Chapter 139: Weapon Thief
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 139: Weapon Thief
[ You have received a new quest. ]
[ Quest - Steal a Weapon: You are a Named Monster, called Blood Dagger or the Weapon Merchant by the humans. It wouldn't be strange for you to become the ‘Weapon Thief’ now! Steal as many weapons as possible. ( 0/1 ) ]
[ Reward - ??? ]
Seeing another weapon-related quest pop up made me feel a little good. The reward was a series of question marks, but even if it was just one of three things—the possibility of a class change, an evolution, or an entry ticket to the Secret Store—it would be a huge gain. To be honest, the most tempting one was the entry ticket to the Secret Store. If this went well, I was certain I could finally buy the Sealed Greatsword I’d been keeping in mind.
I didn't know who was giving me these quests, but it seemed they quite liked my idea. I couldn't help but think it was the best way to get stronger quickly. I'm no genius. There's a limit to how strong you can get through brute effort alone. In that sense, the method I'd come up with was a perfect fit for me. When I raised the corners of my mouth into a smirk, Lee Wanyong, who was watching me, followed suit.
Seeing him instinctively smile along with me, it was clear he was a man specialized in flattery and sucking up.
I tossed the Ancient Flame I was holding to him. There was no special meaning behind it; I just wanted him to check the sword's specs.
“This is the minimum standard. Tell me everything about any humans who possess a weapon on par with or better than the Ancient Flame.”
As expected, the man’s eyes widened as he caught the Ancient Flame. I’d gotten it early on, but it was truly a masterpiece among masterpieces. The blade, shaped like a flickering flame, was even beautiful. Since items that dealt with fire and heat were common, there were surely superior versions out there, but this one’s mana consumption—its fuel efficiency—was ideal.
To use an analogy, I couldn't yet afford the fuel efficiency of a foreign sports car. If I were to wield the Sword Saint's holy sword, my fuel would run out in an instant, and I'd surely be exhausted. Now that I've become a demon, the situation is a little better, but for now, that's how it was.
But with the Ancient Flame, it was a different story. It was a one-of-a-kind item that could produce considerable efficiency with a modest amount of mana. It was an extreme thought, but if I hadn't obtained it in the beginning, I wouldn't have been able to grow this strong.
“Anyone come to mind?”
I waited for Lee Wanyong's answer. But there was something unusual in his eyes. It wasn't the look of someone who wanted to kill me, but the look of someone contemplating something. He was definitely contemplating. He was judging whether he could overpower me with the Ancient Flame in his hands.
Quite a cute sight.
What a truly absurd guy.
Of course, even if he held the Ancient Flame, he couldn't beat me. He'd been pretending to be completely loyal, but it seemed he’d had a change of heart. I lifted my chin and stared at him without a word, slowly beginning to raise my mana, lacing it with a subtle, barely perceptible killing intent. Finally, Lee Wanyong flinched in surprise and opened his mouth to speak.
“Ye… yes. Of course, I know of some.”
Funnily enough, my desire to mess with him grew stronger than my desire to punish him. I swapped the weapon Lee Wanyong was still holding with one of my throwing daggers.
For a moment, a dumbfounded look crossed his face. He must have known about this ability, but seeing the weapon switch against his will, he still looked amazed.
No, more than that, it was a look of immense relief. He seemed relieved that he hadn't made the wrong choice. It was a shame; if he had charged at me with the Ancient Flame, it would have created a much more interesting situation, but what’s done is done.
As if trying to hide his previous thoughts, Lee Wanyong hurriedly began to speak again, and I started to listen carefully.
“O-of course, in the case of powerful individuals who hide themselves, it's impossible to know what weapons they have, but there are definitely people with weapons of similar or better efficiency than this Ancient Flame. The problem is that they're all somewhat famous…”
“I have no intention of fighting them.”
“Ah.”
It seemed he finally realized why I was asking for this information.
‘Theft.’
Of course, it was theft. He now started to look at me with what seemed like respect. It appeared the plan I was about to execute was very much in line with his way of life. Since he was a despicable bastard, he seemed to genuinely like my methods. He was already motivated, but seeing him try to appear even more enthusiastic, I smiled.
“In that case, it would be best to start with someone who isn't agile.”
“Correct. A slow one would be easier to deal with.”
The perfect answer. When I'm stealing, I'll naturally be riding Abar, so it's unlikely I'll get caught. But against long-range archers or someone with the agility of Park Hyeri or a Green Goblin, you never know.
If possible, a big, slow guy would be the first target.
A tanker-type who is slow to react and not agile is the most suitable first victim. Of course, they'd be just as tough and strong, but since I won't be clashing with them physically, it didn't really matter.
“There is one suitable person. He's a Clan Master named Park Han Cheol, from a clan based in the metropolis of Hadum.”
“Continue.”
“He's incredibly large and sturdy, not like a human at all. His unique ability is presumed to be related to that, but it hasn't been revealed exactly. His talent as a tanker is so outstanding that despite his clan being very small, he has connections with various other clans and guilds in small cities.”
