#The Master of Talent Player Chapter 33

17. The Guardians’ Showoff

Yukmiho (六尾狐). A yokai-type monster with six tails. This yokai-type monster used a special skill known as magic or sorcery. While it’s classified as a yokai-type monster, hence the name, it was essentially just a skill.

Yukmiho’s skill. Cloning Technique (分身術). Yukmiho could divide its body in two and use it.

‘That one is a fake.’

Although it had a physical form, the ‘thing’ that split off as a clone was weaker than the main body. If that were the main body, the woman lying underneath would already be dead by now. Currently, her abdomen was torn open, blood streaming down, but considering the circumstances, she was lucky it wasn’t worse.

‘If it was the real one, she’d have been devoured by now.’

Kim Hyukjin would have been unable to intervene.

‘Where’s the main body?’

Kim Hyukjin activated his Sensory Eye to the extreme. No notifications like ‘You’ve activated the Sensory Eye’ were heard. It has already been a month since he first learned to use the Sensory Eye.

No one taught him how to utilize it, nor had he ever learned how to effectively use it. However, Kim Hyukjin naturally, ever so naturally, mastered the use of the Sensory Eye. Just like a young child breathing without learning how to. It was the same for Kim Hyukjin.

‘The main body.’

Kim Hyukjin’s unique ability that significantly boosted his senses scoured the surroundings.

‘Found it.’

From Kim Hyukjin’s position, 11 o’clock direction. On a tree. The body’s color shifted sneakily to match with the tree’s trunk and leaves. Yokai-type monsters usually protected themselves with such ‘camouflage’. Nothing special.

He said to Sunhwa.

“Sunhwa, grab the aggro.”

Kim Hyukjin acted as if he hadn’t noticed the main body. Yukmiho would flee instantly if it realized its main body was exposed.

“Got it.”

Kang Sunhwa immediately used a skill.

[Skill. Provocation is used.]

Above the clone of Yukmiho that was trying to bite into the woman’s abdomen. ‘!!!’ appeared above the clone. The ‘!!!’ mark was green.

[Skill. Provocation is used.]

The ‘!!!’ turned yellow as Kang Sunhwa used Provocation once more.

[Skill. Provocation is used.]

Finally, ‘!!!’ turned red. It meant aggro was completely pulled. Kim Hyukjin, with his Sensory Eye active, closely monitored the main body’s movements.

‘Wow, even the distant main body nearly got its aggro pulled.’

Sunhwa’s aggro skill was unmatched at this level. That was Kim Hyukjin’s assessment. A player in their early twenties capable of successfully drawing the aggro of a Yukmiho fixated on its ‘prey’?

‘I don’t recall such a person.’

Indeed, Kang Sunhwa was,

‘A talent freak.’

Regardless, aggro was successfully pulled, and the Yukmiho’s clone dashed toward Kang Sunhwa with a red ‘!!!’ mark above it.

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Yukmiho(六尾狐) LV. 22

──────────

The main body was level 27, while the clone was set at level 22. Both being physical entities, a reduction in stats was an inevitable side effect. Yukmiho, with its sharp teeth exposed, aimed for Kang Sunhwa’s neck.

Crunch-!

Yukmiho’s teeth failed to penetrate Kang Sunhwa’s neck.

Meanwhile, Kim Hyukjin had made his decision.

‘The main body… has no intention of coming here.’

If the clone was pushed too hard, the main body would definitely flee. So, they needed to catch the main body on their side.

‘11 o’clock direction. Roughly 13 meters away.’

The Sensory Eye accurately pinpointed the creature’s location, but there was no immediate way to pull it down or hunt it.

‘No.’

On second thought, there was a way to capture it.

[The item shop has been opened.]

Kim Hyukjin naturally opened the shop as if he had always been playing, and set the detailed category.

‘Weapons/Armor.’

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[Item Shop – Beginner Rank – Weapons/Armor]

1. Beginner’s Iron Sword 500COIN

2. Beginner’s Helmet 470COIN

…….

11. Beginner’s Dagger 260COIN

…….

20. Beginner’s Shoes 480COIN

──────────

This wasn’t a dungeon or a gate, just a normal ‘field’. There were no restrictions on using the shop.

[You have purchased a Beginner’s Dagger.]

[-260COIN]

[You have equipped the Beginner’s Dagger.]

The iron sword disappeared from Kim Hyukjin’s hand, and a ‘Beginner’s Dagger’ took its place. He would throw this dagger, aiming for the main body hiding in the tree.

‘I’ve never done this before.’

Confidence surged. He had never thrown it before, and he had never hunted this way, but the evolved form of hyperawareness, the Sensory Eye, was painting Kim Hyukjin’s success. How to throw the dagger, its trajectory, how it would fly.

‘If I throw it…’

It wasn’t a question of whether he could hit it.

‘I can hit it.’

It was an instinctive feeling.

[‘The Brave Lion King’ has shown interest in your throwing skills.]

[‘The Nameless Observer’ is watching you.]

[‘The Pearl of Cheonma Mountain’ mocks you.]

It was worth mocking. After all, Kim Hyukjin had no skills. Not to mention something like throwing skills.

‘Throwing it.’

No further thought was necessary. Kim Hyukjin just threw the dagger. Without any skills. Purely based on his physical abilities, he threw the dagger.

Swoosh!

With a sound, the dagger left Kim Hyukjin’s hand and shot out like an arrow.

Then.

Thump!

A sound echoed. Something fell from the tree. Kim Hyukjin ran towards the 11 o’clock direction. The clone that Kang Sunhwa was facing started to blur and vanish.

“Big brother?”

Kang Sunhwa looked at Kim Hyukjin. His movement was incredibly fast. Below the tree. A fox impaled through the forehead with a dagger was visible. Blood oozed from its brow and it was struggling and flailing.

