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Translator: penny
Chapter: 128
Chapter Title: Rumor
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"I'm back."
"Welcome back, Min-jun!"
Back at the treasure warehouse, the group had finished sorting everything and was sitting around in a circle, munching on snacks while waiting for me.
"So, how'd it go? What's the situation?"
As the women gestured for me to sit next to them, Shin Seo-yeon jumped right up from her spot and pulled me over to hers, asking the question.
"You remember those twins we saw at the rest area a little while back?"
"Nova Crest, the two brats from the White family?"
"Yeah, I ran into them. They were out here farming, just like us."
I skipped over the steamy details of my time with the twins and just told them about what I'd seen at the mansion.
"Huh? So those guys are the ones who took out all the soldiers around here too?"
"Yep."
Slightly shocked expressions all around. And who could blame them? We'd clashed with those soldiers a few times lately and knew firsthand their stats were higher than we'd expected.
Yet these two had wiped out an entire noble house crawling with hundreds of guards?
"I'll be damned. Those punks have some serious skills. Their stats must be way higher than the soldiers', huh?"
"Doubt it."
Honestly, their stats weren't all that different.
What let the twins crush the soldiers without a single scratch was their abilities. [Shadow Stealth]. In a shadowy mansion district at night, that skill was pure murder.
Once I explained it, they finally got it and nodded along. Having mythic or transcendent abilities themselves, they'd already learned the hard way that unique skills mattered more than raw stats.
"But you came back alone?"
"Hm?"
Han So-hee, who'd been listening quietly up to that point, finally spoke up.
"Why didn't they come with you?"
I shot back instead.
"You sure you're okay with that? They were dying to gobble you up."
"Come to think of it, those two did seem desperate to mess with you, So-hee."
"Yeah, totally."
The women nodded, clearly remembering the vibe from that day.
"...Still, we're not exactly enemies. We ate together sometimes and all. They're pure and kind in their own way."
Han So-hee delivered it deadpan, without a hint of bad blood.
"And they'd make solid firepower for us. They adapt fast to anything and have killer talent."
"..."
It threw me off a bit. Didn't expect So-hee to be so cool about it.
I'd even braced myself to argue against it. I knew she wasn't the petty type, but those twins had already killed people multiple times.
Suggesting we add them to the party, even knowing the risks to her own life?
'Didn't see that coming.'
But if So-hee was saying it, maybe she trusted them to keep work and play separate.
"Got it. Next time I see them, I'll float the idea. See if they wanna roll with us."
"Thanks."
Thanks? Nah, I was the one grateful.
A pure girl like that had her own delicious appeal. Keeping her around to savor bit by bit or even tag-team with So-hee? Pure delicacy.
Anyway, if the people involved were fine with it, no reason for me to nix it.
Of course, I'd need to think hard about the safety angle.
We stripped that noble house clean, crashed on their comfy beds for a bit, then slipped out.
We'd left pretty late, so I figured the Arknon crew might've bailed, but when we hopped the wall again, there they were—wide awake, tense eyes locked on the spot, waiting for us to emerge.
The moment they saw us safe, admiration poured out of them for real.
"Incredible. Can't believe you actually pulled it off. Even seeing it with my own eyes...
"No need to overhype it. Luck was on our side big time."
I mentioned how a Minotaur had probably rampaged through ahead of us, but they kept staring at us with those starry eyes.
"Nah, luck counts as skill. If that kinda mess hits most people, they bolt for their lives—and that's the best outcome. But not you guys. You grab opportunities by the horns and have the guts to match. Impressive."
Arknon didn't skimp on the praise. Probably meant a ton of other challengers had hopped that wall... and failed.
"Ah, enough standing around. It's late—let's get moving."
By the time we followed Arknon out of that maze of alleys, the faint light of dawn was glowing over the distant sea.
Players who'd been looting market stalls were peeling off one by one, heading down to the harbor.
"Our job's done here. Congrats—you're the first outsider to ever loot a noble house. The boss is gonna remember this one. Big time."
"Couldn't have done it without you."
"No need to play humble. I mean it."
[Arknon Jeppe's favorability toward you has increased.]
I grabbed Arknon's outstretched hand, gave it a shake, and smiled.
"Oh, right. Hit you up again tomorrow?"
"Another score already?"
"Yeah, gotta prove myself to the old man back home."
He nodded like he got the picture.
"I'll scout the safest, most reliable spot."
"Hahaha!"
True to Arknon's word, Varkus seemed seriously impressed with us.
"Damn fine work! Never thought you'd actually pull it off!"
He kept heaping praise on us while eyeing the mountain of loot piled on his desk.
Officially, no one had ever looted a noble house before, so Varkus's favor toward me shot through the roof.
Even the Black Anchor Merchant Guild folks looked at us differently now.
"Hey, you. Heard the news."
Before, they'd sidestep us like we were trash outsiders. Now? Total one-eighty—super friendly.
"Not bad at all, huh? Raiding a noble house and all. Who knew outsiders had such prime specimens!"
They'd come up and chat like old pals now.
And word had spread to the players too. As we walked by, we'd get these longing stares.
"Check it—it's that party."
"The ones who hit a noble house yesterday?"
"Fucking jealous. We're scrambling in the slums just to eat, and they..."
"Tch, pure luck. Word is, some monster cleared the place out for 'em."
We got plenty of envy and spite, sure. But mostly admiration. I muttered to myself in an alley behind the guild, glancing around.
"Huh, no Mave today."
"Ah, her? Bet she's swamped."
The piercing chick from day one shrugged as she answered.
She was the one squatting in front of me right now, mouth wide open.
