Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Qualifications of the Master
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“Kraaaagh!”
The body pierced through the heart was engulfed in dark crimson flames.
Even as its flesh burned away and its muscles melted in agony, the bastard clung to life with insane vitality.
“Boss…!”
The healer bitch standing behind it urgently raised her staff.
Second heal.
If that went through, it’d rise again like a zombie.
No chance in hell.
I threw a feint and kicked off the ground hard.
Crunch!
My ankle tendons stretched taut, threatening to snap.
I cranked [Speed Up] to maximum output.
The fixed background in my vision rushed backward in an instant.
I slipped into their blind spot and launched myself into the air.
The healer whipped her head around in panic, but I was faster.
“Taking out the healer first is common sense in our line of work!”
I spun my body 720 degrees in midair.
I loaded centrifugal force, body weight, and the destructive power of a Unique-grade skill into my right heel.
-Splat!
A heavy, dull impact transmitted through my toes.
I could vividly feel her jawbone shattering.
“Guh!”
Unable to even scream, the healer’s body flew like a cannonball and slammed into a massive tree trunk.
Crash!
The woman foamed at the mouth and went limp.
Knocked out cold.
“Y-You filthy scum!”
Seeing his comrade fall, the remaining shield-bearer flipped out and charged.
A massive club swung down toward my head.
Whoosh!
Too wide an arc.
I casually leaned back to dodge, then lightly slashed his exposed side with my dagger.
No need to force a contest of strength.
One was already burning to death anyway, and the healer was out of commission.
“Too slow, asshole!”
I maximized my speed, targeting his Achilles tendon and wrists, slowly whittling him down.
“You coward!”
“Coward? Nah. This is strategy.”
As expected of a shield-bearer, his defense and stamina were impressive, but he eventually tired himself out.
Bleeding from all over, tendons severed here and there, his shield arm drooped powerlessly.
“Haa… haa.”
But I was exhausted too.
At this rate, I’d drop first.
I had no choice but to call for backup.
“Y-Yumin. Torch this fucker too.”
My parched mouth could barely shout.
But the message got through, and soon the tank bastard was engulfed in flames, collapsing in tatters to his knees.
Whew.
Now just the finishing touches.
Victory.
But a bitter aftertaste lingered.
“Haa… haa…”
I braced my hands on my knees, gasping for breath.
Unique-grade power, Rare-grade speed.
Even so, a head-on fight with them hadn’t been easy.
If I’d been alone… it would’ve been rough.
I glanced over. Squishy was slumped on the ground, panting too.
Good girl. At this moment, you’re promoted from dull tank to Squishy.
Her mana depleted, her face was pale, her body drenched in sweat, thin robe clinging transparently to her skin.
“...?”
Oh, crap!
She caught me staring.
“Haa… haa… B-Big Brother… d-did I do good…?”
She weakly lifted her head to look at me.
Her eyes were like a puppy begging for praise.
“...”
I silently gave her a thumbs-up.
That did it—she smiled faintly and sprawled out on the ground like a starfish.
“Ugh…”
I struggled to my feet.
Still had unfinished business.
Incredibly tenacious vitality—the three were still barely alive.
I approached the unconscious healer first.
I squeezed the last of my strength into the Wraithblade and swung.
Healer’s low defense made her head come off surprisingly easy.
“Whew. Rest in peace.”
Panting roughly, I turned to the ones whose flames were dying out.
Too weak to scream, both lay charred black on the ground.
“Eh. No need to bother.”
I watched quietly for a moment.
Soon after, their corpses dissolved into red particles, dropping items.
You bastards made me work my ass off, and if this loot sucks, you’re really fucked.
That’s when it happened.
Rustle.
A faint presence emerged from the forest shadows.
“...!”
I instinctively gripped my longsword tighter.
Another enemy? Or an ally?
My nerves were on edge. Stamina bottomed out. If reinforcements showed…
“Ugh… hng…”
Someone staggered out through the underbrush.
Small stature, deeply hooded in ragged cloth.