‘Huh?’

It was then she realized what had happened.

‘He threw a dagger and hit it?’

It was certainly not a close distance.

‘From here to there?’

But it seemed he hit it.

‘Did big brother have a throwing skill?’

She couldn’t recall such a skill. Kang Sunhwa’s gaze caught sight of Kim Hyukjin, now equipped with an iron sword. He swung it at the briefly stupefied Yukmiho that had fallen from the tree, accurately slicing its neck.

Kim Hyukjin’s movements weren’t flashy. They were neat.

Thud.

The fox’s head hit the ground.

[You have hunted a Yukmiho(六尾狐).]

[Your experience points have increased.]

[You have obtained 30 coins.]

A burst of blue light streamed from Kim Hyukjin’s body.

[Congratulations.]

[Your level has increased!]

[Current level: 26]

Kim Hyukjin himself was taken aback.

‘It really worked?’

Though he had been confident he could throw and hit the target, the sensation of turning that conviction into reality was peculiar.

[‘The Brave Lion King’ is pleased with your dagger throwing skills.]

[‘The Pearl of Cheonma Mountain’ is flabbergasted.]

Kim Hyukjin clicked on the ‘Yukmiho’ corpse. A yellow light leaked from the body. An item dropped to the ground.

‘Oh.’

He had hoped for it, and really got it. Later, this would come in handy in the Short Table Dungeon.

[You have obtained ‘Fox’s Tail’.]

He acquired the Fox’s Tail. That’s when. Senia asked Kim Hyukjin.

“Player Kim Hyukjin. What is your level?”

* * *

I didn’t answer Senia’s question. My level. Surely she must be curious. The guardians would be, too.

“Scan it.”

A moment later, the tips of Senia’s wings quivered faintly.

“You are level 26.”

I shrugged my shoulders. The person Senia is talking to now is not me, but the guardians. As expected, the guardians also seemed surprised by my leveling speed.

[‘The Nameless Observer’ finds your leveling speed intriguing.]

[‘The Brave Lion King’ is proud of your leveling speed.]

[‘The Pearl of Cheonma Mountain’ feels a sense of kinship with your leveling speed.]

That’s right. Feel free to enjoy it and be intrigued. I can provide plenty of ‘quality content’.

[‘The Whispering Demon’ considers testing your leveling up with a trial.]

Don’t bother with such thoughts. One crazy bugger like the valor-charged Lion King is enough.

[‘The Lady of the Scales’ complains to the middle manager.]

Oh.

‘A complaint?’

I contemplated what she might be contesting. BJ Senia spoke up. Icouldn’t hear her voice. She was probably talking to the guardians.

‘If the Lady of the Scales is lodging a complaint about this situation…’

It was obvious.

‘My level is 26. But I haven’t done a job change yet.’

I had not yet undergone the first job change. The guardians must know that players are required to job change when they reach level 25.

‘Even if the system update hasn’t happened yet.’

The issue was,

‘Senia did not issue me any notice of such.’

Without any notice, I became level 26. The Lady of the Scales, who prioritizes fairness, must be lodging a complaint about this.

‘This will be troublesome.’

So I approached Senia. Considering her stature, the Lady of the Scales must be quite famous and powerful among the guardians. She could certainly bury someone as new to BJing as Senia, a ranking existence.

‘I need Senia too.’

Where else would you find a BJ who can’t talk and is so clumsy? Such BJs are the best to use and exploit. I initiated a whisper with Senia. She seemed to be in a state of severe mental breakdown, her wing tips quivering.

I sent Senia a whisper.

-Are you troubled about the job change notice?

She was mumbling with her mouth, too preoccupied to focus on me.

-I’ll speak on your behalf. Say that I’ve already received the job change notice. I’m waiting to do it at level 30.

Only then did Senia look at me. Her eyes trembled ever so slightly, and those eyes were filled with numerous questions. As if asking me, “What exactly are you?” Obviously, I had no intention of resolving those questions. You’re in the same boat as me. You just have to trust, what can you do?

And it wasn’t for free.

-3,000 COIN.

3,000 coins are what you’d get for hunting a hundred Yukmihos, each yielding 30 coins.

-…..

-If you don’t like it, never mind. The Lady of the Scales isn’t someone to mess with. But, whatever. Solve it as you will.

With no regret, I turned away. Senia’s voice reached me, of course, as a whisper only I could hear.

-How about 2,000 COIN?

-3,000.

-2,200.

I shook my head on the spot. She’s the one in a hurry, not me.

-3,000.

-…..

If she broadcasts my video to the guardians, she’d earn at least 5,000 coins or more. She seemed to lack situational awareness, so I added a few more words.

-Senia. You’re being pressured by the Lady of the Scales, right? But fundamentally, the Lady of the Scales recognizes her own mistakes. If I speak correctly, wouldn’t the Lady of the Scales apologize to you? She’ll send a few thousand coins at least.

Truth be told, I didn’t know. Whether she would send it or not. After all, that’s not my concern.

-How about 2,700 COIN?

-3,000.

Senia’s wing tips quivered once more.

-I’ll go with 3,000.

Senia was nearly expressionless, but what to say. It was like she was gritting her teeth as she spoke. Was that just my imagination?

-Send the contract. Sign it.

The contract was transmitted to my inventory. Our deal was successful. I pretended to know nothing and said,

“Oh, I’m doing my job change at level 30. So Senia, don’t hassle me.”

And even if it weren’t for this situation, that’s something I intended to say anyway. Now I have declared to the guardians. I would do the job change at level 30.

‘Level 30.’

The only moment when a player can rise above the guardians. The time when a player chooses their guardian.

But then, suddenly, something unexpected happened.