The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 28

Episode 28: Memory Stones (1)

* * *

While Mincheol was researching Memory Stones.

Park Go-seok, the master of Iron Fang Guild, was watching a certain video.

Strangely, the video was floating in mid-air rather than on a display.

Light emanating from a small gem placed on the desk was playing the video.

【Recorder’s Eye】

It was an item with the ability to record scenes witnessed by its owner.

Though it had low capacity and short recording time, like most recording items, it traded for an enormous price.

Nevertheless, Park Go-seok had given Kim Ju-yeon the ‘Recorder’s Eye’. It was to directly confirm the Masked Man with his own eyes.

“Hmm.”

In the video, Kim Ju-yeon was fighting against a man wearing a strange mask.

No, she was being toyed with.

Unable to break through the relentless barrage of hand axes, she was desperately focused on defense.

Eventually, she allowed a critical hit and was defeated as her head was split by a hand axe.

“…This guy is truly insane.”

Park Go-seok said with a hollow laugh.

Kim Ju-yeon wasn’t some nobody. She was one of the awakeners destined to become a pillar of Iron Fang in the distant future.

The guild spared no support for her accordingly.

Yet she lost without even putting up a proper fight.

“…I was just flustered by encountering such tactics for the first time. I can win if we fight again.”

Kim Ju-yeon, standing across from him, spoke with a sullen expression.

Seeing Kim Ju-yeon like this, Park Go-seok smiled.

To remain undaunted even after such a defeat.

She was indeed worth investing in.

“No, even if you fought again, the result wouldn’t change.”

But while Kim Ju-yeon was admirable, evaluations had to be made coldly.

In Park Go-seok’s view, Kim Ju-yeon would lose all ten times even if they fought ten times.

“No! I can win!”

Kim Ju-yeon shouted indignantly. Park Go-seok clicked his tongue.

Having strong will was good, but she was still too hot-blooded.

Park Go-seok’s internal evaluation of Kim Ju-yeon dropped slightly.

“I understand why you can’t accept it. You probably think you lost simply due to unusual tactics.”

Throwing weapons.

It was a combat style that even Park Go-seok, a 0th generation awakener, had never seen before.

Most awakeners who specialized in ranged combat used bows or magic.

“You probably think the Masked Man just pushed through mindlessly with sheer numbers of hand axes.”

“That’s right. If I had just held out a little longer, my victory would have…”

“As expected, you’re still young.”

Throughout watching the video, Park Go-seok had focused on the Masked Man’s gaze and the trajectory of his hand axes.

The Masked Man didn’t mindlessly pour out projectiles.

He read Kim Ju-yeon’s movements in advance and responded by combining various types of skills.

Kim Ju-yeon didn’t simply lose because she couldn’t break through the barrage, but was played by the Masked Man’s intentions from start to finish.

In other words, the cause of defeat was simple.

A difference in talent.

Overwhelming talent that easily trampled Kim Ju-yeon, who was supposed to become a pillar of Iron Fang.

The Masked Man possessed such brilliant talent.

Grind.

Then, Kim Ju-yeon gritted her teeth. She shouted with an aggrieved expression.

“No! Next time we meet, I’ll definitely…”

“Go ahead and leave.”

“Master, I…”

“I won’t say it twice.”

Kim Ju-yeon bit her lips tightly and went outside.

Only after she disappeared did Park Go-seok look at the video again.

He smacked his lips while gazing at the Masked Man visible beyond the video.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a desirable fellow.”

His talent was impressive, but what was more surprising was the knowledge this guy possessed.

Despite being an unaffiliated awakener, he had become strong enough to surpass Kim Ju-yeon.

If they could figure out this method, Iron Fang could grow even larger than now.

“We need to draw him into our guild first by any means necessary.”

By now, other guilds who had heard rumors about the Masked Man would be moving quickly.

There was no way they’d just leave such appetizing prey alone.

“The recording isn’t clear enough, so there’s no way to find him.”

