Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Why Me?
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Why on earth?
My head throbbed with pain.
What the hell is going on?
'The ability to steal something from the opponent.'
Why the hell did it have to be Villainess's Obsession instead of a skill?
I opened my status window and glared at Plunder.
In stories or comics like this, you'd normally steal the opponent's skill first, right?
'I don't even have the energy to get mad.'
It was because my head hurt.
Not just figuratively from the situation—my head was genuinely pounding nonstop.
'This must be the penalty for my skill.'
There was no other reason for my head to hurt like this out of nowhere.
It had to be because of that.
Then, one realization hit me.
'Maybe if I raise their favorability, I can steal skills too.'
Or gifts, perhaps.
Abilities that steal things on that level usually have incredibly high limits.
'But before that...'
My head hurt way too much.
I needed to find somewhere nearby to rest.
'Good thing I have one gold coin.'
Somehow, I'd make it through the night.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Quest completed!] In a hazy, half-asleep state, after renting a room at an inn and collapsing onto the bed, I think I saw that window pop up.
*
"......"
The moment I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
At the same time, yesterday's disaster flashed through my mind.
Or could I even call it a disaster?
Well, what happened, happened—no helping it now.
'Things like this don't usually happen to me.'
Because my motto is to live thin and long.
I don't like getting dragged into incidents or trouble.
It must've been the shock of getting pulled into the game yesterday that made me act on impulse.
'Can't be helped.'
It was the first day, and I'd already been marked by the game's signature villainess—an utterly unavoidable mess.
As I rubbed my face with both hands,
something caught my eye in the corner of my vision.
[Please check reward ???!] Right, there was a reward.
I needed to check it properly.
'Please.'
Don't give me anything else weird.
Just something that lets me live comfortably in this world.
I prayed fervently as I confirmed the reward.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [You have imprinted your existence on Villainess Lucia beyond expectations.] [You have acquired a gift!] [Acquired Fatal Constitution (A)!] "......"
This gift looked incredibly ominous.
I swallowed hard and checked the details.
⚔ GIFT ⚔ Fatal Constitution (A)
Bees are drawn to honey. ◇ Regardless of your wishes, you have a constitution that attracts love from those with strange tastes. ◇ Instinctively, you can discern an opponent's fatal weakness. '......Please don't do this to me.'
For real.
*
Whether I sighed or not,
what I'd done was done, and now I had three gifts.
The water was already spilled.
So, I needed to make a plan accordingly.
'I've caught the Villainess Lucia's interest.'
In this situation, the best option?
Getting away from Villainess Lucia.
'I don't want to get involved, but...'
Why was she called a villainess?
It meant she was a dangerous existence.
'According to the cliché, she'd normally get taken down by the forces of good.'
If I wasn't careful, I could get swept up with her.
No—before that, she might toy with me like a plaything.
So, the absolute best move right now was...
'Head to the [Cradle]......'
Go to the place called the Cradle.
It was humanity's final bastion, built jointly by the Empire and the Kingdom.
Rumor had it there was a [Labyrinth] there, where they trained hero candidates.
'It's funny how my game knowledge isn't half bad, thanks to all the chatter around me.'
If I'd known this would happen, I'd have paid more attention.
No, better yet—I never would've touched that game at all.
'Anyway, time to move.'
If this was the tutorial, there had to be a way to the Cradle.
Otherwise, the devs had no conscience.
The problem was whether I could handle things like killing people or monsters.
I got up from my seat.
I knew staying put would get me nowhere.
'ID's a problem, though.'
Still, it was a medieval era—things would probably work out somehow.
I stepped out of the inn.
One night had cost me two silver coins.
'98 silvers left.'
I decided to scout the area.
That's when I spotted a flyer.
[Come to the Cradle!]
'Huh, the language works fine.'
I could read the writing too.
Summarizing the content:
'Kill monsters in the Labyrinth, mine magic stones, get rich.'
A get-rich-quick scheme.
Not my favorite approach, but it looked like it would draw moths to the flame.
And below it was a map.
I didn't know how to read maps, but Rogue Mastery had taught me.
'It's seriously versatile.'
After studying the map, one thing became clear.
'What? It's close?'
Pretty close, actually.
By road, about three days' travel.
'Can I make it alone?'
📜 MAIN QUEST 📜 You have discovered the Cradle's existence.
📍 Objective: Head to the Cradle in any way and settle there.
🎁 Reward: ???
❌ Failure: No penalty.
I stared blankly at the blue screen.
No penalty for failure, sure.
'But there's a reward.'
S-ranks were rare even for nations.
A-ranks were uncommon but still highly valuable.
Even this flyer said:
[Gifts A-rank or higher guaranteed preferential treatment!]
'Hmm......'
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
What was my life's motto?
To live thin and long.
Attention was a burden.
