Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: A Small Disturbance in Bachran (3)
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I woke up in the morning to find a cluster of notification windows plastered right in front of me.
'...So that was the tutorial?'
A tutorial where you die one out of every two times. I let out a sigh and read through the other notifications.
"Main quest?"
Ding.
No sooner had I spoken than a blue window popped up.
(Continent's Savior)
500 years ago, Baal—the Demon King and one of the overlords who dominated the continent—is attempting to resurrect.
Defeat the resurrected Baal and his minions!
Success Conditions
- Baal's annihilation
- Seris's mind and body must remain intact
- The continent must remain intact
Success Reward
- 1 Wish Grant
Failure Penalty
- None
(However, in cases of deliberate failure, Han Yuseong's soul will be eradicated.)
"Baal?"
Overlord of the continent.
Demon King.
It was a name loaded with grandiose titles. I immediately realized this Baal guy was the final boss.
'Of course. There's no way I'd get powers like these for free.'
In games or novels, whenever the protagonist gains strength, trials are bound to follow.
Honestly, I'd hoped I could just have the power without the ordeals... but nothing in this world comes free.
'Still, how the hell am I supposed to take down something like that?'
Me, a slum rat rolling in the dirt—how could I possibly fight a monster like him? But I had no choice. The failure penalty made sure of that.
At face value, simple failure carried no penalty. Only deliberate failure would erase my soul.
But that was just wordplay.
'As long as I don't give up on killing the Demon King, failure means I'll be half-dead at best anyway. And giving up? That's deliberate failure.'
In other words, don't lose, and kill the Demon King no matter what.
A hollow laugh escaped me, but surprisingly, I felt motivated.
Was it because I'd half-expected something like this?
Or because the name Baal didn't quite sink in?
Those played a part, sure. But that wasn't the real reason. The true spark for my motivation was something else entirely.
"Wish Grant..."
The success reward: one Wish Grant.
A wish-granting item? Obviously, it meant granting any desire.
"I wonder if it could even bring back the dead...?"
If whoever gave me this bizarre Status Window and dragged me to this world could do that, resurrecting someone should be a piece of cake, right?
That faint, uncertain hope whipped me into gear. It even made me forget my resentment over the past two irrational years of hell.
No need for second thoughts. I resolved to complete this main quest.
"Shop."
With my mind made up, I decided to check out the shop mentioned in the notifications first.
Ding.
A crisp sound rang out, and a blue window appeared.
The shop window was neatly divided into four categories. I tapped the Weapons section first. The window shifted, displaying a list of various weapons.
"Shortsword for 30 karma, longsword for 50...?"
Damn, that's pricey.
Killing a single goblin nets me 1 or 2 karma. 30 karma means at least 15 goblins.
Not worth it.
'Better to buy weapons with real money whenever possible.'
Even so, I scrolled through the entire list, secretly hoping for something legendary like a demon sword.
No such luck. Disappointed, I hit back. The armor section was much the same.
"...They expect me to beat the Demon King with this stuff?"
I sighed.
If they're tasking me with slaying a Demon King, shouldn't they at least toss in a holy sword or something?
With my expectations thoroughly crushed, I checked the Skills tab.
"Prom Kingdom Basic Infantry Swordsmanship Manual, 150 karma. Prom Kingdom Basic Infantry Spearmanship Manual, 150 karma..."
Just as I thought.
My dwindling hopes shattered completely. Still, I scrolled down to browse everything.
"There's a ton here..."
The scrollbar was tiny compared to weapons or armor—practically a dedicated search bar. Way more options.
"What's the point? It's all useless... Huh?"
A familiar term caught my eye.
"Three Disasters Sword Technique, 150 karma?"
Three Disasters Sword Technique—a third-rate martial art from wuxia novels.
True to its low rank, it only had three basic moves: horizontal slash, vertical slash, and thrust. So simple and weak that even street thugs could buy it for a few coins.
Why was a wuxia martial art listed here?
