Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Yata's Blessing
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“Heh.”
This was one of the classic problems beginners in Avala Online faced.
Believing whatever an NPC said without question.
In truth, a little bit of thought would often reveal that something was off, but they didn't even think to doubt them in the first place.
They assumed that NPCs would only ever tell the user the truth.
While that was true for most games, it wasn't the case in Avala Online.
Lee Shin spoke to Jeong Yu-ra, who still wore a shocked expression.
“It’s not all bad, though.”
“…Huh?”
“The fact that there aren't many people means there's less competition in the faith.”
If she was lucky, she could rise to a pretty high position.
In fact, Lee Shin had seen such cases quite often.
“Ah…! I see.”
“……”
Jeong Yu-ra’s spirits lifted again at Lee Shin’s explanation.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Of course, since it wasn't a major god, her rank might not mean much even if she climbed high, but…
Lee Shin decided not to mention such an inconvenient truth.
It would only kill her morale.
‘…Hmm.’
Lee Shin was lost in thought for a moment.
It was a shame he didn't get the blessing skill he'd hoped for, but there was nothing to be done about it.
He just had to work with what he had.
“What’s your level?”
“Me? 68.”
‘Not that high.’
Her gear wasn't particularly good either, so damage-oriented skills would likely be of little help.
That meant the main skill she should use was the curse.
Lee Shin read the skill description.
Curse of Weakening
•Casts a curse to reduce the enemy's attack power, defense, and movement speed.
•Can be stacked up to 3 times.
‘…Oh?’
He had been worried that the skill might be strange since he’d never even heard of the god, but it wasn't bad.
Contrary to his concerns, it was a textbook curse!
Since it affected basic stats, it was an effect that could be useful in most situations.
Using it on the named or shaman orcs that appeared in the settlements would likely shorten the time needed to subjugate them.
‘The exact values aren't written.’
Like most skills from rare classes, the detailed description wasn't very user-friendly.
In that case, he had no choice but to test it himself.
Lee Shin put some distance between himself and Jeong Yu-ra and said.
“Use it.”
“The curse?”
“Yeah.”
“On what?”
“On me. Stack it three times.”
Given their level difference, he figured it would need to be at max stacks to have any effect.
It wasn't a curse that dealt damage anyway, so it didn't matter how many times he was hit.
“Here I go, then.”
Lee Shin nodded.
Jeong Yu-ra used the skill.
*Woowoong.*
Three small magic circles appeared in sequence, and a black projectile shot toward Lee Shin.
Lee Shin stood still and took the hit.
*Thwip! Thwip-thwip!*
[The curse seeps into your body.]
[The curse seeps into your body.]
[The curse seeps into your body.]
Three stacks in an instant!
Now, his movement speed should slow, and his body should feel heavy.
At least, that’s what the description said.
But then.
[You possess the title, <Incarnation of Malice>.]
[Yata is watching you.]
“Huh?”
[Yata acts on a whim!]
[The skill, ‘Curse of Weakening,’ transforms into ‘Yata’s Blessing’!]
“…???!!”
Lee Shin’s eyes widened at the subsequent message, a question escaping his lips before he even realized it.
‘What is this?’
Lee Shin checked his status window. A buff he had never seen before was active in the top-right corner.
[Yata’s Blessing – Double-edged Sword]
•Defense is slightly decreased (30%), and in exchange, Attack Power is greatly increased (90%).
•Currently stacked 3 times.
“…!!!”
The effect of the blessing was an extreme attack power buff.
It was an unbelievable amount for a buff from a priest who wasn’t even level 100.
Of course, his defense was also cut in half as a trade-off, but considering Lee Shin’s style of hitting without getting hit, the benefits far outweighed the cost.
The problem was why this was happening.
‘Was that you?’
Lee Shin looked back at Jeong Yu-ra.
But as expected, she was just blinking, her expression showing she had no idea what was going on.
“……????”
That left only one possible answer.
The hint was in the message that appeared before the curse turned into a blessing.
[You possess the title, <Incarnation of Malice>.]
[Yata is watching you.]
Incarnation of Malice.
It was the title Lee Shin had obtained long ago when he killed the 8th Prince and his notoriety surpassed one million.
