Chapter 17. New Ability
Translator: Boko
"So, live or die?"
Eder shook.
The magic sword seemed to incite a certain sense of primal fear from Eder.
However, his feelings of unfairness and resentment far outweighed his fear. He"d even given him 1,000 gold, so what was this treatment!?
"I"ll do it!" Eder yelled.
Eder pondered hitting Kang Oh"s head, d.a.m.n the magic sword, but that would only be beneficial to Kang Oh.
By killing him, Kang Oh would gain experience points and an annoying quest would be canceled. Plus, he"d already received 1,000 gold in advance.
Ultimately, he didn"t have much choice.
Furthermore, he couldn"t run away now that he"d attached to Kang Oh.
"Haa."
His anger subsided and his shoulders drooped.
"Guess I should use the carrot now."
Because he had a long history as a gamer, Kang Oh knew very well how to handle NPCs.
Not only did he employ flattery, but he was familiar with the proper use of the "carrot and the stick" when dealing with NPCs.
"It"s not all bad. If you continue helping me to the best of your ability, then I"ll introduce you to someone," Kang Oh said.
"This"ll work 100%."
Kang Oh was absolutely sure.
The other day, they had met the Beastman, and Kang Oh had realized that Eder was weak to women.
"What do you mean by "introducing me to someone"?"
"I"ll introduce you to a girl."
"A girl?"
"Yeah. My little sister"s really beautiful. They call her the Reincarnation of the G.o.ddess of Beauty, Erina."
He was using the exact same lines he"d used to convince Burkan.
"Really?" Eder asked.
"Yeah, really."
He was lying, of course. Not only was his little sister not the Reincarnation of Erina, but she didn"t even have a game character.
"I"ll do my best."
Eder"s att.i.tude had done a 180.
"What a simple guy."
Kang Oh grinned.
As expected, old bachelors were susceptible to women!
It was especially effective for a really old bachelor like Eder.
"Read the book and find clues of the magic sword"s whereabouts, Brother-in-law."
Kang Oh pointed to The Loxia Chronicles and made sure to call him his brother-in-law.
Brother-in-law.
As if he were his little sister"s husband.
"I"ll do my very best," Eder replied, standing at attention like a military recruit.
"Good."
Kang Oh left the Altein Central Library.
He dumped 1,500 pages of reading to Eder, yet walked so light-heartedly.
* * *
Kang Oh found the NPCs that taught support skills.
"You have to truly understand the mount in order to truly..." an old soldier wearing armor said.
"That"s enough with the explanations. Please just teach me the skill."
Kang Oh learned the Riding skill, which was Arth"s equivalent to a driver"s license, and also learned several other support skills.
First Aid! Emergency Repair! Create Map! Disarm Trap! Search Path! Create Ill.u.s.trated Monster Book!
"These are the most useful skills for killing monsters and exploring hidden dungeons."
He didn"t learn Lighting, Gather Medicinal Herbs, Fis.h.i.+ng, etc. that other users learned to gather pocket money.
He didn"t plan on learning them in the future, either.
After all, he"d benefitted so much from clearing just two hidden dungeons.
"While others gather chump change, I"ll aim big!"
A get-rich-quick scheme that would ruin one"s family!
But this didn"t apply to Kang Oh, who possessed Hyper Intuition.
"While other people waste time searching, I go straight to the source," Kang Oh muttered.
"Huh, what did you say?"
"Nothing. More importantly, I"d like to learn some skills."
Kang Oh was inside the Swordsman Guild. The martial arts instructor looked him over.
"You look quite skilled. Why don"t you try and learn a combat skill?" the martial arts instructor said.
"Which skill?"
"Cross Slash, Continuous Slash, Power Strike, Destroy Heart, etc. You should be able to learn most techniques."
"It"s fine. I"d like to learn Basic Evasion and Quick Feet," Kang Oh said.
The martial arts teacher brought over a skillbook from the bookshelf.
Basic Evasion!
Quick Feet!
"It"s 2 gold, huh."
Kang Oh paid for the skillbooks and used it on the spot.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
[You have learned the pa.s.sive skill, Basic Evasion (Beginner).]
[You have learned the pa.s.sive skill, Quick Feet (Beginner).]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
These skills, coupled with Kang Oh"s Hyper Intuition, would maximize his evasion.
"I"ll attack without getting hit."
That was the style that he sought. A one-sided beatdown. A one-sided advantage. How good does that sound?
Kang Oh grinned, and the martial arts instructor asked, "Are you really not going to learn any combat skills?"
"I"m fine."
With his Hyper Intuition pointing out weaknesses, his SS-rank magic sword, as well as Gluttony, which would explosively increase his abilities, he had enough attack power.
It would be a waste of time to learn more combat skills. It was better to keep using Slash to improve his proficiency in it.
"In any case, I wonder if Eder found a clue yet..."
Kang Oh, having finished his business here, headed to the Altein Central Library.
* * *
Turning the clock back...
Eder, who had been immersed in The Loxia Chronicles, secretly looked to his left and right.
"He"s gone," Eder muttered.
As he said, Kang Oh had definitely left the Altein Central Library.
Then, he straightened his back and pushed The Loxia Chronicles away.
"Does he think I"m an idiot?"
Kang Oh"s "carrot" hadn"t worked in the slightest.
In fact, it"d be even stranger for it to have worked.
But there was a reason why he acted like it had.
He needed to get out of Kang Oh"s clutches, as he had threatened him with the magic sword.
"You"ll see first-hand what a ghost"s resentment feels like."
Not only had he not read The Loxia Chronicles, but he hadn"t even looked at it.
Instead, he pa.s.sed the time by reading some of the medical books here that he"d wanted to read.
