Chapter 138: The Weapon Thief
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138: The Weapon Thief
Absurdly enough, the general atmosphere of the settlement began to take shape around that day. It was still just a skeleton, but it had at least taken on the appearance of a proper village.
The head of the eastern beast placed in the center drew an even more explosive reaction than I'd anticipated, and the new tents, similar to Mongolian yurts, were met with universal praise. But the most popular addition of all was the children's 'battlefield' I had created for them.
Even the adults wanted to use this mock battlefield, so I hardly need to describe the children's reaction. There was a playground for capturing the flag, with a map divided into three lanes just like in the games from Earth.
A point-capture playground where they split into attack and defense teams. Another where both sides were on the offensive, charging at each other.
There was even a payload escort playground. It had the drawback of the children having to pull the payload themselves, but since it was part of their physical training, I actually thought it was better this way.
But what I hadn't expected was that the most popular activity of all was an unexpected card game.
“I'll use all my mana to summon the Honorable Chieftain, Blood Dagger! For Blood Dagger!”
“Ugh... Then I'll summon the mighty Minotaur, Orbo of the Shield, to take the hit for me.”
“I summon a Wolf Rider and attack directly!”
Hearing the shouts from outside, it seemed they were at it again today. I had been thinking the children needed more content to stimulate their minds when I remembered a game from Earth. I'd scribbled down the basic rules and handed them to Hakajin, and that clever hobgoblin had refined and improved the game before teaching it to the children and distributing the sets.
Of course, the cards had no illustrations—just text—and the quality was abysmal, but it seemed the visuals didn't matter much to the kids. The reaction was explosive. More explosive than even Hakajin himself could have predicted.
We ended up having to make several more sets. The variety of cards was quite diverse. The Blood Dagger card let you equip a weapon card your opponent had in play. The Black Spear card dealt damage the moment it was summoned. Funnily enough, the most frequently used card was the Giant Wolf Abar, which allowed for an effective attack at a low mana cost.
My goal with the card game was to help them with basic arithmetic and encourage more flexible thinking, but it was also unexpectedly making a huge contribution to developing their strategic minds and imaginations.
“It would be cool if there was a Nicole card! An ability that makes honorable Green Skins stronger when she draws a tattoo on them! That would be awesome!”
“That's too overpowered!”
This simple card game, which I'd created on a whim, was starting to influence the awakening of the children's unique abilities. And, as expected, the undisputed champion of the game was Kim Yoora. Her skill at dominating the early game, keeping Abar and her Wolf Riders on the board without even using all her mana, was a sight to behold.
Even the Goblin Three Sisters had fearlessly challenged her, only to have their spirits and their pride utterly crushed. I can still remember their tearful faces and the nonchalant expression on Kim Yoora's face as she looked down on them.
In effect, this settlement was a paradise for the children. The content was endless. From a young age, they were learning the methods of combat and strategy through play, understanding what role to take and what actions to perform in any given situation.
For these children, playing was, in fact, how they learned the essential skills for survival in this society, one by one.
For example, the way the children conducted themselves during capture the flag was already far beyond what you'd expect from kids their age. When the children of the different clans clashed, the Blood Dagger Clan's kids surprisingly demonstrated the tenacity to hold their own even against the young half-ogres.
This was where Kim Yoora's strategies and tactics truly shined. Seeing this, the children from the Goff and Black Spear Clans began to analyze their own weaknesses. They started mixing up the teams or engaging in small-scale skirmishes, growing stronger with each encounter.
When the children of today finally come of age, the clan will be truly powerful. Of course, besides the Green Skins, there was one other person watching them with a warm gaze.
As the sound of their laughter spread, a smile spread across his face as well. It was the clan's only outsider: Lee Wanyong.
Of course, I knew he wasn't smiling because he was happy for the children. He was smiling because the plans he'd designed had perfectly captured their hearts, and he figured that meant he'd get to live a little longer.
“I... I heard that your wife is with child. My sin... sincere congratulations.”
“Right.”
The news of Mev's pregnancy was undoubtedly a huge relief for him. He must have overheard it from some of the children; he was a resourceful one, after all. Since the settlement wasn't yet complete, I'd been meeting with him occasionally outside of training hours, and it was proving to be more helpful than I'd expected.
“The... the settlement is nearing completion. In addition to the fields I first mentioned, I believe it would be beneficial to construct a blacksmith's forge. Furthermore, if we were to create something like a Combat Training Archive—a place to create books recording our battles, large and small—that information would not only enhance the strategic thinking of our adolescents, but would surely be of great help to the adult Green Skins as well.”
