I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 28

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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 28. The Celebration Banquet (1)
I ground the Ten-Thousand Year Cold Ice Flower into powder and applied it to the areas where black veins had burst through her skin.
Then I let drops of Elixir fall onto her lips, one drop every three seconds.
“Haa… haa…”
Baek Seolgi’s breathing gradually steadied into a regular rhythm.
It was working.
No—more than that.
A deep hum resonated through her body.
She wasn’t just blocking the corruption of the Black Ice Stone—she was absorbing it, making it her own.
The catastrophe’s innate talent, combined with
the downright broken efficacy of these two materials, was doing the work.
[Internal Energy increases by +350,000!]
[Internal Energy increases by +420,000!]
[Internal Energy increases by +500,000…]
I could feel her Dantian expanding in real time.
The gains were far steeper than when she’d turned people into ice statues.
‘This is insane.’
If she could fully absorb the Black Ice Stone…
Baek Seolgi would reach Stage 10.
Honestly, I was starting to get a little scared of what kind of monster was being created.
‘She won’t betray me… will she?’
Well, I’m already treating her so well—surely she wouldn’t.
If I just make sure to get her better desserts and snacks going forward, it should be fine.
Probably.
‘For now, let me deal with those three.’
The Baek Gwi Trio was kneeling before me.
Still traumatized, their faces were pale with fear.
Good. This was how it should be.
No matter how strong they were, they were still interns with barely any bitter experience of the real world.
I crouched down in front of the three.
This was always the most exhilarating part.
“Honestly, you three only have one path left to choose now.”
All the members of the Black Darkness Unit that came here had been annihilated.
Yet the combat slaves—the ones like Baek Gwi—had survived?
To anyone looking at this, it would only appear they’d betrayed their master.
“W-we didn’t betray anyone.”
“That’s right. We consumed the Poison of Loyalty. We’re bound to never betray.”
Tsk, tsk.
Was that really all they had faith in?
“The Poison of Loyalty would have died with you when the Black Darkness Lord died. In other words, you’re completely free now.”
Besides, Seltangi was already busy manipulating the crime scene.
“Chirp!”
She left footprints around the corpse—exact direction, exact depth—that belonged to Baek Gwi and the others.
She scattered white hairs stained with the Black Darkness Lord’s blood everywhere.
She even slipped in documents detailing methods to remove the Poison of Loyalty.
Making it all look as though the three had conspired together to strike down their master.
“W-what is all this?”
What indeed.
Earth had more than enough crime investigation shows—CSI and the like—flooding the airwaves.
As a devoted subscriber to Netflix, I was simply putting everything I’d learned from those shows to good use.
In the Martial World, where they’d make someone a criminal just for having an ugly face, this much evidence would be enough to summon an executioner without a second thought.
Click.
Just in case I forgot, I’d also saved photos of the evidence on my smartphone.
Planning to hand them over to the Martial World if needed.
“Now that you understand, let’s work well together from now on. Got it?”
“Y-yes. Yes.”
“I… will do my best.”
So I’d just acquired three more slaves.
* * *
The recapture of the Western Watchtower had shifted the entire balance of the battlefield.
Reinforcements from mercenaries kept pouring in, and eventually the Joiin Tribe—so violently rampaging just moments before—retreated beyond the walls, surrendering everything.
They had succeeded in repelling the invasion.
As they descended the mountain, an enormous train was belching plumes of white steam.
[The express train to Gangnam Station, heading for the celebration hall, will depart shortly!]
[We request that all guild members and freelance mercenaries who have earned merit please board the train promptly.]
“Ohhhhh!”
“Woooooh!”
The area in front of Namhansan Fortress Station, where the train sat waiting, was packed shoulder to shoulder with crowds of well-wishers.
If the fortress had fallen, the situation would have become truly catastrophic.
Prices would have skyrocketed, and it would have been a living hell—people fighting to the death over a single piece of rat meat.
“D-did you hear? We—ah, ahem! I mean, it’s being said that the Lord achieved an extraordinary victory by retaking the Western Watchtower, and he might even be ranked in the top five merit holders!”
Kim Sangho from Hwarang was bouncing excitedly, practically vibrating with excitement.
If one was recognized as a merit holder, the rewards were substantial—money, Mana Stones, Merit Points, and more.
‘I wonder how much, exactly.’
The corner of the Lord’s mouth twitched upward.
He was trying to restrain his words, but if he said he wasn’t anticipating this, it would be a lie.
At minimum, two thousand Merit Points.
