I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 13. The Jester (1)
[Steal Condition (1): You are merely an audience member watching the Jester’s most beloved spectacular ‘show’—outwit the Jester during the performance]
[Reward: Randomly steal one of the Jester’s Traits]
The Jester is terrifying because it possesses field-type Skills that surpass even boss monsters, coupled with tricky mechanics.
A top-ranker evaluated as a walking Dungeon.
The bounty placed on that creature once totaled 800,000 Merit Points and fifty billion won in cold cash.
‘Still, thank heavens it’s not the Jester itself that’s shown up.’
If the real Jester had come instead of this possessed version…
I would have chosen flight over combat.
Ju-sang licked his lips.
‘There’s something about that creature’s Traits that I absolutely crave.’
If Skills are the inferior version of Unique Abilities, then Traits are a concept that transcends job class or Unique Ability entirely, encompassing all categories.
In an extreme example, a Necromancer who acquires a holy-aligned Trait could simultaneously wield both dark magic and holy power.
And to think I could steal that.
My mouth was already watering.
But then—
Ting!
Another status window flickered into view.
[Steal Condition (2): Discover the reason why you were able to possess the Jester’s body]
[Reward: Randomly steal one of the Jester’s Skills]
This is insane.
Not one, but two?
Is today Christmas or something?
Ju-sang’s mind began spinning at incredible speed.
The sole survivor from the thirty-second Heroes’ Tournament.
That was no accident or mere luck.
The fact that I could survive alone.
The fact that I possessed the Jester’s body.
There had to be a reason—a reason why this had to happen.
There was only one possibility.
“You made a contract, didn’t you?”
“What?”
“You struck a deal with the Evil Deity. Early in the game, you gained an Opportunity in exchange for agreeing to grant it three favors whenever it asks.”
Information known only to the rarest of veterans.
Of course, even if someone knew, no sane person would ever choose such a path.
The risk was simply unthinkable.
But that creature accepted the gamble and chose the Forbidden Fruit anyway.
If I assume that, everything fits.
And then—
“Whoa…”
An exclamation escaped the Jester’s lips.
“You really are no joke. I’d bet you’re one of those players who made it almost to the final chapter?”
With those words—
Ting!
[Skill stolen successfully!]
A status window appeared to confirm the success.
Ju-sang clasped his hands together in silent prayer.
Please…
Let it be that SS-rank Skill.
If I obtain that alone, I can break through this situation however I need to.
[Skill: ‘Show Time!’]
[Acquisition Difficulty: SS]
[Description: For a set duration, reduces the resource cost required to use Skills to zero. (Duration varies based on Skill proficiency.)]
They say sincere wishes come true.
The result was beyond perfect.
Show Time!—allowing me to unleash Skills endlessly for a set period without cost.
Even with a time limit, having zero resource consumption was broken beyond measure.
“Why are you staring at nothing, grinning like an idiot? Answer me already. How far have you played The Emperor? What nickname did you use when you played the game… I’m dying to know!”
The Jester pressed Ju-sang for answers.
“Oh, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
I was too busy imagining your face when you realized you’d lost it.
“You know what? I’m tolerating you because you’re at your level. As for that Jeokho character and his ilk, I turned them into bio-bombs immediately.”
“Sweet. So you’re giving me special treatment?”
“That’s right. Since we’re going to be working together from now on, I should show you at least this much consideration.”
Not a recruitment proposal, but a recruitment fait accompli.
This one has a real talent for counting chickens before they hatch.
“I’ll have to pass. Whenever I get tangled up with the Evil Deity, things never end well.”
Besides, with over eight hundred attempts under my belt, when would I have avoided siding with the Evil Deity?
Sure, I can pull off some flashy moves in the early and mid stages. But that’s where it stops.
“Seems like you’re misunderstanding something. This isn’t a proposal.”
The Jester gripped the Long Scythe tightly.
Whoosh.
A sinister aura rippled through the air.
Indeed.
So this is what a Star Rank 10 feels like.
The oppressive weight of it stung my skin.
‘My neck could be severed this instant and it wouldn’t be surprising.’
A moment’s carelessness would mean instant death.
[The Jester activates the Unique Ability ‘Carnival of Destruction’!]
Light spread across the ground.
Various structures rose up in a flurry.
The entire area had transformed into what seemed like one massive circus ground.
“Wahhh!”
“Ohhh!”
The crowd of bio-bombs planted throughout began clapping and cheering.
Most of them were Fairy-folk who lived in this Dungeon.
Forced smiles on their faces, they’d become a forced applause brigade.
An unparalleled tragedy in Fairy-folk history.
“Let me show you the difference in our class. I needed proper practice anyway.”
Swish.
The Jester melted into the shadows.
In that instant.
Ju-sang took a defensive stance.
Clang!
He barely blocked it, but cracks formed in his blade.
For someone built for speed, this strength was absurd.
