Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The Price of Arrogance
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“Damn it, why all of a sudden?”
“We paid our taxes, you bastards!”
This subjugation was, for the members of the Black Tiger Guild, a bolt from the blue.
Why on earth?
We were on good terms with the territory's NPCs, with no friction at all.
Whenever a territory quest opened up, we were the first to participate, and we always paid our taxes on time...
Even thinking as conservatively as possible, they couldn't pinpoint anything they'd done wrong.
“...What in the world did we do wrong!”
“At least tell us the reason, come on!”
The guild members shouted, claiming it was unfair.
But the captain replied with a cold expression.
“How dare you covet the territory?”
“......? What?”
“What kind of bullshit is...”
“Shut up!”
“......”
The captain believed Lee Shin's words without a shred of doubt.
* * *
Anyway, while the Black Tiger Guild members were being dragged away one by one without knowing why, Lee Shin was at the blacksmith's forge.
He was there to check on the equipment he had ordered the day before.
“Hm?”
Dennis, sensing Lee Shin's presence, turned his head.
“Who... Ah, you're here?”
“Is the crafting finished?”
“Yes. It just finished. Would you like to check it right away?”
“Let's.”
“Please wait here. I'll bring it.”
Dennis disappeared into his workshop.
He soon reappeared, pushing a cart loaded with several boxes.
Seeing Lee Shin's face filled with anticipation, Dennis straightened his shoulders and spoke with a confident expression.
“Here are the sword and armor you commissioned. I doubt you'll be disappointed. Please, have a look.”
“Which one is the sword?”
“It's in this box.”
Lee Shin opened the box.
Exorcism Sword Islet
•Attack Power: 130
•Durability: 999/999
A sword forged with great care by Dennis, the master blacksmith of Edgar Territory. Finished with a special ink-black reagent, it does not rust.
Made from a 1:1:1 ratio of Adamantium, Mithril, and steel, it is incredibly hard, flexible, and has high magic resistance.
Imbued with exorcising properties, it is extremely effective against mages and the undead. It is especially powerful against dark magic.
•Skills <Smite>, <Sword Ki Explosion>, <Counter> can be used.
•Critical Hit Damage +77%.
•Deals 30% additional damage to undead and ghost-type monsters.
•Magic resistance increases in proportion to the user's level.
•Low chance to sever magic.
“Oh...”
Lee Shin let out a sound of admiration after reading through the description.
The result exceeded his expectations!
Its specs were comparable to a drop from a top-tier named monster raid.
While the blacksmith's skill was exceptional, it was more thanks to the generous use of expensive materials.
The performance was proportional to the immense amount of gold poured into it!
‘Nice.’
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
The money wasn't his to begin with, anyway...
Unlike the Silver Thorn, which specialized in rapid attacks, this one had the opposite characteristic of delivering heavy, single blows. However, since Lee Shin could perfectly master both combat styles, it wasn't a major issue.
Lee Shin opened another box.
“Hm?”
A top, bottom, gloves, and boots, all with a similar design.
Lee Shin turned his head and asked.
“Is the rest a set item?”
“Since I was making them anyway, I put in a little extra effort. Isn't that better for you, adventurer?”
“For me?”
“From what you told me before, you probably won't be changing individual pieces very often.”
"What you told me before" referred to the specs and detailed conditions he had requested when commissioning the gear.
Recalling that conversation, Lee Shin nodded and replied.
“...That's true.”
Unlike weapons, where he would use anything as long as its performance was adequate, Lee Shin had always been very particular about his armor.
With any weapon, his exceptional physique and senses allowed him to perform beyond its value, but armor was a different story.
In fact, his superior senses forced him to be even more meticulous.
He could clearly feel differences in weight and elasticity that others wouldn't even notice, and it actually affected his movements.
Thus, Lee Shin had one more criterion for choosing armor besides stats and options.
The fit.
If the fit was bad, Lee Shin wouldn't use the equipment, no matter how good it was.
No, he *couldn't*.
No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, it just didn't work.
Arthur asked as if hearing this for the first time.
“Is that why you always wore leather gear?”
“That was a big part of it.”
‘It's also faster for running away.’
In any case.
Since Lee Shin used his armor for a very long time, getting a full custom-made set, as Dennis suggested, was the best choice.
Lee Shin checked the equipment.
Dennis's Armor Set - Chestpiece
•Physical Defense: 99
•Magical Defense: 99
•Durability: 111/111
A leather chestpiece made by Dennis, the master blacksmith of Edgar Territory. Steel has been added to vital points and joints to increase defense.
•Movement Speed +7%.
•Evasion Rate +7%.
•When wearing the full set, all stats increase by 30%.
[Dennis's Armor Set - Leggings]
[Dennis's Armor Set - Gloves]
......
The rest of the gear was similar to the chestpiece.
Being made of leather, it was hard to expect superior performance in terms of defense and durability, but it had strengths in other areas.
Namely, when wearing the full set, movement speed and evasion rate increased by a whopping 50% each!
For Lee Shin, who often fought in close quarters, this was an extremely attractive option.
‘The fit isn't bad either.’
Perhaps because it was custom-made, he felt no discomfort in his movements despite the steel protectors on his joints and vital points.
That was the most satisfying part.
As Lee Shin came out after changing into the new gear, Dennis spoke.
“You also mentioned moving an enchantment. Will you be going right away?”
“An enchantment? Ah, that's right. I'll go now.”
“I'll share the location with you.”
[Dennis, the blacksmith NPC of Edgar Territory, shares location information.]
[Venice's Hut]
“Venice?”
“He's an enchanter. If you go and mention my name, he'll know what you're talking about.”
* * *
After receiving his equipment, Lee Shin went straight to find Venice.
When he said he had been introduced by Dennis, the man understood immediately.
