Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Quick Skill Selection
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Looking at the reward choices, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
“What the…”
What should I choose?
Why do I always have to stand at a crossroads like this?
Is this also an effect of Lucky 666?
“I’m happy… I feel like I’m going crazy, but…”
“Oppa, your expression is really weird… Are you sick somewhere again?”
“M-Master? Why are you crying?”
“Ha… I’m joyful… I’m happy. I’m telling you, I’m happy.”
As I shed tears of joy, Eun-ji and Ha-rin looked at me with puzzled expressions. When I explained the rewards to them, they immediately understood my reaction.
“All three are Legends.”
“Right, Eun-ji. I think I’m getting choice paralysis. I don’t know what to pick.”
It was too hard to choose just one out of the three.
Any of them would be good, but having to pick only one made my hands tremble.
I wish they’d just give me all of them. Or better yet, don’t even show me the options. Why are they giving me choices like this just to drive me crazy?
“Master. Do you have any detailed information about the black market or the pawnshop?”
“None at all. That’s the problem.”
Just from the names, it seems like both would allow me to meet hidden merchants, but the problem is I have no idea what the black market sells or what’s in the pawnshop.
If I knew the details about the black market or the pawnshop, the choice would be a little easier. But the unfriendly description wouldn’t tell me that much.
“Oppa, having a merchant NPC as a companion looks good too, right?”
“That’s right. Once we find one, we can keep using them whenever we want without having to search for them again.”
If we keep the Peddler around, maybe he’ll sell something like the Black Ash Inner Pill again someday?
At that time, I could have another slave eat it and achieve the same achievement I did, and maybe I could collect all the black market and pawnshop passes.
‘Right now, the only way to get the Inner Pill is through the Peddler’s random sales…’
Of course, I have no idea when I’ll be able to meet the Peddler again, so it’s frustrating.
‘Speaking of the Peddler… he looked in an extremely good mood when he was getting off work. If we take him as a companion, does that mean he can’t get off work?’
Wouldn’t that completely destroy his favorability with us?
I worked so hard to sell out his stall to raise his favorability. If I get the Gold Chip and his favorability plummets, what would I do?
‘No way. There’s no way it’s such a shitty system where his favorability drops just from having him around. There’s no law that says a companion has to be with us from start to finish. Maybe it’s a system where he commutes to and from work. Yeah, let’s think of it that way.’
I can’t imagine them designing it so that an NPC’s favorability would nosedive in real-time unless they were completely insane.
‘Is that not the case? The game operator is such a malicious, vicious bastard that he tried to kill all the survivors with the first update. Maybe the favorability really does get destroyed when you take an NPC as a companion.’
There’s no way to know what the system is like until I try giving the Gold Chip to the Peddler, so I’ll stop worrying about favorability for now. Anyway, it’s a great reward, and if his favorability falls into the abyss, he’s bound by the system anyway, so he can’t escape from me. That should be enough, right?
“Hmm…”
At that moment, Ha-rin, who had been quietly closing her eyes and thinking, let out a small moan. Is her unique intuition kicking in again?
“Is your gut telling you something?”
“No. Not at all. I have no idea.”
Damn. I wish Ha-rin’s intuition would just make the choice for me in situations like this.
“Ha… What should I do?”
“What are you drawn to, Oppa?”
“For now… I want to choose between the black market and the companion merchant NPC. Hmm, the black market is more appealing.”
I’m curious about the pawnshop too, but the black market and the NPC companion are what I’m drawn to right now. Let’s put the NPC favorability problem aside for now and choose one of these two.
‘The black market probably sells things you can’t get on the market, and a companion is a guaranteed source of fun.’
Let’s decide based on what Eun-ji and Ha-rin would choose from these two.
“Eun-ji, what do you like? Pick one from the black market and the companion.”
“Hmm, I’d go with the black market, like you, Oppa. Besides, we can meet the Peddler again, but the black market and pawnshop can only be met through achievement rewards, so they’re harder to meet again. If I had to choose, it’d be the black market.”
“Oh. Eun-ji’s words definitely make sense.”
As Eun-ji said, the Peddler is someone we can meet again as long as he’s alive. Plus, he appears probabilistically as long as there are more than 10 survivors, so the appearance conditions aren’t that strict.
On the other hand, you can only go to the black market or pawnshop as a reward. There’s no other way to meet them, and if we miss this chance, we might never meet them again.
‘But does that mean the companion is a bad choice? No, that’s not it either.’
For one, there’s no law that says the merchant NPC has to be the Peddler. That’s the problem.
A new merchant, not the Peddler, could be added in a future update. And that new merchant NPC might have much stricter appearance conditions than the Peddler.
If we use the Gold Chip then, we can keep such a difficult merchant with us and use them, which would be great.
Just as I thought, there was no clear right answer. This was a choice where I really just had to go with my gut and the opinions of Eun-ji and Ha-rin.
