Chapter 166

I could practically see Hunter Yian’s face twisting in suspicion, all “No way, no way.”

Only after I hurriedly added that did Hunter Yian seem to relax and reply.

Shin Jae-heon paused mid-rant and suddenly asked,

Was this guy worried we might actually try it?

He let out a short sound of admiration. I clicked my tongue inwardly while watching Ricas pretend to study diligently in front of me, scribbling notes.

That’s the weak mindset they’ve been using to hold back gates?

No worries! This guy’s about to go spread the word!

Even if… it’s total snake oil!

In other words, dumber than he looks.

Tell me about it. I had high hopes since he was a double agent, but nope, just a thick-headed moron…

Of course, even thick-headed morons have their uses.

I cautiously called out to Ricas.

“But, Oppa.”

Ughhh! So cringey! Ughhh!

Why the hell does Senia call these losers “Oppa” all the time, putting everyone else at risk of penalties?

“Yeah, Senya.”

Ricas’s response gave me chills too.

But for screwing over this sucker, I can endure it!

“We’re short on manpower, so could you handle clearing this gate for us?”

I pointed to one side of the map.

We weren’t short on manpower at all—hell, we had extras from holding the gate—but this idiot’s brain clearly couldn’t spot that.

“Uh… where?”

Ricas responded with a hesitant look.

When I pointed to the spot on the map, he looked troubled.

“Senya, you know I’m not good with swords.”

“But you carry the blood of Pollaine.”

Pollaine got wrecked too, but whatever!

The system window above your head doesn’t lie!

You won’t die just wandering around in there!

Well, your mentality might get shredded right up to the brink of death!

“Hmm…”

Ricas seemed to ponder my words. I looked up at him pleadingly.

Not going? Fine, get lost then.

Of course, I kept that to myself.

“Got it.”

He nodded only after confirming it was a relatively easy gate.

Yeah, B-rank. No way he can’t clear a D-rank dungeon.

The problem? It’s a swamp dungeon, crawling with monsters of all bizarre shapes and sizes.

Let him suffer through it and spread rumors of this genius S-rank strat back to the Eastern Empire and Pollaine!

“I’ll get ready, Senya.”

He tried hard not to sound reluctant, but I saw right through it.

It’s fine, buddy. You won’t die!

You might wake up to your bed turning into a swamp and suffer like hell, but still!

“Thank you, Oppa!”

I waved cheerfully at Ricas’s retreating figure, which somehow looked haggard after just a few minutes.

—Click.

Once the door closed, I shrugged.

“Well, you need brains to land a backstab too.”

We’d known Ricas was a spy long before entering the mansion dungeon.

So Yeri Hunter had gotten her hands on the letter he’d sent to Kinna.

Tsk tsk. Should’ve sent better letters, huh?

“Anyway…”

Yawn. Stretching wide, I checked my status window.

The sparkling personal quest window stood out especially.

Of course it did—a new one had appeared.

What a ridiculous condition.

“My stats…”

Mine weren’t low to begin with.

Lots of numbers, but no way I’d forget them.

People think top rankers forget their stats as numbers balloon, but it’s the opposite.

Higher stats mean harder to raise them, so you memorize whether you like it or not.

I might not recall the ones digit, but from thousands up, crystal clear.

And the last stats I remembered were these.

Item bonuses varied, but last I recalled, that was it.

Clear with 50% higher than that?

Not impossible.

Unlike outside gates, this dungeon distributes stats in percentages.

The issue was Hunter rank.

Senia de Edelweiss / 25 years old, Dealer (A)

Climbing from A to S-rank.

Becoming stronger.

At S-rank, even using ‘Gym Teacher’s Wooden Sword (SS)’ wouldn’t trigger “item too strong” messages.

And that item boosts all stats by +30%.

Just surpass previous stats including that—basically, hit S-rank…

“Hmm…”

I first awakened to S-rank in a gate.

Obviously not to survive.

I want to live now more than ever, and I clearly need power.

I knew exactly what I lacked for that.

“Skills, for starters…”

I checked the system window.

Fewer skills than my Galaxy Server data, naturally.