I preferred operating from the shadows like a behind-the-scenes mastermind rather than stepping into the spotlight.
'......Let's go for it.'
Regardless of my nature, I had to survive here first.
So, picking the easiest, fastest path to power made sense.
That meant gathering info around here and figuring things out.
I headed down to the inn's first floor.
It was broad daylight, yet people were already sitting around eating.
Grrrrumble.
Seeing them made my stomach growl.
'Might as well eat here and pick up some info.'
Info from boozehounds in places like this was usually low-quality.
But since I knew nothing, it'd do.
"One copper for the meal."
I paid with one copper from the change after breaking my gold coin.
The food that came out was a sandwich.
I took a seat, and snippets of conversation drifted in from around me.
"This time, Hendrick's Clan in the Labyrinth city..."
"They say the Saintess is already standing out among the hero candidates."
"Looks like the Sword Hero inheritance is half-decided this round."
"Heard the Thief Hero candidate pissed off the Dark King and got killed?"
"The Adventurer's Guild is recruiting adventurers this time."
"Gonna send another big wave into the Labyrinth, huh."
"Yeah. Moths to the flame again."
"Tsk tsk, that's why prices are..."
Something was off.
'......Why's there so much info?'
Unlike the fragmented lines from game NPCs,
this info was pretty valuable to me.
'And the Adventurer's Guild is recruiting adventurers to send into the Labyrinth.'
Sounded important.
I memorized it and headed to the market district to buy essentials.
"18 silvers and 70 coppers."
A cloak and robe. Backpack, plus some food just in case.
'They're scamming aspiring adventurers, but...'
I had no other options.
After wandering a day, I had a rough sense of prices.
One gold coin was about 10 million won here.
One silver around 100,000 won.
'Truly grateful.'
I briefly mourned the bald guy who'd donated the gold to me.
If I ever saw him again, I'd repay it tenfold.
Turning that gold had been a godsend.
'Now, to the Adventurer's Guild.'
*
"10 silvers."
Getting an adventurer ID was a breeze.
Though it cost a whopping 10 silvers.
"How do I get to the Cradle?"
"For the Cradle, take the carriage leaving this afternoon."
A carriage this afternoon?
Is this how the guild recruits adventurers?
"You're unusual— a northern noble trying to become an adventurer."
"......?"
Northern noble?
Where'd that come from?
'Ah.'
I glanced around and checked a mirror.
My reflection wasn't what I remembered.
'Damn, I'm hot.'
Deep, shining black eyes full of elegance.
And black hair.
Exactly as I'd customized.
'That's why they pegged me as nobility.'
Makes sense.
I asked the clerk for the carriage departure spot and headed there.
A crowd had already gathered.
People were boarding the carriages one by one.
'Lucky.'
I climbed aboard.
Right in front of me sat a woman with orange hair.
My instincts told me she was no ordinary person.
'No way—one of the characters from the game title screen?'
There were four on the title screen.
And I'd already met two.
'This is bad.'
Really bad.
Because...
📜 ENCOUNTER QUEST! 📜 I was overcome with the urge to rub my face with both hands.
For real, don't do this.
'But still...'
There was still hope.
Sure, I looked pretty good, but hero candidates were all stunners.
Looks alone wouldn't draw interest—no worries.
📜 ENCOUNTER QUEST! 📜 You have encountered Ermé, Sword Hero candidate.
📍 Objective: Capture her interest somehow, or make her lose it.
🎁 Reward: ???
❌ Failure: No penalty.
'Ermé, huh.'
It rang a bell.
Where had I heard that name?
'Ah.'
After racking my brain, I remembered.
My friend had raved about her—one of the protagonists.
Sword Hero, Ermé.
'He called her the typical webnovel refreshment character.'
Kills off anyone who gets in the way.
Infinitely kind to those who might join her side.
In other words, the main protagonist.
'Please just ignore me.'
I prayed over and over.
Getting noticed by someone like that would be trouble.
After all, wasn't I a Thief Hero candidate?
As expected—or not.
Hero candidates were close to actual heroes.
'If she finds out...'
She'd definitely try to recruit me.
Plunder was weird for stealing Villainess's Obsession, but it was still an S-rank gift—two of them, rarer than rare across the continent.
So, living thin and long was poison to my motto.
I was just a tree passing by.
I was just a tree passing by.
I hoped she'd just let me pass as I chanted inwardly.
'What.'
My head spun a little.
Proof that a gift had activated.
I instinctively knew my Fatal Constitution (A) had triggered.
And at the same time,
I felt Ermé's eyes scan me.
In the darkness shrouded by the canopy, a crimson glow began to etch into Ermé's eyes.
"What the—why's a guy like this still hanging around?"
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
As the so-called hero candidate Ermé blurted out something nonsensical,
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Quest completed!] [Please check reward ???!] "......?"
Huh?
Why on earth?