Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: The Art of Manipulation
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[You have hunted a Mutated Boar.]
[Your experience has increased.]
[Level Up!]
[You have hunted too many monsters. Respawns will temporarily cease.]
The noise of battle died down after the last monster was slain.
Exhausted from hours of hunting, the users collapsed onto the ground.
The message about respawns ceasing meant no monsters would appear for the next ten minutes.
“Hoo… hoo….”
“Hah…!”
Having given their all, the users gasped for breath.
But their faces held a sense of accomplishment and relief.
Lee Shin was no different.
“You all worked so hard.”
Lee Shin approached the users with an affable expression.
At his words, the collapsed users shot back up, waving their hands dismissively.
“What do you mean, worked hard!”
“This is nothing.”
“We could keep going, but because of the respawns…!”
Their damn pride wouldn't let them admit they were tired!
Lee Shin took the opportunity to slip in some compliments.
It wasn't difficult, nor did it cost him anything, so there was no reason to hold back.
“Wow, you’re all amazing!”
“Haha! Not at all.”
“Low-grade mutated beasts are really easy opponents….”
Giggles and laughter!
No matter what Lee Shin said, the users burst out laughing.
Watching them, Lee Shin thought to himself.
*‘Could it be that I have a natural talent for this?’*
To maintain such a harmonious party while unilaterally leeching off them.
Lee Shin already possessed the most crucial virtue of a queen bee.
Anyway.
“Status window.”
Putting aside his stray thoughts, Lee Shin checked the fruits of his hunt.
[Level: 35]
*‘I’ve leveled up a lot. The quest is….’*
Kilgeo’s Trial (3/7)
• Hunt Low-Grade Mutated Beasts: 97/30
*‘Oh…?’*
After his level, Lee Shin’s eyes widened as he checked the quest window.
He had managed to hunt 97 of them, creatures he could barely handle one of on his own!
He had long since exceeded the quest requirement.
*‘In that case….’*
Lee Shin beckoned to Jeong Yu-ra, who was standing awkwardly in the distance.
Then he spoke to his slaves, who were lying on the ground resting again.
“Take a short break.”
The party leader, catching his breath, asked.
“Where are you two going?”
“For a quest.”
“Ah, I see. Go ahead. We’ll help you with the next quest too!”
“Wow! Thank you so much….”
“Haha! Of course….”
Waving casually to the users, Lee Shin headed toward the starting village with Jeong Yu-ra.
* * *
“……”
The road back to the village led through the darkly corrupted forest.
Once the other party members were out of sight.
Tap, tap.
“Um, excuse me.”
“?”
Jeong Yu-ra, who had been following behind, poked Lee Shin’s shoulder.
Then, with a cautious air, she watched his expression and asked.
“Are we really allowed to do this?”
“Do what?”
“We didn’t do anything… but we’re just taking the experience.”
“……”
“We even got a share of the gold.”
Jeong Yu-ra looked deeply guilt-ridden!
Unlike Lee Shin, she possessed a normal level of conscience and found the current situation hard to accept.
It made sense; her idea of party play was nothing like this.
Working together, trusting each other, growing, and syncing up… wasn't that what party play was supposed to be?
But in the hunt so far, her role had been nothing more than that of a quiet bus passenger.
“This is too…!”
“What does it matter? They’re happy to do it.”
“My conscience… wait, what?”
“Ah, that’s not what I meant.”
Lee Shin thought for a moment before answering.
“Is this your first time playing a game? It’s normal for low-level players to get carried.”
“Really…?”
“Yes. And besides, we’re such low levels that we wouldn’t have been much help anyway.”
“Still, I feel so bad.”
“If you feel bad, you should focus on getting stronger so you can be helpful… no, wait.”
Lee Shin stopped mid-sentence and turned his head.
A question had suddenly occurred to him.
“Why did you come here?”
“Huh?”
“I’m just curious. You would have been better off in a region with a different alignment.”
“Ah……”
At his question, Jeong Yu-ra’s eyes clouded over as she replied.
“I saw it on a community forum. They recommended this place for new users….”
“Ah……”
“……”
“…I see.”
Lee Shin was inwardly amazed.
