I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 55

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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 55. Job Quest (2)
The Neutral Zone.
This was the name given to the marshland stretching across the middle of the Twilight Battlefield.
“My lord, the air feels wrong. There are many ill omens appearing.”
Heuk Bi kept glancing nervously about.
It made sense—a Shamanic Sect practitioner would be far more sensitive to such unsettling presences.
Sure enough, no other living soul was visible anywhere near us.
Unlike the Barbarian and Elf formations, the middle territory was perilously dangerous.
No wonder both sides only ventured in for momentous occasions, like coming-of-age rites.
‘But in exchange, enormous artifacts sleep here.’
An unknown region untouched by any hand until now.
My entire reason for coming to the Twilight Battlefield was to enter this Maze.
“My lord. Something’s there.”
Sling.
Baek Seol-gi drew her sword.
Right—as soon as we entered the territory, it reacted instantly.
One of eight rulers dominating the marshland.
[A prehistoric beast, Sarcosuchus, appears!]
“Krooooar!”
“Kraaaagh!”
A crocodile over fifteen meters long with two heads burst forth from the middle of the marsh.
Its defining features: jet-black hide and teeth sharper than blades.
Defeating this creature would surely earn the attention of both Barbarians and Elves.
“Marsh God.”
Heuk Bi immediately gathered the marsh’s waters to her.
She then hurled a Talisman straight at the center of Sarcosuchus’s body.
Thwack!
The Talisman fixed itself in midair, immediately engulfed in flames.
“Rejection.”
With the incantation, the gathered streams of green water crashed against Sarcosuchus, driving it back.
A crowd-control skill with knockback and binding effects.
“Kraaaaaagh!”
The creature thrashed violently, but couldn’t advance even a few steps of its own accord.
With its feet bound, now came the moment for a single killing blow.
[Frost-Fire Divine Sword ‘Hongyeo’ activates!]
Crunch.
Baek Seol-gi’s blade traced an impossibly clean arc.
Boom!
Sarcosuchus, its upper body bisected cleanly, collapsed with its tongue lolling out.
The prehistoric beast that had ruled the marshland for over two centuries had reached the final punctuation mark of its long existence.
‘Insane.’
I swallowed hard, mouth dry.
The Prehistoric Armor trait it possessed reduced damage from cold weapons by seventy percent.
This was precisely why Barbarians—whose strength lay in axes and greatswords—and Elves—masters of the bow—feared this monster so deeply.
But.
That only applied to ordinary opponents.
Against a true monster exceeding eleven stars, seventy percent fell far short.
You’d need damage reduction calibrated to at least ninety-nine percent to even have a fighting chance.
‘Still, without a tank or healer, I need to be careful.’
If Baek Seol-gi were a hybrid bruiser capable of defense, it might be different—but with her lower health and defense, I couldn’t push her too hard.
And Heuk Bi, whose frame was far frailer still, would only strain herself to the breaking point.
“My lord! Large snails and toads are approaching from the flank!”
“Those foolish vermin don’t know their place and crawl forward anyway.”
Yes. This was how the Neutral Zone should be.
Time to break a sweat.
Each new monster hunted meant Stat Points generously added to my total.
[Destruction Star Class activates!]
Moonlight gathered in my blade.
And so over an hour of fierce combat unfolded.
When the fighting ended, the entire area had become a wasteland.
“At this rate, it’ll take forever to break through. Were you planning to keep crossing this marshland?”
“No. We’re stopping here.”
Ju-sang shook his head in response to Baek Seol-gi’s question.
The surroundings were tidy enough now, and with an apex predator on the scene, the monsters would keep their distance for a while….
He was thinking of settling here and building a small dwelling.
* * *
[One of the marshland’s masters has fallen. Kekeke. I never thought there’d be a warrior capable of bringing down that crocodile.]
The shaman’s words sent the Barbarian side into complete turmoil.
What kind of creature was that crocodile, anyway?
A nemesis that had slain hundreds of warriors up until now.
There were even prophecies circulating that whoever took down the beast would become the greatest leader.
Yet someone had hunted the monster down.
To confirm the report, Lodbroq, the Barbarian chieftain, immediately gathered an expedition.
