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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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He had collected the bald man’s payment.
Not just some of it, but all of it.
He thinks he can get away with just paying a partial fee?
Dungeon carries were expensive.
Busy office workers spent their hard-earned cash on boosting their in-game stats.
And here he was, offering a real-life carry, with the added bonus of a quest reward. There was no way he was going to let this slide.
The bald man had been avoiding him, glancing at him nervously.
“Why is he acting like that, Luna?”
“If someone tried to bury me alive, I’d be nervous too.”
Bury him alive? That was a bit harsh.
He had sacrificed himself, hadn’t he? If he hadn’t wanted to be buried alive, he would have escaped.
They encountered goblins and War Wolves on their way back, but unlike before, the bald man took the lead and dealt with them efficiently.
He had been like a nervous recruit before, but now he was like a soldier enjoying his training.
Luke and Luna, relieved, just watched.
Luke opened his status window.
[ Information ]
Name: Luke
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Magic Power: 0 / 0
Level: 32
[ Skill ]
Inventory (F)
Herculean Strength (B)
[ Stats ]
Strength: 32 (+16)
Agility: 10
Intelligence: 0
Stamina: 10
Stat Points: 0
Still magicless.
But his Strength had increased significantly, which was satisfying.
He had gained seven levels from this hunt.
Three from the Giant Ants, and four from the demon that had appeared out of nowhere.
Was his name Borg?
The same name as the low-level demon who was supposed to be an early-game boss for the protagonist.
He was supposed to be hiding somewhere, gathering power, only to be defeated by the protagonist later on.
But Luke had killed him.
So easy~
The protagonist was hogging all the good stuff.
He should share with the heroines, the extras, everyone! Then they could all team up and defeat the Demon King together! It was ridiculous that he was going to fight the Demon King alone after taking all the experience points for himself.
Luke hadn’t intended to steal the protagonist’s opportunities, but he couldn’t resist the allure of free experience points.
It was like going from a 10x experience boost with an experience coupon to… nothing.
What’s the +16 next to my Strength?
Was it related to his new skill?
Hey, system, explain Herculean Strength.
A blue window appeared.
◈ Skill Information
Name: Herculean Strength
Rank: B
Description: Passively increases Strength by 1.5x. Perfect for those who only focus on Strength.
Just like last time, the system couldn’t resist adding a snarky comment.
He was going to give the author, or whoever was behind this system, a swirly if he ever met him.
Why is a 1.5x Strength boost only B-rank?
Well, there probably weren’t many people who focused solely on Strength.
Rogues prioritized Agility, mages prioritized Intelligence, and even tanks balanced Strength and Stamina.
This proved he was a true chad.
But does it affect the maximum value?
If it did, then with a maximum of 99, he would only need 66 Strength to reach the cap. If it didn’t, then he could have 148 Strength, which was broken.
I’ll have to see after I level up more.
Should he just go and beat up the Demon King now?
He could probably win if he didn’t get hit.
He considered it, then decided against it. Defeating the Demon King was practically the ending of the story. He didn’t want to end his reincarnation so soon.
So, you get skills for killing demons.
This wasn’t mentioned in the novel.
He had thought he would have to train or find some special opportunity to gain skills, but it was much simpler than that.
The world revolved around the protagonist, but surely the author wouldn’t be petty enough to punish him for killing a few demons.
If he does, I’ll kill the protagonist.
Then they could all die and be done with it.
And he would just reincarnate again.
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They returned to the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Welcome back, I’m glad you’re safe.”
Adela’s greeting was unusually sincere.
It wasn’t a particularly difficult quest. Was it because of what he had said about Baldwin earlier?
“Baldwin looks… different. Did something happen?”
“He’s probably upset that he didn’t become a hero.”
“…?”
The bald man was sulking because he had missed his chance to become a legend.
If only I had brought more flour!
He should have killed him instantly. He felt a little bad.
He’d make sure to finish him off next time.
“Well… it’s good that he’s humbled. So, can I see the proof of extermination?”
“There’s none.”
“…What?”
“There’s no proof.”
“Did you… lose it…?”
“No, there just isn’t any.”
Adela looked at Luna, as if expecting an explanation.
“It’s not that there isn’t any… it’s more like… it’s gone…”
“…I’m even more confused now.”
“Luke blew up the Giant Ant lair…”
“What?!”
Adela looked at Luke in shock.
He winked at her.
“Hehe.”
“…Is Baldwin’s… condition… also related to the explosion?”
“I don’t know.”
“Of course not.”
But what about his reward?
“What about our payment?”
“We’ll have to investigate the site first. We’ll pay you after we confirm the extermination.”
So, no money today.
Damn it!
“Adela, does the guild have a training ground?”
“Yes, but… what are you planning?”
What else would he do at a training ground besides train?
Why did she always assume he was up to no good?
“Hey, baldy.”
“M-me?”
The bald man pointed at himself.
“Who else would I be talking to? There’s only one baldy here.”
“W-well…”
“Come with me to the training ground.”
He wanted to drag him by the hair, but he had no hair to grab.
Adela led them to the guild’s training ground, a large, earthen area in the basement. They each took a section.
“Take out your axe.”
“…?”
He was probably wondering why he had to take out his weapon.
“Or you die.”
He wasn’t actually going to kill him, but… he was a convenient punching bag.
The bald man hastily drew his axe.
Working for free was infuriating.
They said they would pay him later, but he had no money now! It was like working a part-time job and being told you’d get paid on the company’s payday.
He had no reward. Because of the explosion. And the explosion was because of the bald man.
The logic was flawless.
It’s all his fault.
If he hadn’t been in the way, Luke wouldn’t have resorted to such drastic measures.
Who blows up a lair with someone inside?
It was all the bald man’s fault.
“Grrrr…”
“Luke… calm down…”
“I am calm.”
He was calm.
He was rational.
He was a civilized person who didn’t lose his temper.
He had excellent anger management skills.
Therefore, he was going to beat the crap out of the bald man, rationally.
“Block this, baldy. Or you die.”
The bald man planted his axe into the ground, creating a wall of earth, just like he had done in the ant lair.
Luke drew his ultra greatsword.
“L-Luke, control your strength—!”
“I will!”
He controlled his strength… by using all of it.
He swung his sword with all his might, like a baseball player hitting a fastball.
Crack!
The sword cleaved through the earth wall, shattering it like a cookie.
His sword then clashed with the bald man’s axe.
Clang!
“Aaaaaaaaagh!!!”
The axe shattered, and the bald man went flying, crashing into the wall.
“Phew… that felt good.”
He put his sword away and dusted off his hands.
“You can pay me back when you get your reward.”
He left the training ground with Luna.
As they left, a single bead of sweat trickled down the bald man’s forehead.
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Bros scarier than any thug bruh