Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 045
Chapter Title: Romance Scam #1
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Hermit grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.
“You, why'd you take so long to get back! I thought you'd quit early and come running, but you stuck it out the full two weeks!”
“Ugh.”
It took Hermit a good five minutes of shaking my shoulders before she finally calmed down.
What the hell had happened?
“While I was gone, the thieves gave you hell, huh?”
“Don't even get me started!”
Her teeth ground together with an audible crunch.
And then her rant began.
“They stole my wallet from my clothes while I was bathing! And they stuffed all my cosmetics into their pockets—!”
Blah blah blah.
Hermit's face flushed beet red.
While I was away, a female thief had shown up as a temp and made her life miserable.
“They even tried to steal the 'Familiar Egg' we barely managed to rescue!”
“No way?”
“I got stabbed in the back trying to stop her.”
To think they'd go after the Familiar Egg I'd risked my life for.
My dream of a magnetic pet had nearly gone up in smoke, and it pissed me off.
“What a bitch!”
“Yeah! She said she was just a temp for two weeks anyway, so she went totally wild!”
Her face was red as a steam engine at full blast.
“She even stole my research paper! That goddamn bitch! I'm gonna kill her!”
Flames sparked around her—it looked like she was seriously furious.
First things first, time to calm her down.
“Hermit, I'll help you get her, so in the meantime, can you enhance this for me?”
Item enhancement.
Having experienced its efficiency firsthand, my expectations were sky-high.
“You got two Refinement Stones?”
Hermit took the stones, seeming a bit calmer.
She even sneaked a glance at me.
“…Ahem, like I said last time, these don't guarantee enhancement.”
“If it fails, the item might break, right?”
“Exactly!”
It was a huge risk.
But that's what made the rewards so insane.
So, what to enhance?
Two Refinement Stones.
My gear: gauntlet, throwing knives, dagger.
No contest.
“I'll enhance the throwing knives twice.”
My gauntlet was plenty usable as is—no need.
Same for the new golden pillar dagger.
‘The throwing knives are a ranged weapon, though.’
I hit the enemy, they can't hit me.
No need to explain the advantages of range.
Hoo, hoooo.
Hermit took deep breaths.
“Don't tense up. Hoo.”
Her nerves were making me jittery too.
She dipped her staff tip in some weird paint and drew a magic circle.
“Blue-eyed Empress of the Anvil, your servant beseeches you—bring a miracle to this place—.”
Fwooom!
Crackle!
“Blue-eyed Empress of the Anvil, your servant beseeches you—.”
Fwooom!
Craaackle!
Once the smoke cleared—
The throwing knives gleamed on the magic circle, wrapped in fierce energy.
“Oooo! Success! My alchemy is a smashing hit again!”
Hermit cheered.
I grabbed the knives, thrilled.
“Whoa! It actually worked!”
+3 Thunderbolt Throwing Knife
Steel throwing knives forged in lightning.
Skill: KerauNos +1
Imbues the weapon with thunderous power for a set time.
“Ooh, a skill attached itself?”
As I geeked out, Hermit puffed out her chest.
“Ahem. My alchemy just unlocked the hidden potential in your weapon!”
Who knew enhancement had this potential.
Maybe my gauntlet or dagger could get skills too with more upgrades.
“Alright, Hermit—time to roll out!”
With this, I could one-shot those stone men from the volcano last time.
Ether farming efficiency through the roof.
I couldn't wait to test the upgraded weapon.
But Hermit shook her head.
“Our party's in a spat with the Thieves' Guild, so we're laying low for a bit.”
“That bad?”
“I don't wanna get stabbed in the back again!”
What? No rollout?
All my steam went poof.
‘Guess I'll have to go negotiate with the Thieves' Guild myself?’
Contacting them meant waiting till night.
It was still bright midday sun.
Guess I'd beat up some scarecrows at the training grounds till evening.
“Wonder how the +3 throwing knives perform.”
Whish! Crackle!
A sharp whoosh, and the knife pierced clean through the scarecrow.
Finally, full penetration.
‘Definitely stronger! Next level up.’
Whish! Thunk!
Now the 'armored scarecrow.'
It sank deep, but didn't go through.
This one's about equal to a level 10 explorer's defense, right?
“<KerauNos>.”
Retrieved the knife and activated the skill.
Crackle.
An eerie static hummed around it.
Throw it like this—
Fwhoop.
‘Fast!’
‘The sound's different!’
Straight-line trajectory.
It pierced the scarecrow and embedded in the wall behind.
Crackle!
“Heh heh heh, no need for daggers at this rate!”
Impulsively, I tested Shadow too.
Thunder-wrapped knives with Shadow?
Fwhoop, fwhoop.
Crackle!
Crack!
Two holes in the armored scarecrow.
Shoulders light, fist pumped at the results.
“Now I can farm Ether like crazy!”
“Whoa, nice gear!”
Hammer stood behind me, arms crossed.
He'd been watching my training.
“What good's gear if I can't deploy?”
Hammer chuckled.
“Ishtar Party's got some quota left—wanna tag along?”
“For real?”
Ishtar was the priestess from the next squad over.
Easy to find.
“Ishtar! Yor from Hammer Party here to farm some Ether!”
*Hic*. “Whooo?”
A woman with long hair in twin tails eyed me.