The Butcher’s appearance recorded in the video was full of noise.

It was due to an item that interfered with recognition.

Recognition interference items were even harder to obtain than recording items.

He was dying of curiosity about where such a precious thing was acquired.

That’s when it happened.

His smartphone rang. Park Go-seok checked the caller.

【Crazy Bitch.】

“Tsk.”

Park Go-seok’s face was colored with displeasure.

Park Go-seok hesitated for a while before answering the phone.

-Owner Park! Long time no see!

A clear female voice came through the smartphone.

“Ro Hyang-ok. What do you want?”

-Acting innocent when you know everything? Owner Park is always so cute.

“Stop talking nonsense and just tell me what you want.”

-The Butcher video. You have it, right?

“No, I don’t have it.”

Park Go-seok lied without even wetting his lips.

Hearing the answer, Ro Hyang-ok laughed loudly.

-Your lies have gotten rusty. Since you don’t seem inclined to share, I won’t pry further.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

-But remember this. I’ve claimed that guy. He’ll end up under our Jeok-song.

“If you have the ability to do so, then by all means.”

Park Go-seok hung up abruptly. Then he furrowed his brow.

“Damn woman, where does she get off eyeing someone else’s prey.”

It was unpleasant, but he couldn’t just brush it off.

Jeok-song was a mid-tier guild on par with Iron Fang.

“Kim Dae-seong encountered that guy on the 5th Floor, and this Bronze Stage is below the 20th Floor, so…”</Human: You are an ELITE PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR for Korean web novels (COMMERCIAL QUALITY).

Park Go-seok pondered for a moment before reaching a conclusion.

“We’ll have to settle this on the 15th Floor.”

* * *

The next day at lunch.

Mincheol visited a King Burger restaurant for the first time in a while and ordered a Triple Cheeseburger set.

It was to fill his stomach before challenging the Memory Stone.

After finishing his meal, Mincheol returned home and put on his equipment one by one.

The Promising armor that had been broken in from frequent use and fit his body perfectly, the Promising one-handed sword, and even the hand axes.

Finally, he turned on his smartphone and carefully read through the information about Cardmos Dunwall that he had organized yesterday.

This was because of the advice that researching the relevant person is a great help when challenging Memory Stones.

“Cardmos Dunwall. Head of the Dunweal Family. Long reigned as the strongest on the Rooftop Continent. Primarily uses throwing spears.”

Since he was such a remarkable figure, there was a tremendous amount of information available.

Books, ruins, and other discoveries found in the Tower all contained writings about Cardmos Dunwall without exception.

“He was an extremely ruthless person whom many feared. Even the Emperor was careful with his words in front of him.”

Befitting the strongest, they were all terrifying evaluations.

“This Quest won’t be easy either.”

How could a Quest given by such a person be easy?

Mincheol steeled himself mentally before taking out the Memory Stone.

【Would you like to perform the first Quest of ‘Count Cardmos Dunwall’s Secret Memory Stone’?】

【If you accept, you will enter Cardmos Dunwall’s memories and proceed with the Quest.】

※Warning: If you fail the Quest, you will die.

The phrase about dying was chilling to see again, but Mincheol had already made up his mind.

“I accept the challenge.”

Just like when entering the Tower, light enveloped his body.

When he came to his senses, Mincheol was sitting in a chair.

‘Where is this?’

Just as he was about to look around, an appetite-stimulating aroma penetrated his nostrils.

Looking down, he saw a dining table laden with numerous dishes.

Soup, chicken marinated in spices, thinly sliced beef, and so on.

They were all foods he had never seen before in his life. Nevertheless, Mincheol gulped down his saliva. The smell was too overwhelming.

‘What’s with all this food?’

Just as Mincheol was wondering, a voice came from across the table.

“Cardmos.”

Mincheol looked up. At the end of the long table sat a middle-aged man.

On either side of the man sat a boy and a girl.

