Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Phantom Thief Appears (2)
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With only a few minutes left until the exam began.
Dodo-do.
Yuria came running over to me with quick little steps.
“Jeron! We came up with a strategy.”
Her eyes sparkled as she explained the plan she’d devised.
To sum it up, it went something like this.
In the early phase, the three of us would stick together to safely rack up points, then split up in the mid-game for efficiency. A textbook strategy.
‘Hmm.’
As expected of Yuria.
It wasn’t a bad plan at all.
Following it to the letter would have no issue getting us into the top ranks.
However, there was one fatal flaw.
The process wasn’t slothful in the slightest.
Of course, I could slack off here and there while acting lazy during execution.
But I wanted something far more revolutionary—a total free ride.
“Rather than that….”
That was why I started to explain my finisher-leech plan to them.
But.
Ding!
[Warning! Warning!]
[Diligent behavior detected!]
[Continued action will cause Sloth to de.cline!]
‘Ah, right.’
It had been a while since the system threw a flag.
Even giving detailed instructions was considered diligent.
And the tone felt weirdly excited, which was pissing me off.
‘No helping it.’
In the end, I gave up on the explanation.
This meant skipping the process entirely and just announcing the results.
“Rather than that, let’s do this.”
“Jeron, do you have some kind of plan?”
“Yeah. First, Yuria, you head to this section of the misty swamp. Arteil, you go to this section of the rocky canyon.”
I marked out exactly where they should go.
“What about you, Jeron?”
“I’ll move solo.”
“Solo…?”
Yuria and Arteil exchanged glances.
Their eyes narrowed, and soon suspicious looks turned my way.
“Jeron. You’re not just sending us off so you can slack alone, right?”
Yuria asked cautiously.
“…….”
Arteil didn’t say anything, but her expression suggested she was thinking the same.
Suddenly, I was being treated like a jobless bum, a loafer, a house husband, a total freeloader!
‘This is unfair.’
I felt extremely wronged.
Yes, it was a freeloader plan, but that didn’t mean Arteil and Yuria had to freeload.
My plan was for sloth points and quest completion, but it was also genuinely the most efficient way to score.
Of course, considering my usual behavior, they had a point.
Plus, after team formation, I’d only slacked during training, so my image had probably plunged past rock bottom into sloth hell.
But there were reasons for all that.
I was saving sloth points to buy skills for this exam.
Sob sob. They didn’t appreciate my tearful sacrifice.
No helping it.
“Trust me. I’m not slacking.”
I steeled myself for a dip in sloth points and spoke up.
“So what will you do when the exam starts, Jeron?”
“Me? I’ll wait here for now.”
No sooner had I finished than Yuria’s face crumpled.
“As expected, you’re planning to just roll around at the starting point…?”
[Slothful remark!]
[Sloth +1!]
‘No….’
This was driving me crazy.
Sloth was actually building up.
Was this the boy who cried wolf?
But then.
“Phew… I don’t know what you’re thinking, but fine. I’ll do as you say, Jeron.”
Arteil let out a deep sigh.
But she didn’t argue further and turned away.
Surprisingly, she was following my orders.
“You’re lazy, Jeron… but I know you’re at least thinking of us.”
She mumbled in a small voice.
Oh, Arteil.
Touching.
Guess all that affinity-building paid off.
“I’ll trust you too, Jeron. But we’re really going to work hard, so you have to join in after slacking a bit!”
Yuria followed my instructions too, cheeks puffed out.
Right then.
“The first exam begins now!”
Professor Kate’s signal rang out.
At the same time, the barrier around the base camp lifted.
Paths opened to sections across the island.
“Whoa! It’s starting!”
“Let’s go!”
Tadadada!
The cadets charged toward the forest in unison.
Arteil and Yuria dashed off to the sections I’d assigned.
“…….”
I watched their retreating figures with pride.
All that sloth-acting and sloth-tutoring… whatever it was, it paid off. They’d even follow orders like this.
Yeah, yeah. I’ll prove your trust with results.
‘For now….’
While everyone else ran off, I stood alone in place, arms crossed.
Cadets passing by gawked in shock.
“Wow, look at Jeron. He’s not moving at all.”
“Man… is he skipping the exam too?”
“Maybe it’s good he’s not on our team….”
Whispers reached me, but a smile crept onto my face.
[The cheetah grins.]
[Sloth +50!]
For now, the sloth was sweet.
***
With all the other cadets gone, I was the only one left at the base camp.
I pondered the strategy I’d execute from here.
The ‘contribution system’ Professor Kate mentioned.
At first glance, it seemed like a perfect rule to prevent finisher-leeching cheats.
Naturally, the team dealing the most damage would claim the most points.
The other cadets were probably taking it at face value.
Right now, they’d be hunting monsters from start to finish with their own power, stacking points honestly.
In fact, just landing the killing blow would only net 10-20% contribution at best.
So sniping finishers after waiting around was actually a loss.
But there was one fact no one knew.
The contribution system had a glaring loophole.
‘Contribution isn’t measured solely by damage dealt, after all.’
The Academy’s contribution judgment was complex.
Cumulative damage held the biggest weight, of course.
But crowd control skills that neutralized foes also garnered significant contribution.
Things like stuns, binds, or massive defense debuffs.
