Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 81
>Chapter Title: Elizha's Parasite
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‘This guy's mana... I really need to do something about it.’
Since I’d decided to raise Zihard as Zeke, I needed to either boost the total amount of mana or drastically improve the recovery rate.
It was too wasteful to let that potential rot away like this.
‘If only the Guardian could use mana potions too...’
I didn’t know if it was for balance reasons or just some design quirk, but Zihard got almost no effect from mana potions.
Thanks to that, the potion I’d gotten from Linda in Raven was still untouched.
Do-hyun, with his thug-like specs, never ran short on mana anyway, so it was a shame.
‘Well, at least I got something out of it.’
I was satisfied after properly confirming Zihard’s potential, but Zihard didn’t seem to feel the same.
He looked totally dejected, completely wilted.
The cheeky grin from just moments ago was gone.
-Rizariza....
-It’s okay, Elizha. What did you expect from me? I’m just a pack mule.... Honestly, maybe I wasn’t born to be Zeke. Maybe I was born to be Do-bung-i.
-Riza!? Rizariza!
-I want to be alone for a bit, Elizha.
-Riza....
Elizha fidgeted anxiously beside him, her expression utterly pitiful.
Do-hyun shook his head and granted Zihard’s wish.
“Elizha, want to try your other ability?”
Elizha had two traits. They hadn’t tested one yet.
Might as well check it now.
-Riza... Riza!
Elizha’s head snapped up, and she hopped in place.
She glanced at Zihard, who nodded, then scurried over and thumped her chest.
-Riza!
“What’d she say?”
-Tch, she says follow her.
“Huh, what? You’re coming too?”
-Yeah.
-Riza!
Zihard, who’d apparently recovered, suddenly butted in.
It stung that he’d volunteered to prove his ability just moments ago, only to revert to pack mule duty, but being alone was worse.
Do-hyun let it slide without comment.
Whoosh, whoosh-.
Elizha beamed at Zihard’s joining and looked around.
She was scouting for a suitable target.
Just then, she spotted a massive silhouette through the fog and scampered toward it.
Following her, they saw an orc resting atop a rock.
Whether banished from its group or just separated temporarily, it was alone—perfect for testing.
-She says her ability isn’t as strong as before, but it should work on these guys.
“Oh, then give it a shot.”
-Riza!
-Make it small and wound it, she says.
“Got it.”
It seemed the Parasite trait only worked on wounded targets.
That made sense—even in reality, infections or parasitism usually entered through wounds. Not a weird condition.
It was balanced that way too.
[Thousand Transformations shifts into ‘Assassin’s Dagger.’]
Shuuuak-! Thunk!
Chiiiik!?
The sudden Thousand Transformations stabbed into the orc’s thigh. It jolted in surprise, trying to stand but tumbling over.
‘No way it’s dead?’
Checking just in case, it groaned and writhed.
It must have panicked from the instant heavy damage.
No Striking used, and it was the lowest-damage form, the dagger—worth it.
-Riza!
Elizha didn’t miss the opening.
Sss-.
Before the orc could react, she approached the wound naturally and inserted her spider thread.
[Elizha’s trait ‘Parasite’ activates.]
[Attempting ‘Parasite’ on the orc.]
‘So that’s how it works.’
He’d thought she’d struggle inside the wound or something, but it was surprisingly technical. Kinda anticlimactic.
Well, Elizha was a living creature, tiny as she was.
No one would fail to notice that white fluff ball crawling inside them.
Poke- Fwooo-.
She shoved the thread deep, then suddenly stopped.
A few seconds passed.
[Elizha has succeeded in ‘Parasite.’]
The writhing orc froze.
No special effects.
Just its left hand—the one dipped in a swamp, perhaps—faded to stark white up to the wrist.
-Riza! Rizariza!
-Congrats, Elizha. I believed in you.
The orc... no, Elizha, seemed thrilled at the instant success, full of energy.
Everything was great, but that vicious face with a cute voice was total mismatch.
Guess Parasitism didn’t copy voices.
“Less change than last time, though?”
Glancing at the left hand, the orc-Elizha replied brightly.
-Riza! Rizariza!
-She says it’s random and out of her control, Master. But it seems changes are smaller on average against lower-class foes.
“Oh?”
Pretty fair balance.
No lie— at a glance, you couldn’t tell if it was a real orc or a parasitized one.
Most hunters wouldn’t scrutinize the left hand.
And since it was the left, gripping a double-headed axe would hide it downward naturally.
-Riza!
Not just from a human perspective, apparently.
Elizha even strode boldly toward the orcs beyond the fog.
“Hey, hold on, Eli....”
Chiiiik? Choke-.
Do-hyun’s urgent attempt to stop her halted.
The orcs that met Elizha’s eyes just glanced indifferently.
Some even chattered at her.
She breezily ignored them, and they lost interest without aggression.
Choke? Chiiiik!
Instead, Do-hyun became the target.
Spotting him late—without even eye contact—they charged mindlessly.
And at that moment,
Puk!
