Chapter 79: Not Human
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: Not Human
Two days later.
“It feels solid.”
“Of course it does. Look who made it. Reassuring, isn't it?”
It was a helmet that had cost a fortune. If I layered it properly over an arming cap, my face would be completely hidden. I didn't know when Theodora would get in touch; if I’d known it would take this long, I should have asked for a rough estimate.
Still, I figured she’d be busy for at least a week. Between the recent incident and the backlog of work that must have piled up during her suspension, she had her hands full.
The helmet was a barbuta-style piece with a visor that opened normally. It was a common design, the kind you might run into once or twice just walking down the streets of southwest Calax.
I pulled on the gambeson I’d tucked away at home since I hadn't been wearing it lately. After draping the cape over my shoulders and grabbing the mace I’d bought before—along with the shield made from artifact byproducts—I was ready.
“Yeah, no one in Calax is going to identify me like this.”
Time to head to the guild in full gear.
* * *
“Welcome, Explorer!”
“I’m looking for a party.”
“Oh? Aven, is that you?”
It was Dahlia, the receptionist for the southwest branch, with her usual bright smile. To recognize someone by their voice alone while they were completely covered up—that was no ordinary skill.
“How did you know?”
“Because I can hear your voice...?”
“That’s impressive. Being able to tell just by the voice.”
“Hehe, I’d always recognize you, Aven.”
“Is that so?”
I couldn't stay in the Labyrinth for long anyway. Not that I had much experience staying in for extended periods to begin with. I planned to go in and out within a week, but since going alone is boring, I intended to join a party.
Ever since that fight with Lance in the plaza north of the guild, people had been recognizing my face occasionally. If I kept it covered, they wouldn't know it was me.
“I’m looking for a party operating within the 2nd Stratum.”
“Are you not aiming for the 3rd Stratum or higher?”
Dahlia seemed slightly disappointed. Of course, from my perspective, the 3rd Stratum was a bit far. I was a special case; I’d reached Gold Grade as a solo player, and practically all the achievements that got me there were from the 1st Stratum.
However, most Gold-grade explorers generally aimed for the 3rd Stratum, using the 2nd Stratum to rack up points.
Lead or Iron-grade explorers preferred not to go past the 8th Floor, even in a four-person party. This was because even a four-man Iron party lacked the strength to handle the Orcs on the 9th Floor. It would be a different story if they had proper combat skills, but people like that usually shot up to Silver Grade in no time.
For those explorers, the 5th Floor was the appropriate difficulty for solo play, considering that large groups of Goblins started appearing from the 6th Floor.
There was a significant gap between Silver and Iron Grades. A Silver-grade explorer could solo up to the 8th Floor, and a four-person Silver party usually used the 15th Floor as their hunting ground. It might seem like a sudden jump, but Silver-grade explorers were surprisingly strong.
And from Gold Grade onwards, most people roamed the latter half of the 2nd Stratum and the beginning of the 3rd to build up scores, eventually aiming for the end of the 3rd Stratum.
The reason my maximum was only the early 2nd Stratum despite being Gold Grade was simply because I was a solo player.
In that sense, I was a very peculiar case. You don't necessarily have to defeat the 1st Stratum boss to move to the 2nd. Naturally, there’s no problem going to the 3rd Stratum even if you haven't defeated the Lich, the boss of the 2nd.
Among those who frequented the 3rd Stratum, you could count on one hand the number of people who could win a one-on-one duel against the Orc Chieftain, the 1st Stratum boss. That was because most of their experience came from party combat.
“There’s an 18th Floor hunting party. Would you like to check it out?”
“How many people are in it?”
“The party was just created. A Platinum-grade explorer started it, and they requested members of Gold Grade or lower.”
“Only Gold Grade or lower?”
“Yes.”
What an odd person. Maybe they enjoyed teaching others? Or perhaps they were just a kind soul looking out for newbies. The 18th Floor sounded decent enough. I’d made it to the 12th Floor in a flash last time, so it didn't really matter. If it took about three to four days, that was fine.
“Is the party leader here now?”
“No, they finished setting up the party and said they’d be back at 7:00 PM.”
I see.
As for positions, the Platinum party leader was a front-line melee dealer, and they were looking for healers and casters. There were no specific class restrictions for joining. With my current gear, I’d probably be a front-line tank.
“Alright, please sign me up for that one.”
“Understood.”
A Platinum-grade explorer, huh? Sera’s father, who was Cobalt Grade, showed strength on an entirely different level, so I wasn't sure what to expect from a Platinum Grade. I also wanted to see where I stood compared to others within the Gold Grade.
“The time is... 11:00 AM.”
Because I’d eaten a quick breakfast and left early to pick up my helmet, I still had plenty of time left. I was wondering how to kill time until 7:00 PM, and then I remembered something perfect for the occasion.
“My outfit is perfect for it, too.”
* * *
“I can’t tell if this is working or not.”
I headed toward the Sateria Appraisal Office in full armor. I wondered if hiding my face would be enough to stay out of the Antonio Brotherhood’s sight, but looking around with the Evil Eye, the results were unexpected.
The number of people appearing in red had decreased significantly. Of course, not everyone was gray—some people are just naturally hateful toward the world. Nothing I could do about that.
