Magical Thief (2)

Glancing to the side, I saw that HandsomeSeojun's party had also stopped hunting at the sound of his shout and was charging toward me.

"Hahaha! What a jackpot! A lowbie decked out head to toe in rare full gear, hunting solo? What kind of balls do you have to be out here alone? Don't you know this game's full of hit-and-runs if you're rolling without a bus or backup?"

"Acting all polite to my face, but whispering for murderers behind my back? That's how you wanna play the game?"

"Isn't that the charm of Tayen? Heh heh."

I veered away from his party, firing back at his taunts. But the guy had reason to act so cocky, like he'd already pinned me down like a cornered rat. Before I knew it, HandsomeJjuho—buffed with a movement speed boost—was closing in fast from behind, swinging his blade.

Slash! Slash!

His moving slashes while charging ate away at my HP in huge chunks.

In my panic, I popped the shield I'd prepared for Mana Shield. But it shattered the instant his attack hit.

Clang!

"What the? A shield out of nowhere? Weren't you a pure DPS build?"

"Casting spells doesn't make you a DPS? Then anyone with a longsword is a knight?"

He yelled in surprise but didn't let up on the attacks. I zigzagged away, throwing everything I had at my disposal. I just needed to reach the outer edge of the valley—then maybe I'd have a shot at surviving.

"Well, well? Magic Missile too?"

But the massive level gap meant my spells just got resisted, doing nothing but startling him for a split second.

"You're insane. Shield on a DPS build, and now Magic Missile? Gear's all you've got—you're a total noob."

"Huh? Then what does that make you guys, struggling to kill a noob right now? Total scrubs?"

"Big mouth on a dead man walking. That can't just be rare full gear, right? How reinforced is it that you're still alive? Worth the teleport fee and time! Hahaha!"

"Who said I'm dying? You think I'd pay premium sub fees to die to trash like you?"

I shouted tough-guy lines, but things looked grim. No way I could win against a guy who had to be at least level 200. His base speed was faster too, so I kept eating hits even while running.

Finally... I made it!

Chugging superior HP pots non-stop, I barely held on and reached the valley's edge—a sheer cliff.

My HP was under 10% now, barely a sliver left.

"You ran straight here, so I thought you had backup or something. Just an empty cliff? Why'd you bust ass to get here? Oh! So you die to fall damage instead? Fine, I'll hop down and loot ya! Haha!"

"......"

I stood silently at the cliff's edge, peering down. About 20 meters—not a true cliff, more a steep slope too sharp to climb back up easily.

Thinking he had me hooked like a fish, he stopped attacking. By then, HandsomeSeojun's party arrived, surrounding me.

"Whoa! This guy's not even +10 enhanced, right? Bro, we were shooting arrows non-stop, and he's still kicking?"

"Looks like it, Seojun. This is the real deal. Check that longsword—it's an Iberutan Longsword. Steak tonight! Heh heh heh."

"Bro! Don't forget I spotted him first and whispered you. You owe me dibs, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Enough chit-chat—let's roll for loot. Please be a jackpot! Hope the longsword drops big!"

They bantered leisurely, then stepped closer to me at the cliff's edge. As I'd guessed from their earlier "hunting invite," HandsomeSeojun had just wanted a closer look at my gear.

Should've changed my gear appearance... Whatever, water under the bridge. Still got a way out!

My improvised plan had lured them here perfectly. Dying wouldn't hurt much, but for an aspiring legend like me, getting killed by scrubs was a pride issue.

Now it was all down to my gamble paying off.

"You idiots are drinking the kimchi soup hard. This ain't PK or self-defense—drop rate's low even if you kill me."

"No guarantee it'll drop. But no guarantee it won't either, right, loot piñata? Heh heh heh!"

"Not embarrassed ganging a lowbie? Posing like big shots?"

"A lowbie wrapped in full rares? Soloing without backup screams easy pickings. Pure honey, no backlash."

"Shut your traps! Come grab me yourselves then, losers!"

