Chapter 50. Fortune and Misfortune (1)
Jooheon was startled.
There was definitely a corpse in front of him.
Why the hell is there a random corpse here?
Then—
[Identity synchronization complete.]
[Current identity: Shin Yijun.]
[Residence type: Goshiwon.]
“...Shin Yijun?”
Jooheon instinctively looked back at the corpse.
Shin Yijun.
Was that this man’s name?
Then a familiar voice came from behind him.
“What, this one killed himself?”
“!”
The door opened.
A familiar face appeared.
Majesty Yoo Jaeha.
Jaeha pointed at the dead man.
“Why are you so surprised?”
“That guy is your identity.”
Silence.
Jooheon immediately understood.
So this key steals someone else’s identity.
That was how it made the user appear to be a citizen of the world they entered.
At the same time, Jooheon picked up a sheet of paper from the floor.
A suicide note.
The handwriting was calm, written in ballpoint pen.
[I can’t do this anymore. No matter what I try, nothing works. I don’t want to go to Murphy’s City. Anywhere but there.]
Jooheon’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“...Murphy’s City?”
“Oh, that?”
Majesty Jaeha answered as though he knew all about it.
“This is the World of Fortune.”
“Murphy’s City, on the other hand, is a lower-class district where people whose luck has run out are forcibly relocated.”
“Basically an experimental city where only the unluckiest bastards get dumped.”
“Apparently, once you’re sent there, getting struck by lightning under a clear sky and dying is considered normal.”
Jooheon crumpled the suicide note with a cold smile.
Well.
Betrayne had probably designed that city too.
“An experimental city.”
“That bastard Betrayne really has disgusting hobbies.”
Getting a usable identity was good.
But if this identity belonged to someone on the verge of being sent to Murphy’s City...
[Remaining Fortune: 0.]
[Luck Points: 0.]
As expected.
Majesty Jaeha rested a hand against his chin and chuckled.
“That’s troublesome.”
“With zero luck, everything goes wrong.”
“You pick up a wallet and get accused of theft.”
“You obey every rule and somehow still end up in an accident.”
“Ten times out of ten, only the worst possible option remains.”
Jaeha looked down at the corpse.
“And you just stole the identity of a person like that.”
Jooheon frowned.
“What?”
“I thought using this key got me VIP treatment.”
Though admittedly, merely avoiding the intruder radar had already been a huge benefit.
Jaeha replied:
“Probably Rulebook.”
“It may have sucked up to another Majesty and twisted your causality with a misfortune-type Artifact.”
Sure enough—
[You are afflicted with Permanent Misfortune.]
[Curse caused by a Misfortune Artifact.]
That fucking Rulebook.
Jaeha shrugged.
“It just means they don’t intend to let you survive easily.”
Jooheon stared at him in disbelief.
“You’re talking like this has nothing to do with you.”
“You shouldn’t be much better off than me.”
Jaeha lightly tapped his own chest.
“There’s a world of difference between you and me.”
“The identity I extorted belonged to the owner of this goshiwon.”
“Looks like she was murdered, but she had money.”
Jooheon’s eyes lit up.
“Oh.”
“Lend me some.”
“You seriously think I will?”
Majesty Jaeha laughed.
It was the smile of someone with Majesty pride.
And the expression of a man saying, I’m not like you.
“This woman’s Fortune is excellent too.”
“So I’m going to make some money in this City of Fortune.”
“I’ll earn enough to cover your share too.”
Cup-Ramen Jaeha sounded worried.
[Captain, are you going to be okay?]
[At this point, you’re basically the Man of Misfortune.]
I survived next to the Bankruptcy Queen.
How unlucky could this really be?
Jooheon headed for the door.
Then—
Pop!
“...Huh?”
The doorknob came off in his hand.
Jaeha stared at it blankly.
“...That came off?”
That wasn’t all.
ZZZT! ZZZZT!
Sparks suddenly burst from the ceiling.
The fluorescent light blinked once.
Twice.
Then—
POP!
CRASH!
It fell to the floor, scattering sparks.
Cup-Ramen Jaeha screamed on instinct.
[Captain! Your head! Your head!]
“!”
Sparks landed in Jooheon’s hair.
At the same time, an electrical wire at his feet crackled and exploded.
The smell of burning quickly filled the tiny room.
Majesty Jaeha watched it all and snorted.
“...You’re insanely unlucky now.”
There was no worry in his voice.
No tension.
It was funny because it was happening to someone else.
Sure enough, Jaeha spun around.
“I’m not taking an unlucky bastard like you with me.”
“Stay here quietly this turn.”
“At least you won’t be able to cause a scene at the casino.”
Apparently, he was already sick of dealing with Jooheon.
Jaeha casually opened the door.
“Watch the house~”
Jooheon frowned and raised one hand.
Maybe Hand of Redefinition can do something about this...
Then his lips slowly curved upward.
“Ha.”
A short, wicked laugh.
“No.”
“There’s a better way.”
Then—
[Authority activated.]
[...Captain?]
The atmosphere changed.
Jooheon tossed the broken doorknob in his hand.
Clang!
As if that sound were a signal—
“Huh?”
Majesty Jaeha, who had been walking away, slipped on the floor.
