Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Got Reverse-Pickpocketed
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'[Hawk's Eye] came from my senior brother, so where the hell did this [Mysticism] thing come from?'
Right after conquering the 11th floor.
I scratched my head at the activation of a passive skill.
Alchemy? Mysticism?
What the hell.
From Astromeria's teacher or something?
Holy shit in the world and on horseback!
Does that mean behind that innocent face, she's delving into horrific research like forbidden alchemy!
'I don't know what forbidden alchemy is.'
But at least it wasn't something I obtained.
I only created skills and swords.
'No way it's the technique of the Left Path Gate I stole from the 0th layer forge.'
Of course not!
I'm a proud butcher who buys his sheep!
"Let's see."
I focused my eyes and touched the hide.
The drake corpse that remained in the tower without despawning.
That one's hide.
Yep, poor meat quality.
That was surprising too.
Knowing the meat quality of a creature I'd never seen before.
'A combo of [Hawk's Eye] and [Mysticism]?'
Why didn't I notice in the 0th layer?
Even without [Hawk's Eye] back then.
"Ah, is it this?"
I rummaged through my inventory and pulled out an exotic totem.
The item I traded for my beloved Korean pot.
One of the final conquest rewards from High End's 10th floor.
'Looks like some touristy interior decoration from a gift shop.'
A skill granted upon destruction.
I already had [Faceless Totem].
So I'd kept it just for training.
'It belonged to those starving High End orcs, so it might've influenced [Mysticism].'
I can figure it out precisely later if I'm curious.
But for now, this first.
Shing-!
I drew Orc No.1.
'If I skin it and pull the teeth, couldn't I sell them?'
Money right in front of me? Can't pass it up.
Hunters and butchers are symbiotic industries.
Us lowly folk understand each other without words.
Maybe that's why.
Up there on the clouds in the sky.
My senior brother, reunited with his sister-in-law, seemed to speak to me.
"Senior brother...!"
The naughty priest repented.
How could I forget?
That hunting isn't over until you've sold the game.
But the tower is a shithole as always.
It ruined my感動 in no time.
"Argh! Wait a sec!"
Just gonna slice off a bit of hide!
No, if possible, these big teeth too!
I frantically rushed to the prey.
'Damn, the sword's too big for butchering!'
A big knife isn't right for skinning.
So that's why!
William always carried a knife!
-Slash!
I roughly cut off some hide and the teeth at least.
This should let me check prices and demand.
As I yanked the teeth and sliced the hide,
Fwoosh-!
The light of return enveloped me,
and I was booted back to late-night Todrien.
Late-night Todrien's streets.
I stood there blankly, holding the hide and teeth.
'Tch. Didn't cut much.'
Run a solid second lap?
I turned on my heel.
Then turned back to face forward.
'No, gotta check prices first.'
Is there a way to farm monster byproducts?
If so, what's the demand for drake parts?
I need to find out before selling.
'This is fantasy world, so if I get scammed, it's my fault.'
First, fact-check.
Tower Climbing Gallery or wherever, research first.
Then find places to sell.
And look into stuff like [Mysticism] while at it.
'Come to think of it, I've been climbing too haphazardly.'
I don't even know much about [Deficiencies].
No matter how harsh the 0th layer environment was.
'Gonna have a lot to do in the 1st layer.'
Maybe I got too focused on that.
-Thud!
While gathering junk and moving.
I bumped shoulders with some hooded figure.
"Hey, beanpole! Watch where you're going!"
The black hood snapped irritably and melted into the crowd.
I gaped vacantly.
"...Gone in an instant."
Todrien was bustling even late at night.
Hidden in the crowd, invisible.
A courtesan from the red-light district, mid-tout, snickered.
"Hey big bro, you're in trouble."
"Huh?"
"Didn't notice? You just got pickpocketed."
Oh, straight to casual speech?
Fitting for the pleasure quarter.
But why the Chinese vibe.
The cigarette-smoking courtesan grinned brightly.
"Check your pockets. Bet your wallet's gone."
"Hm."
I rummaged and pulled out my wallet.
The courtesan's face went through shades of blank.
"...Huh? It's fine?"
"As you see."
I shrugged.
Why not keep the wallet in inventory?
What kinda nonsense.
A man's wallet belongs in his pocket, period.
"Thanks for the warning anyway. See ya."
"Uh, uh. Take care? Come play sometime~."
Touting even now.
I quickly escaped, er, moved on.
Too stimulating and scary for an asocial loner.
The courtesan?
That's part of it.
But something else was the issue.
"Holy crap."
I pulled a fancy-looking wallet from my pocket.
Not mine.
The pickpocket's wallet, from the one who got away.
"Got reverse-pickpocketed~."
A moment ago.
When the pickpocket swiped my wallet.
My hand moved reflexively too.