When I knocked on the door of the appraisal office, Ravi’s voice popped out like a programmed response.
—The door’s open! Come in!
I intentionally didn't say a word. As I entered in silence, Ravi was staring at a book, pretending to be very busy. After a bit of forced acting, she looked at me and gave a wide smile.
“Our first customer! Welcome!”
I simply nodded at her energetic greeting without saying anything. Ravi tilted her head slightly, then clapped her hands together.
“Ah! Is it a Mute Curse Skill?”
Was there actually a skill like that? That must be rough. Regardless, it was perfect for fooling Ravi. I gave a rough nod and gestured that I couldn't speak. Ravi let out a sympathetic sigh and continued.
“I see! That must be so inconvenient! How many times have you had a curse skill deleted now?”
I held up my right hand with only the thumb tucked in.
“The fourth deletion...! That’s going to be a very high-difficulty job...!”
As I’d heard before, the mana circuits that make up the human body's information become less stable with each deletion, causing the difficulty to skyrocket. It was grueling work for an appraiser, so they usually charged a lot. I’d heard that deleting a fourth curse skill could cost a gold coin or more.
“It might take about two hours! The price is a bit high, is that alright?”
I made an 'OK' sign with my thumb and index finger and nodded.
“Great! A Mute Curse Skill... the circuit should start from the lower jaw, go through the neck, and reach the upper chest. I’ll need you to take off your helmet to access the circuits. Is that okay? Or do you have a ‘Cursed Helmet You Can’t Remove’ skill...?”
I nodded again, making the 'OK' sign.
“Understood! The price is 30 silver!”
What? Why is she charging so little? I don't care if she’s losing the geographical competition; 30 silver is what most places charge for a third deletion. This girl needs a lecture.
I handed her three silver coins embossed with the number 10 from my pouch and sat on the bed. Ravi grunted as she dragged a chair over to sit in front of me, then started chattering away.
“First of all... because I have to expose the skill circuits, I might inevitably see what the curse skill is. Do you consent?”
—Nod.
“I see! It hasn't been more than three years since you acquired the Mute skill, has it?”
—Nod.
“Are there any other skill circuits overlapping with the curse skill you want to delete? If there are, the other skill's circuit might become unstable during the deletion process. Is that okay?”
—Nod.
“Alright! Then let’s begin the deletion procedure! You’ll need to loosen the top of your gambeson, take off your helmet, and lie down on the bed facing the ceiling!”
Having finished her explanation, Ravi seemed ready to start the preparation, but I figured the joke had gone far enough. As I pulled off the barbuta helmet that covered my entire face, I smirked at her. Ravi’s eyes went wide like a startled rabbit as she stared at me.
“Yu—! A-Aven! Did you get a Mute skill?!”
What a cute little idiot.
“No. I didn't get any Mute skill.”
“Th-then what...?!”
“Do I still look like Aven to you?”
“Huh?!”
“Are there no skills that let you mimic someone’s face?”
“Hieee...! Now that you mention it...!! Your gear is completely different from Aven’s! Who are you?!”
I guess there really are skills that let you mimic faces. I only said it as a joke, but the Labyrinth really can do anything.
“I’m joking. Ravi, it’s me.”
“Liar! Reveal your identity! Why did you come to see me with Yu... Aven’s face?!”
“I’m telling you, it’s me.”
Maybe I shouldn't have teased her. I didn't realize Ravi was this gullible, even if my gear was different. Perhaps because I’d told her to be careful of the Antonio Brotherhood before, she was extremely on guard.
She was waving a small wand around, looking like she was about to fire one of those hilarious Magic Missiles I’d seen before.
“Then what do I have to do for you to believe me?”
“Umm... A-Aven played a prank on me once before and I got really mad! What did you show me then?”
“What was it? A severed Ursus head?”
“Mmm... To think you’d even research that...!”
“No.”
If she was just going to dismiss it as 'research,' why even ask?
“Then next! How many goat skewers did you buy me after that?!”
“Was it four?”
“Ah, uh-huh. Was it? Actually, I don't remember that very well myself.”
“What the hell.”
What was even the point of that?
“Wait a minute, Ravi. You can just check my skill circuits.”
“Skills! That’s right! Now, hurry up and lie face down! I need to check your skills!”
If I were really an impostor using my face, there’s no way I’d let her check my skills. But Ravi didn't seem to care about that logic right now.
Since I was wearing a gambeson for the first time in a while and the weather had warmed up, I was starting to sweat in the thick padding. My back was quite damp.
“Ravi, I’m a bit sweaty because I haven't worn this gambeson in a while.”
“I-is that so? Hold on. I’ll go get a towel.”
She suspects me of being a criminal, yet she’s lending me a towel.
“Wipe yourself off with this! I can use wind magic to dry you off a bit!”
“That’s very convenient.”
And so, I took off my top and got dried off. As I lay face down on the bed, Ravi approached.
“A-hem! I’m going to check if you’re really Yoo Eon or not!”
“Sure.”
Thus, she began the usual check of my skill circuits—she was calling me by my real name now. After waiting for about three minutes, Ravi let out a sharp gasp.
“The... the skill circuits...!”
“The circuits?”
“You... what on earth happened to your body...?!”
Ravi recoiled in horror.
“These... these aren't human circuits...!”