Chapter 120: There’s No Sandbag Quite Like Min-su.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: There’s No Sandbag Quite Like Min-su.
In one of the seven loftiest towers of the Demon Realm.
On its rooftop, Shael was once again researching ways to cross over to the Middle World.
The Demon King had told her she would be able to go when the time was right without having to rack her brain so hard, but for Shael, every second spent waiting was a waste.
"I have to see Tae-yang soon..."
Shael gazed at a portrait of Baek Tae-yang, commissioned from the finest painter in the Demon Realm.
His bold features, his intense eyes, and that snow-white hair.
There wasn't a single part of him that wasn't lovely.
"Tae-yaaaaang..."
Unable to overcome her longing, Shael hugged a Baek Tae-yang doll made by the Demon Realm’s greatest tailor.
Their first meeting had been intense, and their first time had been electrifying.
I want Tae-yang’s body inside mine again...
"Why are humans so damn weak!"
She was furious.
When she had asked the Demon King for a specific time on when she could go to the Middle World, he had only given her a vague answer.
'You can go once the humans become stronger.'
She didn't understand what humans getting stronger had to do with demons freely crossing into the Middle World, but it was irritating nonetheless.
Aside from Tae-yang, they were all so pathetic and weak that they weren't even helpful.
If they were going to be weak, they should at least have some tact.
Here was a lovesick succubus with a heart full of yearning, yet the humans remained nothing but weaklings.
She wanted to dive into Tae-yang’s arms as soon as possible, kicking her feet in excitement while they discussed plans for their future children!
She wanted to give him light kisses! Deep kisses! She wanted to do even more intense things with him!
"Weak little things. I'll give them a proper scolding the next time I descend."
And then, she would make sure everything went according to Tae-yang’s wishes.
Shael giggled and flopped onto her bed.
Since there was no solution other than waiting, rolling around while clutching her Baek Tae-yang doll was her only joy in life.
In the past, Shael would have worn risqué lingerie, but now she chose pajamas that covered her up completely.
'I'm a woman who's already taken now...'
The time had come for her to be mindful of her conduct.
She gently rubbed her lower abdomen while thinking of Baek Tae-yang.
A size so thick and grand that her own fingers couldn't even compare.
Since he wasn't here, she was about to push aside her disappointment and soothe herself with her fingers when—
Knock, knock, knock.
"Lady Shael! Something terrible has happened!"
"What is it? If it's not actually 'terrible,' you're dead."
It better be important, considering you just interrupted my self-pleasure time with my Tae-yang doll.
Shael grumbled inwardly as she opened the door.
"The energy of the Seven Roots of Sin has been detected in the Middle World."
"...? I didn't mishear you, did I?"
"Yes, that's... pant... correct..."
If the servant was right, this was indeed a major event.
But why would that appear in the Middle World? There shouldn't even be any demons there.
"For now... the Demon King has ordered everyone to gather in the audience chamber."
"Fine, I understand."
I'll get ready and go.
Shael closed the door, a deep smile spreading across her face.
'It's Tae-yang.'
Only he would be worthy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Lee Ji-jun could not believe the sight unfolding before his eyes.
"What the hell are you..."
A demon.
A demon stood before him.
"What's wrong? You said I was going to disappear miserably here. Hurry up and do something."
"...Are you truly human? How can you... look like that..."
"Why is your voice trembling so much? Are you scared, by any chance?"
His skin was as black as coal.
The veins bulging between the darkness were tinged with gold, making him look like a mine where veins of gold flowed.
His white hair flared like a blazing fire, spreading wide like a lion's mane.
The black dragon robe draped over his body made him look like some kind of king.
Every time he moved, a clinking sound echoed as the numerous ornaments on his body shimmered.
"Are you scared?"
"You're as arrogant as ever!"
Lee Ji-jun shouted and backed away.
'His weapon has changed too.'
A wicked blade had sprouted from the end of the club he was holding.
At a glance, it looked like a single-bladed pickaxe.
'...This is on a different level.'
A cadet who had cleared an S-Class Gate twice.
When he first heard that news, he had scolded his colleagues, telling them not to be ridiculous.
He had firmly believed it was all a government fabrication, a stunt orchestrated by Victory Academy.
It was because, logically, it made no sense.
If a Hunter of Yu Min-hyeok's caliber had done it, he might have accepted it, but it was just a cadet.
No matter if it was a concept-type Gate, he was still just a 'cadet.'
Even now, two years after becoming a Hunter, Lee Ji-jun had never stepped foot inside an S-Class Gate or Dungeon.
It wasn't something you could enter just because you wanted to, and he wasn't invited in the first place.
It was a completely different world.
They were dining at completely different tables.
He felt it was unfair.
He was a chosen 'Innate' Awakened, so why was he being treated like this?
That was why he joined Noble and stole the skills of others.
Every time he stole a skill, he felt an immense sense of achievement as he watched himself grow stronger in real-time.
When he raised his commission fees, he considered it his due, feeling no guilt whatsoever.
"You're just standing there thinking. I'm coming, then."
Thud.
"Huh?"
How could the sound of someone stepping on the ground be so light?
Why was Baek Tae-yang right in front of his eyes now?
Lee Ji-jun couldn't keep up with the situation in real-time.
All he remembered was that after he deployed [Veil of Darkness], Baek Tae-yang’s appearance had changed.
