Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Barbarian Warrior During Volunteer Work (7)
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Someone once told Valian.
Try MMA or at least some kind of sport.
Then he could achieve what he wanted.
Money. Honor. Status.
With his cheat-like physique, he could pull it off no problem.
But.
"If it's okay to kill them, then sure."
The barbarian's instincts weren't just incompatible with sports—they were downright unreasonable.
To a barbarian, a "match" was a life-or-death struggle.
A survival contest that didn't end until one of them dropped dead.
That was Valian's idea of MMA and sports.
It was common sense in steppe culture. A mindset that wouldn't change until the day he died.
That's why Valian had long since given up on stepping into the octagon.
Just the idea of him getting in there was absurd, and he had no confidence he could hold back from killing...
"Why not be a mercenary instead?"
"I don't want to get blood on my hands in this world too."
"...Are you really a barbarian?"
"Barbarians revere struggle, but that doesn't mean we enjoy killing."
Barbarians were called savages.
Their history was inseparable from war and battle, so maybe it was inevitable.
But they never waged war without reason.
Every conflict had its cause and effect, and they only shed blood when they had no choice. They didn't enjoy killing.
On the contrary, they felt the weight of taking a life more heavily and bore the responsibility.
But the era, the circumstances, the constant threats to survival—they just kept fighting, endlessly.
But in this world, there was no reason to do that.
No family or tribe to protect. Plenty of ways to make money without war.
Valian said it was to make money, but really, he just didn't want to stain his hands with blood anymore.
So...!
"Please, teach me."
"...Aren't you sick of this yet?"
"If it means gaining your teachings, I could do this for a year."
"...".
Valian was dead serious.
'This guy's for real, isn't he?'
Yuseong could feel it too.
A stubborn idiot.
This guy was stubbornly straightforward.
He'd never once bent his stubbornness when it came to what he set his mind on.
Even if it was a ridiculously wrong choice...!
That's why this guy was an idiot.
The problem was...!
'Of all people, this idiot's fixated on me...'.
Yuseong grumbled about how he should've rebooted Aram yesterday and shot him a glare.
"Can't you just leave me alone?"
"...".
Yuseong considered decking him, but knew it'd just hurt his own hand and tire him out, so he sighed instead.
"...Damn it, how did I end up...".
"Will you teach me?"
As if.
Instead, Yuseong pondered.
How could he shake this guy off legally?
'With his personality, he'll outlast any tantrum I throw, so maybe instead...'.
"...Hey."
"Hm?"
"You know I won't grant your request just because you're doing this, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
"So you gonna keep being a pain in the ass?"
"If once doesn't work, I'll try ten times. If not a hundred, a thousand. Eventually, an opportunity will open."
"...Damn, that's creepy."
If anyone else said that, he'd brush it off as nonsense, but coming from this guy, it didn't feel like empty words.
"Haa... Wasting time like this just pisses me off more. Tsk, let's make a bet."
"A bet?"
"Yeah. Win the bet, and I'll teach you whatever. Lose, and you fuck off quietly."
"Win and that's it? Sounds good!"
Not even a hint of hesitation—he just nodded eagerly. Yuseong smirked inwardly.
'Dumbass.'
How could he agree so readily without knowing what the bet was?
'Works for me.'
"The bet's simple. Make 5000% profit in a week."
"...What does that mean?"
"Aram."
Yuseong had barely hinted at the bet, but Aram already guessed and muttered in disbelief.
Even for her, that was a bit much...
"He agreed to it himself."
"What? Wanna get rebooted?"
Aram wanted to live long and prosper.
"...You told Valian to make a profit with stocks?"
Sylvia spoke awkwardly at the reactions from the two very different women—no, a goddess and a beastkin.
"T-that's what I heard, yeah."
"Good lord..."
"Well, stocks are like..."
As Sylvia tried explaining to the goddess, Mirni stuck out her tongue in disbelief.
