◈ Episode 9. Regrettably (1)

I could guess the reason.

‘So……. Are [skill] and [magic] different?”

When I manifested the utterance, I felt something foreign.

Despite the differences in the acquisition process, utterance was still a skill.

If I could manifest it, it should have been created in my skill list.

But my skill list was still short.

《Skill》

Natural Enemy

Silver Mastery

Shooting Mastery

Simultaneous Fire

Horsemanship

It was the same when he manifested other magic.

That experience and this experience.

From there, I arrived at a hypothesis.

[“Skill” and “magic” are completely different concepts.

Putting them on different lines made sense.

“How much time and effort did it take to manifest just one fire spell?

I don’t know exactly, but…….

I do know that it didn’t fit the setup.

Why, I could just look at it and cast it.

Two of them, the Grand Prix setting.

I opened my mouth to say.

“Well, that was a good enough reason.”

For once, it wasn’t a defence mechanism.

It was a completely different [skill] and [magic].

But trying to understand a skill as magic was worth the trouble.

I was trying to do something I shouldn’t be doing, and my head was about to crack!

‘……But you succeeded in turning a skill into magic and manifesting it, didn’t you?’

In that sense, the whole genius in the history of the Claudy family seemed to have been tacked on.

I looked at the portal.

Sure enough, it wasn’t like when I’d watched Skills on Netflix.

I didn’t even need a pen and paper.

I could see the process in my head, from “explore” to “interfere”.

Portal, an incomparably higher level of magic than fire.

I felt like I could really manifest such high-level magic.

Of course, it requires a great deal of magic power to manifest.

I probably can’t even attempt it right now.

But it’s enough to know that I can.

I shifted my gaze to take in the view of the Wizard’s Tower.

There would be plenty of stops along the way, but this?

Part of me wanted to grab a passing mage NPC and ask them to do me a favour.

Show me some magic.

Nothing too difficult, just start with the lesser spells.

Of course, there’s no way the denizens of the Nostril Tower would grant my request.

Besides, I know now is not the time.

Hunt the Vampire. (Ongoing)

Announce that the hunt has begun. (Ongoing)

“I don’t need to be taught.”

……This noble pride would never allow me to ask for a favour.

Or a command.

Truly, I am a tired character.

I soon walked through the portal.

Again.

With a stride that could not be more arrogant.

.

.

.

Whirling─

……Damn, it’s cold.

I should have packed a hot pack instead of a green tea bag!

It was cold enough to make me want to wrap my arms around myself and stomp my feet.

But this body doesn’t ask for anything.

There’s no way I could be so ungrateful.

I walked on my legs, which were about to give out.

The view changed and I saw a dense forest.

A large crowd had already gathered there.

“Yes, I’m in Russia, in front of the new rift.”

Journalists.

“Okay, let’s go into the crack you guys want, how many times?”

Netubers.

“How’s the situation. Is everything okay? Uh, the video is coming through fine.”

Even the guilds camped outside.

Indeed, it was a glimpse of the interest in the Count Ascura Rift.

Well, mostly competitors, anyway.

After all, my quest objective was to hunt vampires.

Competition from flying and crawling guilds and players.

To be honest, it would be impossible to defeat Count Ascura before them.

We were outnumbered and out-leveled.

But I was full of confidence.

Let’s hope it’s a well-founded confidence…….

I stepped to the nearest crack, hoping.

“Ai, wait.”

“?”

“Hey, let’s keep some common decency.”

A man stopped me in my tracks.

A man with a round face.

He was holding a tripod with a camera in his hand.

He’s a Netuber.

He looked me up and down.

“There’s no way I don’t remember this pace and……. You’re new, right? The concept is fresh. What, a salaryman in a crack house or something? Whatever. I’ll review this crack, and you can find another one. Huh.”

A new NetTuber with a salaryman concept.

Hard to argue with that.

I’m pretty sure I look the part.

At first glance, I don’t look like a crack player.

But look closely.

Am I holding a camera like you?

As much as I wanted to say yes, I couldn’t.

“Get out of the way.”

“What, what?!”

“I don’t have any patience left in me right now.”

A voice colder than the biting Russian wind.

It summed up my feelings: ‘I’m so cold I can’t stand it.

It was the gentlest expression I could muster.

“Tongue, have you seen the new recruits these days, they’re such a joke! What? You’re telling me that I’m automatically in the wrong? No, sister-in-law, if you say that to me, I’m going to have to go to…….”

Leaving the panicked man behind, I stood in front of the crack.

[Outskirts of the Manor]

[Suitable Level : Lv.240~270]

[Collapse Progress : 9.7%]

My current level is 67.

A whopping 200 levels below the proper level.

In front of such a crack, I had only one thought.

Maybe I can escape this cold if I’m inside the crack…….

*By.

Berserker, 32nd in the guild rankings.

Guild Master Leonie Bellucci’s white brow creased.

“What the fuck?”

Leonie is currently level 348.

She was ranked in the top 100 of the player rankings.

As befits her position, she had a lot of experience.

However, this crack was unlike any other.

It sucked, really sucked.

Leonie swung her twin swords.

Swish.