“What about you, Ha-rin?”
“Both the black market and the companion are appealing… but for now, I’ll go with the black market. I feel like there will be a lot of unique items there.”
“Alright, good. Let’s go with the black market.”
I made my decision. Two out of the three were shouting for the black market, so that must be the right way to go.
I actually wanted to choose the black market too. For some reason, the black market just has a man’s romance to it.
The pawnshop is cool, but the black market just feels cooler and more impressive.
If all three are equally good, I think you should pick the one that looks the coolest.
“The Gambler’s Black Chip choice!”
As soon as I chose the reward, a black chip, the kind you’d see in a casino, fell from the sky.
I hurriedly picked it up so it wouldn’t roll away. This is an extremely precious item I have to cherish until I meet the Peddler.
“Phew. Done. With this, I’ve gotten all the achievement rewards.”
“Wow!”
“You worked hard, Master.”
“It’s all thanks to you two helping me choose.”
Definitely, if I had tried to choose everything by myself, it would have taken a lot longer. With Eun-ji and Ha-rin helping me choose, I was able to finish relatively quickly.
“So, should we pick some skills now?”
“Me! Me first!”
“Unnie…”
“Ah, right. I’ll yield this time.”
“Thank you.”
Last time, Eun-ji chose her skills first. This time, it looks like she’s yielding to Ha-rin.
“Alright. Let’s have Ha-rin pick first.”
Eun-ji and Ha-rin each had their levels increase by 4. They’re both level 9 now, so they can pick 4 skills each.
⚔ STATUS ⚔
Seong Ha-rin Level: 9 Class: Barbarian Strength: 40 Agility: 32 Stamina: 42 Willpower: 31 Magic Power: 34 Luck: 33 Skills: Heartbeat Tracking, Muscle Expansion, Rough Skin, Destroyer's Punch, Stone Throwing
As befitting a Barbarian, Ha-rin’s Strength and Stamina had increased significantly.
‘It’s a job specialized for survival. A good self-enhancement skill and appropriate support skills too.’
Ha-rin would have survived well on her own even if she hadn’t met me.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Overflowing Rage]
[2. Steel Stomach]
[3. Expanded Senses]
[4. Savage’s Roar]
[Expanded Senses: When you close your eyes, your hearing, sense of smell, and touch become more acute. Your senses sharpen while sleeping. You will not be ambushed.]
While Eun-ji and I got skills related to sight, like Altered Vision or Peering Gaze that allow us to see through darkness, Ha-rin got a skill that abandons sight entirely to heighten her other senses.
‘And she got a skill that would allow her to sleep even if she were left alone. As expected of a survival-specialized class.’
Expanded Senses was a skill that prevented ambushes or surprise attacks even while sleeping.
This was important. If she were left alone, she wouldn’t know when enemies would attack, so her sleep patterns would be ruined and fatigue would accumulate. But with Expanded Senses, she could sleep relatively stably even if left alone.
Even if she were asleep, her heightened senses would detect an enemy’s attack.
It even allowed her to continue fighting by relying on her other senses if her sight was blocked, so it was a skill she absolutely had to learn if she were alone.
“What’s good?”
“I’d go with ‘Overflowing Rage’ and ‘Savage’s Roar’. There are people coming after you, Master. We’ll need those to fight them.”
‘Overflowing Rage’ is a skill that allows you to briefly surpass your limits, but it’s expected to have a recoil effect. ‘Savage’s Roar’ lowers enemy morale, but it could also draw the aggro of nearby zombies.
“Then let’s learn Savage’s Roar first. Choose.”
[Skill applied.]
“I’ve learned it, Master. Savage’s Roar can also deal damage to Ethereal beings.”
“Ethereal beings? Are ghosts going to show up later?”
“Wow…! Jackpot! Ghosts!”
Eun-ji, a horror movie enthusiast, visibly brightened at the word ‘ghosts’.
Is she happy at the thought of seeing ghosts directly? It’s a bit of a strange taste to understand, but since it’s Eun-ji, I didn’t say anything.
In contrast to Eun-ji’s reaction, Ha-rin looked uncomfortable.
“Ghosts… Ugh…”
Maybe because she’s easily scared, Ha-rin hated the topic of ghosts. She wanted to change the subject quickly. I didn’t want to imagine facing ghosts directly outside the screen either, so I quickly moved on to the next skill selection.
“Alright, next skill.”
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Overflowing Rage]
[2. Steel Stomach]
[3. Expanded Senses]
[4. Endure Scream]
[Endure Scream: You gain resistance to pain. Your resistance to fainting increases. The more painful it is, the sharper your mind becomes.]
“Oh… This is a skill I absolutely need.”
I get worn out every time I learn a skill, so pain resistance is a must-have for me.