And the scythe wasn’t even an ordinary one—it was a Star Relic.
“Hiya! Good reflexes!”
The whistling Jester immediately opened his palm.
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Brilliant fireworks exploded, obscuring his vision.
Using that moment, Daggers streaked in from all directions.
Clang-clang-clang-clang!
Ju-sang swatted every thrown Dagger away as if he’d anticipated it.
“You’re blocking this too?”
Whoosh.
At the same time, the incoming scythe he deflected and batted aside.
“This as well…?”
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
Flames launched from the Flaming Ring, which he evaded by rolling across the ground.
A torrent of various traps bearing down like a gale.
On the ground, a floor tile with [Stun] judgment activated.
Stand in the luminous zone within the time limit, and you’d lose consciousness for 1.5 seconds.
There was no time to breathe.
Each individual device was lethal in its own right.
And yet.
Even in what appeared to be an extreme situation, Ju-sang was adapting quickly.
‘The Jester’s reputation is well-earned.’
This was the greatest weakness of Possession.
Insufficient understanding of the character.
No matter how strong the opponent, what good is it if you don’t understand their body properly?
Compared to the Carnival of Destruction that the Jester originally deployed, this is child’s play.
‘The patterns are monotonous and predictable.’
Unable to land effective blows, the creature’s movements grew increasingly readable.
Now its attacks couldn’t even graze the hem of Jusang’s robe.
A month had passed since the Jester possessed that body. Another week, and the outcome would have been entirely different—but it wasn’t.
The haste played into my hands, creating an opening.
“This is maddening. You slip away like a loach, never staying put for a moment.”
The Jester tilted its head in apparent confusion, over and over.
It must have seemed strange.
Most opponents would have been sprawled on the ground long ago.
“Hey, Boradoli. Don’t you have anything more varied and thrilling? With such a yawn-inducing performance, the audience can only grow bored.”
“Bo, Boradoli? You’re talking to me?”
“Who else would I mean? Is there another grape-flavored candy sitting around here?”
“Tch, tch, tch—you little punk. I’ve been letting you run your mouth, and now you dare to speak to me like that?”
Good.
It was clearly enraged now.
The warm-up was done. Time for the real game to begin.
Jusang unlocked the cage where the large beasts had been penned.
“Roaaaar!”
“Screeeech!”
Crash!
The heavy iron cage swung open, and the massive creatures bolted free.
“Argh! How did you even—how did that cage open?”
How indeed.
When it crashed into me earlier, I’d simply lifted the key from its pocket.
Before I could set the Suggestion, even Boradoli found itself unable to escape the beasts’ onslaught.
Slice!
The Long Scythe carved through the air.
With a 10-Star body, its strength and agility were far beyond normal limits.
The 5-Star beasts were being carved clean through.
In that chaos, Jusang swapped out the magic apparatus.
[Surprise Mystery Box has been exchanged for a transparent glass box.]
“This is just sleight of hand, really—nothing special. You can find all the tricks on any video site. Total cheap tricks, I’m telling you.”
Jusang proceeded to expose the secrets of every illusion to the audience.
* * *
The Circus Grounds descended into complete chaos.
“Grrk!”
Boradoli immediately tried to activate the skill Show Time!
Confident that the insolent whelp’s expression would twist into despair.
But then.
No matter what, the skill wouldn’t activate.
“Show Time. Where did it go? Why isn’t it showing up in my status window? Did you hide the skill? Or seal it? No, if you did, there should be traces… What on earth is happening?!”
It had been stolen long ago.
That skill of yours was too good to pass up!
Or so the thought remained unspoken.
While Boradoli kept shouting Show Time uselessly at the air, Jusang picked up a torch and approached the stands.
“Ladies and gentlemen, a fire will now break out. Please evacuate calmly through the emergency exits.”
Whoosh!
Red flames erupted as Jusang spoke.
“Aaahhh!”
“Fire! Run!”
The fake spectators scattered in blind panic.
And with that, the Carnival of Destruction met its own destruction.
“Noooooo!”
Boradoli thrashed about wildly, unable to contain its fury.
[Conditions for Steal fulfilled!]
Another message of success appeared.
Time to collect the reward for all that effort.
Thud!
A luminous emerald pearl fell to the ground.
A Trait.
I didn’t know exactly which Trait it was, but anything that dropped from that creature was guaranteed to be a winning lottery ticket.
Jusang absorbed the Trait at once.
[Trait 666]
[Acquisition Difficulty: AAA]
[Description: At 6.66% probability upon the moment of death, you will be revived. Upon revival, you receive the blessing of the greatest Jester in history—your form transforms and you gain access to all the abilities he wielded in life.]
[However, only on your first death does this probability increase to 100%.]
It wasn’t what he’d hoped for most, but something quite entertaining had landed in his hands.
‘The activation rate being single-digit is a shame, though.’
But the moment it triggers, the ceiling shatters entirely.