When he reached out to block Baek Tae-yang’s punch, his hand broke.
Even when he twisted his body to dodge a kick, the leg curved mysteriously and smashed his shin with pinpoint accuracy.
Clink, jingle.
That metallic sound made it impossible for him to even hide his presence.
From the gold necklace around his neck to the ornaments attached to his clothes.
They were all things that should have made his movements easy to track, no matter how fast he was.
Now that he was being overwhelmingly outclassed in physical ability, Lee Ji-jun focused solely on the ornaments.
'My body just can't keep up yet... Eventually, I'll be able to hear the sound of those ornaments and dodge.'
And then, he would find an opening to steal the guy's skill.
The plan was perfect.
================================
Steal (???) :: Steals the target's sub-skill. Must make physical contact with the target.
(This is a degraded version, so only one skill can be stolen per person.)
================================
The skill was also flawless.
An absurd performance that allowed him to steal a sub-skill without any conditions.
There was a limit of one per person because it was a degraded version, but that didn't matter.
'It only takes a moment anyway.'
It made no sense for a guy like that to possess such a powerful skill.
'I'll make better use of it.'
Lee Ji-jun waited for his chance.
"Gah!"
Getting hit until then? He could endure it as much as necessary.
Victory was waiting for him at the end anyway, so he could tolerate this much pain.
[Super Recovery activated! Healing injured areas!]
Even if his arm snapped or his leg was crushed, it would heal in a few seconds.
In other words, no matter how many wounds Baek Tae-yang inflicted, it was useless.
'Just a little more... just a little more...'
The thing he had to be most careful of was that pickaxe.
He could already envision his body being torn apart the moment he was struck by that blade.
'I'll dodge that... I'll dodge just that and take everything else.'
And so, Lee Ji-jun allowed Baek Tae-yang’s attacks to land endlessly.
He endured the soul-crushing pain through the sheer greed of wanting to steal Baek Tae-yang’s skill.
He didn't even have to worry about dying because of the Gladiere tournament rules, which put his mind at ease.
Jingle, jingle.
'Now!!!'
Reacting to the sound of the gold necklace around Baek Tae-yang’s neck, he dodged the attack.
'I did it! I actually did it!'
Once he got used to it, everything else was smooth sailing.
"Oh, what's this? You're actually dodging now?"
You should have done that from the start.
At Baek Tae-yang’s words, Lee Ji-jun grinned broadly and spoke.
"Hahaha! This is the end for you!"
The bastard must have exhausted a lot of stamina by constantly chasing and hitting him.
Conversely, he had been conserving his stamina by using Super Recovery.
[Gear Change - Speed activated! Accelerating!]
The bastard had been hitting him with a constant rhythm since a while ago.
He throws a punch on the first exhale, and swings the pickaxe while holding his breath.
Then, he readjusts his posture on the next inhale, which is when the metallic sound rings out.
The punch on the first breath.
He doesn't dodge it; he takes it.
The pickaxe flying in while the breath is held.
He inevitably sacrifices an arm to close the distance.
Chime.
'Right now!'
No matter how much you run wild, you're just a cadet!
'Know your place!'
With a speed that was impossible to counter, Lee Ji-jun instantly placed his hand on Baek Tae-yang’s chest.
"Steal! Activate!"
"What?"
Lee Ji-jun witnessed it clearly.
The moment a look of bewilderment crossed Baek Tae-yang’s arrogant face.
[Steal activated! Plundering Baek Tae-yang’s sub-skill!]
"You got this far relying on your skills! Did you really think you could keep going? Don't worry too much. I'll use your skill well as a stepping stone to climb even higher!"
Lee Ji-jun spoke excitedly.
If only he had that skill!
'I could even become an executive of Noble!'
But why was it taking so long to steal?
Normally, the skill should have been stolen the instant his hand touched him.
Only then did Lee Ji-jun notice his hand was being stained black.
[Steal failed! It is impossible to take from a Corrupt Official!]
What?
Corrupt Official?
'What the hell is that?'
Unfortunately, Lee Ji-jun couldn't continue his train of thought.
Baek Tae-yang’s punch buried itself accurately into his cheek, sending him flying.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Crash!
Lee Ji-jun slammed pathetically into the ground.
Jingle.
The jewels clattered against each other as Baek Tae-yang walked.
Jingle.
The veins of gold flowing through his skin laid bare his deep greed.
Clink.
When the bastard grinned, his snow-white teeth looked sharp enough to swallow him whole.
Clink.
Lee Ji-jun was terrified.
He barely managed to push himself up and kept backing away.
He backed up until he hit the veil he had set up himself, and even then, he pounded on the barrier, crying out piteously toward Baek Tae-yang.
"Don't come... Don't come...! Stay away from me!"
Steal had failed.
His combat ability was already absurdly outmatched.
There was no longer any way to win.
"As I thought, you don't make a satisfying death rattle like Min-su does."
There really was no sandbag quite like Min-su.
Baek Tae-yang continued to approach, saying something completely irrelevant to the current moment.
Terror.
To Lee Ji-jun, Baek Tae-yang was now the greatest terror in the world.
"But I guess a chicken will do when there's no pheasant... and I'd like to hear more about that 'Steal' thing... you know?"
A thick shroud of despair fell over Lee Ji-jun's face.