If he pushed his luck a bit, he’d be pleased to receive the maximum—three thousand Merit Points.
Combined with the two thousand he already held, that would make five thousand total.
‘With five thousand Merit Points, I can buy a Dungeon entrance ticket.’
The Dungeons that the empire itself monopolized exclusively.
Among them, there was one he absolutely had to visit while in Hanam.
‘I should put off raising my Citizen Rank for now. I’ll save the Gangdong area for later as well.’
To make a leap of not one step, but ten….
Now was the time to focus on his own growth.
[The train to Gangnam is now departing.]
Clack-clack! Clack-clack!
The train, constructed through Mana Engineering, lurched into motion.
Ah, the ride quality was quite decent.
Though it couldn’t match a modern KTX, it was perfectly capable of handling long journeys.
“Wow, this massive hunk of metal actually moves.”
“Th-the wheels are just spinning round and round. It’s so fast!”
Baek Gwi and the others kept their faces pressed to the windows, gasping in amazement.
At times like this, they were just like children.
“Everyone, please maintain some dignity as a clan. No reckless behavior.”
Baek Seolgi was putting on a grown-up act, though honestly—
Anyone looking at her would think it was all pretense.
Her eyes never stopped scanning their surroundings for even a second.
Especially when a cart laden with various snacks passed by—she’d actually drooled.
But right then.
“A first-class train reserved only for those who’ve earned merit? What’s with letting these half-baked brats aboard?”
“Leave it. There must be empty seats.”
Sharp voices came from directly behind them.
An eight-person group, composed of both men and women.
“Half-baked brats? What kind of thing is that to say!”
Kim Sangho shot to his feet immediately.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t someone I know. Aren’t you the master of the Hwarang guild?”
The man, upon seeing Kim Sangho, pretended to recognize him.
“Y-you are….”
“Recognize me? That’s right. I’m Lee Seonghyeon of Blue Blood.”
Blue Blood was a guild that had made a name for itself in Gangdong.
They wielded forces that made Hwarang look like nothing by comparison.
“A few months back, you joined one of our guild’s raids as a porter. I mean, even for a microscopic guild like yours, when the master goes begging on his knees for money, it’s embarrassing, isn’t it?”
“I remember. I remember it well. And you all gave him grief for doing the work poorly, didn’t you? He ended up walking away with only half his pay.”
“Ha! That’s hilarious! You’re a total punchline.”
…….
Kim Sangho clamped his mouth shut.
As his past shame was laid bare, his face flushed red with embarrassment.
“So you’ve gotten lucky enough to score some petty accomplishment, have you? Well, shut your mouth and stick with the other brats. Before I remind you of old times.”
Lee Seonghyeon tossed back a glass of cheap liquor.
“Haha. Don’t be like that. If you piss yourself, it ruins the whole drinking experience.”
“Right, right. Let’s drink. Everyone’s earned it.”
The group of eight fell back into their own chatter.
Pfft!
A quiet laugh escaped Jusang’s lips.
Well, well.
They were so caught up talking among themselves there was no opening to cut in.
“Say, brother. Can we take care of these people?”
“They look like they’d be such a pretty red color inside!”
The Baek Gwi group broke into smiles full of blood-lust.
They’d been deflated coming down from the watchtower, but their spirits had recovered already?
Young ones bounce back quick.
‘Come to think of it, I really should give them names.’
Couldn’t keep calling them Number something forever.
Two girls and one boy….
The short-haired girl had chubby cheeks—Mochi.
The long-haired one had especially pale skin, so Chapssal.
And the boy would be Siru.
He was the only one with bits of black mixed into his hair.
“Huh? Ch-, Chapssal?”
“C-couldn’t you just keep calling me Number Six?”
“I… I think I liked my old name better….”
The Baek Gwi group showed their displeasure with their whole bodies, but….
“Hmm. It seems you’ve all lost your senses. To dare object to the name bestowed upon you by the Lord himself—how audacious.”
Everything was settled by Baek Seolgi’s hand.
She’d absorbed all the Black Ice Stones and broken through the barrier of the tenth Stage.
At her current level, even if all three of them rushed her together, they had no chance.
“If Number One—Seolgi—is happy with it, then I’m happy too.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
“Siru, huh. I’ve always wanted a nickname like that. Way better than Crimson Ice Blade or something like Frozen Heaven Judge.”
He was pleased as freshly steamed rice cakes, still hot and fragrant.
“Seolgi, congratulations on breaking through. Now you’re finally worth something.”
“It’s all thanks to you, my Lord.”
Baek Seolgi bowed her head respectfully.