“Ah! I've heard about you. You wish to transfer a curse?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm... Let's have a look first.”
Lee Shin handed over the equipment.
“Just move the curse from this dagger to this sword.”
“Hm.”
Venice slowly examined the dagger.
Soon, he tilted his head and muttered.
“This curse is quite strong...”
“So it can't be done?”
“No, it can be done. However, there might be a slight performance degradation in the process of transferring it. Is that acceptable?”
“...!!”
Lee Shin frowned.
The curse was the alpha and omega, and it would be degraded?
That was absolutely unacceptable.
“What? No, the curse will be fine.”
“Huh?”
“The curse will be transferred perfectly intact. However, the equipment it settles on may have issues. You probably can't expect it to perform at its full capacity.”
“......”
After a moment of thought, Lee Shin asked.
“But the curse itself will be fine, right?”
“Yes, that's correct.”
“How much will the equipment's performance drop?”
“Around 10% or so.”
‘If it's just that much...’
Lee Shin let out a sigh of relief.
It was a shame that the equipment's stats would be reduced, but it was an acceptable loss.
And compared to the <Cursed Dagger> he had been forced to use because of the curse, this level of performance drop didn't feel significant.
Lee Shin nodded and replied.
“I don't mind, just do it.”
“Understood. It will take about ten minutes.”
“I'll wait outside.”
“Yes.”
Just as he said it wouldn't take long, the enchantment itself was over in a flash.
[Enchantment complete.]
[The cost is...]
Venice rubbed his palms together and said.
“This is a bit expensive because of the reagents...”
“Doesn't matter.”
“Pardon?”
‘It's not my money anyway.’
[Skipping negotiation.]
[The commission fee of 550,000 gold is paid under Count Aaron's name.]
“...Gasp! Thank you!”
“Right.”
“Please come again!”
A prime example of a cool transaction with no haggling!
Thanks to that, Lee Shin left the hut with an emotional and enthusiastic farewell from the grateful Venice.
And from there, he headed straight to the prison in the lord's castle.
He was going to meet the imprisoned members of the Black Tiger Guild.
* * *
After arriving at the prison, Lee Shin first looked for the captain of the knights.
As it happened, the captain was waiting for him.
“Where are they?”
“I'll guide you.”
Lee Shin followed behind the captain.
They walked for a while down a dark, winding inner corridor.
From the other side, he could hear the loud shouts of players.
“Why the hell are you doing this to us!”
“What did we do wrong!”
“......”
The anger and frustration in their voices were so palpable that he knew they were the Black Tiger Guild players without even seeing them.
The captain said.
“You told us to lock them up and leave them be, so we just locked them up.”
“Well done.”
“What will you do now?”
“Could you leave us for a moment? I'd like to interrogate them personally.”
At Lee Shin's request, the captain made a troubled face.
“As you can see, they're a violent bunch. Wouldn't it be better if we stayed with you?”
“It's fine. They're locked up.”
“...That's true. Understood. But if anything happens, please call for us immediately.”
“Yes.”
The captain hesitated for a moment, but soon he and his men stepped aside.
When their backs were out of sight, Lee Shin entered the prison area.
“...Bring the lord! Huh?”
“Huh?”
“Someone's there?”
“What, who came?”
*Murmur, murmur.*
Having been locked up for hours, the guild members crowded against the iron bars to stare at the first person to appear.
Lee Shin approached, gave a slight smile, and said.
“Hello there.”
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
The players' eyes widened.
The player who had fought for his life (?) against them and fled just a few hours ago had appeared out of nowhere.
“What the.”
“Why is that guy...?”
The players muttered with expressions mixed with confusion and anxiety, still unable to grasp the situation.
Lee Shin walked past them, approached a player locked in a solitary cell, and spoke.
“You're the guild master, right?”
“......So what if I am?”
“Name.”
“Dokgo... No, more importantly, why are you here?”
Lee Shin said bluntly.
“I did it.”
“What scheme... What?”
“Those knights, I called them.”
“......?”
As he spoke, Lee Shin took out the guarantor's token and showed it to him.
At this, Dokgo's expression, which had been a mask of confusion, changed drastically.
As a guild that had long been established and active in Edgar Territory, he recognized the token immediately.
“...No way!?”
“It's not 'no way.' I'm telling you, I really did call them.”
“...You crazy son of a bitch!!!!!”
Dokgo, suddenly realizing the cause of this whole mess, screamed in extreme fury.
“Are you insane? Let me out right now, you bastard!”
“Calm down.”
“I'll kill you! I'll really fucking kill you!??!”
“Let's have a talk.”
“Talk, my ass! Don't give me that ridiculous...!”
Despite Lee Shin's calm proposal, Dokgo continued to rage.
But he froze at Lee Shin's next words.
“The moment we get out of here, you're dead...!”
“You think that's going to happen?”
“...dead, what?”
“I said, you think that's going to happen, you idiot? Do you still not get whose side those knights are on?”
“...Huh? Ah? ...Ah!!?”
Belatedly, Dokgo's face turned pale.
The blood had rushed to his head, slowing his realization, but... upon careful consideration, the situation was extremely serious.
‘This crazy...?!’
The opponent had a guarantor's token.
A guarantor's token signified a close relationship with someone in power in the territory.
In other words, as the master of a guild rooted in Edgar Territory, he had messed with someone he absolutely should not have messed with.
“Uh......”
Cold sweat dripped from Dokgo's forehead.
‘What do I do now...?’
Watching him desperately rack his brain in the face of his guild's potential demise, Lee Shin spoke.
“But there's one way to solve all of this.”
“......?”
At that moment, a terribly wicked smile played on Lee Shin's lips.
Dokgo asked.
“What is it?”
“You get on your knees and apologize.”
“Am I crazy?”
“......”