The greatest Jester in history—that creature whose Star Rank had approached 13 Stars.
‘I’ll need to choose the remaining two very carefully.’
By default, one could possess up to three Traits, and holding more required meeting special conditions.
The problem was that satisfying these conditions was considerably difficult; it was actually cheaper to erase an existing Trait.
Of course, even erasing a lowest-tier Trait required offering vast Merit Points to the Empire.
It was precisely then.
-Listen, kid. Know when to stop, will you?
A voice both familiar and strange reached his ears.
* * *
Surely not.
Now Jusang’s pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
It couldn’t be any other way.
When Possession occurred, the original personality was supposed to vanish completely—that was the cardinal rule.
And yet.
-I admit you’re quite capable, but don’t torment my partner so. Trampling a sapling can draw retribution.
The voice that rang out clear and distinct was unmistakably different from Boradol’s, and at the same time, it was a sound he’d heard countless times during his days wielding The Emperor.
No question about it.
The real Jester.
His consciousness hadn’t vanished—it remained.
“Rrgh! You, don’t you dare interfere! This is my body. He’s my meal!”
Boradol shrieked, tearing at his own hair.
One of his eyes began to stain black, slowly darkening.
-I know, I know, partner. But this time, let me help you just a little. Just a tiny bit….
Along with that gentle, soothing voice.
Crack.
Both of Boradol’s pupils turned completely black.
Chill.
A tremendous wave of cold washed over him.
He’d never imagined a face that resembled a parasitic wasp could look this frightening.
This was getting dangerous.
[The Skill ‘Death Play’ activates!]
A red heart symbol appeared above Jusang’s head.
“Damn!”
Jusang immediately scanned his surroundings.
He had to erase a heart-shaped mark inside the Circus Grounds within thirty seconds, or the Debuff would take hold.
There.
A heart mark was visible on a black box.
Sword in hand, Jusang hurled himself toward it.
Slice!
The heart symbol split perfectly in two.
But then.
Inside the box lay another box, this one marked with a diamond.
[You have slashed two marks simultaneously.]
[The Debuff ‘Left-Right Reversal’ takes effect for thirty seconds!]
When his right hand moves, his left foot shifts instead.
When his left foot moves, his right ear twitches.
Dozens of sensations tangled together.
‘Unless the ‘Supporter’ class removes the Debuff, I have to sustain combat for a full minute like this.’
-You seem to know my abilities rather well, so I twisted things a bit. Don’t trust only what you see.
The Jester—not Boradol—rushed forward, drawing a single Blue Card that blazed with cerulean light.
Whoosh!
He moved through shadow and shadow alike.
Front. No—behind!
-Strike.
Crack!
A brutal impact hammered into his ribs.
He was kicked back.
Hard enough to make his vision swim.
Jusang seized the thread of consciousness by sheer will and unleashed the Annihilation Claw Style.
Shred-shred-shred-shred-shred!
The magical apparatus tore apart as though raked by a beast’s claws.
He carved a barrier with his blade, maintaining distance, refusing to let the Jester close again.
But it was already too late.
Damn it.
A Blue Card was already lodged in his shoulder.
Drip-drip-drip!
Mana hemorrhaged visibly, pooling and spreading.
A Blue Card inflicts mana bleeding—the worst possible counter for a character whose strength lies in skills.
-You won’t have a moment’s carelessness, will you?
Countless daggers poured down from the ceiling.
Thud-thud-thud!
The spot where he’d stood an instant before was shredded to tatters.
He’d managed to evade, barely.
This time, a card had embedded itself in the back of his right hand.
A second Blue Card.
Mana bled twice as fast now.
-You know? Your left-right balance is thrown off just slightly. The left side is nearly flawless, but the right—there’s something strange about it. Weak spots everywhere.
“Poking at the sore spot, aren’t you? Did my left-handedness show that much?”
The Jester was mapping his evasion patterns one by one, exploiting each gap as he found it.
He’d given up on ending it with one overwhelming blow. Instead, he was methodically draining Jusang’s reserves.
It was on another level entirely.
Combat intuition.
Skill application and combination.
No comparison was even possible with Boradol.
-To see you hold out this long against me—you’re truly remarkable. So stop being stubborn and accept your partner’s offer. Refuse one more time, and you might lose something you’ll never use again.
The Jester reached out his hand one final time.
He was right.
He was right.
At this level, Jusang could never match someone at the threshold of Star Rank 10.
Unfortunately, that was the harsh reality.
But then again.
“Care to wager? In a few seconds, whose limbs will be useless?”
-What?
“I’d recommend running now. Otherwise, this Circus Grounds might become both your graves.”
If the Jester could be cowardly enough to call for backup in a one-on-one fight…
Then summoning a friend on this side was only fair.
[Interdimensional Inventory opening!]
Through the split in space.
A soft whisper.
The White-haired Girl emerged.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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