Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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'...I thought you said it wouldn't explode.'
[...My apologies.]
Yeah, even I think it's ridiculous...
In the now-silent center of the colosseum, a fairy floated lightly in the air, beaming brightly as it spoke.
"Now, now! Feeling a bit calmer, everyone?"
"... "
Not a single person here showed any sign of being calm.
They were all trembling in terror, locked in silence.
The fairy cheerfully addressed the hushed crowd.
"Lately, we've been getting so much stress from people who won't listen that we've been granted a special authority. It's this..."
It slowly lifted its lowered head, grinning slyly as it continued.
"They said we can blow the heads off anyone who doesn't listen. We're trying out this new rule for the first time today. What do you think? Pu-hu-hu!"
...What insane coincidence...
[It was information impossible to know from the start.]
Well, as long as we stay quiet, our heads are safe.
I let out a sigh of relief and glanced around.
The only ones still somewhat composed were me and a handful of others.
Not far away, two people caught my eye.
A tall guy around 180 cm or so, and a woman with the proportions of an elf, about 170 cm.
The moment I saw the guy, irritation boiled up inside me.
Fuck, why does he have to look that good? Is this some kind of joke?'
He was hands-down the best-looking bastard I'd ever seen.
The Hero (name escapes me), Louis (name's different somehow), Cho Kang-hyeon (profile barely sketched out), and Asai Berry (not the protagonist).
I'd thought those guys had superior faces, but that was a mistake.
Objectively or subjectively, no one could hold a candle to this guy's looks.
And in that instant, my intuition kicked in.
...Armonia.
[Yes.]
Check that guy's traits.
[...Suho. That's him.]
Figures.
Lucky or unlucky, I'd spotted the protagonist right at the start.
For some reason, we were summoned together in this world.
But I had no info on his name, age, abilities—nothing.
Except for one massive piece of intel.
Fuck, his girlfriend is smoking hot.
[....]
A modern-day elf stood haughtily beside the protagonist.
Maintaining her composure even in this chaos—true heroine material.
As I sized up the situation, my eyes met the elf girl's.
She didn't look away.
Showtime.
Armonia~ Traits~
[Understood.]
Her traits matched the vibe of her looks and demeanor perfectly.
But as I kept staring at the trait window, a sense of dissonance started creeping in.
I figured out why right away.
...Wait, Min Hayeon?
[...? Do you know her?]
Yeah... fuck, I think so? Min Hayeon, Republic of Korea national archer.
She's so famous even kindergarteners in Korea know her.
A woman who captivated the world with her overwhelming beauty and archery skills.
Even a shut-in like me, glued to eroge my whole life, knew her name.
I just never paid much attention since real life bored me.
A wave of gratitude toward the absent Viola washed over me.
Wow, opening my eyes to the real world really shows me how many gorgeous women are out there. All thanks to Viola.
[....]
Oh, sorry! You too, Armonia. Thanks.
[I don't want thanks like that.]
She's prickly...
Probably sulking because I didn't pick her first.
Min Hayeon held my gaze for a while before turning back to the fairy.
But I kept watching, scanning her traits.
And I found the important ones.
[Premarital Chastity], [Relationship Boredom], [Doubts About Partner]
Man, premarital chastity in this day and age... tsk tsk... end times, end times.
[....]
Setting chastity aside, the other two were key.
Those traits suggested the protagonist next to her had caused her a lot of grief.
Even a guy that hot made her bored and doubtful?
Wow, looks easy but probably isn't.
[If it's listed as a trait at that level, she's no easy opponent.]
Yeah, it's not just bravado.
Sometimes girls brag about being into premarital chastity, and it makes me scoff in disbelief.
Why even say that out loud...?
But seeing it as a genuine trait? Totally different feel.
It perfectly illustrated the gap between bluff and sincerity.
The fairy had been rambling explanations nonstop.
Most of it was stuff I'd already heard from Armonia.
The rest sounded like your standard webgame tower climber mechanics.
But the real issue wasn't me.
No, how are total noobs supposed to figure this out? That's all the explanation they get?
The briefing was insultingly sparse.
You'd never guess it was for people fighting for survival.
After her half-assed rundown, the fairy dropped one last key fact.
"Alright~ Everyone's free to leave the colosseum now! But here's a tip!"
"...?"
Ears perked up at the word "tip," everyone leaning in.
"Don't know what this place is? No clue what to do? Just call one of us fairies! We'll give you tips! But... if you want a TIP, you gotta pay in tips (points)!"
It wasn't about calling for help in danger.
If you had questions about Yggdrasil's system, pay the points, and they'd answer.
Fucking hell... pay every time you ask?
Games like this are such bullshit...
[Still, with your Enel reserves, Suho, you should make full use of it.]
True... they won't demand my entire 1000-point fortune just for a question, right?
