I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 18

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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 18. Starfield (2)
A chapel situated on the fourth floor of Starfield.
A long white hand rose from above a dark pool.
It was a mysterious, dreamlike sight.
The glowing hand looked just like that of an angel.
But what caught the eye even more was the sword embedded halfway in its palm.
Spark! Crackle!
Red sparks spewed out without pause.
That was none other than the Sword of Cabalado, one of the Evil God’s holy relics.
“It looks like full awakening will be possible in about an hour.”
“It’s progressing far faster than expected. The Cardinal will be pleased.”
Since Sweet Home managed every area except the chapel, the Immortal Cult could concentrate solely on awakening the Evil God’s relic.
Calmly. And in secret.
They advanced one step at a time toward their grand design.
But then.
[80% of the Urban Legend has vanished!]
[Purification of Starfield is proceeding at accelerated speed!]
A complication had arisen.
The Urban Legend that they were certain would prove difficult even for a Holy Knight to breach had been penetrated.
“Could it be that someone above seven stars has arrived?”
“To contend with a monstrosity, a high level alone is insufficient. One must possess perfect mastery of the proper strategy.”
Great agitation spread among the faithful.
“Hmm. So it’s this guy the clown was talking about.”
A man with brown hair opened his mouth.
His name was Kang Su-hyeok.
A Korean hero who had crossed into The Emperor in the eleventh cycle and converted to the Immortal Cult.
He believed that in this world where survival rates were abysmal, the only way to endure was to place himself under the Evil God’s dominion.
‘The opponent is probably from the same country as well.’
However recently he had been possessing this body, he had nonetheless survived an encounter with a clown.
He had destroyed Sweet Home in a short span of time.
An undeniable veteran player.
An extremely seasoned one at that.
“Come now. I’ll revise the plan entirely, so move quickly, everyone.”
It seemed he had some confidence in his abilities….
If that was the case, then he had no choice but to make full use of the Immortal Cult’s vast backing on his end.
Play Time: 1,505 hours.
He would make it abundantly clear how a veteran player with four digits of experience fought.
* * *
The raid party boarded the escalator heading to the fourth floor.
When they reached the fourth floor, they deliberately avoided anything related to the number four—”What could there be on the fifth floor?”, “Wasn’t the bookstore on the fifth floor supposed to be great?”—and other such distractions.
‘Did I bring everything I need?’
Ju-sang checked once more the things necessary for this final battle.
‘Queen Elizabeth’s Handwritten Diploma’, ‘Urban Legend Publishing Contract’, ‘Moonlight Ink’.
All of them had been obtained from the Urban Legends and Monstrosities hunted on the way up to the fourth floor.
“So all I need to do is handle that Urban Legend called Sweet Home or whatever it is?”
Baek Seol-gi, wearing an apron with “‘Master’s Mill’ of the Royal Residence” written on it, asked.
“You know the drill, right? If a trait comes out when he dies….”
“I’ll bring it to you as is, without absorbing it.”
She had readily absorbed the trait that came from the clown, but due to limitations on the number of traits she could carry, she intended to be more selective going forward.
“I trust you.”
“Leave it to me.”
Baek Seol-gi cradled a basket full of rice cakes in her arms.
“Rice cakes! Fresh rice cakes for sale! These rice cakes were just made and are absolutely delicious!”
She had now perfectly adopted the persona of a rice cake seller and set out to find Sweet Home.
“Squeak!”
Seol-tang, also wearing the same apron, followed behind.
-Pets must be kept on a leash at all times.
They even remembered to follow the shopping mall’s regulations without letting their guard down to the end.
“Do you think he’ll be all right alone?”
Amy asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Hmm.
“It should be fine.”
If anything, he was the one worried about his opponent.
Baek Seol-gi was in no danger.
The real problem was the Immortal Cult.
A ribbon of black liquid flowed across the floor, visibly thickening by the second.
It was a phenomenon unique to the Dungeon Transformation of the Chapel.
They had to hurry.
Once the dungeon was fully formed, it would be several times more difficult to conquer.
“Move at maximum speed.”
Antonio, the raid leader, also sensed that something ominous was unfolding in the Chapel.
Tap-tap-tap!
Everyone quickened their pace.
They passed the Cinema where the Monstrosities had been annihilated and the sprawling Large Sauna, heading toward the innermost section.
How long had they been running?
The Chapel, with its grotesque form, came into view ahead.
‘Tsk.’
Ju-sang clicked his tongue.
Space twisted, revealing a landscape completely different from Starfield.
A full moon hung high in the sky.
A tree with corpses dangling from its branches.
Fanatics wandering about, muttering incomprehensible words.
The Dungeon Transformation was already complete.
“Kekeke!”
“Welcome, welcome, welcome.”
Countless madness and fury turned toward the raid party.
At the slightest opening, they looked ready to surge forward.
At that very moment.
The fanatics parted like a wave, left and right.
And through that gap,
Footsteps.
Someone walked forward.
“Hey, you fellows. Our Cult doesn’t discriminate about who we accept, but we do have one exception—those filthy hounds from the Vatican. If you don’t leave now, I can arrange for you to meet your god of light or whatever else it is.”
At the man’s words, Antonio immediately roared.
“Vile apostate scum! How dare you blaspheme the sacred!”
“Oh ho! A mere underling, you say? I happen to hold the prestigious rank of High Priest of our Korean branch. Call me Kang Su-hyeok.”
“I have no interest in the name of a man who’ll soon be nothing but ash!”
Antonio raised a white banner embroidered with golden thread.
[Holy Relic ‘Banner of the Saint’ has been activated!]
Whoosh!
Pure white radiance unfurled in a circle around the banner, spreading outward.
“Behold! This is the light spoken of in revelation, the radiance that banishes vile darkness!”
