I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 56

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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 56. Job Quest (3)
Barbarian and Elf.
A full-fledged campaign to win their favor had begun.
‘This is child’s play.’
I already knew everything these brutes liked and disliked.
Scratching where it itched wasn’t difficult at all.
“Ha-ha-ha! Thank you for teaching me the training methods of this Sparta nation. And to think, muscles grow so readily just from an injection. You must surely be a Mage!”
“Thank you so much for finding those Osophras leaves. They’re incredibly rare materials, yet you’ve gathered so many. Truly, you are one blessed by nature’s love.”
As favor increased, opportunities that would never be granted to outsiders arrived at last.
A sacred ritual where young warriors were recognized as members of the tribe.
I had been invited to the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
[Coming-of-Age Ceremony]
[Difficulty: B]
[Reward: Barbarian Tribe favor increases significantly, and you will be accepted as one of them.]
Junyeong accepted the proposal without hesitation.
‘Finally, I can go there.’
The Coming-of-Age Ceremony for the Barbarian Tribe took place in the Withered Highland.
There lay an artifact that I absolutely had to obtain in this labyrinth.
“Young warriors, listen! From this moment forward, you must journey to the Withered Highland, the land of trials! There, prove your worth and bring back an offering to present to the great Odin!”
“Ooooh!”
“Valkyries, remember me!”
Muscular men with beards reaching their chests roared out.
Despite their appearance, they were all only fifteen.
According to Rodbrok, there were quite a few girls among them, but hormones had proven powerless against their blood—distinguishing male from female was nearly impossible.
I’d need to watch my tongue and actions carefully for a while.
I mustn’t make a careless mistake that might wound a young woman’s feelings.
“Junyeong, what exactly counts as an offering?”
“Usually for a Coming-of-Age Ceremony, they hunt young ogres.”
Even if they only target those under three months old, an ogre was still an ogre.
Born mere weeks ago, their Rank hovered around the sixth tier.
One moment of carelessness and your spine would be ripped clean out.
And so our journey began with twenty warriors.
“Flame Lizards ahead!”
“At last, the hunt begins!”
Warriors wielding axes and greatswords immediately charged toward the lizards that emerged from between the rocky ridges.
Crash-crash-bang!
“Excellent!”
“Kyaaaah!”
They were strong.
Every last one of them was fearless.
Yet because almost all were melee fighters, they failed to generate any real synergy.
And the biggest problem of all…
Whoosh!
[The Flame Lizard activates the skill Burning Air!]
…was that these simple-minded fools believed that retreating from battle meant you couldn’t enter Valhalla.
“Ugh… a, a wound on the back is a warrior’s shame.”
With shoddy equipment and relying only on their own Demonic Resistance to throw their bodies at everything.
The air reeked of charred flesh.
Well, perhaps this worked out better.
It gave me the chance to put on quite the impressive show.
Step.
Junyeong moved forward.
And took the Flame Lizard’s Burning Air head-on.
“Ha-ha-ha! Barely warm!!! Someone fetch more kindling!”
Boom-boom-boom-boom!
He continued laughing even as he showered in flame.
With Demonic Resistance stats reaching fifty-two, flames of this caliber were nothing more than a pleasant warmth.
“A, amazing… that hellfire doesn’t even seem hot to him.”
“Indeed, a warrior worthy of the chieftain’s recognition.”
“A great spirit dwells within. It’s as though we gaze upon a Valkyrie from the battlefield itself!”
Exclamations erupted among the young warriors.
What’s so special about earning recognition?
For a bodybuilder, it’s the weight of iron.
For a pro gamer, it’s control of mouse and keyboard.
And for berserkers, a sturdy body and unbreakable will are what matter most.
The moment he displayed the bearing of a true warrior, everyone’s affection surged upward.
Though there were side effects.
The Barbarian girls had begun their passionate courtship.
“I’m Hapnera. Whenever you’re free, would you care for a protein shake and some chicken breast after a workout?”
“Hehe. Your forearms and quadriceps are quite appetizing. Small but well-toned—they’d be fun to build up.”
“Let’s say twelve children. I’ve already named them all.”
For them, romantic attraction was proportional to testosterone levels.
And the display Junyeong had just shown them was nearly lethal in its potency.
…….
I should have just watched quietly.
A mistake.
“Tch. So women really do only like strong men.”
“I’m jealous. To be able to monopolize such beautifully large girls!”
Please, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say such terrifying things.
Every hair on my body was standing on end.
Shiver.
Of course, no matter how frightened I got, it wouldn’t compare to drawing a sword halfway like some nervous wreck.
Fortunately, the icy atmosphere didn’t last long.
Soon they encountered the young ogre they’d been aiming for.
* * *
[Young ogre defeated!]
He didn’t step in heavily, wanting to give the young warriors their chance.
He only intervened when things looked dangerous, handling the rest with support.
“We’ve become adults now!”
“A Trait appeared! From an ogre, no less! And we got two of them!”
“Let us offer this glory to Odin!”
Young ogres dropped one of three Traits: Thick Hide, Crushing Grip, or Wild Instinct.
Each boosted physical defense, strength, and agility respectively.
Though pale compared to adult ogres, such Traits were treasure itself for young warriors fresh from the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
“I believe one of these should go to whoever proves to be a great warrior!”
“I agree as well!”
They all knew.
Who had stepped forward when it mattered most.
Without Junyeong, several warriors would have lost their lives.
“It’s fine! Without all of your help, the hunt would have failed. So let’s be fair and draw lots to decide!”
Taking this position would be more profitable here anyway.
Those Traits were only useful for warrior-class fighters, after all.
