Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The Scapegoat
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Chapter 10.
“Team Leader.”
“What is it?”
“You were right, Team Leader.”
Park Seong-hwan leaned back in his chair with a dumbfounded expression.
On the screen he was watching, Lee Shin was visible.
When he first appeared in drag, Park Seong-hwan had wondered what on earth he was trying to do…
‘Fighting! You can do it!’
‘Pant… pant… Let’s take a little break….’
‘Are you tired?’
‘No, it’s not that I’m tired… I was just worried Si-eun might be getting fatigued….’
‘I’m fine.’
‘…….’
‘…….’
It was Lee Shin, working the other players to the bone!
Watching him, Park Seong-hwan understood with painful clarity.
He finally knew what Jeong So-yeon meant by ‘madness.’
“…He’s truly insane.”
Park Seong-hwan let out a heartfelt sigh that came from deep within.
Beside him, Jeong So-yeon, who had been watching the screen as well, chuckled.
“See? I told you so.”
“He even cross-dressed just to do this.”
“I suppose so. He wouldn’t have done it just for fun. …Right?”
“Wow… Seriously. Wow….”
It was madness incarnate!
And to top it off, he was pretty.
Clear, translucent skin and lips with a reddish hue.
A slender jawline and eyes that seemed to draw you in.
There stood a beauty who exuded a classic, oriental atmosphere.
‘How is that a man… No, I’m losing my mind!’
*Scratch, scratch!*
Park Seong-hwan, who had been staring intently at Lee Shin, tore at his hair.
Even knowing the truth, the fact that he still looked like a woman was driving him crazy.
It was a subtle sense of displeasure, difficult to put into words.
A feeling that was half fascination, half disgust!
“…Can’t we issue a warning for that?”
Finally, Park Seong-hwan turned his head and asked Jeong So-yeon, almost pleading.
Jeong So-yeon sighed and replied.
“You think we can? He did it because he knew he could get away with it.”
“…Right. I suppose so.”
“Just ignore it. That’s just how he is. We should be glad he’s not causing any real trouble.”
Jeong So-yeon patted Park Seong-hwan on the shoulder consolingly.
Having dealt with Lee Shin many times in the past, she was relatively composed.
“And I checked, there’s not much going on in Eteun right now. The main quest there starts later, remember?”
“Was it the prince? The one who kicks it off.”
“Yeah. But the players don't know about him yet.”
“…That’s a real relief.”
Having witnessed a fraction of Lee Shin’s madness, Park Seong-hwan was genuinely relieved.
If the main quest was still a long way off, Lee Shin would just get his class and move to another region.
Unlike Eteun, the other kingdoms had excellent security, which would naturally act as a check on Lee Shin’s bizarre behavior.
Park Seong-hwan muttered to himself.
‘I hope he leaves soon.’
But Park Seong-hwan didn’t know.
Back in the days of Avala Online 1.
The player named Lee Shin had always been one to defy the developers’ expectations.
* * *
Deep within the Ibarada Forest.
A spawn point for mid-tier magical beasts.
In a place where the corruption was thicker than at the entrance, a group of players was on the hunt.
“Graaaaaah!!”
[The Mutated Black Wolf lets out a furious roar.]
[The wolf regenerates health!]
The self-healing ability—the very reason Lee Shin had given up on hunting them.
It had become even more vicious as the monsters’ grade increased to mid-tier.
But the players facing it were no slouches either.
“Mage! Get ready!”
“Wound Tear! Corrupted Blood! It’s on!”
At the party leader’s command, the mage reacted quickly, casting a healing reduction debuff before the wolf could recover its health.
The party leader, a Warrior, sized up the situation and slammed his shield into the ground.
*Thud!!*
“‘Guardian Stance!’ Now, pour on the damage!”
*Boom! Crash! Boom!*
The skills of the Rogue and Mage, who had been waiting for an opening from the rear, rained down on the wolf.
Tanking the moment the debuff landed, followed by a burst of focused damage!