“Chieftain. We’re entering the marshland now. There are plenty of bloodsucking leeches.”
“Khahahaha! Don’t worry, Turton! Even if we lose a little blood, it won’t kill us. And any warrior who can’t endure that much has no right to be called a warrior at all!”
“Huh huh. That’s also a fair point.”
Those who died with glory were guided by the Valkyries to Valhalla.
For a warrior, there was no greater honor than that.
That’s why the morale of the Barbarians was always high.
Death was merely a rite of passage, after all.
After a journey spanning several hours, the expedition discovered a single cottage built in the heart of the marshland.
Smoke curling from the chimney, an open-air bathing pool, storage for drying various meats, and a small vegetable garden besides.
It was a settlement easily capable of housing a dozen or more people.
“I am Lodbroq, chieftain of the Barbarians!”
A thunderous voice that shook the air.
That cannon-like roar drew a reaction from Ju-sang inside the cottage.
‘My eardrums nearly burst.’
Good.
The prey had taken the bait—now it was time to put on the performance he’d prepared so carefully.
Among these muscular warriors, polite speech was the language of cowards, wasn’t it?
“Welcome, Lodbroq! To venture into the marshland at this late hour—I, Ju-sang, master of this settlement, welcome the visit of a true warrior!”
He strained his voice and pitched it as high as he could manage.
The key was to spit as much as possible with every word.
“Hoho. Small like the cubs of our tribe, but your voice rings with a warrior’s spirit. I feel the heart of a beast!”
“As it happens, I was about to dine. Would you join us? I’ve prepared crocodile meat and mead!”
Among Barbarians, one would surrender their very life to whoever offered drink and meat.
Indeed, saliva was already dripping from the corners of several warriors’ mouths.
Refuse at this moment, and even the chieftain himself would plant an axe in his forehead.
“Much obliged!”
Dozens of warriors immediately rushed toward the magnificent feast laid out on the table.
Crunch, crunch!
“This mead is exquisite!”
“The meat is even better!”
They feasted and drank with enthusiasm.
Then, one of the Barbarians whose belly was now full spotted the massive crocodile head mounted on one wall of the cottage.
“B-by the marshland’s master!”
There was no doubt.
That overwhelming size.
It was the Sarcosuchus, said to have lived for over two centuries.
It was odd that only one of its two heads was mounted, but there was no question it was authentic.
“Surely… you were the one who did this?”
Lodbroq himself couldn’t hide his astonishment.
Even with the shaman’s word, he couldn’t help but doubt.
This was where it mattered most.
Ju-sang’s eyes took on a distant gleam, and a mysterious smile played at his lips.
“Four days and nights we battled. Several times I thought I was bound for Valhalla, saw the very toe of Thor himself, but in the end it was that crocodile the Valkyries carried away!”
Ju-sang pointed to the long scar carved into the crocodile’s skull.
The mark of a clear axe strike.
He’d had Baek Seol-gi make that.
At first she’d thrown a tantrum, insisting it had to be a sword stroke….
What else could I do?
A Guild Master’s command was as good as law.
“The Maze has been dreadfully dull—only weaklings stumbling through—but now a proper warrior has arrived. You’re most welcome!”
Lodbroq placed a hand on the warrior’s shoulder.
“To hear such words from a great warrior—I think I can manage several more platters of meat today.”
“Kha-ha! Eat your fill, then. You could stand to grow a bit taller!”
And so the warrior passed the hours talking of battle and martial prowess with Lodbroq, until the Barbarians departed the hut as morning broke.
They’d agreed to hunt together next time.
They left with no shortage of leftover meat besides.
‘Whew. A whirlwind just passed through.’
Still, the careful preparation had paid off.
The warrior hadn’t expected to raise the Chieftain’s Favorability this high upon entering the Maze.
Because of it, the schedule could be moved forward considerably.
Just as the warrior was thinking of resting a while—
Hoo-ooo.
A clear, crystalline note rang out from the opposite direction.
That peculiar sound… could it be?
The warrior glanced out the window at once.
At a distance of roughly two hundred meters, new visitors were approaching.
* * *
Dazzling golden hair.
Pointed ears.
Elves—the masters of the forest.
Every one of them possessed a radiant and beautiful appearance.