‘Even if I took one, I wouldn’t be able to use it—a white elephant.’
Better to earn the warriors’ goodwill instead—a hundred times more valuable.
“W-wait, you’re saying you’ll forfeit a Trait?”
“A magnanimous soul as vast as the Pacific Ocean.”
The warriors cheered at the knowledge that a chance to grow stronger had emerged.
They gathered twigs to make lots and made bets on who would win, opening a wild celebration.
In the chaos, Junyeong slipped away quietly.
To hunt for the real treasure hidden in the Withered Highland.
* * *
‘How chilly.’
The temperature dropped sharply as he reached the bottom of the cliff, where no end was visible.
Unlike the humid highland, it felt as though he’d stepped into an underground ice house.
The density of magical energy had grown several times denser as well.
It had been so long the memory was hazy.
But seeing the withered lake at the cliff’s center, he knew he’d come to the right place.
He took out the items he’d prepared.
—A pair of doves, male and female.
“Coo.”
“Coo!”
I’d prepared a white dove for this.
The Olive Branch was a finishing touch.
Next was….
-Massive quantities of water.
For this part, I relied on a talisman I’d obtained from Heukbi.
The moment the talisman—sealed with the property of Water—was released….
Splash, splash, splash, splash!
An enormous volume of water erupted through the talisman.
I had to fill this entire lake within exactly three hundred and sixty seconds.
That was because I needed to commemorate the lunar year—three hundred and sixty days—during which the world lay submerged.
And finally….
-The Covenant of the Rainbow.
A rainbow is an optical phenomenon created when sunlight refracts and reflects through water droplets in the atmosphere.
Of course, sunlight would never reach the bottom of this cliff….
Fortunately, I had something that could serve as a sun.
[The skill Black Sun activates!]
An ability I’d stolen from Barkan.
Scorching sunlight poured across the water’s surface.
As the rainbow bloomed into existence, the water filling the lake began to evaporate in an instant.
This place had been named the Withered Highland precisely because of that characteristic—the way it rapidly absorbed moisture.
And the moment all the water vanished.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!
The transformation occurred.
The earth split left and right, and a fragment that appeared to be part of a massive vessel emerged.
I’d finally found it.
The greatest item for my new job.
[Fragment of the Ark]
[Acquisition Difficulty: AAA]
[Description: A portion of the ship that Noah himself built to survive the apocalypse. By utilizing this, you can create a “safe zone.”]
A Holy Relic that received an AAA-tier rating despite being only a fragment, not the whole vessel.
Like gears meshing together, every step of my plan had progressed flawlessly.
But right then.
“……!?”
An odd sense of discord emanated from the fragment.
Could it be….
‘Dark Magic?’
It had to be.
Though faint, that distinctive ominous, sticky energy had seeped into it.
But it made no sense.
There were no monsters in this place that used Dark Magic.
And even less could there exist something capable of affecting a Holy Relic like the Fragment of the Ark.
‘What in the world is happening?’
A foreboding sensation gripped me.
Like the calm before a storm.
* * *
After the young ogre hunt ended, Junyeong and the warriors returned to the Barbarian Tribe’s village.
It seemed something had happened on the Barbarian side during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
“We ran into those pointy-eared bastards in the Neutral Territory. They attacked us, cowardly dogs firing toothpicks like arrows.”
Rodbrok pulled the arrow embedded in his shoulder free.
Ugh, flesh tore clean away with it.
Just watching made my arm ache in sympathy.
“It seems peaceful coexistence with elves is impossible, then.”
“Peaceful? What do you mean by that? You’re not suggesting we should grovel and beg those pointy-eared wretches for scraps, are you?”
As Rodbrok’s expression turned murderous, Junyeong hastily added a clarification.
“Not at all! I meant we should wipe out the elf race and create peace in these lands!”
“Hah! I knew my eye for talent wasn’t wrong. I nearly misunderstood there!”
The hatred between the Barbarian Tribe and elves ran deep.
It was something their very nature refused to accept.
Each other’s very existence.
‘If I could achieve harmony between the two races, I’d probably receive additional rewards when choosing my job.’
Still, that’s something I’ll have to accept.
There’s no forcing the impossible.
“By the way, I heard your performance at the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was remarkable. The young warriors couldn’t stop singing your praises!”
“It was nothing special. With so many excellent warriors around, it would be strange if I’d failed, wouldn’t it?”
“Kha-ha-ha! Well said. Our tribe has no weaklings, that much is true.”
After that, we spent time talking about hunting the young ogre.
And about an hour later,
Junyeong, having parted ways with Rodbrok, made his way to the heart of the Barbarian village—the Plaza.
Statues of great warriors stood in a row, forming a sight of pure grandeur.
Just then.
Whoosh!
A massive flame erupted from the center of the Plaza.
[You who have overcome all trials. I accept you as a member of this world.]
The Guardian Deity.
A great divine being that rules this labyrinth, and at the same time, the force that grants people their jobs.
“Yes! I’m finally a shield warrior!”
The man who had obtained his job let out a cry of triumph.
Judging by the Guild mark he wore, he was quite a promising prospect.
“Congratulations, Junyeong.”
“Your hard work has paid off. Now, let’s discuss the terms of our contract in earnest.”
Generally, obtaining a job through this labyrinth grants far more benefits than acquiring one through other means.
Additional stat points, enhanced skill performance and power, accelerated Rank progression—there are quite substantial differences.
That’s precisely why everyone seeks to obtain their job within this labyrinth.
But just then.
“Found you at last.”
I encountered an unexpected figure.
“Junyeong. I need your help.”
And her expression was decidedly grave.

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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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