Chapter 92
Chapter 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Chapter 19: Interest Should Be Compound (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“If that bastard tries to kick you out, just tell him you’ll report it straight to Rashar.”
Walter, who had stopped with trembling shoulders, turned back with a creak.
“I’ll pull some strings to keep any official dismissal off the table for about a month, so tell him to tough it out with a do-or-die attitude.”
It was advice not to hesitate to blackmail Allens if necessary.
No need to confront a coward playing dirty with any sense of honor.
“What kind of idiot falls for empty threats anyway?”
You don’t treat a beast that’s not even human with courtesy, and they won’t thank you for it.
They’ll just delude themselves into thinking they deserve it.
‘There’s no way words will get through to those who don’t listen.’
Better to handle scum like them on their level.
Just a month or so of the same threats, and he could squat in that spot until he got the appointment.
Walter fell silent for a moment before bowing deeply at the waist and apologizing once more.
But I wasn’t looking at him anymore. Arms crossed, lost in thought.
‘You thought I’d just sit there and take it?’
Most victims of bullying or harassment can’t bring themselves to speak out about what happened.
The shame of admitting it.
Or the fear it might get even worse.
All sorts of reasons hold them back.
It’s one reason school violence escalates.
I dealt with plenty of headaches from that back when I was in the student council.
Not that I’m the type, of course.
‘I’m the guy who jumps up and grabs the bully by the collar the second it happens.’
That realization ignited my hostility toward Allens.
‘Has to be that bastard...’
Guys who’d glare at me subtly or whisper whenever I passed the training grounds.
One blond in particular whose eyes I kept locking with.
I couldn’t shake the feeling he was the Allens Jeremy mentioned.
‘I thought he just found my presence annoying.’
If it went beyond that, it explained why he’d pull this crap.
‘A knight by connections, full of inferiority complex...’
Probably pissed that a nobody like me was hogging one of the few private training grounds.
I got where Allens was coming from, but I couldn’t sympathize.
I wouldn’t pull petty, sloppy stunts like this just because some outsider rubbed me the wrong way.
Allens’s harassment wasn’t direct, but it piled up indirect discomfort just fine.
So I had to pay it back to feel satisfied.
‘How do I crush that fucker?’
Pondering methods didn’t last long before a distant horse neigh pierced the air.
From the direction of the stables.
‘Come to think of it.’
Walter and Jeremy had brought horse manure today, right?
Memories surfaced of learning to ride at Rashar’s insistence a few times.
Fiddling with the ring on my left hand, I stood up.
But I didn’t head for Rashar or Chentler.
“So, you want me to teach you magic?”
It was Ahel, someone I’d rather not seek out myself.
Staying in the last room at the end of the east corridor on the mansion’s fifth floor, he greeted me with a bright face.
‘Hard to read the guy, so I didn’t want to get tangled up.’
But unlike my feelings, I’d known I’d end up coming to him.
No “knowledge” had ever dropped from random boxes so far.
From what I’d seen, random boxes weren’t great for magic-related knowledge.
Better to secure a way to learn magic on my own than rely on low odds.
“Yes.”
“And the price is a mana exchange?”
“That’s right.”
Spatial mana had endless uses.
But objectively, Ahel’s mana ranked lower than mine.
‘So I need to squeeze out a little extra.’
That’s why I’d proposed lessons on top of the mana exchange.
“If you accept, I’m open to periodic exchanges too.”
Ahel would probably take the deal.
‘Higher rank means denser mana.’
Swapping 10 of mine beat getting 100 each of basic second-rank element manas.
That’s why higher-rank mana scents stronger.
‘Speaking of which, time to learn how to mask my residual scent.’
Fail at that, and I’d be broadcasting my attribute mana rank everywhere.
‘No need to advertise my full power.’
With my power properly gearing up now, I had time to learn.
Ahel stared at me intently for a bit.
“Hmm.”
But soon.
“Alright! Mana exchange plus lessons.”
He accepted my offer with a beaming smile.
“Let’s start from the basics, step by step.”
That very day, I dove into learning magic.
* * *
Fifteen days after learning the ringleader’s identity.
I stopped by the stables and filled two buckets to the brim.
Then, carrying one in each hand, I headed to the training grounds.
The thought of repaying the grudges piled up over those fifteen days—with interest—already had my blood pumping.
Walter and Jeremy had warned me during that time.
Allens was scheming again, so watch out.
Sure enough, flowerpots had dropped from upper floors a few times, and water had been splashed on me.