The girl who'd eagerly shoved my dick in her mouth when I offered 2,000 gold to play portable toilet 'cause I had to piss.
Now I was swimming in cash—no need to piss in the street anymore. Portable fuck-holes willing to take my load were everywhere, for a price.
Shudder.
"Whew, pissed nice and clean."
Pat pat pat.
I wiped my dick off on her face and asked what she'd meant earlier.
"Swamped how?"
"Heard she almost has the cash saved up."
"Ah, gotcha."
Made sense. After all I'd hooked her up with, her side project was probably wrapping up. The piercing girl eyed me carefully.
"Need someone for a job? What about me? I can top whatever she did for you, anytime."
"Eh, lemme think. Too many girls lining up to be my personal fuck-toilet as is."
Not a joke—my popularity had exploded lately.
Dunno if Mave spread it or if others spied and figured it out, but the rumor was: snag work from me, and you'd eat for life.
So they weren't just after the pay—they competed to impress me, even guzzling my piss.
"Give me a shot. You won't regret it."
"Yeah yeah, catch you later."
That day, our alchemy shop looting schedule flipped. We started hitting noble districts daily.
First one was a lucky break thanks to the twins setting the table, so the Arknon crew was a little worried. But after we breezed through a second house, they bought into our skills and started guiding us to the real high-value spots.
"This place has some solid loot, yeah?"
"Mm, twice as good as last time."
"Ah, shit. How come we don't get squat better than our current gear?"
Our stuff had come from such insane routes that even top noble houses didn't have upgrades worth swapping for.
Just vendor trash with sell value back at the rest area.
"Good work today. See you tonight, Min-jun."
"Yeah, dinner it is."
We'd boosted Varkus's favor again and split off to our hunting grounds.
Party to the sewers for [Magic Engineering Cores], me to the slums to pound some rice cakes.
'Hm.'
But today? No open spots. Every hole had a guest. I climbed a tall rooftop to scout for empties, peering around.
"Damn, word really got around."
Rich houses everywhere, players hustling.
Some hauling loot out, others stripping the lady of the house in the yard and taking turns raw-dogging her.
They were slamming hips hard—brutal stuff. But I got it. Venting all that pent-up rage, they stuffed every hole over and over, dumping load after load.
'Looks like the guys I tipped off that day are thriving.'
Familiar faces here and there.
Crossing that deadly frontline together had toughened them up—careful but oozing confidence in their moves.
"Anyway, rumors killed the easy empties."
So there I sat on the roof, soaking in the warm, cozy breeze, taking in the full view of Haran.
"Golden Goose."
Someone down below called me by my nickname. Not sure if translation worked right, but the Black Anchor crew had started dubbing me [Golden Goose].
Some called me [Cheap Seagull], but bottom line: I was the guy who worked hard and filled their bellies.
"Arknon?"
Slum rags instead of soldier gear, waving up at me. He scanned around quick, then scaled the walls and fences like a pro, plopping down next to me.
"Wall-climbing pro, huh?"
"Every slum kid can handle a wall."
Heard they'd been the original thieves doing our gigs.
Lots died to the royals and guards, humans took over, so they shifted to intel and oversight.
Explains why ex-thieves in the Black Anchor treat us humans extra nice.
'Kinda like solidarity.'
Arknon himself had climbed from fieldwork to leadership on smarts and experience—which is why he'd been friendly from jump, unlike most locals.
"Anyway, still impressive as hell."
"?"
"Over there."
Arknon pointed one way. Looked like a soldier's place—blood spraying, bodies dropping.
Dead center: a dude half again as tall as the rest. No average Joe, that one.
Massive muscles, draped in pricey gear that screamed threat. But above all, that hand axe on his hip? Familiar as hell.
[Butcher's Oath - Replica]
"Who's that?"
"Haran's guard captain, Telamon. Nickname's Giant. Powerhouse, and fast too—only the royal knight captain can take him."
Ah, the guard captain. So Varkus's warning was about this guy.
Stats off the charts. Higher than Varkus's—hell, higher than mine across the board.
Probably killer base stats plus a fat gear boost from all that expensive shit.
'Any regular player tangles with him? Dead or running scared.'
Sure enough, players tried fleeing. All caught and butchered on-site. Not a single survivor out of nine.
"Vicious bastard. Ring a bell?"
"?"
"That day you torched the place and ghosted."
"Ah."
"Pissed him off missing you with an axe toss from afar. Since then? Spots an outsider, charges in and shreds 'em personally. Zero mercy."
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Players all dead by his hand, but he kept hacking the corpses, spitting on 'em—pure violent streak.
Then sicced his soldiers on dumping the meat piles into the sewers.
"..."
I'd watched the whole slaughter from start to finish. Shaking my head at Arknon, I asked:
"Got one question."
"Hm?"
"Why can't the royals or guards touch Varkus?"
With brutes like Bronte and this guy roaming free. Varkus was tough, sure, but a dogpile wouldn't be easy.
"Boss has something they want."
"Something?"
"Used to be one of the royal family's two treasures. Boss advised the king, got betrayed—stole it in a rage and hid it somewhere in Haran. No one knows where. That's why the palace won't touch him."
Long story short: kill him reckless, lose the treasure forever. So they were stuck.
"They're trying to socially bury him till he coughs it up."
Explains the weird standoff despite the power gap.
News to me. I was sitting there on the roof, piecing it together with what I already knew—
Halt.
A chill hit me like a knife. I shoved Arknon aside and rolled back.
"Kh? What the—?!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CRASH!
"!!"
Instantly, a hand axe punched right through where we'd been. No joke—like taking a airstrike. The roof above us crumbled in a heap.
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