stabbing spree in the city recently. It can’t be helped. Tsk.”

“I should make money quickly and quit being a raider. Damn.”

“Hah, do you really think you could quit being a raider? People say that, but they never give up because they can’t let go of the power.”

When declaring retirement at the temple, one can return the power of an awakener. They can go back to being an ordinary person, carrying all the wealth they accumulated.

However, such cases are extremely rare. People intoxicated by the power of being an awakener seldom give it up. Having strength superior to others. Nothing is as intoxicating as that.

“Everyone, form a ‘Bind’. Time to head in.”

Bind is the party system developed by Ilseong. When bound, experience points are distributed according to contribution. If you don’t bind, the person who deals the final blow to a monster gets all the experience points.

This makes uniform growth of the entire raid team difficult.

‘In other words, using Bind allows for monopolizing experience points by a select few.’

This is a common practice in some guilds. Guild members who get in through connections and donations are given the finishing blow on monsters to boost their growth.

It’s colloquially known as ‘selling experience points’. Many of the so-called high-level raiders among the social elite fall into this category.

They have no actual combat experience, only high levels. Pouring tens of billions into becoming high-level raiders for a power they can’t even use in society is the epitome of vanity.

For them, being a raider is not a job; it’s a leisure title. In stark contrast, low-tier raiders risk their lives to earn just a few hundred bucks.

“Bind.”

“Bind.”

Woooom.

A bluish light swirled around. The raid members had completed the Bind. They looked at the entrance to the dungeon. The door was large enough for two cars to pass through.

The dungeon interior is not of Earth. It leads to a completely different dimension. No matter how much you dig around a dungeon entrance, it’s just earth.

“It always gets my nerves up. Hey, porters. Follow closely if you don’t want to die.”

The raid team member at the rear spoke with a pompous air. The only porters were Jagun and Big Bo.

“Bullshit.”

Jagun muttered.

TL’s Corner:
Jagun is no pushover.