LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Divine Beast, Get Back!
“What a fortuitous discovery.”
__________________________
[Radon Crawler (16)]
Race: Human
Grade: 1
Occupation: Scammer (Experience: 50/100%)
– Health: 16
– Strength: 16
– Intelligence: 10
– Endurance: 21
– Mana: 33/33
[Special Skill List], [Life Skill List], [Combat Skill List], [Magic Skill List]
[Artifact List]
__________________________
The familiar status window appeared.
A new item was added to the list indicating growth.
[Artifact List]
Even items not present from the start existed in Devil Arch. It’s no big deal that the initial system looked a bit empty.
Usually, as chapters are cleared one by one, new skills get unlocked. The cost to enhance them is Credits.
Though I feel a sense of incongruity from all the times I’ve played, it makes sense considering that I’m not the characters.
They aren’t the type that increases through fishing or scamming like I do.
They gradually get stronger and gain power. Even that monstrous Lyman shares such a system for balance patches.
________________________
[Artifact List]
ㄴ[Leviathan ★★★★] (Equipped)
– Purpose: Daily Use
– Proficiency: 3%
A fishing rod crafted by the great “Tyron Fisher,” known in the marine world. It was created after defeating a Leviathan that resided across the sea. Now, its fame has faded, and it appears merely as an expensive fishing rod. Its capabilities are completely diminished, rendering it impossible to revive.
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Days have passed since I received it, and I’m still not quite used to it.
Through trial and error, I’ve swung it several times to gauge its power. Currently, I’m testing it out.
“Mana consumption is no joke.”
I tried using skills multiple times against waterfalls or trees, and my Mana, once at 33, had already dropped to 10.
The reason is that it’s a four-star artifact.
Naturally, it’s an expected result due to my lack of proficiency.
‘What the heck is that Lyman, swinging around five-star gear like it’s a toy…’
He’s the main character, so let’s disregard him.
One fortunate thing is that this artifact acknowledged me as its master.
It seems to respond to my fantasy swordsmanship, utilizing the fishing rod as my main weapon.
Another useful point is that I can summon it freely. In other words, it has accepted me on its own.
“Enter.”
The Leviathan I was holding disappeared.
I store it somewhere else and call for it when needed. Just like Jenny and Mary summon their special equipment, I can do the same.
It was valuable enough to make the Cage Department Head weep while handing it over.
Swish—
I heard footsteps walking between the trees. The sounds of crunching grass and branches grew closer and faster.
“Huh?”
It was a young child. A girl with white hair and draped in white cloth.
She looked like a wingless angel.
I scowled because I recognized her. That girl is one of the final bosses in Chapter 2, the Nine-Tailed Fox “Angela Whitegreen.”
Just as I was thinking about why she would suddenly appear here—
“Angela, let’s go together!”
“Don’t run! If you trip, I can’t take responsibility!”
Several girls followed her and caught my eye.
“Oh my, you’re definitely…”
“Radon. What brings you here?”
Jenny greeted me warmly as soon as she saw me.
Crona merely acknowledged me with an unimpressed expression.
With both her and Angela appearing simultaneously, I immediately understood the situation.
It was around the middle of Chapter 2. After the midterm evaluations, they would begin taking care of Angela.
They named her after the meaning of angel, and she would frequently visit the forest during their free time.
Mary had joined in on this as well, yet for some reason, she was currently unaccounted for.
“Who is this child?”
[Degradation Rate Decreased: -3%]
[+300 Credits]
This time, I feigned ignorance and asked. They hesitated, stammering in response.
“Well… she’s a child we found in the forest. We hurriedly named her Angela. She looks far too vulnerable to be left alone, so we’re taking care of her.”
“Normally, I’d ignore this, but I can’t just pass by a cute child like this! Right, Jenny Chain Silver?”
During the exam period, they must have been gaining experience points targeting the monsters in the forest.
It’s likely they couldn’t help but grow attached after repeatedly encountering her.
Being unable to overlook a pitiful creature is a common trait among pure characters.
“Is there no place like an orphanage in Aligieri Town? Alternatively, you could ask your parents to help find a suitable facility.”
“Umm… that’s…”
[Degradation Rate Decreased: -4%]
[+400 Credits]
The reason for pretending was simple. It was a question meant to ignore the obvious.
“She’s a divine beast! So we can’t leave her anywhere!”
At that moment, Mary, who had been hiding beneath the tree, spilled the beans. I was wondering where she’d gone, and it turns out she was just fooling around in a discreet spot.
“Don’t, Mary!”
“Are you an idiot? Shut your mouth!”
The two, startled, hurriedly covered Mary’s mouth, but it was already too late. However, Mary didn’t seem to care and moved her mouth again.
“It’s fine! Besides, Radon is our eternal friend!”
“No matter what! How can you do that without even consulting me once? I’m not friends with this guy or anything!”
Crona drew a line, saying I had no relation to her.
Well, from her standpoint, it was only natural.
“Radon, I’m begging you. Please keep this a secret. Even if this child really is a divine beast, she’s definitely not a bad kid.”
Right now, Angela had no visible fox ears or tails.
If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have believed her.