And the message that had appeared with the title back then was this:
[You have brought about the stirring of a great evil. As a special privilege, ‘Congregation of Malice’ will…]
[Evil gods may now take an interest in you.]
Evil gods may now take an interest in him.
He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but the situation had changed.
Yata was an evil god.
And Lee Shin was the Incarnation of Malice.
The answer was simple.
‘This is it.’
Jeong Yu-ra had used her skill normally, but Yata had reacted to the Incarnation of Malice title and acted on a whim.
‘……’
The corners of Lee Shin’s mouth curled up. It wasn't intentional, but it was a welcome development.
It was far more efficient for her to just cast a buff on him than to curse enemies one by one.
“Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you going to check the other skills?”
“Use them as you see fit. As long as you give me the buff when I ask for it, I don’t care.”
“Ah, okay.”
***
-Search.
Red lines extended out from Lee Shin's surroundings.
He found the enemy settlement in no time.
“Chwiik.”
“Chwik…”
[You have discovered an Orc Settlement.]
[Be careful.]
“……”
The orcs were about a head taller than the ones he had first seen.
The deeper he went into the forest, the higher the level of the creatures that appeared.
Their estimated level was probably between 110 and 120.
Just right.
“Buff.”
Lee Shin said, looking over his shoulder.
Jeong Yu-ra, who had been staring blankly at the hundreds of orcs, answered with a start.
“Huh?”
“I said, give me the buff.”
“…Ah! Right. Okay.”
[The curse seeps in.]
[The curse seeps in.]
[The curse…]
[…]
[…The skill, Curse of Weakening, transforms into Yata’s Blessing!]
[Yata’s Blessing – Double-edged Sword]
‘…Good.’
Lee Shin checked his status window and let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, it seemed the type of blessing was the same every time.
Just then, Jeong Yu-ra turned to Lee Shin and asked.
“…What should I do now?”
She swallowed nervously, clearly intimidated by the sheer number of enemies.
However.
*Thud!*
“I’m going in.”
“…!?!?!”
After that brief announcement.
The moment he received the buff, Lee Shin was already charging toward the orc settlement teeming with hundreds of orcs.
And he was doing it with a rather significant defense reduction debuff.
Jeong Yu-ra shouted in alarm.
“What are you doing?! Come back!”
She was so surprised, she even spoke formally.
But Lee Shin ignored her words and picked up his pace.
The orcs, having spotted Lee Shin by now, let out monstrous cries from all directions.
“Chwiik? Human! Die!!”
“……”
Attacks rained down from all sides.
However.
-Charge.
[Dodge.]
[Dodge.]
“…???!”
With a short dash, Lee Shin dodged the first volley of attacks.
Then he immediately used the dash again to dive into the midst of the orcs.
This was how he utilized the Charge skill, which could now be used in two separate bursts.
On top of that.
-Deep Cut.
Activating Deep Cut, the upgraded version of Long Slash, Lee Shin thrust his dagger forward.
*Stab!*
[Attack successful.]
[Attack Power and Movement Speed increased for 3 seconds.]
“……”
Lee Shin’s eyes narrowed.
He took in all the enemy attacks pouring in from every direction.
Then, using his increased movement speed, he dodged them all with a few concise steps.
“…Chwiik!?”
The orcs were bewildered.
During the brief pause in their attacks, Lee Shin swung his dagger in a rapid series of short, sharp motions.
*Stab! Stab-stab!*
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Hit!]
[Critical Stack…]
The critical stacks built up quickly.
In a single breath, he reached the maximum stack.
‘Now!’
Before the orcs could react, Lee Shin detonated the critical stacks a beat faster than they expected.
The angle wasn't perfect, but the attack power buff was just that insane.
His sword energy spread out in a fan shape.
Immediately after.
*BOOM!!*
“Chwiiiik!!”
“Chwiik!? Human…!”
As the roar erupted.
Amidst the panicked and scrambling orcs, Lee Shin’s vision was dyed red.
[Chain Kill effect activated.]
“……”
*Thump!*
Lee Shin’s figure vanished.
Where he had been standing just a moment ago, a soft, black tentacle now sprouted from the ground.
“……?”
“Th-The human? Where…”
Unable to keep up with the situation, the orcs panicked.