“The god of light stands with us!”
Holy Knights moved to the front, while Priests sang hymns from behind.
[Morale increases by 200%!]
[Health and Mana recovery speed increase by 30%!]
[Resistance to dark magic increases by 30%!]
[Holy Power increases by 10%….]
[…increases!]
Countless status windows appeared.
The already formidable combination of Holy Knights and Priests, rated among the highest in sustain capability, now seemed invincible.
“Boasting over a single Holy Relic? Well, it doesn’t matter. Kill them all.”
Kang Su-hyeok slowly raised his hand.
Then.
Krrrrk!
Dozens of skeletal creatures rose from the black pools.
3-Star rank Corpse Golems.
They could only be destroyed by shattering the Life Stone no larger than a thumbnail buried within their bodies, making them particularly troublesome opponents.
“Sacrifices for the resurrection of the dark god!”
“Leave none alive!”
The fanatics raised their voices, long scythes gripped in their hands.
There was no time for words—the two forces collided head-on.
Crash-crash-crash-bang!
Thwack-boom!
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Weapons of all kinds sought the vital points of their enemies.
Light and darkness tangled together as the bloody struggle raged on.
‘Hmm.’
Ju-sang watched the battle from a distance.
Though the Immortal Cult’s fanatics outnumbered the Vatican forces by at least ten to one, the quality of individual combatants heavily favored the Vatican side.
A see-saw of advances and retreats.
The balance was so delicate that no decisive outcome would emerge in the short term.
It seemed both sides still held hidden cards up their sleeves.
But what really mattered was….
‘How to fulfill the Plunder condition.’
Ju-sang stared into empty air, licking his lips.
[Plunder Condition: Damage the dignity of the Immortal Cult and cause them to abandon their faith.]
[Reward: Depending on the degree of dignity damaged, you may randomly Plunder one unique ability, characteristic, stat, or memory item from those possessed by the target faction.]
An unprecedented Plunder targeting not an individual, but an entire organization.
The advantage was obvious: the expected value was absurdly high.
Bluntly put, it meant he could even seize the abilities of the high priest or cardinal.
The ceiling wouldn’t just be broken through—it would cease to exist.
And the disadvantage was….
The wrath of the evil god and the demon kings who followed him.
If he openly mocked them while systematically stripping their believers of power, no divine being would take it kindly.
This had the potential to become a headache in its own right.
‘Let me lay some traps first.’
Ju-sang turned on his smartphone.
Achieving the Plunder condition and the groundwork leading up to it would require several preparations.
[Battery: 29%]
Twenty-nine percent should be manageable enough.
[Sending message to…]
But the instant the message was sent.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash!
The delicate balance shattered in an instant.
“Kiiieeee!!”
Among the Corpse Golems, one wearing a black crown began to move.
An Elder Corpse Golem.
A monster ranked in the late stages of four-star difficulty, distinguished by wielding an axe larger than its own body.
Rip!
The foremost Holy Knight’s body was cleaved in half with a single stroke.
The upper half soared through the air and crashed into the outer edge of the pool.
“Ahhhhh!”
“We will not forgive this!”
Two fellow Holy Knights rushed in from either side, but the result was much the same.
“Keeee!”
Crash-crash-crash-crash!
A mist of blood hung thick in the air.
That was only the beginning.
[Elder Corpse Golem activates the skill Shatter Charge!]
Boom! Boom! Boom!
More than two tons of mass bore down with acceleration.
Dreadful terror pressed down upon the entire raid party.
The weight of that colossal monstrosity hurtling toward them was beyond imagination.
“W-we must hold the line!”
The ability to hold superior numbers at bay lay entirely in the formation’s solidity and efficiency.
If this position broke, the entire formation would collapse.
But.
How could they possibly stop something that tore men apart, armor and all, in a single blow?
Knowing what must be done and having the courage to do it are two entirely different matters.
The raid leader Antonio and main tank Amy were both too occupied fending off more than a dozen Corpse Golems to spare any assistance.
As the raid party hesitated in that moment.
Clang.
Someone stepped in.
Crash!!!
Ju-sang, wielding the Sword of Divine Judgment, met the axe head-on.
Thanks to Blade-Soul Unity, he had found the optimal point of contact.
Because of this, he could defend far more efficiently against even a blow that would have torn a Holy Knight apart.
“Huh. Not bad. You’ve got some skill, kid. But what’s the point? Without Holy Power, holding out here’s going to be rough.”
Kang Su-hyeok was right.
In the Chapel as a base, the use of Holy Power mattered far more than most would imagine.
Dark energy streamed from the Elder Corpse Golem, staining the surroundings black.
Growl!
Flames erupted in all directions, and the axe crept steadily closer to Ju-sang’s face.
In that instant.
[Durability 900 consumed!]
Whoosh!
Brilliant light swept across the entire blade.
A radiance no one could deny.
Holy Power had manifested.
Boom!
“Screeeee!”
The Elder Corpse Golem was driven backward by the flash of light.
“Hmm. So you’re a Holy Knight too? Your skills seem passable enough, but don’t get ahead of yourself. That thing hasn’t even warmed up yet.”
Kang Su-hyeok maintained his composed expression.
He had reason to.
The Elder Corpse Golem’s charge was merely the tip of the iceberg.
It possessed multiple difficult attack patterns and, more importantly, could only be defeated by simultaneously destroying three moving Life Stones.
In other words.
there was no way to turn this situation around, no matter what they did.
“Times really have changed. Rookies spouting off like they’re my equal now.”
With Ju-sang’s words.
The Star-Slaying Sword Style.
The blade that extinguishes stars had begun.
Second Form.
A raging tempest reached toward the sky.
Lightning.
Then white thunder descended in fall.

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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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