But not without solutions.

Coins from minor quests and monster hunts.

“Buy skills with this first.”

Leave about 30k just in case…

I sat up straight with reverence.

Gacha luck demands shedding greed. I closed my eyes.

Any skill is fine.

I’m using this to boost skill count, since it doesn’t show in the system anyway—

Arrrghhh!!!

No, shed the greed!

Pushing aside my past hatred of kitchen chores, I closed my eyes reverently once more.

I’m ready for anything!

“…”

I opened my eyes with mixed feelings.

What was this pathetic sensation?

Vegetable Chopping and Vitality Transfer?

Vitality Transfer was SS-rank, sure, but useless for my growth now.

Why? It transfers my experience to others.

A skill for helping others level up! Only useful when you want someone else to rank up!

And who needs to rank up now?

Me!

Fuck!

“No, calm down.”

Skills aren’t the only way to grow stronger.

Coins can be farmed again. The issue is world-specific growth.

I.e., acquiring skills unique to this world.

“…”

Not crap like that.

Of course, this skill alone was a huge win.

—Tap, tap, tap…

Lost in thought, I started drumming on the table.

A defensive skill, not offensive.

99% reduction. I pursed my lips tight.

‘Shin Jae-heon!’

The first image that came to mind was Shin Jae-heon’s back.

‘If there’s a chance, I’ll die in your place.’

That idiot’s eyes were dead serious when he said it.

‘Just 10 seconds.’

And his eyes begging me to think of him as not a friend for just 10 seconds—they were serious too.

“You…”

What if I didn’t think of you as a friend?

I can’t imagine a future without you.

You’ve been by my side more than half my life. Imagining life without you means digging back to ancient history.

Lips pursed tight, I closed my eyes.

Then bolted upright.

“Let’s just do what I can for now.”

Gacha bombed hard—clearly a divine message.

What message? Use what you’ve got well!

How to use this defensive support skill that dropped into my DPS-only lineup?

Can’t just tank barehanded relying on 99% reduction.

Time to test Senia’s skills.

Pollaine Knight Order.

Senior knight Idis was exhausted from rallying the knights today as well.

“Morale in the knight order is visibly dropping after repeated defeats.”

Another knight who’d joined a year apart from him said.

Idis’s expression darkened.

“…Can’t be helped. They’re drained.”

Consecutive losses to monsters naturally sapped strength.

Someone might say “at least no one’s dead,” but how many sword-bearers can endure “defeat”?

These were battlefield survivors where defeat meant death.

The fact they were alive after repeated losses was the weird part.

And the commander creating that weird situation was none other than.

“…Kikal de Pollaine.”

He dared murmur his superior’s name.

He knew he shouldn’t think this of the Pollaine heir, practically his lord.

But as battles dragged on, respecting his superior grew harder.

“Was he always like this?”

Idis tilted his head.

He’d joined as a squire young and spent years in the Pollaine Knights, but couldn’t recall Kikal’s old self.

The family heir, yet why?

“…Ah.”

Idis recalled a key fact.

The one who’d actually led the knights was Senia de Pollaine.

Even before the first heir succession ceremony.

She took great interest in the knights.

She listened to each one’s stories and taught swordplay without hesitation.

But not Kikal de Pollaine.

‘You there, come here.’

He couldn’t even distinguish senior knights from squires.

“…”

Idis’s face clouded further.

Of course, Idis knew Senia was an unusual case.

But a commander who couldn’t tell knights from squires and lacked battlefield eyes was fatal.

‘Th-there’s too many!’

Kikal, judging monsters purely by numbers, was the worst commander.

His tactics were simple: Retreat if monsters outnumbered knights. Advance if knights outnumbered monsters.

“…”

Idis finally grimaced.

Right, how dare he think ill of his lord’s house?

Get it together, Idis!

‘Re-retreat!’

…But after that repeated several more times, with Kikal yelling retreat and fleeing like a coward each time, his true feelings slipped out unbidden.

“…I’ve never seen such a moron.”

Loyalty was slowly fading from the Pollaine knights’ hearts.

Then, an incident shook the senior knights’ loyalty for real.