The man looked displeased, while the two children gazed at Mincheol with sneering expressions.

“Cardmos Dunwall.”

The middle-aged man spoke again. Mincheol looked bewildered.

Cardmos Dunwall? What was he talking about?

When Mincheol failed to understand again, the middle-aged man let out a deep sigh.

“Have you now forgotten even your own name? Pathetic fool. I can’t believe someone like you was born from my bloodline.”

“Dad, please understand. Big brother is a bit stupid, you know.”

“Brother, are you really an idiot?”

Suddenly, a theory occurred to him.

Mincheol looked down. His face was reflected in the polished knife.

The same blonde hair as the three people in front of him.

Pale skin that looked ready to collapse at any moment.

Blue eyes that seemed somehow anxious.

‘No way…’

Only then did Mincheol realize.

The fact that he had become Cardmos Dunwall himself.

* * *

Throughout the meal, Mincheol organized his thoughts.

‘Of all things, it had to be a possession type.’

There were various types of tasks that had to be performed in Memory Stones.

Among them, the possession type meant performing tasks from the perspective of a specific person.

It was considered particularly difficult because you had to solve the hardships that person experienced within limited ability stats.

‘But why is Cardmos Dunwall being treated with such contempt?’

Almost nothing was known about Cardmos Dunwall’s childhood. So little that no matter how much you researched, nothing came up.

‘Cardmos Dunwall was the Dunwell Marquis, wasn’t he? The eldest son who would inherit the family is being ignored like this?’

It was something Mincheol couldn’t easily understand with his knowledge.

“William, I heard you’ve mastered all the breaking sword techniques.”

“Yes! Sir Olive praised me, saying I was the fastest among those he’s taught!”

“Of course, if you’re my blood, you should be able to do at least that much.”

“Tch, Dad only cares about big brother, doesn’t he?”

“Louise, that can’t be true. I know that you’ve entered the training method and are already feeling mana. That’s an achievement impossible for your age group. Remarkable.”

The three of them were having a warm conversation while leaving Mincheol alone.

Then the middle-aged man, the Dunwell Marquis, spoke to Mincheol.

“While your siblings are showing such outstanding achievements day by day, the eldest son can’t even hold a wooden sword… Tsk tsk.”

The Dunwell Marquis’s eyes contained deep contempt.

No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t the kind of gaze that should be directed at one’s child.

‘Can’t even hold a wooden sword? Is he being ignored because he was born weak?’

Mincheol looked down at his own forearm.

The phrase “nothing but bones and skin” fit perfectly.

It wasn’t just the appearance. He was so weak that even the weight of a knife and fork felt burdensome.

‘Even so, to ignore your child like this… no wait, there are similar parents on Earth too.’

Weren’t there often articles about parents who abuse their children because their academic achievements don’t meet expectations?

If you thought of it as the noble family version of that, it wouldn’t be strange.

‘How did he become the strongest on the Rooftop Continent when he was born so weak?’

While Mincheol was making various speculations, the meal ended.

“Today is a rest day with no training, so both of you get plenty of rest.”

The Count and the two children exchanged warm farewells before leaving the dining room. Of course, they didn’t say a word to Mincheol.

After coming outside, Mincheol was guided to his room by a servant.

Befitting a room used by the eldest son of a noble family, it was incredibly spacious and luxurious.

‘What should I do now?’

Lying on the bed, Mincheol fell into thought.

Even though mealtime had ended, no Quest had appeared.

Without knowing the Quest, he couldn’t proceed with the Memory Stone.

‘Ah, right. The information guide said to definitely check whether skills and ability stats apply.’

The conditions varied for each Memory Stone.

Whether you couldn’t use skills or your ability stats were sealed.

So it was necessary to check how much of your abilities you could demonstrate.

“Heave.”

Mincheol got up from the bed and tried moving his body.

Every movement was sluggish. Even the slightest motion left him breathless.

“My stats are fixed to young Cardmos Dunwall’s.”