Mary was the first to sense Angela’s true nature.
Being familiar with the spirits of the forest, she could share various information.
She shared insights with the spirit that pierced through Angela’s essence, something that ordinary spirit sorcerers wouldn’t be able to perceive.
That realm is merely a normal sight for Mary.
“Do you think your parents would refuse?”
“Of course. They experienced the continent’s turmoil 30 years ago. They’re extremely sensitive to other races.”
There’s no guarantee that such adults would have the kindness to accept Angela.
They might not eliminate her, but they certainly wouldn’t accept her.
“Fine. I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Thank you so much, Radon.”
“We’re still eternal friends!~”
With my positive response, Mary leaped into my arms.
Is she the type who’d be upset if I didn’t embrace her while saying “We’re friends”?
“Just make sure to be careful, alright? You must never bring her inside the academy.”
“Of course.”
“And don’t let her show up in front of me if possible. Got it?”
“Got it. I’ll do my best.”
Taking care of Angela is their responsibility.
Soon, both the Totema and Shadow Brigade will be on the lookout for Angela.
I want no part in the troubles that occur during that search.
Luska’s suspension will soon be lifted. She too will likely get involved in the fight surrounding Angela.
Moreover, the main protagonist Lyman is currently away from the academy, leaving only his clone behind.
There’s no safety net for me in this situation.
The only way to stay comfortable in the impending chaos is straightforward.
“Then I’ll be heading back.”
“Take care~”
……to not get involved.
Even if I obtained an artifact, I’m not skilled with it. This is a time when I should focus on myself over others.
Just as I finished my goodbye and was about to move my legs to descend—
“Huh?”
Angela approached and grabbed the collar of my clothes.
She opened her mouth earnestly as she held back the person about to leave.
“Onigiri…”
“What?”
“Give me onigiri!”
Seeing Angela smiling brightly while asking for something, I was left dumbfounded.
Why in the world is she suddenly asking for onigiri?
“Radon, sorry for interrupting. I’ll head out now.”
“Okay.”
Fortunately, Jenny stopped Angela from following me.
Still, Angela struggled while watching my departing figure, begging for onigiri.
Of course, this was a line not in the main story, and I was baffled about what onigiri had to do with me.
‘Did another variable arise?’
For now, I reached the dormitory.
I was curious about why she called for onigiri while looking at me, but with nothing coming to mind, I set it aside.
At this point, Prince Totema would be losing hope due to lack of progress in his efforts.
With feelings akin to standing on the brink of a cliff, he’s targeting the blood of the divine beast.
The spirit sorcerers within the Shadow Brigade will aid him in tracking down the divine beast.
However, even if they are spirit sorcerers, unless their sensitivity is as good as Mary’s, finding it won’t be smooth.
Eventually, the prince, feeling the urgency, hires some students to search for her.
And the newly freed Luska from suspension will also catch onto the prince’s scheme.
She’ll be equally intent on finding the divine beast.
She likely plans to get a step ahead to threaten the prince.
In that process, Luska won’t even treat Angela like a person, unaware of how crucial that girl is to her.
‘Is tomorrow the weekend?’
Friday.
Today, the students will all be immersed in an evening drinking party.
Once the next day arrives, most of them will likely pass out as if they’ll never wake again.
Especially the students in this three-star building, 90% of them won’t get up until after midnight.
As expected, when night fell, the students turned into animals.
“Hey, have you seen this?”
“What is it, what is it?”
“You know, that thing we absolutely shouldn’t be watching at our age… heh heh heh…!”
“Really?”
……and they started showing the archive screen through the mirror, which displayed, contrary to the sinister expectations, images of muscular men brawling with each other.
“You idiot! Don’t you dare act like that!”
“What the hell, you little bastard!”
“Why? I just wanted to grab some attention!”
“Oh yeah? I can’t be the only one suffering!”
It seems among the students, tricking each other like this has become a trend lately.
Maybe that’s why phrases like “What are you, Radon Crawler?” and “You little Radon Crawler!” were flying around. When did I become the center of that trend?
But aside from that, it has nothing to do with me. I didn’t even start the trend.
Tomorrow morning, I planned to head into the village.
I needed to shop since the bait I used for fishing had run out.
Even though it was dark outside, it still shone brightly.
Whether they were having a party or a show, it was none of my concern.
So let’s have sweet dreams.
…….
…….
…….
…….
Knock, knock!
Is it already morning? How long have I been asleep?
I glanced at the clock reflected in the archive.
[06:30]
Is it really only this much?
On weekends, it’s customary to sleep past 9 o’clock. Waking up at 6:30 is way too early.
Unless influenced by the outside, I wouldn’t wake up this early otherwise.
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound that woke me was knocking. Who could it be at this unjustified hour?
Considering that most should be flat out by now, it seemed quite unnatural.
The only people who would come to see me are Jenny and Mary.
Clunk—
“What’s up so early… huh?”
I opened the door, thinking it’d be the two of them…but it wasn’t. However, it was someone I knew.
“Give me onigiri.”
“……”
I was standing there in a stupor, realizing Angela had made her way to this room.
Surviving as the Academy Scammer.