* * *
At first, she’d been skeptical.
Everyone around her had only wanted to use her.
She was alive because she was useful, and when that usefulness ran out, being discarded was inevitable—that’s what she’d believed.
But meeting the Lord had slowly changed that thinking.
When she was hurt, he worried.
He didn’t shy away from dangerous tasks for her sake.
She was grateful for that.
Thankful to have felt warmth for the first time.
So now.
It was time to repay that kindness.
“If you entrust me, I’ll offer their heads without fail to repay your grace.”
“No, let’s see how well the new recruits can handle themselves. But don’t kill them—it’ll just get noisy.”
If word reached the Empire, things could get messy.
Self-defense was interpreted differently depending on who you were in this world.
The three Baek Gwi immediately played rock-paper-scissors.
“I won!”
The winner was short-haired Mochi.
“Ah, I should’ve thrown scissors.”
“Lucky. I wanted to try cutting something too.”
The other two hung their heads low, their cheeks puffed out with disappointment.
Mochi scampered over to where the group of eight sat.
Then she hoisted her chin up onto the table.
“Say, when people drink alcohol, do they lose their fear like the brothers over there and suddenly get all this courage they didn’t have?”
She kept her head resting on the table, tilting her chin left and right.
Apart from the content of her words, the scene resembled a guileless child asking, “Why do elephants have hands for noses?”
Of course, reality proved to be entirely different.
“Hah. You’re really testing my patience now, kid. Look, I’m sorry, but when my temper goes, I don’t care if you’re a child or not.”
Sinews bulged across the back of Lee Seonghyeon’s hand.
Thrum-thrum-thrum.
Mana coursed through him as his fingernails began to elongate.
His unique ability: Beast Form.
An ability that allowed him to transform parts of his body into those of a beast.
“Every time you see the scar on your face, remember this: never talk back to an adult like that again.”
Slash!
The elongated nails shot straight toward Mochi’s face.
Rather than merely leaving a wound, he was moving to shred her entire face.
And in that moment.
“Hmm. So. You started first?”
Clang!
Lee Seonghyeon’s nails ricocheted off something unseen.
At the same time, Mochi’s hand left a blur in the air.
A movement swift as lightning.
“Ugh?”
Lee Seonghyeon’s jaw snapped back from the blow, his whole body reeling in his seat.
“What—what was that?”
“Did that little girl just hit him?”
“Kill her! Kill her!”
Every member of Blue Blood drew their weapons.
But it was already too late.
Far too late.
Even at full strength, they’d have stood no chance.
Caught off guard while drunk?
It was as good as begging for death.
Crack!
“Gaaaah!”
Pop-crunch!
“Aaaagh!”
Oh my.
That had to hurt like hell.
She’d shown some restraint at his instruction not to kill them, but even so, the violence was brutal enough to make anyone wince.
Bones fracturing.
Jaw caving in.
Since mercy was a concept altogether foreign to her, the scene was nothing short of horrific.
[This next stop is Gangnam Station. Gangnam Station.]
Moments later, the train came to a halt at its destination.
Strangely, fewer people exited than had boarded at the start.
To be precise, about eight were missing.
* * *
“My goodness.”
“S-so this is Gangnam?”
Those who’d disembarked blinked in wide-eyed wonder.
Like country folk fresh off the boat to the big city.
And little wonder.
Gangnam was the epicenter where every major guild in Korea converged.
Living up to its reputation, the district gleamed with marble-paved streets and towering buildings that shone with luxury.
‘Man. No matter how many times I see it, it’s always incredible.’
Even Ju-sang exhaled in awe.
Normally, only those with a Citizen Rank of May or higher were permitted entry to this elite zone, but special events like this were an exception.
‘My eyes are absolutely feasting today because of this.’
Convenience stores, department stores, shopping centers, hospitals—the list went on.
The infrastructure itself was on another level.
His resolve burned hot: he would return to this place in the future, no matter what.
“The celebration banquet is this way.”
A man who appeared to be a guide ushered them forward.
“There’s food too, right? I feel like I’m starving to death.”
“Strange soup, nothing but jerky from who-knows-what meat. My jaw’s gone completely numb.”
They filtered into the building in clusters.
And at the very rear of the group….
“Tch. Still, the heart of Gangnam feels a bit daunting.”
“What’s to worry about? Whether a blade finds my belly here or back where I came from, dead is dead.”
“Right. Besides, the leader was already a member of that community thing anyway, wasn’t he?”
Third parties—those who had never participated in the wall defense—stood among them.

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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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