Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Prey Comes Knocking
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‘It's hard to say.’
Lee Shin shook his head.
It was difficult to be certain with just one example.
He'd need more cases to make any kind of judgment.
“…Anyway, that was the story.”
Regreus finished his explanation.
At the same time, a message window appeared before Lee Shin's eyes.
[You have heard about the hidden achievement of the previous Salseong.]
[Your Fame has increased by 1,000.]
*Ting.*
[A quest has been generated.]
Class Quest – Successor to the Salseong
The Salseong, known as a serial killer of the ages. However, unlike other legends, he is a figure shrouded in mystery, his name, achievements, and origins unknown.
As his successor, you must uncover his achievements.
Find the hidden achievements of the previous Salseong and carry on his will!
• Quest Condition: Discover the Salseong's hidden achievements (1/5)
• Quest Reward: ???
‘A class quest?’
It seemed that listening to Regreus's explanation had fulfilled some condition.
The quest required him to repeat what he'd just done four more times and then carry on his predecessor's will.
This was a plausible quest, given that Lee Shin had changed his class to Salseong (though not by choice), but…
‘…His will?’
The problem was how unhelpful it was.
Shouldn't he at least know what the man was doing when he died to carry on his will?
The lack of explanation suggested he was supposed to figure that out himself.
Lee Shin furrowed his brow.
‘This looks like a pain.’
A quest that looked like it would eat up a lot of time!
But it wasn't the kind he could refuse just because he didn't want to do it.
It was a class quest, after all.
“Hoo.”
Letting out a sigh, Lee Shin accepted the quest for now.
He had no intention of starting it right away, figuring he'd get around to it slowly whenever he felt like it.
“Let's go.”
“Yes.”
Lee Shin and Arthur headed to the lord's castle, just in time.
* * *
In the spacious training grounds of the lord's castle, all the players who had participated in the subjugation with Lee Shin were gathered, waiting for the lord to announce the quest rankings.
Mapen, who had been in overall command, could also be seen there.
Lee Shin approached him.
“Commander Mapen.”
“Hm? Ah, it's you. I didn't see you around, so I thought you'd forgotten the time.”
“Haha, not at all. I was delayed by some other business.”
“Delayed? You're right on time. Come over here.”
Mapen chuckled and shook his head, then guided Lee Shin to the front.
Seeing this, Lee Shin put on a troubled expression and said,
“But the line…”
“Haha! Why worry about such things? Hey, you lot. Make some room.”
*Shove, shove!*
Laughing heartily, Mapen pushed aside the players already lined up at the front to make a spot for Lee Shin.
“…?!”
Naturally, the wronged players protested with bewildered expressions, but…
Mapen cut them off and threw a rather random question at them.
“What is the meaning of this!”
“Haha, you all, what are your quest rankings, by any chance?”
“……?”
The players, though wondering why he was suddenly asking this, answered obediently.
The quest rankings were about to be announced anyway.
“…A hun, one hundred and twentieth?”
“One hundred and twentieth? And you.”
“I'm one hundred and thirtieth…”
“I'm…”
The players stated their ranks one by one.
However, not a single one of them was in the top 10.
At this, Mapen burst out laughing and shot venomous words at the players.
“Haha! You thought you could stand here with ranks like that? Surely not? I'd like to believe not. Hahaha!”
“W-What?”
“…Why is he suddenly picking a fight?!”
“Haha! I can't quite hear the words of useless bugs.”
“You…!”
…The mockery crossed a line!
The players' faces turned beet red.
Sure, their ranks weren't the highest, but… it seemed nonsensical to be treated this way.
Regardless of their performance, they had stepped up for the good of the domain, so shouldn't they receive at least a commensurate level of respect?
Normally, that would be correct. Perhaps if they had received a domain quest in a normal domain, that's how it would have been.
But things were different here.
In the first place, Mapen was an evil-aligned NPC!
He felt no hesitation in showing favoritism to Lee Shin, who had turned a potentially failed subjugation into a success and had even bribed him.
In fact, he displayed it openly.
“I suggest you stop resisting and move to the back. Before I have you thrown out.”
“……!”
As a chill crept into Mapen's voice, the players had no choice but to step back, their faces soured.
No matter how dirty or cheap it felt, Mapen was the commander of the lord's personal knight order.
For now, he was an NPC in a position far beyond the players' reach.
So, their unresolved resentment naturally turned toward Lee Shin, who had been the cause of it all.
*Glare!*
The players glared at Lee Shin.
The players thought to themselves.
‘Just how high is this guy's contribution score?’
‘No, can this happen just from a high contribution score? Did he bribe him or something?’
They cursed Lee Shin inwardly.
However, this strange atmosphere dissipated for a moment when the lord appeared.
“You have all worked hard…”
The lord, appearing with his escort knights, offered brief words of praise before getting straight to the point.
“We will now distribute the rewards!”
“…!”
“Come forward in order.”
The players approached one by one, in order.
Then, the knights standing beside the lord handed out rewards according to the contribution rankings.
“Rank 119. One Gold Box.”
“Rank 186. One Gold Box.”
“Rank 17. You may choose one piece of equipment from over there.”
But the rewards were stingier than expected!
“Uh, um…?”
“Is this it?”
The players, who had expected handsome rewards from what was, after all, a domain quest, asked in bewilderment.
“Rank 7? You may choose two pieces of equipment from over there…”
“Uh, is this really all?”
“…? What do you mean?”
“It seems too little for the rank…”
“Ah, so that's what you meant.”
The knight gave a simple answer to the players' question.
“The rewards were distributed taking into account both rank and total contribution.”
“……?”
“Simply put, it means that even if your rank is high, if your absolute contribution is low, we cannot give you a good reward. If you understand, step aside. There are still many people behind you.”