“I’m jealous…”
It’s an effect that allows you to keep fighting even while injured. If I learn this, I could hold on longer without losing my mind in an isolated situation.
“I’ll go with Overflowing Rage for now.”
“Got it.”
Of course, Ha-rin chose a skill to boost her combat power to prepare for the fight that was about to come.
Now, two are left.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Reckless Charge]
[2. Steel Stomach]
[3. Expanded Senses]
[4. Endure Scream]
[Reckless Charge: You run forward like crazy. Targets you collide with are swept away by the shockwave.]
“I’ll go with this one.”
“You can choose right away?”
“Yes. It drew me in as soon as I saw it.”
“Good.”
Ha-rin’s choice was quick. As soon as she saw it, she said it was a technique she had to use and picked the charging skill.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Ground Smash]
[2. Steel Stomach]
[3. Expanded Senses]
[4. Endure Scream]
[Ground Smash: You strike the ground with your hand or foot to generate a shockwave. Allies can also be caught in it.]
“It’s Ground Smash, right?”
“Yes. I really like it.”
That was the last of Ha-rin’s skills.
She chose her skills with the assumption of fighting enemies, which allowed her to finish quickly.
“Next is Eun-ji’s turn.”
“That was fast.”
“Yeah. It looks like Ha-rin really settled on the concept of a savage warrior.”
“Ah, no. It’s not that savage, it’s just… a way to fight better…”
“Wow. A savage warrior Ha-rin is cool.”
“Uh… Yes…”
For some reason, Ha-rin gets embarrassed when she’s teased about being a savage.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Eun-ji…”
⚔ STATUS ⚔
Lee Eun-ji Level: 9 Class: Shadow Walker Strength: 34 Agility: 44 Stamina: 30 Willpower: 35 Magic Power: 36 Luck: 44 Skills: Shadow Weaving, Shadow Stealth, Paralysis Venom Fang, Blurred Steps, Peering Gaze
As befitting an assassin-type class, her Agility was the highest. It’s a natural stat since she has to move quickly.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Throwing Dagger]
[2. Bleed Inducement]
[3. Falsehood Discernment]
[4. Pain Amplification]
[Throwing Dagger: When throwing a dagger, your accuracy increases drastically. Slightly tracks the enemy.]
It’s a skill similar to Ha-rin’s Stone Throwing, but this one was limited to dagger-type weapons. I figured the accuracy would be higher since it had more restrictions. Just from the description that it slightly tracks the enemy, I could tell how threatening this skill is.
“Throwing Dagger seems the best, right?”
“I’m not sure if we need to learn Bleed Inducement. Falsehood Discernment isn’t very useful in combat. Pain Amplification is good too, but Throwing Dagger is still the best, isn’t it?”
I’d like to use Pain Amplification to make enemies lose their focus, but for now, Throwing Dagger was the better choice. It’s a way to use the shadow daggers drawn from Shadow Weaving more effectively.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Shadow Thorn]
[2. Bleed Inducement]
[3. Falsehood Discernment]
[4. Pain Amplification]
[Shadow Thorn: Spines erupt from the shadows on the ground.]
“Wow. This is insane?”
“Oppa, let’s get this one.”
This is a skill that can deliver an unpredictable blow. It’s a technique to throw a dagger and then spew shadow thorns to strike the enemy’s back.
If Eun-ji controls it well, it could create various combo moves.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Evidence Destruction]
[2. Bleed Inducement]
[3. Falsehood Discernment]
[4. Pain Amplification]
[Evidence Destruction: Swallows the target you’ve killed into the shadows.]
“Wow… Evidence Destruction. If this wasn’t such an era, I’d look like a complete serial killer, wouldn’t I, Oppa?”
“Seriously. You hide your presence, stab them to death with a shadow weapon, so no evidence is left. You even dispose of the body. This is literally the dream ability of psychopaths.”
Thinking of facing her as an enemy gives me the chills. A death that slowly approaches you from the darkness.
“I think Pain Amplification would be better than Evidence Destruction.”
“I think so too.”
If we use Pain Amplification to inflict extreme pain on enemies and lower their mental strength, that would be good. And the screams of an ally writhing in pain would be pretty terrifying. Their morale would probably drop.
[Please select a skill.]
[1. Evidence Destruction]
[2. Bleed Inducement]
[3. Falsehood Discernment]
[4. Leaving an Afterimage]
[Leaving an Afterimage: You leave an afterimage with a peculiar step, creating an artificial presence. Enemies fall into confusion.]
“For the last skill, let’s go with Leaving an Afterimage.”
“Good, good. Let’s do that, Oppa.”
Leaving an Afterimage might not work on zombies, but it would be effective against humans. You can deliberately leave an afterimage to trick the enemy about your location and ambush them.
“Done. I’ve learned all the skills.”
Now, let’s move again. I have to offer Steven’s pillar to Kashnax.