These dealt no direct damage but aided monster takedowns, earning contribution accordingly.
It made sense.
Parties had roles—DPS wasn’t everything; support mattered too.
The professors had designed the system with that in mind.
However.
That was the loophole.
Veterans like me, after countless trials, fully dissected the Academy’s contribution mechanics.
We discovered that certain skill combos awarded far higher contribution—like a bug!
That enabled the finisher-leech strategy.
‘Monsters beaten to near-death by other teams….’
If I showed up last, used specific skills, and sniped the finisher?
I could steal over half the points with minimal effort.
Of course, this freeloader tactic was intricately crafted.
Timing based on other teams’ progress, positions to move to, skill activation moments—all predetermined.
But I’d used it so much, I had it memorized perfectly.
‘Time to head out.’
I spread shadow wings and flew to the first target zone.
***
[Skill]
[Shadow Stealth (Hero)]
...Watch... your... back...
Description: (Active) Hide in the shadows to enter stealth. Maintains in non-combat but deactivates after attacking for a duration. (Cooldown: 30 seconds)
A skill I bought from the Sloth Shop for this op.
I activated it, concealed myself, and observed from nearby bushes.
A group of cadets was locked in fierce combat, sweat pouring.
One from Magic, one Martial Arts, one Divine, one Swordsmanship… sorry, didn’t memorize names.
Call ’em the Extra Team.
“Urgh! This bastard’s shell is tough as hell!”
The frontline Martial Artist grumbled.
Before him, a house-sized wild boar snorted menacingly.
Iron Armored Boar.
Covered in steel-like hide that repelled most blades.
Even slashes barely scratched—a superb tank.
But after the Extra Team’s pounding, it looked exhausted.
‘Timing’s right.’
I checked another skill bought from the shop.
[Skill]
[Dark Brand (Rare)]
Oof, branded good and proper.
Description: (Active) Brand the target, amplifying damage taken for a short time. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
‘Now.’
As the Extra Team’s mage cast ice magic.
I snapped my fingers, firing [Dark Brand] at the boar.
Kwachik!
Ice magic exploded, freezing the boar stiff momentarily.
Simultaneously, an invisible brand etched onto it unseen.
Freeze status and damage amp debuff.
In that instant both overlapped.
The contribution system glitched, granting the [Dark Brand] caster massive bonus points.
‘Contribution rice-eaten. Done.’
For a clean finish.
I gestured [Magic Severing Strike] at the boar’s neck.
Seogeuk—!
The slash cleaved the air, severing the neck precisely.
Thanks to the Extra Team’s work dropping its HP.
Plus the Dark Brand’s amp.
Combined result.
I checked the manastone tablet.
[Iron Armored Boar subjugated!]
[Score: 130 points acquired!]
‘Nice, first haul.’
Contribution around 65%.
Satisfied smile.
Attack action taken—stealth ending soon.
Time to bounce before spotted.
I spread shadow wings.
“Huh…? What? It’s dead?”
“Who severed the neck at the end? Jahil, you?”
“Wasn’t me.”
Bewildered voices from cadets grasping the situation late.
“Huh? But the score’s this low?”
“Doesn’t match the manastone tablet info? Why so little?”
“Whoa. A grading error?”
I left the confused souls behind and flew to the next prey.
***
Somewhere in the treacherous canyon.
Arteil stared ahead with coldly sunken eyes.
Groooar—
A massive rock golem swung heavy arms, exuding pressure.
A fiend from the rocky canyon zone.
Kwaang!
Its fist smashed the ground, sharp rock shards flying everywhere.
But Arteil’s expression didn’t twitch.
‘Opening.’
She spotted the fatal gap in its simple pattern.
Chilling magic shot from her fingertips.
Jjeojeok.
The golem’s legs froze solid to the ground instantly.
The unbalanced giant staggered.
She pierced the joint with an ice spear without missing a beat.
Arteil unleashed magic relentlessly.
Overwhelming firepower crumbled the golem without retaliation.
‘Unusually easy.’
Her skills had surged post-spar with Jeron, but this was excessively so.
‘Especially after getting this necklace….’
Arteil absently touched the one around her neck.
Jeron’s gift. Precious.
Magic control had become astonishingly smooth since wearing it.
‘Maybe it’s some amazing artifact?’
But she knew Jeron wasn’t flush with cash.
He’d said himself it was nothing special.
Just her imagination?
A silly joke she’d overheard once surfaced.
Getting a gift from someone you like boosts your power.
She’d scoffed at the childishness back then.
‘Kuh, these thoughts mid-battle.’
Arteil shook her head to clear distractions.
But one thing she couldn’t deny.
She’d normally ignore such absurd orders from anyone else.
Because it was Jeron—wanting to heed him—she followed.
He was probably slacking somewhere now…
‘Still not hating him is the real problem.’
She smirked and landed the final blow on the golem.
Kwaang!
The massive golem shattered and collapsed.
“Whew….”
Arteil checked the manastone tablet.
[Rock Golem subjugated!]
[Score: 100 points acquired!]
“Good.”
Points stacking nicely.
Her gaze naturally shifted to team scores.
Arteil’s pupils shook violently, like an earthquake.
“What… is this?”
Jeron’s score.
Until recently stuck at 0…
It was skyrocketing at an absurd rate.