But her condition was off.
No hint of hostility.
Instead, her breaths came in ragged gasps, struggling just to stand.
Thud.
The figure collapsed face-down just steps from me.
Heat wafted off her like a furnace.
What the hell is this?
If enemy, kill.
I approached without dropping my guard.
Raised my sword to strike—
“W-Wait! Big Brother!”
Park Yumin rushed over in a panic, grabbing my arm.
“Might not be an enemy! She’s dying!”
“Step aside. Could be playing dead.”
“No way! Look at that frail body! And… check those ears!”
Park Yumin carefully pulled back the fallen figure’s hood.
“...”
The revealed sight was wretched.
Silver hair matted and tangled, long pointed ears poking through.
Skin pale to near-transparency, body unnaturally emaciated.
Whip scars and bruises everywhere.
“Huh? An… elf?”
Park Yumin looked at me with wide eyes.
An elf straight out of games or novels, collapsed bearing traces of horrific abuse.
“Ugh… M-Master…”
The elf mumbled deliriously, sweating coldly.
Pupils dilated, pulse erratic.
She’ll die on her own soon enough.
I indifferently turned away, heading for the Hailon loot.
“Big Brother! You’re just gonna leave? She’s—this elf lady is dying!”
“Fate’s sealed anyway. Leave her.”
“That’s too cruel! How can you…”
As Park Yumin fretted over the elf, I picked up a glowing red stone from where the red-skinned leader had died.
What’s this?
[Blood Oath Stone (Rare)]
A shamanic tool that enforces absolute obedience by staking the slave's life force. If the owner dies, the slave bound to the oath stone suffers heart rupture and dies alongside.
- Currently registered slave: Nameless (Sogran)
- Contract forcibly terminated due to owner's death.
Sogran?
Reading the description cleared things up.
This elf was their slave. With her master dead, the oath’s curse was killing her too.
Damn vicious. At least free her if the master’s dead.
[This item is currently in Soulless state.]
[To use or view info, a soul must be registered.]
“Register.”
Bzzz-!
The red stone glowed in my hand at my will, binding to my soul.
[Ownership of ‘Blood Oath Stone’ has been transferred.]
[Hailon’s slave contract with Sogran has been inherited by you.]
[New master ‘Han Yujin’s life force is supplied to the slave via the oath stone.]
[Death curse lifted due to synchronization phenomenon.]
Eh? What the hell does that mean?
That instant—
“Haa… haa!”
The dying elf gasped sharply, eyes snapping open.
Her stalled heart must’ve kicked back into gear.
Color flooded her pallid face in seconds.
“Wh…? Whoa?! Big Brother! She’s awake! She’s alive!”
Squishy cheered, supporting the elf.
The elf blinked up at me.
“See? Big Brother! You talk cold, but you’re an angel! Couldn’t just leave the poor thing…”
Park Yumin praised me with starry eyes.
“...”
No, I just wanted the details…
Eh, not bad.
I’d accidentally saved the elf’s life.
Or had I?
Accidentally become her master…
I approached the elf with a haughty expression.
“Can you stand?”
“Ah… ahh…”
Spotting me, she paled and flattened herself to the ground.
“I-I’m sorry… k-kill… please kill me…!”
Terror gripped her.
Understandable. The killer who butchered her former Hailon masters stood before her.
“What’s your name?”
“N-No… none. Called… Sogran.”
“That’s not a name. Your real one.”
“F-Forgot… been a slave so long…”
Her voice trembled.
Slavery ingrained to the bone.
Pitiful, but a boon for me.
Easy to control.
Memories flashed of my skull getting cracked by elf snipers in-game multiple times.
Insane range, accuracy, destructive power.
If I raised her right, she’d be a precision ranged dealer, distinct from Squishy’s firepower support.
Bound by the [Blood Oath Stone], no betrayal risk.
If I die, she dies too.
In a way, more reliable than Park Yumin.
“Yumin, take care of her. She’s shivering—poor thing.”
“Yes! Don’t worry! Come here, elf girl. Big sis got you.”