As Armonia and I chatted, the fairy clapped and gave its closing remarks.
"Once again, welcome to Yggdrasil! We hope you have a thrilling journey! Alright, I'm clocking out!! Yahoo, early shift over—"
With that, it vanished in a pillar of light.
At the same moment, a small hologram popped up in my view.
Whoa, someone's watching me right now?
[Yes. But no donations or chats suggest it's just a curious lurker.]
The gods whose souls reside in Yggdrasil can wander and spectate or sponsor whoever they want.
But plenty pop in without donating a single point, she'd explained.
Ugh... of course it's some broke-ass god.
[Please don't say that out loud. They can observe your entire life except thoughts and comms.]
Got it, I'll be careful.
I looked around.
People were milling about in confusion, buzzing with chatter.
The quick ones who grasped the system were already forming parties.
And the two drawing the biggest crowds...
The protagonist and Min Hayeon.
Girls swarmed the protagonist; guys hovered around Min Hayeon.
My verdict on them?
...Pass for now.
[Planning to approach later?]
Yeah, jumping in now just makes me another desperate scrub.
Scrub #472 wouldn't even register.
But if even one brain cell in their core memory logged me? Trouble.
In tower games, staying low-key at first is best, good or bad attention.
Don't know the protagonist's talents yet—better play it safe.
Plus, parties are better scouted outside anyway.
No class yet? Party invites lead to getting ditched fast.
[Wise choice.]
Let's go!
I strode briskly toward the colosseum exit.
The moment I entered the passage, a blue pillar formed a barrier around me.
Space about 5 pyeong—small room-sized.
Ah, personal space?
[Yes. No one outside can enter or see in.]
It couldn't be activated in all areas, but when exploring long dungeons, there were safe zones in the middle where personal spaces could be activated.
However, since the restrictions differed for each dungeon, there were times when personal spaces could not be activated depending on the situation.
A long holographic list had been generated in the center of the personal space.
I whistled, impressed.
Ooh... more options than I thought.
The list was lengthy.
And a highlighted recommendation.
-Alchemist-
...Jackpot! Feels promising!
[Since there is only one recommended job... I think you can just choose it. While changing jobs is a hassle, it is said to be possible later on.]
Jobs could be changed later, even if not right now.
She explained that even if I couldn't be a mage immediately, if I happened to obtain magic power while climbing Yggdrasil, a class change would be possible later.
There must be a reason for the recommendation.
Job... Alchemist.
I tapped the Alchemist entry.
The list vanished!
...And nothing happened.
Really low-key. Did it work?
[Yes, you have changed.]
...
Then a weird hologram appeared.
A meager list of skills with meager levels was displayed alongside a humble description.
...Super basic.
[...I thought there was a reason, but....]
[Alchemy LV 1] has blossomed. Modified to [Alchemy LV 48] due to [Hand Skill LV 555] bonus.
[...As expected.]
Armonia couldn't even finish her sentence.
The status had updated.
'...Recommendation is the best.'
[It seems Material Conversion did not receive a correction. Why only Alchemy....]
Probably because alchemy is all about precisely mixing materials by hand.
Mixing means hands-on work, so that explains it.
[That seems correct. For now, check your abilities after you go out.... There should be a Blessing note.]
Ah, this?
A paper floated gently where the list had been.
-Blessing- at the top center.
I grabbed it, and a long hologram unfurled.
Armonia's rundown on blessings, word for word.
However, there was also a note saying not to worry, as if you lacked points to apply the Blessing, the text would disappear and you could write it again.
In other words, it meant I could keep writing and checking how many points it would cost.
'For now, as for the Blessing.... Let's think about it more before committing.'
[Please be cautious. It is said that some beings lose their lives before they even reach the 3rd floor because they didn't write a Blessing.]
I had intended to struggle in the beginning for the sake of the future, but she explained that there were many cases of people dying early on without the effect of a Blessing.
Fiddling with the note brought up another hologram.
Most were intuitive types, such as experience increases or probability increases. 'Recommendations, huh... I should keep those in mind. Is that everything for now?'
[Yes. Personal space deactivating soon.]
Let's roll!
..
..
As soon as I finished speaking, the blue barrier vanished, and I found myself standing outside the Colosseum.
Glancing around, the others were already out, chattering noisily.
The appearance of the village looked similar to Krell, the village of Viola that I had visited for the first time. It was a village that looked like a rural hamlet but had a decent scale of its own.
I stretched and messaged Armonia.
Kuhhh!! Alright, what's next?
[My goodness.... Of all moments, at this exact time....]
...Armonia?
Armonia went quiet, then muttered something odd.
'What's wrong? Is there a problem?'
Worried about her, I asked.
[Suho, this opponent...]
O? Found something?
Seemed like she'd dug up protagonist intel—maybe from Zodiac.
However, Armonia explained in a troubled tone.