*‘She fell for that?’*
She looked to be about college-aged. How could she fall for a scam that not even an elementary schooler would?
Jeong Yu-ra seemed to think so too, as her cheeks reddened under Lee Shin’s direct gaze.
She cleared her throat awkwardly with an ‘Ahem!’ and said.
“But it’s okay! Thanks to that, I met you, Si-eun?”
“Ah… you’re very optimistic.”
*‘What a strange personality.’*
“I tend to be.”
Oblivious to Lee Shin’s inner thoughts, Jeong Yu-ra smiled warmly and met his eyes.
Feeling burdened by it, Lee Shin subtly averted his gaze and continued with some casual questions.
“What’s your class?”
“I’m a fine arts student.”
“……Not in real life, in here.”
“Oh, ah! A… Priest. A Dark Priest.”
Jeong Yu-ra had originally wanted to take the quest for a regular Priest.
Since it was her first game, she wasn’t confident in a DPS position, and her natural disposition suited a Priest!
Unfortunately for her, normal Priests were almost impossible to find in Eteun.
‘If you want a quest, give me gold.’
‘…What?’
‘Gold!’
‘Uh, I don’t have any.’
‘Then get lost.’
The church, thoroughly corrupted in line with the kingdom’s lore!
Thanks to that, it was difficult for a brand-new player like Jeong Yu-ra to join.
In the end, she had no choice but to take the quest for a Dark Priest from the dark church, which was relatively unpopular and would accept anyone.
She asked, her expression slightly downcast.
“…Can I change it later?”
“Probably not.”
Lee Shin answered bluntly.
Changing from a Priest to a Paladin might be possible, but from a Dark Priest to a Priest was out of the question.
The two used powers of completely different natures, meaning their main stats were different.
“Still, being a Dark Priest isn’t bad.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, their combat power in small-scale skirmishes is much stronger. They learn curses instead of buffs.”
You could think of them as combat-oriented priests, the opposite of typical support priests.
They truly shine in small parties where individual skill is important.
They’re also relatively easier to play solo.
“Ah….”
At his words, Jeong Yu-ra’s expression brightened a little.
Lee Shin chatted with her a bit more before they split up in the plaza.
“Well then, I’ll go to the temple!”
“Okay, come back here when you’re done.”
* * *
[Your infamy is high.]
[Residents may express their disgust toward you.]
The message popped up as soon as he entered the commercial district, which was full of NPCs.
Feeling a prickly sensation, Lee Shin stopped and looked around.
He could see NPCs everywhere, pretending not to look but stealing glances at him.
“…!”
“Child, don’t make eye contact.”
From a shopkeeper who hastily looked away to a mother covering her child’s eyes!
It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but it wasn't a penalty that directly impacted him yet.
*‘This is manageable….’*
Lee Shin thought nothing of it and quickly passed through the commercial district.
He then navigated through winding alleyways and the deserted outskirts of the city to find Kilgeo.
Kilgeo was waiting inside the abandoned house, just like the first time.
Lee Shin called out to him.
“I’ve returned.”
“So you have… hmm?”
But Kilgeo’s reaction was not what he had expected.
He thought Kilgeo would welcome him warmly due to their high affinity, but instead, he turned around, furrowed his brow, and asked.
“…Who are you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You seem vaguely familiar… hmm?”
[Kilgeo is confused!]
“Why are you suddenly… ah.”
Lee Shin belatedly realized he was still in disguise.
Even NPCs couldn't recognize a user if their appearance and voice changed drastically.
Lee Shin deactivated only the voice-changing item and spoke again.
“It’s me. Lee Shin.”
“That voice… ah, it’s you!”
“Yes.”
“I thought you felt familiar. But you……”
Kilgeo trailed off, looking Lee Shin up and down before speaking with a genuinely surprised expression.
“You have a remarkable talent for disguise as well.”
“Ah, actually, this is….”
“It’s practice for a future assassination, of course?”
“……Yes, yes. That’s right.”
“Indeed!”
[Kilgeo is impressed by your thoroughness!]
[Kilgeo’s affinity greatly….]
“…Anyway, I’ve completed the quest.”