A hand slipping into my back pocket.
I got chills, but get this?
My hand moved on its own, reclaiming my stolen wallet and snatching his in the process.
'Practically a pickpocket showdown between pros.'
No.
I didn't do it on purpose, okay?
What can I do if my hand moved by itself.
Plus, he didn't even notice he'd been robbed.
If he had, he'd have chased me.
I was just surprised and trying to get my wallet back.
'Thanks to that, I got full use out of the [Stealing] skill.'
Me, living by the code without laws, stealing?
Only time was that break-in at polar bear senior's place.
Hm.
'Might as well enhance it.'
[Skill enhancement successful!]
[Stealing → Stealing (+1)]
Orc chieftain card smash.
Used the [Stealing] skill from then to duplicate enhance.
No way such a skill sells anyway.
'Let's see, next up...'
I glanced at the ground.
The direction I was walking, turning my back to the courtesan.
That was toward the pickpocket.
'Gonna return the wallet and get some directions too.'
My senior brother, seriously.
Gave me nothing but the most efficient skills.
Todrien's bustling market.
"Labor force leaking to the 0th layer, no increase in missing persons. It's a headache."
That's why he'd been suffering insomnia lately.
Too many worries.
"And in the midst of that, we found a clue to the missing persons case, so can't you help a bit?"
"If you're not here to buy, leave."
"I'm here to commission you. Commission."
In Todrien's back alleys.
Alchemy merchant Walter clicked his tongue.
"Dodging city guard pursuits while causing incidents, and you want me to cooperate and risk trouble?"
"We'll protect you."
"Really? Reliable! Then go prevent more kidnappings."
Even casually mocking.
The guard captain escorting him frowned.
'Rude to the market lord.'
He was a level 20 climber!
Theoretically top-tier in the 1st layer.
The one he served loyally was Malnana.
But he didn't step in.
Not worth making the market lord look foolish?
Not exactly.
'...Prevent kidnappings?'
Had they mentioned kidnappings?
No.
They said a clue to the missing persons case.
'If it's just jumping to conclusions, fine, but if...?'
The market lord barged into his shop.
With a level 20 guard.
Suspicious? Bound to tense up!
'Could've slipped carelessly.'
He stopped his hand from reaching the sword hilt.
Can't let Walter notice.
That he'd picked up on the unease.
"Just investigate this hair and paper."
Malnana probably noticed too but didn't show it.
"Whether it's the criminal's. If the burned paper remnant is a scroll. You can figure that much, right?"
"Not as easy as it sounds."
"Don't say that. You're the only one in Todrien with [Mysticism]!"
Plus, couldn't cut ties suspecting him.
[Mysticism].
This skill was a shadow secret art.
Top-tier general skill.
Extremely rare and useful.
Hard to find in lower layers.
'Raids hog them, or take them to 2nd layer.'
What choice then.
Market lord had to come personally.
"Money an issue? We'll supply reagents. So..."
"Whoa, hold up. New customer."
Ding-a-ling-!
Perfect timing to change subject, a customer?
Malnana grimaced.
Especially since the customer looked shady.
"This the shop you mentioned?"
"Yes, yep! That's right!"
Even for a back-alley shop.
A thief with night-blind eyes,
Good lord.
'Bloodstained apron?'
An outsider climber with blood on his apron.
What?
Some mental [Deficiency] case?
Of course, that customer.
Jeong-uk, didn't even glance at Malnana.
'Customers everywhere I go. Fight brewing?'
Asocial loners stay asocial even learning social skills.
Ignore folks not worth involving.
So he only talked to his newly befriended(?) pickpocket.
"Thanks. Local guides are the best."
"R-right? I'm good at this?"
"Yeah! Forgiving that backstab attempt!"
Pickpocket should know the lay well.
Chased him, and he ambushed.
Jeong-uk subdued easily, naturally.
"Caught on midway, but your shenanigans taught me a nice trick."
"Really! Glad I helped!"
[Stealing]?
You think?
Learned a sweet tip unknown even in the tower.
Jeong-uk contentedly wiped the pickpocket's nosebleed.
'[Frost Hunter] acts like radar.'
Frost hunter's option: stronger in crises!
What does activation mean?
Crisis incoming for Jeong-uk.
I.e.,
This option functions as a radar.
Beeping at nearby threats.
'Normally my senses are sharp anyway, so not super useful.'
Except some cases.
Danger senses can't detect.
When malice hides behind smiles.
"Welcome! What're you looking for, young man?"
Like right now, for example.
"...Came for business, now tangled in more."
"What?"
"Nothing. Ignore and appraise this."
Checked Tower Climbing Gallery on the way.
Tower monster looting.
Influence of [Mysticism], confirmed.
'Said it makes everything from Frankenstein shit to potions.'
Not an evil skill.