Of course, he"d turned it to a certain page so that it looked like he"d read some of it.
Time pa.s.sed, and Kang Oh had finally returned.
"Hey, Brother-in-law!"
"Like h.e.l.l I"d ever become your brother-in-law."
However, Eder"s actions completely contradicted his inner feelings.
"Welcome back."
Eder looked really happy to see him.
Kang Oh looked blankly at him and asked, "Have you found any clues?"
"I haven"t found it yet. It"s such a long book, so I will need more time to read through it," Eder said.
He would, of course, never find any clues to the magic sword no matter how much time pa.s.sed.
"Hmm. It is quite a thick book."
Kang Oh nodded his head.
"I will need a week at the very least."
Eder planned on buying as much time as possible and then continue dragging this out by asking for more time.
"What can he even do if I can"t find any clues!?"
"I got it."
Eder"s congenial smile matched that of his smiling mask.
However...
"I"ll try finding clues in my own way. But if I find the clues first, then you"re useless to me. I don"t need an incompetent good-for-nothing traveling with me, so I"ll kill you right then and there."
Kang Oh brandished the magic sword and stroked it. His face was etched with a wicked smile.
"What are you talking about!?"
This is bulls.h.i.+t!
"Yeah. I don"t care what you do; that"s what I"m going to do."
Kang Oh"s voice was firm; it was clear that he would follow through 100%.
"That"s unfair!" Eder yelled.
"Life"s unfair, dirty, and cheap. Just do as I say!"
Kang Oh tapped Eder"s shoulder with the magic sword.
"Unless you want to die."
It was a villain.
* * *
Coming back to the present...
Kang Oh"s point of view.
"Unless you want to die," Kang Oh said.
Eder bowed his head at Kang Oh"s words.
His plan of getting back at Kang Oh had failed miserably.
"Did you really think you could fool me?"
Kang Oh stared at Eder, his gaze frigid.
He had already seen through Eder"s plan.
How?
He was a psychic who possessed Hyper Intuition, that"s how!
It seemed as though it had another ability, aside from ascertaining weaknesses, warning of danger, and finding hidden objects/places.
It was the ability to see through lies!
"I"m sure."
Kang Oh recalled the feeling he"d felt when he returned to the Altein Central Library and had looked at Eder.
Eder had welcomed him back.
But as he looked upon Eder, he felt unpleasant and uncomfortable, as though he were p.r.i.c.ked by a thorn.
So much so that he wanted to kill Eder!
The reason for this unique feeling had to be because of his Hyper Intuition. However, it shouldn"t have activated now.
If that"s the case, it must be similar to how he had a feeling when he discovered a hidden dungeon.
What was it telling him?
He felt an unpleasant sensation from Eder.
Furthermore, adding the fact that he forced the work onto him, the conclusion was simple.
"This idiot. He"s putting up a front!"
Thus, Kang Oh secretly sounded him out.
Once he confirmed that the book was indeed thick, Eder insisted that it would take a long time to go through it.
When Eder said that, that unpleasant sensation only became stronger.
Thus, Kang Oh was sure that this was a new facet of his Hyper Intuition.
"This is the ability to see through lies!"
Although Eder had attempted to swindle Kang Oh, he had only managed to prove how Kang Oh"s Hyper Intuition had evolved.
"I"ll forgive you if you tell me the truth. Were you lying to me or not?" Kang Oh said to the bowing Eder.
"What are you talking about!?" Eder reflexively yelled in astonishment.
"I"ll forgive you if you tell me the truth."
Kang Oh unwaveringly stared at Eder without giving him an inch.
If Eder possessed a real body, then he would"ve avoided Kang Oh"s gaze. And he would"ve gulped too.
"I-I really didn"t..."
"You said you were trying to find clues, but you were really trying to buy time and try to get in my way, weren"t you? Yes or no?"
Kang Oh interrupted him and interrogated him.
"It"s obvious what you were trying to do."
It was clear to him what Eder was trying to do, as he"d done quite the nasty deeds himself in Warlord.
"..."
"This is your last chance. If you come clean, I"ll give you a break. 3! 2!"
Right before he counted down to 1...
"I did it. I did!"
Eder confessed.
Kang Oh was already sure of it, so if Eder kept to his story, he"d be on his way to heaven right now.
"You idiot."
Kang Oh cool-headedly forgave him.
After all, he was the one who"d backstabbed him first, so he could forgive him just once.
So instead of torturing him, he decided to put him to work.
"I"ll let it go this once. But in exchange, you have to read it all by tomorrow and find the clue."
Kang Oh pushed The Loxia Chronicles towards him.
"That"s impossible! I can"t read it all in a day!" Eder said.
"..."
Kang Oh, without a word, simply stared frigidly at him.
Eder nearly suffocated from the silence.
"F-Fine. I"ll do it!"
Eder began reading The Loxia Chronicles. With all his might!
"You should"ve done that from the start."
As expected, Kang Oh really was good at handling NPCs.
The stick, the carrot, and then the stick!
Eder couldn"t escape Kang Oh"s grasp, just like how Son Wukong couldn"t escape Buddha"s.
* * *
Jae Woo got ready to go out.
He wore a white T-s.h.i.+rt with a peace sign on it, as well as a pair of jeans and a baseball hat.
"Big brother, where are you going?" Yura asked.
"I have some business to attend to," Jae Woo said curtly.
"Ah, are you going to the bank?"
"Mm, just some business."
Jae Woo was headed to the bank, just as Yura had expected.
The Piggy Savings Bank!
It was a bank that used a red piggybank as its mascot. It meant that their bank would be a piggybank for the normal person.
"Welcome."
"I came to pay a debt."
It was an exhilarating feeling, like throwing a resignation letter at your boss"s face.