[Hunt Low-Grade Mutated Beasts: 97/30]
[You have exceeded the quest limit!]
[You have acquired experience.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level…]
[You have acquired the skill, Search.]
[You have acquired the skill, Charge.]
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction after checking the quest rewards.
As expected of a difficult quest, he gained a lot of levels and two new skills!
Considering the four remaining quests, his expectations grew even higher.
Search: Low-Grade, Level 1
• Consume mana to detect nearby enemies.
Charge: Low-Grade, Level 1
• Move a short distance quickly.
*‘The skill set is good too.’*
They were common skills, but that also meant they were used frequently.
How well one used such skills often determined whether they became a ranker or not.
So, thinking of the future, it was best to acquire them early and level them up in advance.
“Then I shall give you the next trial.”
[Kilgeo gives you the 4th trial.]
Kilgeo’s 4th Trial
• Hunt Intermediate Mutated Beasts: 0/30
• Time Limit: None
* * *
After receiving the quest, Lee Shin headed to the plaza.
Jeong Yu-ra was squatting in a corner of the plaza, waiting.
Lee Shin approached her and asked.
“What quest did you get?”
“Hunt Intermediate Mutated Beasts.”
Fortunately, their quests overlapped this time as well.
However, unlike Lee Shin, Jeong Yu-ra only had to kill 10 monsters.
The difference was due to the different grades of the classes they were aiming for.
*‘…Well, what’s the difference between ten and thirty.’*
It didn't matter, since other people would be the ones doing the killing anyway.
Regardless of Jeong Yu-ra’s discomfort, Lee Shin planned to use them thoroughly.
However, one important thing to consider was when to cut ties.
*‘They’re helpful now… but eventually, we’ll be at similar levels.’*
The greater the level difference, the more significant the experience buff.
And Lee Shin’s own raw skill was a cut above theirs.
Soon, their levels would be similar, and their usefulness would run out.
*‘In that case….’*
He would stick with them until they were no longer helpful, then leave when he reached a level where he could hunt on his own!
He would have to slowly think about how to ditch them.
Lee Shin finished his thoughts and said.
“Let’s go, then.”
“Okay.”
Lee Shin and Jeong Yu-ra returned to where the party members were waiting.
The panting users seemed to have fully recovered their stamina during the short break and looked refreshed.
The party leader spotted Lee Shin approaching and asked.
“Did the quest go well?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
“We’ll help with the next one too!”
Lee Shin put on his most affable expression.
This level of acting wasn't that difficult for him.
“Wow, you’re so cool.”
Poke, poke.
As he spoke, Lee Shin nudged Jeong Yu-ra from an angle hidden from the other party members.
It was a sign she could easily understand if she had any sense, and for a moment, Jeong Yu-ra’s eyes wavered intensely.
*‘Do I have to do it too?’*
…her desperate eyes seemed to ask!
But Lee Shin’s expression was firm.
In the end, Jeong Yu-ra couldn’t hold out for long.
She clapped stiffly and said.
Clap, clap, clap.
“Wow, waah……”
“…?”
It was incredibly awkward, but it had an effect nonetheless.
For one thing, her looks helped carry it.
Awkwardness aside, the party members were pleased.
*‘She’s doing well.’*
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
Jeong Yu-ra was proving to be more helpful than expected.
Of course, she herself was breaking out in a cold sweat doing something she wasn't used to….
Lee Shin didn’t care.
What mattered was the result!
Since the result was good, such things were not a problem.
“The next quest is to hunt Intermediate Mutated Beasts… is that something you can also help with?”
Lee Shin asked the party members while the atmosphere was still good.
The party leader replied in a confident voice.
“Of course.”
“Won’t it be difficult?”
“Not at all!”
“Even if we hunt until the monsters stop respawning?”
“W-well, that’s….”
The party leader, who had been answering without hesitation, was suddenly at a loss for words.
It hadn't even been ten minutes since they had finished hunting for hours on end.
Thanks to that, their stamina was restored, but they were mentally exhausted.
He wanted to rest!
Of course, Lee Shin had no intention of letting them.
“Ah! Are you perhaps tired….”
“Not at all!”
“……”
“……”