Chiiiik!?
The orc took a sudden hit to the back of its head and looked up in confusion.
Only the recent orc was nearby.
Chiiiik...?
What? Did you hit me?
Its pupils shook as it stared at Elizha.
Stunned like someone in disbelief. Do-hyun dashed in and finished it.
[Orc defeated.]
[Quest material ‘Orc Concentrated Blood’ acquired.]
-Riza!
“Yeah. Good job, Elizha.”
No need for Zihard’s translation this time.
Pointing at herself and shouting? Anyone could see ‘I did great!’
Elizha grinned ear to ear at the praise.
That ugly mug smiling like a kidnapper pre-crime—Do-hyun turned away without more praise.
A smile crept onto his lips anyway.
‘Better than expected?’
Parasite’s effect exceeded expectations.
Preconditions aside, it was solid. Duration seemed decent once set.
Big mana pool or low cost? Unsure.
Zihard thought the same, looking bitter.
-...You’re better than me, Elizha.
-Riza?
-Yeah, at least you’re useful. Good. I’ll go pick up items.
-Riza? Rizariza!
Mana-starved Zihard couldn’t help but envy that.
Still, his expression wasn’t bad—half-joking.
He’d accepted it now.
‘Elizha does hit different.’
Her flustered antics were hilarious.
Probably played like that since they lived together back then.
-Riza!
After chattering a bit, with things settled, Elizha boasted confidently.
Do-hyun’s gaze naturally shifted to Zihard, who translated smoothly now.
-She says she’ll patrol and take out ambushers so we can hunt easy.
-Riza!
Elizha nodded along emphatically.
Do-hyun chuckled and nodded.
No damage from ambushes anyway, but the initiative was adorable.
“Got it. Thanks.”
-Riza!
-Rager!
“No need to translate that.”
-Rager!
Do-hyun watched Elizha’s receding back a moment, then gripped Thousand Transformations again.
‘Got two Concentrated Blood so far.’
Needed 48 more.
Felt like plenty killed, but only two—probability meant 150-200 more.
Or more, considering his luck.
Whatever.
[Monsters killed near Brion (278 / 1,000)]
‘Knock out the main quest too while at it. Levels aren’t rising much anyway.’
It’d fill before 1,000 anyway.
Scanning for huntable orcs, he soon spotted two.
Still fog-hidden, standing far off—not targeted yet.
‘If they won’t come, I’ll go in.’
Grinning, as Do-hyun moved to shift Thousand Transformations—
“Urghk!?”
“?”
-Huh?
A thick shout from behind made Do-hyun and Zihard freeze, tilting heads.
A player back there?
Before the thought finished, instinct turned his head.
There.
[Guardian ‘Elizha’ has dealt damage to player ‘Duke.’]
[Player ‘Duke’ has initiated a preemptive strike. Self-defense recognized.]
[Killing the opponent will not increase karma.]
“...Huh?”
Totally unexpected messages.
* * *
Duke was an open beta player who’d jumped in right at God of Oslo’s launch.
Over a year of play, building status as one of the so-called vanguard.
He had confidence in his skills.
His ranking barely scraped top 100k, but in a game with 1 billion players, that was huge.
Top 0.01% by ratio alone.
Ranking wasn’t pure skill or strength gauge, but it correlated somewhat.
A rank to strut anywhere.
He was Duke, who’d broken into the so-called ranker realm.
‘Damn it.’
It was his pride—and his reverse scale.
Pride in being a ranker in the world’s top game, mixed with despair at the unbreakable ceiling.
Those two gnawed at him constantly.
‘No matter what, I can’t climb higher. What? What’s wrong?’
Even pouring every penny from ranker earnings hit this limit.
Nothing budged his rank—like a fixed rock.
Not just rank.
Actual felt strength and position stagnated too.
‘What’s the problem? No one invests more than me here!’
They blew cash without chasing ranks like him.
When others gave 1 effort, he gave 5.
Duke truly believed that.
His circle—all satisfied at their levels—reinforced it.
Yet he invested effort and cash relentlessly.
Still, he barely kept pace with non-investors.
‘...’
No—barely hanging on was accurate.
This effort just to match friends.
Slacken, and he’d drop from top 100k fast.
This was his limit. He just hated admitting it.
‘If I can’t go higher, I’ll start over.’
Some might call it stubborn.
Beyond stubborn—idiotic, even.
But Duke hated stagnation.
Precisely...
‘I can’t stand guys worse than me ranking above.’
He seemed better.
Better control!
Yet they ranked higher, gap widening live.
Duke blamed ‘traits’ and ‘god draws.’
Rare among rankers: spearman with common trait and divine ascension god.
‘Damn, should’ve retried till good trait and unique ability back then.’
Now everyone knew their value, grinding for them. Not in his day.
Starting early to lead was key.
Monsters with talent and cash sucked honey. Normals like him hit walls forced.
Unfair.
So Duke boldly deleted his character and restarted.
‘Fuuuck... Screwed.’
Then regretted it.