I’m pretty sure I cut his leg.

The red-eyed wolf didn’t even pause.

“You son of a bitch!”

Swoosh.

A steady stream of swordfire from the twin swords!

Soon the wolf was down.

No wonder.

[Bloodstained Wolf: Lv.230]

A difference of a whopping 100 levels.

There’s no way a level 230 monster could handle her attack power.

Leonie checked the system message.

She had definitely defeated it, and she had definitely earned experience.

But what’s with this creepy feeling?

“……, guys. Is it just me?”

Leonie looks serious.

However, his serious face didn’t match the background.

She’s cute, even with her scarlet short haircut.

A slender frame.

Who would recognise her by her appearance alone?

A berserker, a master of the Berserker Guild.

“What else?”

“You pretending to be edgy again?”

“She’s not scary at all.”

So the guild members smiled wryly.

Partly because she had a cute face.

It was because Leonie’s touch wasn’t as good as her usual sharpness.

Of course, the cordial mood was always short-lived.

“No, fuck. It’s fucking cheesy!”

Is there anyone else in the world who opens their mouth and then breaks it?

I’m not kidding, it was a shocking twist on a daily basis.

My guildmates let out a collective sigh.

“…… Yeah. This is what we do.”

“But what’s wrong with it? Why, because it’s too easy?”

“Arsehole triggers.”

Leonie pumped her fist in the air.

“No, of course it’s too easy! What level are we?”

“Sis, we can watch our language, but let’s not get out of hand, okay?”

“Spare me the nagging. I mean, have you guys seen this mob?!”

Puck-

Leonie kicked the wolf on the ground.

“They don’t show a single sign of pain until you’re all over them.”

“Well, isn’t that just because they’re demons?”

“Quack. Are we the first demons you’ve ever caught? Didn’t you ever hear an imp scream?”

……Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Thirty of the Berserker Guild’s finest, including Leonie.

They entered the rift [on the outskirts of the estate] and hunted for about three hours.

They must have killed dozens of [Bloodstained Beasts] and [Bloodstained Bandits] in the process…….

“……Did you hear them scream or squeal?”

Looking back, I really didn’t.

When the guild members didn’t respond, Leonie shrugged.

“Something’s up with these bastards.”

“So what’s that something?”

“No, fuck it. How the fuck would I know?”

“Sis, from what I’ve heard and seen, it’s definitely weird……. But it’s probably nothing, right? After all, you caught it and got experience points for sure.”

“That’s true, but it has a sense of touch?!”

The guild is always ranked 30th.

There’s a reason we’re ranked so high.

Our guild has fallen from grace.

“What do you really think I am…….”

Leonie was about to make a move that wouldn’t work.

In a forest far away.

-Crack, crack!

A voice called out.

“……!”

It was faint, but it sounded like the grunting of a beast.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Leonie.

“Hey, ……, what’s with the ‘so be it’ look in your eyes?!”

A few players have entered the rift.

Maybe that’s the sound they’re making…….

-Ahhhhhh!

But the pitiful ensuing howl drove the wedge.

Now it wasn’t a glare, but words.

“So it is.”

“That’s how we are.”

“Ha. What else is wrong with you?”

Why were they whimpering and howling?

I was half resentful, half curious.

Leonie led her guildmates toward the sound.

“We might as well join them, after all, we’re going to be attacking the Rift together.”

In truth, the Rift was nothing more than a warm-up.

Even if a demonic monster appeared, the guilds participating in this raid shouldn’t have any trouble clearing it.

The real competition would begin after clearing all the Outer Rifts.

The [Count’s Estate] Rift.

“…… Who the fuck are these guys?”

What would make those reclusive bastards howl in fear?

Leonie rattled off a few possible candidates.

“Well, not the Shining and the Gaon. We avoided them.

‘Ranked first and fifth.

We’d be nothing more than shrimp in a whale’s tail if we went up against those two guilds.

With that thought, the Berserker Guild entered the Rift far away from them.

There weren’t many candidates left.

“Second Sun, or Bohemians. One of them.”

But like I said.

Leonie’s touch is not very good.

“……?”

There was no guild at the place I’d followed the cries to.

Instead, there was a strange man.

But his appearance was just as out of place as Leonie’s.

He wasn’t even in a suit, much less shoes.

But worst of all.

He had a teacup in his hand.

Morak Morak.

Steam rising.

The teacup looks warm just by looking at it.

But strangely enough.

The man’s figure didn’t look the least bit unnatural.

It didn’t fit in with the background.

There was a relaxed air about him.

He looked like he was enjoying his tea time.

Yuck.

“……What the fuck are you doing, that?”

Leonie swallowed dryly at the alien scene.

“I’m afraid not,” the man said.

“I’m afraid not.”

His voice could not have been more firm.

“I don’t have a car for you.”

.

.

.

It’s warm.

I’m finally getting over the chill.

Now that I know the value of tea time.

I can’t help but cherish the green tea bags in my pocket.

So.

Yuck.

Pretending to be thirsty doesn’t give you anything.

Hunt the vampire. (in progress)

Let them know the hunt has begun. (Successful)

Make them feel the fear of being hunted. (Ongoing)