Individually, they weren't exceptional, but their coordination was flawless.
“Wow….”
Jeong Yu-ra, watching the battle from behind, let out a gasp of admiration.
She hadn’t noticed it much when they were hunting low-tier monsters, but things certainly looked different now that their levels were higher.
For someone playing a game for the first time, it was a truly impressive sight.
[Health has dropped below half.]
[The wolf roars….]
“…We’ve almost got it!”
“Keep firing!”
*Crash! Boom! Boom!*
With a flash of brilliant effects, the wolf’s health plummeted.
Its health bar stopped just shy of zero.
One more hit would kill it!
…And that’s when Lee Shin made his move.
“Now!”
“Yes.”
*Stab!!*
[You have acquired experience.]
Lee Shin, acquiring a massive amount of experience without any contribution!
At that sight, Jeong Yu-ra’s expression, which had been one of admiration for the party play, cooled slightly.
She muttered to herself.
‘This is… party play?’
No matter how she thought about it, it didn't seem right, yet no one pointed it out, leaving her confused.
Why?
If anything, everyone was looking at Lee Si-eun with pleased expressions….
‘Ugh…!’
Jeong Yu-ra groaned inwardly with frustration.
She felt like Alice, dropped into some strange wonderland.
‘Is this really how things are supposed to be…?’
Unaware of Jeong Yu-ra’s inner turmoil, Lee Shin continued to extend his grasp over the players.
“You all worked so hard.”
“…! Oh, not at all.”
“Haha. This much is nothing….”
As Lee Shin smiled gently, the players’ eyes grew hazy.
This was despite the fact that all they had gained from their hard work was a few gold coins.
Their job satisfaction was, quite literally, at an all-time high.
Meanwhile, Jeong Yu-ra’s conscience was becoming more and more tattered.
But from her perspective, the other party members were already beyond reasoning with.
To change the situation, the one in control had to make a move.
Jeong Yu-ra whipped her head around to look at Lee Shin.
Her gaze was filled with desperation.
‘…This isn’t right!’
* * *
Lee Shin subtly shifted his gaze.
‘She’s staring.’
Jeong Yu-ra’s gaze had grown considerably colder compared to when they first met, thanks to his actions so far!
It was understandable, since all he did was stand in the back like a totem and cheer after forming the party.
But contrary to what Jeong Yu-ra thought, Lee Shin wasn’t just fooling around.
In fact, his mind was working harder than it had since he started the game.
‘Hmm.’
When should he leave the party?
That was the question Lee Shin was seriously pondering.
To be precise, when and how could he leave to maximize his gains while ensuring there would be no repercussions?
In truth, while the process was the issue, Lee Shin already knew the answer.
He could just PK everyone after finishing his class advancement quest and leave.
There was a drop rate penalty, but it didn't matter in this case.
His opponents were much higher level than him, so he’d profit even if they only dropped one or two pieces of equipment.
The problem was the aftermath.
‘They’ll obviously try to get revenge.’
And that would be a bit of a problem.
He wasn't a high-ranking player, nor was he part of a guild.
If his opponents held a grudge and hired high-level players to hunt him down, even Lee Shin would find it troublesome.
Of course, with his vast experience, he wouldn’t just die repeatedly, but it would certainly put a damper on his growth.
So, what should he do?
Lee Shin knew the answer to this as well.
‘I’ll have to make them turn on each other.’
This plan was more about practicality than amusement.
If he made them suspect one another, they wouldn’t band together to chase him for revenge later.
It would be difficult with a normal party, but the party in Eteun was a temporary group of strangers.
Sowing discord among them would likely be quite simple.
There was no loyalty to speak of among players like these.
‘All I need is a catalyst….’
What should he use?
As Lee Shin mulled it over, something caught his eye.
‘Ah.’
A player standing alone, away from the others, while everyone else rested after the hunt.
The moment he saw him, Lee Shin thought of the perfect method.
He recalled all the information he had gathered on that player so far.