[The first Hidden Blade is activated.]
*Stab! Stab-stab!*
[You have defeated an enemy.]
[You have defeated an enemy.]
[…]
[…Scene of a Massacre!]
[The area is filled with resentment.]
[The resentment gathers, imbuing your sword with a deep aura of death!]
[Your attacks, imbued with killing intent, have a chance to inflict harmful effects on the enemy.]
[Additionally, you will instantly kill any enemy below a certain health threshold (1.1%).]
Utilizing every skill and ability at his disposal.
Lee Shin began to systematically slaughter the panicked orcs.
***
“……????”
Jeong Yu-ra, who had been watching anxiously from behind, felt her vision blur.
Lee Shin was flying through a wave of orcs!
She couldn't comprehend what was happening.
‘What is this?’
As she had started to get seriously into the game, Jeong Yu-ra had watched many videos of rankers, especially combat priest rankers.
When she watched the rankers play, she noticed they never overextended.
Instead, they used their skills efficiently and increased their hunting speed through coordination with their party members.
A well-balanced harmony of safety and speed!
But what Lee Shin was doing now was the complete opposite.
For example, the Charge skill was normally used defensively, but in Lee Shin’s case, there was no such thing as a backward dash.
Only forward dashes!
His movements and skill usage were ultra-aggressive, with no thought for retreat.
The effect was undeniable.
*Swish!*
*Stab! Stab-stab!*
“…Chwiiik!”
Orcs collapsed one after another along the path Lee Shin moved.
It felt so unreal, like watching a well-choreographed play.
‘…Was that buff really that amazing?’
For a moment, Jeong Yu-ra even entertained such a delusion.
But that couldn't be right.
Her buff was decent, but only for her level.
A priest of a similar level to Lee Shin could have provided a similar level of buff, and many more types at that.
Therefore, the current result had to be purely due to Lee Shin's individual skill.
“Buff!”
“…Ah, r-right! Okay!”
Lost in her confusing thoughts, Jeong Yu-ra was startled by Lee Shin’s shout and cast the curse (buff) on him.
After receiving the buff, Lee Shin went on another rampage.
The result.
[You have cleared the Orc Settlement.]
[Your fame increases.]
[You have gained a large amount of experience.]
All she had done was cast buffs from the back, and the subjugation was over in an instant.
She checked her status window and saw that her level had gone up by a whopping four levels.
“????”
*What did I just see?* Jeong Yu-ra thought, still confused. Arthur walked up beside her and said.
“He’s always like this.”
“Huh?”
“He can always do this much.”
“……”
Jeong Yu-ra mulled over Arthur’s words for a moment. This wasn't a particularly good performance; this was just how this user normally played.
Which meant he was this skilled even when they met in the starting village back then.
‘…No, wait a minute.’
Then why did he hide it?
Of course, his level was low back then and he hadn't chosen a class yet, but if that was the issue, couldn't he have just shown his skills later to resolve things?
‘…No.’
As she pondered, Jeong Yu-ra found the answer herself. The hint was in a conversation they had just a day ago.
‘This is just the kind of person he is.’
His thought process was just different. If there was something he wanted to do, he wouldn't be satisfied until he did it.
A common trait of psychopaths who have trouble controlling their impulses.
‘…But he’s holding it back in the outside world.’
The Lee Shin she had met outside was surprisingly normal.
If she had met him for the first time at the group date instead of after encountering him in the game, she might not have noticed anything strange at all.
That was how perfectly Lee Shin controlled himself, and he was releasing all the stress from it here.
‘I see.’
Finally understanding completely, Jeong Yu-ra nodded.
Once her thoughts reached this point, she no longer felt any fear or wariness toward Lee Shin.
He was just a person like any other.
He was just living his life while holding back a little more than others.
Having calmly collected her thoughts, Jeong Yu-ra spoke to the approaching Lee Shin.
“You worked hard.”
“Huh?”
“I said, you worked hard.”
Her words carried multiple meanings.
Lee Shin paused for a moment, then nodded back.
“Well, I was the only one who did any work.”
“……”
“Since I killed them all myself.”
‘…Okay, maybe not exactly the same.’
Jeong Yu-ra slightly revised her thoughts.