Next, he tried using a skill.

【Using ‘Powerful Throw’!】

【Insufficient mana! Skill activation canceled!】

Unfortunately, skills couldn’t be used due to insufficient mana.

But there was exactly one thing he could use.

【Acquiring all ‘Dunwall Family’s Finest’ blankets within 600m!】

It was auto looting.

Since it didn’t use mana, he could activate auto looting.

Naturally, he could also use his inventory.

“Should I steal some weapons and put them in my inventory?”

While Mincheol was pondering this.

Bang!

The door burst open with a rough sound. Mincheol jumped up from the bed in surprise.

“Brother, you were in your room after all?”

The person who had kicked open the door was his younger brother, William Dunwall.

William entered as if it were natural, without even asking permission.

“What’s the matter?”

“Oh, nothing much, just wanted to ask a favor.”

William pointed to the maid who had followed him in.

Her neatly braided hair made her quite pretty.

“I was planning to go out and have fun with her today. But father assigned her to clean the library.”

Mincheol stared blankly at William. So what did he want him to do about it?

When Mincheol remained silent, William sighed deeply and said.

“Brother, are you really deaf? I’m asking you to clean the library in her place.”

Mincheol felt absurd.

No matter how much he was looked down upon in the family, they wanted him to take on a maid’s work?

‘Is he insane?’

His face naturally scrunched up. Seeing this, William’s eyes changed.

“What? Are you upset? Don’t tell me you’re actually upset?”

William grabbed Mincheol’s shoulder. His fingers dug into the shoulder.

‘Ugh.’

It was unbelievable grip strength for a child.

‘He’s strong, but this body is too weak.’

Young Cardmos Dunwall’s body was so frail that even slight movement made him dizzy.

It wasn’t for nothing that he was looked down upon by his father and brothers.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Will you do it or not? Or should I make the decision easier like last time?”

William tapped Mincheol’s cheek while speaking.

What had happened last time was all too clear.

“…”

Mincheol looked at William silently.

Was he scared because of the threat?

That wasn’t it. Compared to the awakeners he had fought so far, William’s threats were at a cute level.

‘I could probably knee him in the groin first, then elbow him in the jaw.’

Even his weak physical abilities weren’t much of a problem.

Through all the PVP he’d experienced, Mincheol had accumulated a lot of experience.

A careless child like this was no match for him.

However, there was something that bothered him.

‘Should I act recklessly without even knowing the Quest details?’

That was exactly the point.

When failure meant losing his life, he couldn’t move carelessly.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

“Really? I knew I could only count on you, brother.”

William smiled brightly and patted Mincheol’s shoulder.

“Then I’m counting on you!”

William disappeared with the maid, leaving Mincheol behind.

* * *

Mincheol headed to the library William had mentioned.

Not knowing the way, he grabbed a servant to ask.

“The library? You can go down to the basement through the central stairs.”

The servant spoke with a strange expression, as if wondering why he would ask such a thing.

From the servant’s perspective, it must have seemed odd for someone who was born and raised in the manor to ask for directions.

Mincheol thanked him and headed to the basement.

“Oh, shit.”

As soon as he opened the library door, he cursed.

The library was terrifyingly vast.

The ceiling was unbelievably high for a basement, with stone pillars lined up like a forest.

Tall bookshelves that required ladders to reach were packed densely together.

What was even more terrible was that the books that should have been on the shelves were scattered all over the floor.

“When am I supposed to organize all this…”

He wanted to give up on the Quest and everything else and just go back.

Just as Mincheol was sighing deeply.

-Tsk tsk, trying to give up already. You lack patience.

“Ahhh!”

Mincheol recoiled in shock.

Then he saw an old man sitting on top of a bookshelf.

“Wh-who are you?”

-Huh, you entered my memories and don’t know who I am.

My memories?

“Could it be…?”

The old man smiled and said.

-That’s right, I am Cardmos Dunwall.

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