Magic scrolls and potions are [Mysticism] products too.
Magic item alchemy crafting skill!
That's the essence of [Mysticism].
Corpse preservation for material farming.
'As long as my forbidden alchemy stuff stays hidden, good!'
Jeong-uk roughly got it and moved on.
Hunters don't do occult.
Prefer stabbing once more over chanting.
-Clunk!
So, I presented it.
Drake hide.
Walter's face soured.
"...Not super useful, but I'll buy."
"Ah, junk item after all."
"Want full price? Hunt 15th floor+ drake and bring byproducts."
"Aha."
Yeah.
Regular drake's just an 11th floor mob.
'Better to loot higher floor mobs.'
Wonder if something comes from higher up.
As I thought that,
Malnana cheered joyfully.
"Heavens! Drake hide? D-did you butcher it?!"
Why not rejoice?
The talent he'd been seeking walked in.
"You have [Mysticism]!"
"Huh? Yeah, seems so?"
"Welcome! Nice to meet you!"
Rudeness forgiven.
I'm such-and-such.
Ah, nice to meet.
Me too, such-and-such. But what rudeness.
After introductions,
"Ah, you're the market lord and guard captain."
-Thud!
Jeong-uk said, chopping the pickpocket's neck.
Knocked out.
Not that the neck's a vital spot.
Just hit fast and hard enough to KO.
So the guard captain blinked.
"?"
What was that?
Fearfully fast hand chop.
He'd have missed it too.
"This guy's a pickpocket. Take him."
"B-but you said you forgave..."
"I did. But will the law?"
"Indeed! Proper mindset!"
Why do these two click so well?
Walter grew anxious.
"Anyway, city has a request for Jeong-uk. Hear us out?"
Dreading Malnana saying that.
"What? Need money anyway."
"Won't be stingy with rewards."
'Damn it.'
Recent spate of 1st layer missings.
Perp was his customer, true.
But fear of retaliation real too.
6th layer immortals,
no.
Hungry ghosts.
That strong and fearsome.
Skill proficiencies, skills owned.
Stats to levels, all superior.
Plus that cruelty!
Hard to betray even non-customers.
"Value your life? Drop it, kid."
Why he lowered his voice to butt in.
Specific perp means his end.
"If you use reagents like water and find out, then get revenge from unknown boss..."
"Ah, found it. In this shop's basement."
"?"
What the fuck?
Walter gaped.
Funny thing, Malnana too.
"One person? Not the hair owner, but talisman user matches."
Meanwhile, Jeong-uk observed the talisman with interest.
Makes sense.
[Skill enhancement successful!]
[Forbidden Alchemy Mysticism → Forbidden Alchemy Mysticism (+1)]
Leveled [Mysticism] just by looking.
'Tower noobs said magic's about sense, true enough.'
No knowledge needed, structure visible.
Reverse-trace owner possible.
Related skills too many to count.
'Plus, talisman style unlike any I've seen.'
Insanely advanced tech.
Like seeing leftover semiconductor circuits.
So, inevitably disappointed.
Rifling burned talisman, Jeong-uk smacked his lips.
'Time to get armor anyway.'
Can't climb dodging forever.
But buying costs big with prices.
Then?
'Make it myself.'
With [Mysticism] and [Shaman Engraving].
Skin too, perfect if self-made.
[Mysticism] ones go to clones too.
"Wish there was an intact talisman. Got spares?"
Question to see if original hits SR [Mysticism].
"...Walter? What's going on?"
"Heh."
Malnana no longer hiding suspicion.
The perp's accomplice gave a hollow laugh.
And yelled.
"Karen! Kill them!"
Boom-!
Unleashed the composite beast waiting in the basement passage.
A chimera.
But the kill order was bravado.
'Buy time for my escape!'
Knew he couldn't kill the guard captain.
Suspected now, no backing him.
Grab stuff and climb the tower!
'I trust you! Karen!'
Painful to lose the named chimera.
But pride swelled with rage.
17th floor King Drake base chimera.
Its majesty, quintessence of [Mysticism].
Fruits of forbidden alchemy.
"Walter! Stop right there!"
"Haha! Guard the market lord and hold out!"
While prepping to flee, Walter shouted.
Venom gland swapped for reinforcement,
legs processed from upper-layer monster parts,
steel blade embedded in forehead.
Fight that while guarding market lord?
Reckless.
Even top guard captain takes over an hour...
Wait.
What?
'Blade on forehead?'
Did I attach that?
No way.
Even if, with a handle?
That means, uh.
It's a real sword.
That thing.
Rumble-!!
Chimera instant-killed before roar.
Jeong-uk, who'd thrown Orc No.1, lit up.
"Whoa! [Mysticism] leveled again!"
Already +2?
[Mysticism] must not be a great skill.