“What? But…!”
Even after hearing the explanation, the players couldn't hide their confusion.
‘What the hell does that mean?!’
It felt like it didn't make any sense.
How can someone have a high rank but a low absolute contribution score…?
But it was possible.
The players' confusion was resolved when it was Lee Shin's turn.
“You are… hmm?”
The knight's eyes widened upon seeing Lee Shin.
He chuckled and said,
“So you're that adventurer! I've heard a lot about you from Commander Mapen.”
An attitude that was a 180-degree turn from how he'd treated the other players!
The players who had been grumbling nearby all turned their heads in surprise.
But the truly astonishing part was the reward that followed.
“You are ranked first. Well, with achievements like yours, it's only natural.”
“Thank you.”
“You will receive 155 Gold Boxes and may personally select two pieces of equipment from the lord's treasury.”
“…!!!!”
“…!?!”
A reward on a completely different level!
The other players' eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
“One hundred and fifty-five Gold Boxes…?!”
“What the hell!”
“Check again! Isn't there some mistake!? This makes no sense!”
“It makes perfect sense.”
But the knight simply dismissed the players' reactions and guided Lee Shin to the lord.
“My lord, this is the adventurer.”
“Mm. You may take him to the treasury.”
“Understood. Follow me.”
The treasury wasn't far.
[You have entered the Lord's Treasury.]
[Time limit for entry is 15 minutes.]
A short message appeared.
The knight turned to Lee Shin and said,
“You may choose two items. Do you need a detailed explanation of any of them?”
“No. I'll pick them myself.”
With things like this, you had to go with your gut if you wanted to hit the jackpot.
The knight seemed to sense Lee Shin's intention and simply nodded without another word.
“…Hmph. Very well. I wish you luck.”
The knight turned his back, and Lee Shin slowly looked around the treasury.
‘Let's see.’
Accessories would be best, if possible.
As long as an accessory had excellent options, it could be used for a long time even if its base stats were a bit low.
Lee Shin picked up a necklace that first caught his eye.
*Ting.*
[Your Appraisal level is too low to view detailed information.]
Sapphire Necklace
• Magic Defense: 10
• Durability: 20/20
• Spell Power +20
• Increases max Mana by 30% when equipped.
• ???
“Hmm…”
As expected, just looking at it revealed almost nothing!
Ownership had to be transferred to see the detailed information.
This was natural, as the item's grade was very high, and Lee Shin wasn't a blacksmith-type class.
However.
‘The name is too generic.’
‘Its appearance isn't unique either. It must be a crafted item, not a drop.’
‘The spell power is also too high for an accessory. That high value might be offset by a penalty in the hidden options.’
‘And…’
Despite all this, Lee Shin could instinctively grasp an item's value.
This was possible thanks to his vast experience.
A sharp eye is the most important thing when it comes to PK.
The sense to recognize the value of an opponent's equipped items just by looking at them.
It was an incredibly difficult skill, but having stolen items from countless players, Lee Shin's animalistic senses were honed to a razor's edge.
“…I've made my choices.”
Thanks to that, Lee Shin didn't hesitate in his decision.
The knight checked the time and asked,
“You still have time left.”
“It's fine. I'll go with these.”
“…Hmph. Very well. I hope you picked what you wanted. You may take them.”
“Yes.”
“Ah. This, too.”
[You have acquired 155 Gold Boxes.]
Having received everything, Lee Shin stepped out of the treasury.
Arthur was waiting for him outside.
Arthur asked with a curious expression,
“What did you get?”
“Let's see now.”
Ring of Poisoned Needles
A ring imbued with a potent toxin.
• Magic Defense: 1
• Durability: 5/5
• Consume 10% of max Mana to fire a potent paralyzing toxin.
• Targets hit by the toxin are strongly paralyzed for 1 minute.
• Usable once per day.
The first was a ring.
Its stats were miserably low, but it contained a powerful skill that could restrict an opponent's movements.
In other words, an item that sacrificed stats for outstanding variable-creating potential!
The performance of such equipment usually varied wildly depending on how the user utilized it.
‘Not bad.’
It was the type of item Lee Shin liked.
With a satisfied expression, Lee Shin checked the second piece of equipment.
Veil of a Thousand
A cloak imbued with mysterious power.
• Magic Defense: 5
• Durability: 50/50
• Upon taking a fatal blow, survive once with 1 HP.
• 10% Lifesteal on all damage.
• All Stats +5
“……!”
Lee Shin's eyes shot wide open in surprise.
An item with an invincibility skill!
This was a top-tier option for an item classified as semi-armor.
‘Hit the jackpot with this one.’
He had chosen purely based on his gut, but it was a satisfying haul.
Now, all he had to do was raise his experience and infamy.
Because of his level, stuck at 99, and the Condensation of Malice, which had three days left until it hatched.
‘Are there any hunting grounds around here?’
Lee Shin started searching for a nearby hunting ground to raise his level first.
However.
There was no need. The prey came to him on its own.
*Step.*
“Hey.”
“?”
A group of players blocked Lee Shin and Arthur's path.
Lee Shin looked up from his map.
Their gazes were fixed on the equipment Lee Shin was wearing.
‘……!’
Seeing them, Lee Shin got a certain feeling.
A lonely road, a group of players surrounding a smaller number. This setup.
It was a very familiar scene to Lee Shin.
‘Could it be?’
Lee Shin hoped inwardly.
And Lee Shin's hopes were fulfilled.
The other player smirked and said,
“Hand it over.”
“What.”
“What do you think, asshole? The gear you just got. Cough it up if you don't want to die and have it taken from you.”
“……”
A bright smile spread across Lee Shin's lips.