On a whim, I searched for other techniques I knew. A small sound effect played, and the results popped up with prices.
"...They're really here."
I clicked one. A detailed description unfolded.
Body Shifting Technique - 1000 Karma
A movement art that instantaneously swaps your position with the target's. Its speed is so great that the opponent can't even track the motion.
The origins of Body Shifting Technique are unknown. Some say a movement master created it lamenting the loss of Phantom Step. Others claim a lecherous rogue devoted his life to peeping on women. There's even a tale of immortals betting elixirs on a tortoise-hare race, with one sneaking it down. All baseless rumors.
One thing is certain: those who master it are among the world's top experts.
(Note: Requires deep understanding of footwork and body techniques. Recommended to learn at least one school's footwork/body method from the Nine Schools and One Gang before purchase.)
"Ha...!"
It was exactly the Body Shifting Technique I knew. I searched for more familiar arts.
"Thousand Jin Pull, 550 karma. Ten Thousand Flowers Rain, 2000 karma. Heavenly Demon Divine Art... 7000? Insane."
Seeing wuxia techniques in the shop was novel and exciting. The fact that I could actually learn them stirred some anticipation.
'If they can add stuff like this, why not throw in guns too?'
A shotgun would make things a lot more reassuring.
Muttering complaints, I was in pretty high spirits as I browsed. That's when I remembered something crucial.
'Oh right, I was supposed to meet Kara at the Adventurer's Guild this morning.'
I'd totally forgotten amid the main quest and shop. It was well past morning now. She's gonna chew me out for being late.
I pushed off the floor to get ready and leave. But something soft caught my hand.
"A scroll...?"
It was right by my head. Wasn't there last night. Curious, I unrolled it.
Inside was a handprint outline—no other text.
'Put my hand on it?'
Obvious intent. But it was suspicious, so I hesitated.
"If they left this by my side, I'd have woken up if I wasn't a deep sleeper..."
I don't sleep soundly. Not with the risk of someone picking my pockets—or my life—while I'm out.
If anyone approached, I'd have noticed. Unless they were stealth incarnate or teleported it right to my bedside...
'Teleport...?'
A thought struck me. I quickly opened the 'Village Escape' quest window. Next to the reward Talent Discriminator, it said 'Claimed.'
Which meant this scroll was the Talent Discriminator.
No more hesitation. I placed my palm on the outline.
The scroll's surface began to glow. It took a few minutes for the light to fade.
Now, text densely filled the scroll.
I read it.
Han Yuseong's Talent Appraisal Results
Han Yuseong is human, with no exceptional bloodline. Physical abilities are average.
However, he possesses superior senses compared to other humans. His ability to sense and move with qi—Qi Sense—is nothing short of prodigious.
With such keen Qi Sense, one might expect excellence in magic, but his magical talent is merely average.
If he pursues magic, his lacking affinity will hinder his superior senses.
Only his exceptional senses can keep pace with his Qi Sense.
Thus, Han Yuseong is best suited for hit-and-run thief-style combat over magic.
"...Thief?"
Everything was fine until that last line. It made me grimace.
Thief?
Isn't that what they call petty pickpockets?
Sure, I've been a small-time thief, but now I'm supposed to slay a Demon King. Thief?
"I figured it'd say something more impressive..."
Hit-and-run combat style is solid, though. If you disengage well, you won't die pointlessly.
Still, for pure safety, mage is better. Hurl spells from afar, massive firepower—no contest.
'No, it said I'm suited for thief types. Didn't say I have to stick to it...'
"Haa..."
I sighed. I'd already realized it.
Pickpocketing, ambushes—sneaky stuff came naturally. That must be the 'thief talent' it meant.
Whether a thief can take down a Demon King? Table that. Point is, it's the most efficient path for me.
No choice. I shelved my dreams of romance and grandeur. Right now, Wish Grant is all that matters.
Direction set, I washed up quickly and headed to the inn where Seris and Kara were staying.
"Oppa! You're late!"
As expected, Kara was pissed.