“...”
As Park Yumin brightly tended to the elf, I properly checked the spoils.
First, skill cards dropped by the Hailon trio.
[Spear Throw Mastery (Passive/Rare)]
Increases range and penetration of thrown weapons by 50%.
Oho, gotta learn this one myself.
Passive skill cards are rare.
Especially physical ones.
Saw it once in-game.
[Ironclad Defense (Active/Normal)]
Reduces frontal physical damage by 80% for 3 seconds.
Keep this for when we get a party tank later.
[Light of Healing (Active/Rare)]
Restores target’s life force to moderate levels.
Ooh, a heal skill. Essential for any party…
My gaze naturally drifted to Park Yumin.
Healers are precious. But she’d already committed to mage tech.
Hybrid build? Or to the elf?
Hold off for now.
I stowed the cards in my bag.
Nothing worth Soul Vaulting back to Earth yet.
These skills were for our progress.
Next, gear.
[Steel Spear] for me, [Steel Shield] for future tank.
And the healer’s [Hailon Priest Staff]…
“Yumin, catch.”
I tossed the staff to Park Yumin.
Decent mana amp option.
“Wow! A staff! Thank youuu!”
Seeing Squishy gleefully swinging it around, she’d pull her weight even more from now on.
And this?
Next, unidentified miscellany.
Might be Tutorial beads or something—I examined carefully.
A red crystal emitting eerie light and a tattered parchment scrap.
[Karma Crystal]
A crystal condensed from a slaughterer’s karma.
Use on skill card to randomly enhance or mutate its effect. (Beware side effects)
Oho…
My lips curled up.
Random skill enhancement.
This was it. That thing.
Dooopamineeee!
Gambling element out of nowhere. Just what I wanted.
But seriously, how many people did these guys kill to drop this instead of loot?
Do I drop these later too? Stacked four karmas today alone.
Might even have guys gunning for these someday.
But what really caught my eye was the last item: the tattered parchment.
[Ancient Hailon Chronicles (Fragment)]
Records the true purpose of karma, collected at the cost of guardians’ lives in the Hailon holy site.
- Main text undecipherable (Hailon Language proficiency required)
What? Undecipherable?
System clammed up on key info.
But no problem.
I had a perfect translator freshly acquired.
I shoved the parchment at the hesitant elf.
“Read it.”
She scanned it, startled, glancing nervously at me.
“Th-This is forbidden to Sogran… records of the Hailon ascension ritual.”
“Just the content. Short version.”
She swallowed dryly, lips trembling.
“One who purifies a hundred corrupted souls… becomes the [Radiant Executioner], gaining the right to guard the holy site’s gate.”
“Gatekeeper class change? Next.”
At my indifferent reaction, she gulped and read on.
“One who burns a thousand souls, amassing karma… becomes the [Apostle of Judgment], reborn as god’s proxy.”
“A thousand. Tough conditions.”
Standard RPG class tree.
Fancy words for stat boosts and exclusive skills.
Not tempting.
Risk of killing a thousand vs uncertain returns.
“And… last one.”
Her pupils shook like an earthquake.
Dreading to voice it, she whispered the final line.
“Ten thousand.”
“...”
“One who devours ten thousand karmas, twisting even the absolute laws decreed by the world.”
The elf looked up at me, eyes blue with terror.
“…shall finally become the one and only [Lord of Causality], gaining the right to reign above all laws.”
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped.
Ten thousand.
Insane grind quest.
But my mental calculator spun fast.
Twisting providence?
In this world, providence meant the system.
Twisting it? Not playing within rules, but authority to tamper with the rules themselves?
That changes everything.
Not mere stat bumps.
If it let me bend this shitty dungeon’s rules to my whim…
I rolled up the parchment and stuffed it deep in my bag.
Not doable now.
But if I ever hit a dead end, lost my way.
A final bastion to reach after wandering—or last desperate struggle.
Ten thousand.
Not impossible.
Topple a mass killer, skip dozens of levels at once maybe.