Chapter 117
Chapter 117
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Chapter 22: Party Play (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“We know each other.”
“Huh?”
“Her family has deep ties with the owner of this mansion, so I’ve seen her around quite a bit.”
After calmly finishing my explanation, I pushed away Yang Tae-ho’s hand gripping my shoulder.
“Hmm… You’ve even got connections in the beastkin world?”
“Just acquaintances, nothing more.”
“I thought there was nothing left to surprise me, but nope.”
“You gonna keep standing there? Have a seat.”
I turned back toward the sofa and gestured for him to sit.
Yang Tae-ho plopped down on the seat across from me, still sneaking glances at Belta.
Wary of him, Belta slipped down under the sofa and peeked out from behind the table.
I watched the standoff between human and beastkin for a moment, then broke the ice.
“Anyway, you got here quick.”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, dumped her at the hospital and hustled over.”
“And your wife’s okay?”
“Had to schedule the surgery first. She didn’t wanna go, so I dragged her all the way to Seoul, ya know.”
Yang Tae-ho’s wife had ongoing liver issues and had been receiving treatment.
A transplant would be ideal, but the surgery costs had been a burden, so she’d kept refusing.
Seemed like maintaining it with meds was enough for her—no need for big expenses.
“We match blood types, see, so I’m donating. Gotta head back for the transplant day, though…”
“We can work around the timing.”
“Whew, thanks a ton for sayin’ that.”
Only then did Yang Tae-ho pull his eyes off Belta and grin.
“She holdin’ up okay? Community’s blowin’ up with Palau stuff—mission went smooth, right?”
“Yeah, more or less.”
“But why you lookin’ all grimy?”
“Just got back, haven’t showered yet.”
Now that he had some breathing room, Yang Tae-ho started glancing around the room with curiosity.
“You livin’ here?”
“For now. You can crash in the room next door for a bit too—I’ve already cleared it.”
“For now? What about later?”
“Planning to set up a separate party base soon.”
Something I’d been mulling over for a while.
‘Still got some loose ends to tie up, though.’
Leaving the Bennett mansion was already set in stone.
“Well, you’re the brains, so whatever you say. But we gotta stay cooped up in this mansion?”
“No way. Starting tomorrow, we hunt.”
Turning Yang Tae-ho silver-plate was top priority.
That’s the only way we could monopolize 3- and 4-star contaminated zones as a party.
‘Exactly 10 people can get random boxes from 4-stars.’
Max party size. Probably the scale the System wants cleared.
Two hundred people tackled it before—ain’t no way with just dongpae Players.
“Rest up today.”
I needed a break myself. Hadn’t even washed up after playing with Belta.
“Man, pass up a sweet spot like this? My heart’s racin’ like crazy… Whoa!”
Like me when I first stepped into this mansion, Yang Tae-ho let out a gasp of awe—then suddenly leaped up.
Belta had crawled under the table and poked his leg.
“What, what is it! Hey! Don’t touch me!”
He vaulted onto the sofa at light speed, freaking out and yelling.
Right then—knock knock knock. Someone rapped on the door.
A faint hum from outside sounded familiar.
So I had a rough guess who the unexpected guest was.
“Hey!”
But the second I opened the door and saw Kim Yul poking his own cheek with a finger, beaming cheekily, I slammed it shut on reflex.
Bang!
The silence that followed didn’t last.
“Hehehehe.”
Kim Yul pried the door open with a grin and poked his face in.
I shot him a stern look.
“Keep it up.”
“My bro doesn’t like cute stuff, huh.”
Kim Yul pouted and grumbled.
My eyebrow twitched up.
If that cute act came from my girlfriend, I might’ve endured it.
But what the hell was I supposed to do with aegyo from a dude who looked just like me?
On top of that, Kim Yul had shot up in the last few months.
He was past my shoulder now, shoulders broadening to match mine.
The cute image from when we first met was pretty much gone.
“State your business and go.”
My icy snap melted his expression into a bright smile.
“Aww, business? Just came to see you.”
I shook my head at his shameless reply.
“Hm? Got a guest? Hi!”
In the meantime, he’d slipped into the room smooth as water and greeted Yang Tae-ho.
“Yeah, nice to meet ya.”
Yang Tae-ho returned an awkward smile, and I smacked the back of Kim Yul’s shameless head.
“Don’t play innocent—it’s gross.”
“Hehe, busted.”
He’d clearly been hanging around the mansion before I even got back.
The whole community was buzzing about the Palau cult’s exclusive mission.
He’d been waiting for me to finish and return.
‘Rashar likes this guy a lot, so she probably gave him a room.’
I could picture exactly what went down while I was gone.
‘And now he’s pretending otherwise.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly and sat down.
Meanwhile, Kim Yul leaned under the table, chuckling as he reached out.
“Hey Belta, how’s it going? Oppa’s here.”
“Kkiii!”
Belta, who’d been eyeing Yang Tae-ho, bolted in terror.
I let out a hollow laugh watching her shoot out the door like a bullet.
It always amazed me how Belta fled from Kim Yul.
He got along with pretty much everyone in the Bennett mansion, no exaggeration.
First couple visits to see me, then boom—thick as thieves with the staff.
Chenler and Rashar were no exceptions.
Cracking out pro-level songs and dances whenever he could, tossing in light jokes—no one could hate him.
Practically the mansion’s idol.
Now he came and went like it was his own place.
But Belta? Always hightailing it from Kim Yul.
‘Well, can’t blame her—if he catches her, he babies her like a doll all day.’