As they closed in, I flipped them the bird and backpedaled right off the cliff.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

No way it'd one-shot me from this height, even at low level and low HP. Someone would chase.

But climbing back up this slope? They'd have to loop around a long way.

HandsomeJjuho had to be the one to follow. That was my only shot.

"Where you running, piñata? I'm pulling you myself!"

And just like I hoped, as I leaped back, he chased right after.

"Hahaha! You dumb bastard, you fell for it!"

This was what the skill tree, sprint, and taunts were for.

I flashed a grin at HandsomeJjuho leaping after me, then Shadow Stepped—not at him, but back up to HandsomeSeojun on the cliff!

If HandsomeJjuho had instantly turned mid-air and Shadow Stepped after me, I'd have admitted his reflexes and died fair. But a guy with that kind of game sense wouldn't be chasing a lowbie like me.

"Alright, Seojun, bro's back. Until your Jjuho bro or whatever climbs up... take some hits from me!"

Unlike me, HandsomeJjuho plummeted down the cliff. I'd teleported behind HandsomeSeojun mid-air, turning me into the predator here.

Still 3v1, but they were my level now.

"Wh-what? How's an unclassed noob using Shadow Step? You reroll—"

"Hey! Who said I wanna chat?"

Slash, Continuous Slash! Slash, slash!

No need to hear him out, no time either. Wanted to toy with them, but he might wise up and jump. He was backpedaling, so probably not.

"D-don't hit! Don't care if I go murderer? Lowbie murderers can't even level!"

He was panicking hard at the turnaround. Forgot I had the self-defense marker on him.

"Forgot shooting arrows at me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠earlier? Still self-defense—what're you on about? Your mentality's shot."

"Argh! Why's it hurt so bad? Heal! Heal! Dobin, quit spectating—shoot arrows quick! Gear's good, but same level as us! And he's low HP!"

"Got it! Hang on!"

Ping! Ping!

The male healer kept healing HandsomeSeojun, but I ignored it and stuck to him, feeding him blade after blade. Couldn't stop ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠now with arrows flying and heals landing.

Take one out first... Drop him quick!

A high-level thief hunting me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was tough—this beginner-zone 3-man scrub party was worse than three rock golems. And I could crush them blindfolded.

Gulp!

Trusting my gear specs and potion recovery, I hounded HandsomeSeojun's back relentlessly.

Then the second Continuous Slash cooldown was up.

"Argh! Nooooo!!"

HandsomeSeojun couldn't tank the hits anymore—he dropped an item and oxidized to gray ash.

His longsword dropped, but it was junk normal-grade gear.

"No good! Dobin, run!"

The other two bailed without loyalty, not even grabbing Seojun's drop.

No reason for me to just watch.

I fired an instant Magic Missile at the closer healer over the archer. It whiffed on Jjuho due to levels, but the archer was same-level. He stiffened on hit, hesitating in panic.

I closed in fast and shoved my blade home.

Seojun said this guy's heal was 5-star, right?

Party-only all-in tree. If he dumped everything into heals, stats were pure mana/intellect. No tanking experience meant paper-thin survivability.

"Aaaah! Heal! I can't die! This is all borrowed gear!"

Sure enough, Continuous Slash plus three basics one-shot him.

My +10 rare longsword shone like a holy sword against beginner-zone scrubs.

"Huh? What's this? Dropped a rare?"

Self-defense maybe? Unexpectedly good—a safe-enhanced accessory was a whale in beginner zones where rares were rare, let alone slots.

Shaking off stray thoughts, I chased the fleeing archer.

"Was gonna let you go if you ran far... haha, what the?"

But he hadn't gotten far. Rock golems respawned everywhere here; while we scrapped, they'd piled up tight.

Dodging to avoid waking them slowed him way down.

Me? No such worries.

"You bitch, give up and stop!"

"Argh! You psycho! Chasing while aggroing everything!"

Yeah. Potions and natural regen had refilled over half my HP. Dozens of golems? No threat.