Name: Kang Woo-jin.
Class: Rogue.
Level: 55-60.
Usually gave one-word answers when spoken to….
……
A meticulous observational skill honed by his upbringing since childhood!
Thanks to it, Lee Shin had picked up on every one of his minor characteristics.
‘…He has trouble making eye contact.’
‘He can’t join in conversations easily.’
‘He suddenly laughs by himself.’
‘He’s an outcast.’
‘He doesn’t talk much.’
‘And the few times he does speak, no one understands him….’
……
Putting all these factors together, Lee Shin reached a conclusion.
The problem he had.
‘A lack of social skills.’
He lacked social skills.
And Lee Shin knew better than anyone the disadvantages that came with such a trait.
Though the cause was different, he himself had faced a similar problem in the past.
A lack of social skills doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of character, but society’s perception is often different.
It’s fundamentally difficult to leave a favorable impression on others, which creates many hardships.
In other words, it was like this.
For example.
If an ‘unfortunate incident’ of unknown cause were to suddenly occur in the party, who would people suspect and blame first?
The answer was obvious.
* * *
[You have hunted too many monsters.]
[Respawning has been temporarily suspended….]
After the hunt, Lee Shin headed to the starting village with Jeong Yu-ra to complete the quest.
On the way, Lee Shin checked his status window for the first time in a while.
[Lee Shin]
• Level: 42
His level had gone up by another six!
In truth, it was excessively high for a player who hadn't even completed their class advancement, a temporary phenomenon caused by the massive experience buff.
Such explosive growth could only happen in the early stages.
For now, Lee Shin closed the status window without allocating his stat points.
“Um.”
Just then, Jeong Yu-ra, who was walking beside him, spoke up.
“Yes?”
“When will we be able to join the fight?”
“We’ll have to advance our class first. How many chain quests do you have left?”
“Um……”
Jeong Yu-ra briefly stared into space.
She was checking her quest window.
“Two… more.”
“It’ll be over soon, then.”
“What about you, Si-eun….”
“I’m almost done too. I have three left.”
At his words, Jeong Yu-ra’s expression brightened considerably.
It was a look closer to relief than joy.
That alone showed how uncomfortable she had been with the current situation.
“……”
The problem was that the truly sorry part hadn't even begun yet.
He was planning to blow up the party once the quest was over….
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
Lee Shin turned his head away.
‘Who cares.’
They wouldn’t see each other again anyway.
With that thought, Lee Shin casually dismissed his concerns about Jeong Yu-ra.
But at that moment, Lee Shin didn’t know.
That things in life don’t always go as planned.
* * *
“I’ve returned.”
[Kilgeo’s 4th Trial]
• Hunt Mid-Tier Mutated Beasts: 90/30
[You have exceeded the quest requirements!]
[You have acquired experience.]
[Level Up!]
[Level…]
[You have acquired the skill, Deep Cut.]
[You have acquired the skill, Critical Hit Enhancement.]
‘Check skills.’
[Deep Cut: Low-Tier Lv. 1]
• Inflicts an attack on a nearby enemy.
[Critical Hit Enhancement: Low-Tier Lv. 1]
• A portion of your critical hit damage ignores the target’s defense.
• Current Value: 1%
‘Oh.’
Lee Shin nodded.
He had only gained two levels, but he was quite pleased with the skills he’d obtained.
He finally had an attack skill, and Critical Hit Enhancement would be useful for someone like him who could land powerful criticals!
And the timing was perfect.
[Kilgeo gives you the 5th trial.]
[Kilgeo’s 5th Trial]
• Hunt High-Tier Mutated Beasts: 0/30
“And I’ll tell you this in advance. From the next trial onward, you must solve it with your own strength alone.”
“By next, do you mean the 6th trial?”
“That’s right. And you’ll have to move to a different location as well.”
“…Understood.”
Hearing that, Lee Shin made his decision.
He’d had his fun.
‘I’ll have to kill them this time.’