Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Temu Mountain Sword God (1)
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*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Hey
- Thief Crab: Cute High School Dropout Middle Schooler
- Thief Crab: What's up?
If I were a total noob, I'd be racking my brain over how to probe here, but I'm Bucheon's notorious tough guy and the Pharaoh of the 21st century.
Obviously, there was no option besides a direct frontal assault.
*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: By any chance
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Have you ever observed me with your ability?
- Thief Crab: Haven't observed High School Dropout Middle Schooler
- Thief Crab: No need to worry
- Thief Crab: (cute girl emoticon holding out both palms)
Thief Crab denied it, but all culprits start by sticking out their webbed feet and denying their crimes anyway.
Just as I was about to probe deeper once more, a message suddenly flew in from Thief Crab, starting to reveal the hidden truth of the situation.
*Ding!*
- Thief Crab: I'll tell you a secret
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: ?
- Thief Crab: Actually, 'Observation' isn't my ability
- Thief Crab: I just asked a close friend I usually hang out with after hearing the situation
That was an unexpected development.
So, the friend does all the work, and this Thief Crab guy monopolizes all the channel's attention?
I'd thought it before, but this was definitely someone with top-tier troll potential.
*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Fine as long as you didn't observe
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: You didn't even try, right?
- Thief Crab: (cute girl emoticon looking sheepish)
- Thief Crab: Truth is, I already tried way back
- Thief Crab: I was just too, too curious, couldn't help it
No, this guy?
I let out a hollow laugh at Thief Crab's shameless remark, waiting for what nonsense would come next with bated breath.
*Ding!*
- Thief Crab: They gave in after I begged persistently
- Thief Crab: But observation failed
- Thief Crab: Not a common occurrence, so feel proud
- Thief Crab: (cute girl emoticon looking smug)
I wondered if they were just making excuses, but my gut told me it wasn't a lie.
Who could casually observe the great 21st-century Pharaoh anyway?
It was just a hunch, but with mediocre observation skills, they probably couldn't even catch the shadow of my toe.
*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Lol
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Peeping tom blocked
- Thief Crab: (cute girl emoticon trembling in fear)
- Thief Crab: Cute super genius High School Dropout Middle Schooler, my bad
- Thief Crab: Please forgive me just once...
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Then grant me one favor
- Thief Crab: Got it
- Thief Crab: I'll post on the channel that you're super cute
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: No thanks
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Something else;
With that promise from Thief Crab for one free observation whenever I wanted, I closed the Archive with a satisfied grin.
Amazed once again by the divine prowess of the great super-genius Weathermancer that even that mysterious observer couldn't detect.
"Heh heh."
Feeling good, tonight's dinner would be mala rosé tteokbokki.
As I was picking a delivery spot, a notification popped up for a message from channel owner Shin Yi-rin.
'A video?'
I clicked and played it slowly. There was Shin Yi-rin at the training ground, slicing a target cleanly in half with flashy moves.
Showing off a good training session today?
I sent a stunned raccoon panda emoticon in admiration, and she replied with a pleased smiling raccoon emoticon.
'Hmm.'
Sure enough, watching this, her skills were impressive.
Splitting heaven and earth with a single click from my room wasn't bad, but I wouldn't mind experiencing superhuman movement through mana reinforcement like that at least once.
'If I try properly, it might work...'
Some people succeeded in physical enhancement through training, while others couldn't no matter how hard they tried the same way.
Probably differences in innate talent or class.
Especially for magic classes, success rates were low and enhancements mediocre, so honestly, positive results might be a long shot for me too.
*Munch.*
I shoved some arriving mala rosé tteokbokki into my mouth and, after a moment's thought, finally made up my mind.
*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Hey
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: You there?
- Temu Mountain Sword God: Yeah, what's up?
It's not like the world ends if I fail, so what's the harm in trying if I want to?
With that in mind, special training it was.
And the one selected as the great Pharaoh's training instructor was none other than channel user Temu Mountain Sword God.
*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: You
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Melee class, so you do physical enhancement too?
- Temu Mountain Sword God: ?
- Temu Mountain Sword God: About as much as anyone else
- Temu Mountain Sword God: But why all of a sudden?
When I asked if they could help with special training, Temu Mountain Sword God nodded readily.
*Ding!*
- Temu Mountain Sword God: I train every day anyway
- Temu Mountain Sword God: Better together yeah
- Temu Mountain Sword God: Send you the training ground address, come whenever
Cha Se-ra was a solid Hunter, but she didn't seem to specialize in physical enhancement, so recruiting her felt iffy.
On the other hand, Temu Mountain Sword God, obsessed with daily training and developing new techniques, likely had a massive data pool.
The perfect talent to draw out the great Pharaoh's potential.
*Ding!*
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Got it
- High School Dropout Middle Schooler: Tomorrow right away
- Temu Mountain Sword God: Yeah
- Temu Mountain Sword God: Wear something easy to move in
These things need to be acted on right when the motivation hits, so the next morning, I geared up and headed straight to the training ground Temu Mountain Sword God mentioned.
'Hmm.'
What kind of training ground is this supposed to be?
The spot Temu Mountain Sword God boasted about was just an empty lot with nothing on it.
No buildings, no equipment, no facilities—just stupidly vast emptiness.
'No wonder the address seemed weird.'
I doubted there'd be a Hunter training ground here, and sure enough, it lived up to the name.
At least no people around, so it might be convenient.
"What, you're already here?"
A presence approached from behind, followed by a clear woman's voice piercing my ears.
Yes, a woman's voice, not a man's.
"...?"
"Pfft. What're you staring at? Thought I was a guy for sure? Yeah, the kids I met in dungeons all reacted the same."
No way—the 'Temu Mountain Sword God' was a woman?
Stunned by this shocking fact I'd never even suspected, I was left speechless and flustered.
"...The real Temu?"
"Of course the real deal, not a fake. What, you troll all day but your real self looks like this?"
Temu Mountain Sword God strode up to me, eyed my face intently, then reached out with her right hand to ruffle my hair.
"Seriously so cute. My mom would try to adopt you on the spot."
"Don't touch my hair."
"Nah, gonna touch more?"
No, this person's way more uncomfortable than expected!
Like the ringleader of those slightly delinquent girl groups from school days.
To an indoor type like me, she was a total predator.
'Feels unreal...'
If Mint Soboro Bread had been a stunning beauty, I'd have shrugged it off, but Temu Mountain Sword God was a whole different story.
I mean, someone who spewed high-level dirty talk and curses like that being such a beauty.
Couldn't help but wonder if this was the channel's average.
"Wanna piggyback ride?"
"...Can you?"
"Right, you're an adult. Look so cute and tiny though."
Her looks could pass for a sharp-featured actress, with a bit of exaggeration.
Following behind as she walked ahead, I dazedly tried to calm my bewildered mind and body.
*Step.*
*Step.*
*Thud.*
"So, what exactly do you wanna try?"
"...Just general physical enhancement?"
"That's not too hard... What's your rank and class?"
For that, I trotted out my prepared cover: C-rank Wind Mage.
"Textbook magic class, huh? Yeah, you magic types struggle with this. But some pull it off, so we'll take it step by step."
"......"
"First, do a cute act. If I like it, I'll teach you. I'm pretty renowned around here, y'know?"
Seeing Temu Mountain Sword God beckon me with a mischievous grin, I couldn't hide the feeling that I was already getting tired.
Hmm, should I just bail?