Kim Yul couldn’t resist scooping up Belta and doting on her nonstop. From her perspective, running made sense.
“Anyway, who’s this?”
With Belta gone, Kim Yul’s attention shifted to Yang Tae-ho.
“Not from Palau…”
“You’re not from Palau either.”
Yang Tae-ho’s emblem overhead: Endurance’s Temoria.
Kim Yul’s: Diligence’s Pinelpenia.
Between the two from different factions, Yang Tae-ho introduced himself first.
He glanced back and forth between me and Kim Yul, then stuck out a hand with an awkward grin.
“Sorry for the late intro. New tank joinin’ up! Codename Pudding, real name Yang Tae-ho.”
“…Joining?”
“But why ain’t this kid on the party list?”
“…Party list?”
Every time Yang Tae-ho spoke, Kim Yul’s head tilted sideways.
Then suddenly, he whipped around to me, eyes sparkling as he yelled.
“Let me in too!”
I eyed Yang Tae-ho’s hand dangling awkwardly in the air, then turned to Kim Yul.
“You formed a party, right bro? I wanna join—I apply!”
“Ain’t he a party member?”
Ignoring the baffled Yang Tae-ho, Kim Yul shoved his face right up to mine.
I pushed his face away with an annoyed look.
Still, I mulled it over calmly.
‘He was a melee DPS, right?’
The gear I’d seen on Kim Yul before was pure close-range dealer setup.
Two daggers at his waist, two smaller backup ones on his thigh.
‘Bit light for main DPS, though.’
I wasn’t planning to boot him outright since I wanted a proper party.
But hunting with him before? Not thrilled about it as a pick.
Only once, and back then, nothing about him impressed me.
‘But too early to dismiss him as sloppy now.’
He’d put in effort since then, so I’d give him a shot.
“Position?”
My positive vibe amped up his energy.
“Dealer or supporter—both!”
“Attribute.”
“Storm, grade 3.”
I stared at Kim Yul, then added to the question.
“Mid-grade?”
“Popped from low-grade.”
“Hoo.”
Solid condition. Meant he could hit grade 4 with a higher stone.
From what we knew, attributes were more innate than trained.
‘Some folks use attribute stones and still don’t awaken attribute mana.’
Those types had to pump general mana from mission rewards.
Even if lucky and one awakened, grades varied wildly.
Low-grade stones give 2-3, mid 3-4, high 4-5.
Low-grade spits a 2? Capped there.
Some even got basic elements at grade 2 from mid or high stones.
‘Means they were born grade 2 material.’
But someone pulling grade 3 from low-grade? Means mid-grade could push it higher.
Community had posts of folks upgrading grade 3 to 4 that way.
‘Tae-ho hyung got grade 3 from mid-grade.’
Kim Yul hit grade 3 on low. Could aim for 4 with high-grade.
That potential alone made recruitment worth it.
‘Might be his ceiling, though…’
Honestly, grade 3 wasn’t low.
Over half of Players had no attribute.
Of the rest, 70-80% were grade 2 basic elements.
Grade 3+ were rare.
‘Storm’s wind-based, probably.’
Super versatile.
Fire and wind leaned offensive spells; earth and water defensive/support.
Fire was pure offense; wind balanced attack and utility.
Grade 4? Perfect.
Tap tap tap. I patted my knee, wrapping up thoughts, and fired the last question.
“Skills?”
Like he’d been waiting, Kim Yul popped his status window.
I skipped the privates and checked skills and spells.
Skills: Mana Operation (66.14%), Brata Dagger Arts (lv.1 - 99.68%)
Spells: Invisibility (100%), Stealth (77.32%), Throwing Knives (lv.2 - 53.11%), Blade Wind (44.91%), Bind (67.24%)
‘Pretty…’
Good.
No main AoE spell to lead with, but that made it better.
‘Perfect sub-DPS comp.’
Lacked raw power but packed support spells ideal for sub-dealer.
Plus stealth I lacked.
And his faction: Diligence’s Pinelpenia.
Cult buff gave “Pursuer” title.
‘Effect was unique.’
Let you glimpse past events from footprints, bloodstains, traces.
Unlike mana detection’s simple presence check.
‘Straight-up tracking traces.’
Like a downgraded version of the Pinelpenia power I used on Rashar’s past.
Overall, ideal for party scouting, infiltration, sub-DPS.
Looked tailor-made for sub-dealer.
“Huh.”
I knew why Kim Yul hung around me.
Seeing it crystallized like this hit different.
I gazed at his beaming face and spoke lightly.
“Hunting tomorrow—let’s see what you got.”
“I can show you right now! I’m a trained trainee—no, primed talent!”
Ex-idol trainee, huh? PR on point.
But no way I was heading out now.
“Tomorrow, tomorrow. Just wrapped a morning mission.”
“So you’ll let me crash?”
I waved him off lazily, and he shot back slyly.
“You’ve got your room already.”
“Hehehe, caught me.”
He dove onto the empty sofa, chuckling.
Couldn’t find it in me to hate the antics—I shook my head with a laugh.
After that, I introduced Kim Yul to Yang Tae-ho, who watched us with a stunned look.
“Little bro I’ve known since early game.”
Since he skipped self-intro.
“Codename K Junior. As you heard, not officially joined yet.”
Long-time acquaintance or not, no skill meant no spot.
“Huh, so he’s the junior, not you?”
“Pretty much.”
I nodded readily, and Kim Yul piped up to Yang Tae-ho.
Goddamn System