“Not bad.”
This was why I couldn't get rid of him just yet. I didn't know if he'd always been this clever or if the fear of death was bringing out some superhuman intellect, but I'd been impressed by his ideas more than once.
“The Combat Training Archive is a particularly good idea... It's true, we Green Skins don't keep records. If a culture of record-keeping were to take root, it would undoubtedly benefit the tribe. But I'm skeptical about a blacksmith's forge.”
“Yes. Ah... you can certainly use the Item Shop, but building a forge isn't necessarily a bad thing. Not only could we produce essential supplies, but items crafted by a skilled blacksmith are often more effective than those sold in the shop.”
It was true; there had been a blacksmith in the western city. He wasn't particularly skilled, but his wares were certainly good enough for grunts like us.
“You may not be aware, but the Item Shop isn't all-powerful. I've heard that using points for smithing and reinforcement is highly inefficient. If you want to create a custom weapon in a specific form, a blacksmith is your only option. The same applies to those items you call 'red potions.'”
“But none of our Green Skins have studied smithing or herbalism. It would be completely inefficient. It's not that we have no one with related skills, but... it's not a method I'd recommend.”
He fell silent at my words. But it wasn't long before he spoke again.
“Do... do you recall the situation in Somorah?”
I nodded, and he immediately continued.
“There's no law that says only humans can keep Green Skins as slaves, is there? The East and South have many skilled blacksmiths. If we succeed in... acquiring them, it would surely be a great boon to the tribe. O-of course, that is something I could help with...”
He was essentially volunteering to leave the settlement and act as a spy. I let a sliver of killing intent leak out, and he immediately shut his mouth.
“I have no intention of sending you.”
Realizing his mistake, he immediately fell silent and nodded. I looked at him and continued.
“But the idea itself isn't bad. It's true, there's no law that says only humans can take Green Skins as slaves. Skilled blacksmiths, skilled herbalists... The idea of stealing non-combat production classes isn't a bad one.”
“Th-that's right! It would surely be a great help.”
It was just like when he'd so eagerly sold out Somorah; the man seemed to have no conscience. I never imagined he'd be the one to suggest enslaving innocent non-combatants. Not that I had any intention of accepting, but his way of thinking was already completely aligned with our interests. It wasn't an uncommon practice on the continent, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
“But it's not as if we can just walk into a city and take them.”
“The blacksmiths and herbalists of the East often venture outside the cities. The swamplands are poor in mineral resources and medicinal herbs, so they have to go out and gather them under the protection of their guilds or clans. With the combined strength of our three tribes, it shouldn't be too difficult to... intercept them. And for... fortunately, I happen to know their routes.”
The bastard was clever, I'll give him that. If Baek Ahyeon were still living among humans, she could have easily gathered this kind of intelligence. But here in the settlement, I had no choice but to rely on him. Just as I was idly thinking I should keep him around a little longer, a brilliant idea suddenly struck me.
“Not bad...”
His face lit up with joy. I spoke again.
“I have something else I want to ask.”
“Yes! A-ask me anything. When it comes to the East, I know it inside and out.”
“Information on humans who possess noteworthy weapons or items.”
It didn't have to be humans I stole. Establishing the settlement and planning for the future were important, but what mattered more was getting stronger. Ever since Mev became pregnant, that thought had become all the more pressing. When you have something—or someone—to protect, strength comes first.
And the key to getting stronger quickly was efficiency. Honestly, I was already incomparably stronger than before. I was now powerful enough to take down someone like the Guild Master of Somorah in a one-on-one fight, even if he wasn't exactly a top-tier leader.
But the continent was full of powerhouses. The Queen of the North, the Sword Saint, and countless other monsters whose strength was off the charts. I had no intention of clashing with freaks like them.
I didn't need their lives or their bodies. I could get the experience points I needed for evolution from plenty of other sources.
All I needed were their weapons.
‘Item theft.’
I would ambush raids and parties hunting large beasts and steal their weapons. It was the same method that had worked against Park Hyeri of the Spider Clan. While some items were likely soulbound, far more weren't.
I'd equip the useful items and sell the rest to the shop. It was the perfect opportunity to save up the points I needed for that Sealed Greatsword I'd been eyeing. It was the most efficient way to get stronger in a short amount of time.
Become a weapon thief, then a merchant who sells them off. As I played the scenario over in my head, a voice echoed in my ears. After a very long time, a new quest had arrived.