Black-Haired Alien From Another World 1

## Chapter 1 – Kobold Hunt

My shaggy hair brushes my shoulders.

Seeing how much it’s grown, it seems I’ve been in this world for quite a while. It’s a mess from being grown out haphazardly, but sadly, I don’t have money to spare for a haircut. But if I tried to do it myself, it would look even worse, so I’m just letting it grow without doing anything about it.

Ah, I really should cut it.

“Goddamn it.”

To put it nicely, the blade was fucked from the last battle, and the armor was totally wrecked.

Not to mention the scars on my face. The little money I had was all spent on repairs and treatment. My already unimpressive appearance was made even more pathetic by the patched-up quilted armor. I looked like the world’s biggest loser. Beggars would think I was one of them and greet me happily.

The losses were enormous.

Even if I failed the quest, the medicine costs were outrageous.

A gremlin’s claws have a mild poison that causes severe itching if the wound is left untreated. I couldn’t go through that again, so I emptied my wallet again. That’s how I became a total bum.

“Ah, goddamn it, this pisses me off.”

I couldn’t help but swear.

This world is even more fucked up than I imagined.

I can’t believe some Madecassol costs 2 silver. It doesn’t make sense. This world is too primitive, harsh, and savage for a meticulous and kind modern person like me. The fact that the food tastes like shit is just a bonus.

Those damn alchemists. The alchemist guild monopolizes all medicines and ointments, so there’s no alternative other than folk remedies. But I’m not from around here, so I don’t know much about folk remedies. So I had to grit my teeth and buy it.

Those alchemists are selling something that probably costs less than 10 coppers for 2 silver. I’m not lying, they’re definitely scammers. My heart is already torn. Suppressing the hot tears that are welling up, I forcibly swallowed my sorrow.

“Ha, my face is a mess…”

But what’s even more depressing is my face.

Since coming to this world, I’ve been roughed up every day, and scars have appeared here and there, so I should call my face a mug now. Or a visage. I’m worried that my family won’t recognize me when I eventually return home.

“Sigh, damn it.”

Muttering and cursing under my breath, I tasted the soup that came with breakfast at the inn, and it was, as expected, beyond imagination. I could taste the depths of the Middle Ages. Which means it tasted like shit.

To be specific, the inn’s soup was, as always, bland yet salty, and surprisingly crude.

In fact, it might be shameless to expect something delicious from a bizarre monstrosity that’s just a bunch of vegetables, fruits, potatoes, a small amount of some kind of meat or dried fish, and some unknown monster bones thrown in and boiled for a long time.

The owner of this [Upside-Down Hat Inn] where I’m staying seems to have a negative quirk of throwing whatever he feels like into the pot each day. I guess it’s something like PTSD from going through the hardships of the world.

“Fuck.”

This shitty-tasting stuff is my typical meal.

I realized the importance of ramen here. Still, a full stomach is the greatest value in this world, so it was a satisfying meal.

It was soup, after all. And since it had everything in it, it must have some nutrition. The fact that I haven’t gotten scurvy means it has vitamins, right? Still, I’ve been eating this kind of meal pretty well these days. Compared to the old days when I was living by begging, it was a feast.

Still, it was fortunate that humans are the same as pigs.
As long as you feed them, they can be satisfied.

After finishing my meal, I went to the well attached to the inn and brushed my teeth.

This dental care in this primitive world was just as important as in modern times. If I got a cavity, there would be no way to treat it other than to have it roughly pulled out. Implants? Do you know how much that costs?

Of course, there is a proper way, but it’s only for rich nobles, so it’s out of the question. I’m not rich, I’m more like a beggar. As you know, my neighbors are all beggars or total bums. Or just crazy beggars.

Anyway, since this is a fantasy world, I wondered if getting healed would make new teeth grow in place of the pulled ones, but I once asked a priest and he said no. Anyway, I brushed my teeth thoroughly.

—Ka-ack, spit!

After finishing my morning preparations, I went out to the plaza.

It’s a hellish world.

Even the hellish Korea I lived in wasn’t this bad. Compared to this world, hellish Korea is just a dreamlike fairytale village where kind and pure Teletubbies live.

I’m glad that there are at least sanitary facilities. If there wasn’t a public bathhouse in the city, I probably wouldn’t have been able to wash until I died. Many people in this town don’t seem to wash often, but for me, with the sensibilities of a modern person, it’s essential to wash, even if it costs money. Of course, only when I can afford it.

Anyway, since I was an adventurer who lived from day to day, I headed straight to the [Adventurer’s Guild].

I had blown away the money I had been saving little by little, and I hadn’t even received the commission fee, so if I didn’t find a new job right away, I would starve to death from tomorrow.

I’m completely broke right now. I have less than 10 coppers left in my balance.

I’ve gotten used to the adventurer life, but I can’t get used to poverty.

It’s not just `He who does not work, neither shall he eat,` but if you don’t work, you have absolutely nothing to eat. Sometimes the church distributes bread to the poor, but even that is only an occasional event, so it’s too uncertain to rely on that alone.

If you don’t want to starve, you have to desperately move your body and work.

In this heartless world, the moment you stop is the day you enter the grave.

—Squeak.

With an uneasy heart, I pushed open the swing door of the Adventurer’s Guild building.

It’s always awkward coming here.
I felt some unpleasant gazes fixed on me.

I ignore those gazes.

“…”

It’s a bit early, but this town starts its day when the sun rises. I crossed the already bustling interior and stood in line at the reception desk. Should I have come earlier? Quest assignments are on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s like a labor market, so if you come late, there are no quests.