Mirni knew what stocks were.
Every time she went out, all anyone talked about was stocks—she couldn't avoid hearing about them.
They said money multiplied, and some people got rich just from stocks. Naturally, it piqued her interest.
But the deeper she looked, the more complicated it got.
As the goddess observed, stocks were so intricate they could be called an academic pursuit.
You couldn't just dive in and make money. It required study and a ton of information.
Especially.
"I didn't make a dime—in fact, I lost 300%."
Mirni, who'd dumped some of her modeling fees into stocks, learned the hard way why study and info were crucial. After that, she never touched them again.
And now that brute of all people was tasked with stocks?
"...Serves him right."
"M-Mirni?"
"Right? That guy's gotta taste bitter reality too. Heh heh heh!"
"...".
Sylvia and the goddess could practically see Mirni's thoughts playing out in real time.
She lost money, so now everyone else has to too!
"...You're such a crab."
"It's like..."
She'd seen it on TV once: put a bunch of crabs in a basket, and you don't even need a lid.
Because if one tries to escape, the others pull it back down...
And crabs.
"Ah, I should recommend stocks to that pointy-eared bitch and Leon too~!"
"...".
She looked ready to drag the other crabs down with her.
"...You might get divine punishment someday."
"Why?"
"...".
Did she really not know why?
"What are you doing here?"
"Ah, Vali...an?"
For a moment, Sylvia tilted her head.
What was it...?
'What's with that look?'
Endless stamina like an unquenchable furnace.
A guy whose only real asset was his sturdy build.
That was Valian.
But right now, he looked like...
"V-Valian, are you... t-tired by any chance?"
"...Yeah, I am."
"...".
Even the goddess sounded shocked.
Valian of all people was showing signs of fatigue, sighing heavily.
His eyes were bloodshot, his hair disheveled from cold sweat.
"Good lord..."
Sylvia gaped again, as if witnessing the impossible.
She could hardly believe this was really Valian—!
"D-did something come up? Is that why you fought?"
"What nonsense is that?"
"...".
"I'm just tired. Literally."
"...You being tired sounds more like nonsense..."
"...?"
Valian gave Sylvia a puzzled look, wondering what was so weird about her reaction. Unlike them, Mirni jumped in with a mischievous grin.
"Heh heh, even the great warrior finds stocks tough?"
"Definitely not your average task. I learned from Aram, but it's no easy feat..."
"How tough?"
"It made me think fighting Beelzebub dozens of times might be easier."
"Th-that bad?"
"Ugh...!"
Physically, he wasn't worn out at all. But mentally? This was a first!
Facing a brand-new archenemy filled him with dread and awe, pushing him to his limits.
"Hoo...!"
"...Rough one, huh."
Seeing his state, even Mirni lost the urge to tease and empathized for the first time.
'This guy's human after all?'
He was so superhuman, she'd forgotten he was even the same species. Seeing him like this felt oddly relatable.
Not that she liked him or anything.
More like he'd gone from -1000 to +1.
No matter how relatable, physiologically, he was still a no-go for Mirni.
"So, how much did you make?"
"...M-Mirni! In this situation, asking that is...!"
"Why? Just curious."
It was a cruel question.
Asking someone who's probably tanking hard, not even breaking even...!
Sylvia prayed this personality-bankrupt cat needed divine punishment to straighten up.
"The goddess will smite you."
"She will?"
Prayer from her precious daughter, or punishment for the mischievous child...!
The goddess was torn.
As she stayed silent, Mirni fired off another question.
"So, how much did you make?!"
"Mirni, you really...!"
"Hit -2500% at one point. But pushing beyond that? Nothing looked promising."
"...".
"...".
"Hm, stocks... really tough."
"...".
"...".
"Hm? Why are you staring like that?"
Valian looked puzzled at the two stunned women, while the goddess—who still didn't grasp stocks—could only ask questions.