“In fact, I think it's only a matter of time before they grow into a large clan. Just a few years ago, he couldn't make a name for himself because he lacked the attack power to hold down monsters, but…”
Hearing him say that much, I could naturally predict what would come next.
“He found a way to make up for his lack of attack power.”
“That's right.”
I couldn't remember the details, but I felt like I'd heard the name before. He was likely a near-perfect tanker. He must have a body, stats, and a unique ability that were extremely efficient for both combat and hunting large magical beasts.
Naturally, his past weakness must have been his attack power. Hearing that he started to take off a few years ago almost confirmed it.
He must have hunkered down, biding his time, and continuously saved up points.
I figured it was a course of action he could choose because he understood his own strengths and weaknesses well. He was a man who must have lived on the continent with the mindset that ‘If I can just solve my lack of attack power, things will change. They will definitely change.’ For such a man to be my first victim… I thought he was a worthy opponent. No, rather, this was incredibly exciting.
“What weapon does he have?”
“I couldn't confirm the exact name, but I've heard it's a blunt weapon.”
If you don't have a talent for swordsmanship, a blunt weapon is certainly not a bad choice. Weapons like maces are designed to deliver impact internally, right through plate armor. It would also be a suitable choice for effectively drawing the attention of monsters with thick scales or hides.
I started to become very curious about what kind of blunt weapon he had purchased after overcoming all sorts of pain, hardship, and adversity.
I figured that even before testing whether it was a suitable weapon for me, I could sell it back to the Item Shop for a pretty penny.
“I'm curious about when he comes outside.”
“I don't know the exact times… but since they enjoy raiding, they go out often to hunt large magical beasts. Their main area of activity is, as you'd expect, the hunting grounds near the metropolis of Hadum. Since there are many large mobs there, it's certain that not only Park Han Cheol but others will be active there as well.”
I'd never been to the hunting grounds near Hadum. In fact, since I'd never even been outside the vicinity of the western forest, I figured I'd have to scout the terrain and plan an escape route in advance.
“Of course, the main hunting grounds and their travel routes are all in my head.”
At this point, I was starting to wonder if Lee Wanyong wasn't a gift from the heavens.
“I also spent my time as a squire in Hadum…”
Turns out he started from the bottom. I had a feeling I could move on to the next phase of the plan quite easily.
“Park Han Cheol's blunt weapon is one thing, but there are actually even more incredible weapons out there. Of course, I've never seen it myself, but rumors say that the child of Hadum's Guildmaster, Jang Gi Young, has a weapon that can rival the West's Sword Saint.”
“The Reaper's Scythe?”
I had stolen his line without realizing it. He looked at me with a shocked expression, as if asking how I knew, but it would have been stranger if I didn't. The Reaper's Scythe, along with the Sword Saint's blade, was praised as one of the best weapons.
I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, but I'd heard that in addition to its sharp cutting power, it also possessed a useful authority, much like the Ancient Flame.
However, this weapon wasn't supposed to make its proper appearance until much later. For the Reaper's Scythe to appear now was chronologically incorrect.
“I thought it was top secret… so you knew.”
I just nodded, letting him think whatever he wanted. The Reaper's Scythe I'd vaguely heard about was definitely a weapon that could be summoned and re-summoned. In other words, a weapon that performs a master-recognition ritual. With a weapon like that, the problem was different. The situation was better than with a weapon you couldn't even touch, like the spear the Queen of the North would eventually possess, but the fact that it could be re-summoned meant that stealing it was impossible in the first place.
Even if I managed to steal it, if they just re-summoned it, my success would be for nothing.
As if reading my uneasy expression, he opened his mouth again.
“There's a rumor that they failed the master-recognition ritual.”
“Publicly, the story is that the ritual was a success, but there has been criticism that it was just for publicity. Of course, these are just rumors floating around in the back alleys…”
“They haven't shown anything.”
“No. That's right.”
I started to rack my brain. It was just a possibility, but Lee Wanyong's words had some merit. It was likely a gift prepared by a doting father for his child. The story was that he either happened to get it from a dungeon or bought it from the Secret Store, but failed the master-recognition ritual. From the perspective of someone in power, it could be quite an embarrassing story, so it was likely they hid the truth and engaged in what amounted to false advertising.
Even if the ritual failed, it would only mean they couldn't draw out its true power; it would still display efficiency similar to or greater than the Ancient Flame. To a novice, it might look the same at a glance.
“Has he ever taken the weapon outside?”
“Actually, he goes out quite regularly. Jang Gi Young's son, Jang Gi Hoo, doesn't do much himself, but I've heard he goes hunting with the Hadum guild members.”
“Jang Gi Hoo?”
A very unfamiliar name. I slowly started to search my memories and soon couldn't help but smile. The owner of the Reaper's Scythe that I remembered was a woman. The name I remembered was not Jang Gi Hoo, either.
‘It has no master.’
The owner of the Reaper's Scythe that I knew was Jang Ye Ri, the daughter of Hadum's Guildmaster, Jang Gi Young. She was a slaughterer called the Witch, who had captured and killed many humans.