After waiting a bit, it was soon my turn.
I timidly approached the reception desk.

“Do you have any E-rank quests?”

I asked, watching the receptionist girl’s expression, which I was now used to. I had more than one or two things to feel guilty about. The receptionist frowned as soon as she saw my face and said in a gentle tone. People living in this era were characterized by having rags in their mouths. In fact, the word “fucked up” is a very mild expression.

“You know, Mr. Katt, you keep screwing up the jobs you’re given, so what makes you think I’d trust you with a quest?”

As soon as she saw my face, the receptionist frowned and said in a gentle tone. People living in this era were characterized by having rags in their mouths. In fact, the word “fucked up” is a very mild expression.

“The last quest had to be passed on to another party because the gremlins appeared in large numbers, raising the difficulty by one level. Of course, not to mention the increased commission fee and time delay. I got chewed out by my boss because of that.”
“Well, well, well, well, it’s not entirely my fault…”
“Huh? What did you say just now?”
“No, nothing. I’m sorry.”

Just thinking about that time makes me shudder.

Who knew that the mage would suddenly have a seizure and throw a fireball? What the hell, is he Kim Jong-un or something, shooting missiles whenever he feels like it? Does he have a habit of turning Seoul into a sea of fire? I thought I was going to get blown away too. It was my fault for being the party leader.

“Tsk, well, Mr. Katt is human, so he can make mistakes. But listen for a second. My boss told me…”
“…”
“He told me to stick another eyeball on my forehead. He told me to look at people properly with that third eye and pass on the quests, and he said it so fiercely that I thought I was going to die on the spot.”
“I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t lift my face out of shame.

“Wouldn’t it be a bit much to have three eyes for a woman? I know there are people with such unique tastes, but I don’t think he’d be a normal guy.”
“I’m really, really sorry.”
“Well, it’s okay. But Mr. Katt, you might get demoted if you keep going like this?”

Hearing those words, I was struck by a shock as if I had been hit by lightning!

“Demoted!”

Demoted!

Abyss!

Bronze!

Come to think of it, it seemed like it was about time. I had screwed up the quests so badly since I was promoted to E-rank that I was worried that I would be demoted someday…!

“That can never happen!”

That’s the one thing that can never happen!

What was I thinking when I went through all the crazy shit to get promoted from F-rank to E-rank?

I can’t go back to F-rank. There are many reasons, but the decisive reason was that it was harder to find a party for a demotion than to pick a star from the sky.

The moment you get demoted, you become a guild-certified idiot. Your livelihood is ruined.

I’ve been doing this adventurer thing for a while, so I’m familiar with the E-rank and F-rank adventurers in the guild, and if those guys see me getting demoted, would they let me join their party?

Absolutely not.

In the game, even the silver guys are pretty picky about bronze. Similarly, if you get demoted to F-rank, you’re labeled as a complete moron and they won’t let you join the party, 100 percent.

I’ve already ruined my image by screwing up a few quests recently. And if I get demoted? It’s really over.

This adventurer society is a rather loose, closed society with a feeling of `knowing each other,` so there’s nothing that spreads faster than negative rumors.

Who failed what quest where, Katt screwed up again, that’s the main concern.

The stories that the adventurers, whose joy in life is gossiping over drinks, are mostly about this kind of thing, so the rumors spread as fast as the internet. The rumor about me screwing up the quest yesterday has probably already spread.

“Yeah, it can’t happen. But there’s no party that wants to take Mr. Katt right now, so are you going to be the party leader again this time?”
“What the hell.”

No matter how much I advertise in the all-chat as E-rank adventurer Katt, experienced swordsman, wearing quilted armor@@@@, it seems that no one needs me anymore. My life is fucked, really.

Well, that’s why I had to gather the party members myself last time…
It was fantastically screwed up.

And so was my life.

It was a real illusion screw-up.

“Give me an F-rank quest… I have to take a newbie with me…”
“I’m sorry, but there aren’t any. Go hunting alone! Next!”

I was coldly rejected and trudged to an empty table and sat down.

I was so shocked by the news that my heart felt like it was breaking. I wanted to order a beer and drink until I passed out, but I don’t even have the money for that anymore. I bought that damn 2 silver Madecassol and I’m completely broke.

I think I’m fucked.

General hunting doesn’t pay as well as quests. General hunting is when you kill monsters and sell their body parts to magic towers, blacksmiths, general stores, and other shops. The freshness of the materials is important, and above all, it takes a lot of work, so it doesn’t pay well.

How many monsters can one person kill and bring back in a day while wandering around in unexplored areas? And there’s no guarantee that they’ll buy what I bring. Even if they do buy it, they’ll definitely try to lower the price by giving all sorts of reasons.

That’s why quests with specific achievement conditions, such as `needed items,` pay better. That’s why hunting parties aren’t popular.

Heading into the unknown is the last resort, but it seems that’s the only path left for me.

Suddenly saddened, I sat at the table and reminisced about the past.

“…I miss my mom.”

If I thought back to the time when I was suddenly dropped into this world without knowing anything and went through all sorts of hardships, I would be able to endure even if the reality surrounding me was cruel. Because that was the real bottom-of-the-barrel hell. But I don’t think so anymore.

I really regretted taking the fantastic dog-shit tech of [Begging] – [Manual Labor] – [F-rank Adventurer] – [E-rank Adventurer]. I should have just killed myself on the day I came to this world.

“What do I do now, you fucker.”

Should I gather herbs? Or should I catch giant spiders, which I can still get 1 copper per spider, and tear off their shells?

As I swallowed my sadness and pondered, someone spoke to me.

“Excuse me.”

Who is it?