“So the rumors were true. We honestly didn’t believe anyone actually lived in this Marshland, where one of the eight lords dwells.”
One Elf in particular stood out—a swan among swallows.
Judging by the crown of leaves she wore, she was surely the Queen of her people.
“I bow before the High Elf, the great kindred of the forest.”
The warrior knelt respectfully on one knee, left palm pressed to heart and right palm turned toward the heavens.
The gesture was precise, correct in every detail of Elven protocol.
“Humans are usually nothing but rude, yet you are different. I am Shanes, of the High Elf bloodline.”
“I am Jeong Ju-sang.”
The introductions were brief.
Then one of the Elves noticed the enormous crocodile head hanging on the wall.
The bait had hooked them just as it had the Barbarians.
“Multiple holes in the skull. It was clearly taken down with arrows…”
“There are signs of spirit assistance as well.”
The Elves, who appeared to be warriors, examined the Sarcosuchus skull with careful eyes.
Of course, this was the second head—the first had been swapped out before Lodbroq arrived.
“Kyao-o!”
“Shiiing!”
Salamander and Sylphid wandered about the hut.
The warrior had instructed them to appear very happy, certainly.
Though their laughter was rather forced.
It looked artificial to anyone observing.
Well, it would probably suffice.
…Likely it would be fine.
“Spirits only contract with those who understand how to cherish nature. You are clearly blessed by the forest’s affection.”
Fortunately, Shanes showed no particular suspicion.
Instead, she played with the spirits and enjoyed the moment.
But the warm atmosphere did not last long.
“Your Highness! We have found evidence of Barbarians in this place! There are scraps of uneaten meat and numerous footprints behind the hut!”
“Those savages were here?”
Shanes’s expression turned cold in an instant.
“Yes, it is true. Chieftain Lodbroq came personally.”
The warrior nodded without denial.
“Then this conversation must end. I shall take my leave—”
“I warned that should those filthy, sweat-reeking feet step foot here again, I would plant an arrow between their brows.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
Shanes froze mid-rise from her seat.
Her eyes widened as she turned to look at him.
“Forgive me. I should have fired my arrows back then, but I couldn’t bear to see this beautiful place soiled by those wretches’ blood.”
The entire atmosphere shifted in an instant.
“…Ho ho ho. It seems Lodbroq still has muscles where his brain should be. That crude lout wouldn’t know the first thing about refined pursuits like tea ceremony or fragrant baths.”
“All he does was tear into meat. Ah, I have a vegetable garden just past here that I cultivated myself—would you care to see it?”
“Of course. Please show me.”
When Shanes saw the garden, where she had already planted all manner of rare plants, she lit up like a delighted child.
And in that moment.
Ding!
A golden status window flickered before him.
[Special conditions have been met!]
[You have been granted the opportunity to select a Hidden Job!]
Yes. This was what he’d been waiting for.
A Hidden Quest that activated only upon gaining the trust and recognition of both races.
[If both races truly acknowledge you as a member of this Maze and as an equal power, you may select the job ‘??’.]
He’d done enough groundwork on Favorability. Now it was time to prepare one decisive blow.
* * *
At the same moment.
[You have entered the Twilight Battlefield.]
A group of people had just stepped into the Maze.
All of them wore robes of deepest black.
The rippling darkness that emanated from them reeked of pure malice.
“Hmm.”
A leisurely sigh escaped the lips of the elderly man who stood at their head.
He was Lucion, one of the cardinals of the Immortal Cult.
It was unprecedented for one of the organization’s elite to venture to such a remote frontier.
Those who accompanied him as guards were all notorious wanted criminals without exception.
“The old man from the Shamanic Sect passed our information to the Empire.”
“They moved quickly, then. Though I suppose neither side anticipated the war would begin quite so fast.”
“The operation has been compromised. Surely you’re not unconcerned? If the Knights take action…”
“They couldn’t have divulged the location itself. How many Dungeons and Mazes lie scattered throughout the Empire’s territory? How long would it take them to investigate each one?”
The martial world had only released partial information to buy themselves time.
It was too early to say the alliance had truly fractured.
“Still, we must take precautions. We should hurry.”
Lucion withdrew a crystal skull from within his robes.
Soon, a grand festival would begin.

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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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