My barrier kept additional damage at bay, of course.
‘Not a reason to forgive Allens, though.’
Fifteen days. Fifteen days I’d thrown myself into magic, dead set on payback.
All preparations complete, I’d sprung into action—and here was the result.
“Gaaah! W-what the hell?!”
“Urk!”
Allens, jogging with the other knights, got a faceful of horse shit.
That horse shit? Carefully selected by me from the stables just minutes ago.
And the one who dumped it on Allens’s head? Obviously, me.
‘I got Ahel’s mana from the accumulated magic tool in a random box.’
Magic was down pat enough for basic execution.
Every glance at the status window pushed to my left field of vision curled my lips upward.
Player Kang Hyun-woo (Beta Tester) - Copper
Mana: 24,663.48 (Attribute Mana: 573.1)
Chaos Value: 0.0%
Affiliation: Earth, Palau Church
Race: Human (Player)
Rank: Alpha
Attribute: Lightning (★★★★★)
Skills: Mana Operation (99.99%), Sensory Expansion (75.88%)
Magic: Mana Detection (lv.2 - 20.31%), Invisibility (80.66%), Barrier (67.77%), Object Movement (lv.1 - 2.13%)
Traits: Capitalism, Assimilation, Tenacity, Purification (lv.1 - 64.76%)
Titles: Bounty Hunter, Token of Alliance
Fame: 26,115
‘Nice.’
Multiple hunts, Mesio destruction, and trait buffs leading to learning movement magic.
Not even a full month in Bihar, and the numbers had shifted nicely.
Plus, I’d secured a way to learn magic without the shop.
‘Takes time, sure.’
Normally, one spell might eat up months.
Moving a living being alone needs nearly a hundred mana arrays.
Better to hunt than memorize and practice that crap.
For me, the drawback was mitigated some.
So I’d mastered Object Movement in just fifteen days.
‘Never thought Assimilation would help like this.’
Assimilation, the trait on my status screen since the game’s early days.
I’d figured it just boosted chances to learn skills outside the shop and sped up proficiency.
But it was way more.
‘Learning skills without the shop means comprehending them yourself.’
Assimilation intervened in the whole process.
‘Insane trait.’
If I had to pick one card I’d never trade, it’d be Assimilation.
Thanks to it, memorizing mana arrays I’d grasped easily was a breeze.
I’d always had good memory since childhood.
Confident no one could beat me at straight memorization.
‘I was ready to memorize law tomes; this is candy.’
Back in high school, I dreamed of being a prosecutor.
I’d skim Mom’s specialist books when bored.
Memorizing clauses I liked wasn’t rare.
No resistance to Ahel’s 2,000-page “Basic Mana Arrays” tome, then.
‘Didn’t expect Pythagoras in the fixed arrays, though.’
Other high school math bits popped up too.
Memory fuzzy, so I had An-ki-jun fetch Math Essentials for review.
Sorting the rules in the arrays sped memorization several times over.
“Gaaah!”
Result? Fifteen days to witness Allens’s meltdown.
Pulling my eyes from the status window, I savored his sweet screams.
Nine in the morning now.
All knights except mansion guards did group PT and tactical drills.
I’d joined their basic PT sometimes.
It pushed a Copper player’s body to the limit.
But today, I lounged in my private training ground.
Leaning back in my pre-placed chair, legs crossed, leisurely.
Watching Allens flail to shake off the manure was my entire morning agenda.
‘Gotta keep it coming.’
I shaped my index and thumb into a gun and started a mana array.
About a minute later.
“Bang.”
Fired another shot. Extra thick this time.
Nasal plug with tissue, retching masterpiece.
Allens, now doubly covered, ramped up his freakout.
This wouldn’t end in one go.
I planned to hound him relentlessly, pettily, for days—till he choked on manure stink with every breath.
What Allens did wasn’t fair trade.
One-sided malice, unjust violence.
‘Just some pathetic flailing, sure.’
The root stayed rotten.
‘My creed: repay favors and grudges with compound interest.’
Minutes into my manure-toss target practice on Allens.
He seemed to realize it started with me.
Charging at me with a fearsome glare.
“You little...!”
Before he finished, I linked the prepped mana.
“Urghack!”
“Score.”
Let him taste manure mid-sentence for a rare treat.
‘You’re done for, asshole.’
Expect fireworks. I’d make him regret messing with me forever.
Watching Allens scrape his mouth amid dry heaves, I grinned ear to ear.