Booze bottle in hand.
“You're Hammer Party's runt, right? *Hic*.”
“Yessir! Mind if I tag along for today's run?”
“Shure thing. Whaddya all think?”
Ishtar turned.
A long straight-blonde warrior woman shrugged.
“Pfft, think I'd bail? Place we're hitting's full of trash mobs anyway—no thrill.”
“Nah, it's my day off today—perfect timing. I'll sit this one out.”
The spearwoman stretched her arms behind her head and bailed.
Then the female mage twirled her staff with a sinister grin.
“Party. Male. Thief joins. Rare.”
Hold up.
Something off here?
‘…Why's Ishtar's whole party women?’
‘This feels wrong.’
—Don't trust women—
Germain sis's lesson flashed in my mind.
Suddenly ominous.
“Uh… I'll head out. Take care.”
“Yooou bet! To the volcano! *Hic*!”
Shooo.
Fog parted.
Next thing I knew, we stood midway up the volcano.
Roil, sizzle!
Boiling lava from cracked earth—scorching hot.
“Whew, hot damn. Too hot here.”
Priestess Ishtar fanned her collar.
“Fuckin' sweltering. Can't take it—gotta ditch the outer layer.”
The foul-mouthed warrior whooshed off her cloak and tied it at her waist.
Her scarred upper body exposed, chest wrapped in bandages—wildly destructive vibe.
“Uh.”
Eyes had nowhere to go.
As I floundered, the shark-toothed mage sis removed her hat and giggled.
“Super flustered. Virgin?”
“Yeh?”
“Virgin thief. First time seein' one. Street rats aren't usually prudes.”
“…I dream of a wholesome family life.”
“Wholesome. Family. Pffft.”
“Heh heh heh, young and innocent~.”
“Nothin' wrong with that! Cute!”
Gales of laughter.
Head spun.
‘Thought I'd gotten used to women these past few days!’
‘Everyone but me's a chick—what the hell!’
Tension spiked.
The shark-toothed mage sis chuckled at me.
“I'm 'Venus of Ice and Lightning.' That booze-stinking one's Priestess Ishtar.”
“Kid, ain't heard of Freya of the Shield?”
Wham.
The big-shield warrior slung an arm over my shoulder.
Bandage-wrapped chest smooshed my face.
“Ughhh.”
“Hammer said you're a beast!”
Such casual contact.
First time getting this friendly from strangers—mind blanked.
‘Instructor Rose or Germain sis were nice for reasons.’
‘Saved their lives, brought rare loot.’
‘But these are total first-timers?’
Unprovoked kindness.
What did it mean?
‘Ding ding!’
‘Scam!’
These women were scammers.
Romance scam vibes!
‘Gotta stay sharp today. No relaxing.’
We hunted lava rockmen.
Rockmen were scarier than the stone men last time—gorilla-sized, thick rocky hides, super threatening.
—Groooar!
Boom!
Look at that fist slam.
One hit and I'd splat like an egg from the tenth floor.
Whoooosh.
But so slow, dodging was easy.
I kited back lightly and unleashed all skills.
“[Shadow Companion].”
“<KerauNos>.”
Fwhoop, fwhoop.
Crunch, crunch!
Knives embedded in the massive rock brute.
Crumbles!
Two hits, full penetration—rockman crumbled.
+200 Ether
Rockman Fragment: Heavy rock chunk. Salty taste.
“Whoa!”
+200 Ether per kill!
Salty rocks too!
Total goldmine!
“Damn, Hammer wasn't kidding—Ether's pouring in~.”
“No need to hunt shitty boss mobs!”
Ishtar's crew loved the Ether flood.
Most shocking: Ishtar kicking rockmen to bits.
“Chaa! Achuat!”
Crunch!
Crumbles!
“Ishtar was a martial artist before priestess.”
Venus grinned, flashing shark teeth.
She pointed at my sweat.
“Your blood's poison, right? What about sweat? Other fluids?”
“Uh… dunno.”
“Wanna. Experiment.”
Heh heh heh.
Her creepy grin spelled trouble.
“Huh? Onsen? Fuck, it's lukewarm!”
Mid-massacre up the mountain, the sisters found a hot spring.
Venus smirked.
“Volcano onsen. HP, mana recovery. Great buff. Lucky.”
Rare find in volcano zones.
“Was feelin' gross from all the sweat—perfect. Bath time.”
“Heh heh, hot spriiiing. Gotta grab another booze…”
Off came the shoes.
For real?
“Bathing in 'Night Land' where anything could pop out?”
“Virgin, join us?”
“Runt, scrub sis's back~.”
“You crazy bitches—.”
Gales of laughter.
Obvious teasing.
‘Feels like a trap!’
Stick around, I'd be their plaything.
“Uh, I'll hunt more rockmen below.”
Zip.
I distanced myself from the onsen—about 50 meters.
Finally relaxed.
‘Heart's been pounding all day.’
Still, Ether stacked up.
Four more hours of this? Jackpot.
As I chuckled—
Men appeared.
“Those chicks went this way, right?”
“Kekeke, bet they're bathing at the onsen.”
“Snag their clothes, make bank!”
“Who're you punks?”
I asked the group.
They scowled and barked back.
“We're the 'Night Thieves' Guild.'”
“Don't block the road—scram.”