Translator: HunterW
Editor: RED
==[You have received the last of Pedro’s borrowed time.
Calculating the value of the remaining time…
Pedro had 3 hours and 40 minutes remaining. That time has been converted into Stat points. You will now receive 1,100 stat points. (1 hour=300 Stat points.)]==
Pedro had gifted me 1,100 Stat points, even though I had raised my spear against him and said that I would kill him with my own hands.
-Is this what he meant by a small tantrum?-
Beneath the initial message was another one.
==[Chest Containing Pedro’s Unfulfilled Desire for Revenge (Rank ?)
Pedro has failed his quest for revenge, even after he pulled in all the time he had. This chest contains that unfulfilled desire. There is no way to know what is inside. However, this chest will open in one month. This chest currently has 0 points. Fulfill Pedro’s desire for revenge to obtain up to +100 points. Conversely, ignoring Pedro’s quest for vengeance or helping Pedro’s target of revenge will cause the chest to lose points, up to -100 points. Obtained points will decide what the item will be. +100 points, the better the item. -100 points, the worse the item.
This item binds when received.]==
This was supposed to be a tantrum on Pedro’s part, but I didn’t really hate it or hate Pedro for giving it to me. I knew why he gave it to me and how desperate he must have felt. I was more curious about one thing.
-This is a thing?-
I had a hard time believing that this was a real item. The item’s description was more akin to that of a quest, and from what I knew, that was just about impossible. Devas and deities couldn’t give out quests to other devas and deities. Then again, I’d had a previous encounter with a unique quest over at Incheon Airport. But that quest had its own marker and this chest was an actual item…
But there was nothing I could do about it now. I couldn’t ask Pedro about it since he was dead. Then, just when I was about to closely examine the item’s description, I heard Jose come up to me, panicked.
“Mr. Lee, do you have any idea on what just happened? The two of you didn’t even fight and yet, Pedro just exploded like that.”
“I’m not sure, either.”
“Then what did the two of you talk about?”
“Not much. I just advised him that it might be better for him to stand down, now that he was completely surrounded and all.” I was going to keep feigning ignorance, at least until I got my payment. Well, maybe even then. I turned away to look at the messages that were still up. I had already read through them, but they were still there, meaning there were more messages to confirm. I scrolled down to see another message, one I didn’t expect at all.
==[Lee Jiwon’s exclusive ability, Death, was connected with Pedro for 0.13 seconds.]==
– What?-
I remained silent as Jose and his officers were still around me, and just craned my head to the side in confusion. Death was my exclusive ability? That wasn’t right. That was Fayez’s exclusive ability. I never stole it from him. I would have known if I had-
-Oh!-
I remembered that one clip from the video of the guild battle. Shaman Ko had taken over my body and was eating something whenever he pushed his hand into Fayez’s chest. To be honest, it looked more like Shaman Ko was just attacking Fayez, so I wasn’t completely sure that he was eating a piece of Fayez, but now I was positive. Shaman Ko had used Predation to steal away Fayez’s Death ability.
-I’m…not sure what to think about that…-
I turned my attention to the other message below.
==[Death instinctively reached out to Pedro when he willingly gave up his remaining time.
Death constantly searches out for more death. When it sensed Pedro’s impending permanent death, it attempted to connect itself with Pedro.
From the 0.13 second long connection, Death managed to bring back a piece of that permanent death.
Obtain 4,277 Stat points.
Death had also brought back a Ripped Piece of Advance. (This skill is only partially obtained. In order to fully obtain this skill, 1 skill point is required. Not obtaining this skill within 10 days will remove this skill.)]==
“Holy shit!” I gasped. I thought there was nothing else in this world that could outright surprise me, but I was stunned, to say the least.
“What is it, Mr. Lee?” “Did you learn something?” asked Jose and his officers.
“No, it’s nothing.” I wiped away my shocked expression and put on my best poker face, but I couldn’t help the shaking from the rush of adrenaline I felt. Pedro had just pretty much gifted me 5,377 stat points. I could hardly believe it.
-Open Stats Menu!-
I had to see it for myself.
==[Name: Lee Jiwon
Level: 724 Death Count: 0
Title: Earth’s First Deva
HP: 9,590,700/9,590,700 MP: 452,800/452,800
Strength: 26,754 + 4,260 Agility: 14,901 Vitality: 15,601
Willpower: 4,468 Intelligence: 4228
Unassigned Stat Points: 5,377
Fatigue: 0
Special Effects: Luck Boost (X+1), immune to all Status effects, Dungeon Seeker 14 points
Physical Attack: 106,427 Physical Defense: 35,497
Magical Attack: 14,154 Magical Defense: 23,034]==
{Translator’s Note: No, I don’t know why he hasn’t any SK points here. IIRC, it’s been at least a week since he last opened up his Stats Menu and should have a Scroll of Predation in his inventory again, meaning he should be getting more SK points.}
“…” I dumbly stared at my Stats Menu. There it was, 5,377 Stat points. I knew the messages couldn’t lie, but I just had to see it for myself. Even then, I found it hard to believe.
-Skill Check: Ripped Piece of Advance.-
==[Ripped Piece of Advance (1/1), (Active)
A large chunk of the skill, Advance, was ripped away by Death. As a result, this skill has lost many of its initial effects.
Doubles Stats upon use for 24 hours. However, as a penalty, there is a chance to lose 0-100 Stat points after the skill deactivates. (The Stat points can be taken away from STR, VIT, AGI, WIL and/or INT.)
Cooldown: 10 days
1 skill point is required to learn this skill
Time left to learn: 9 days 23 hours 59 minutes
Not learning this skill within the time frame will remove this skill.]==
Skills that had penalties for using them were rare, especially one that made you lose up to 100 Stat points. But when I read through the skill’s description, I knew I had to learn it. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to double my Stats for twenty-four hours, especially when my Stats were that high. Even if I was unlucky enough to lose 100 Stat points each time I used it, it would still be worth it. While that was a huge blow to a normal deva, I could definitely afford the loss.
I wouldn’t be using it every chance I got, of course. I would only use it when I needed to, like when I was fighting against someone or something as strong as the Reaper when he activated his failsafe. I could rely on this more than having to Consume Shaman Ko.
-Learn skill.-
I still had the 1 skill point from reaching level 700.
==[You have learned the skill, Ripped Piece of Advance.]==
I wanted to jump and yell for joy, but I pushed down that desire way down. This was all thanks to Pedro. It was all Pedro’s way of thanking me, for making sure he didn’t die at the hands of the NCR Guild. I had to suppress that strong feeling of joy as best I could if I still had even a sliver of honor left.
-Ha…but that Death…-
I still wasn’t completely sure as to how exactly it became my exclusive skill, but it was mine either way, and that was great. I could live with that for now. I cleared my thoughts and came back to reality to see that the NCR Guild was busy.
“Get ready! There’s a chance Pedro will resurrect here in three hours!”
“Yes sir!” The one thousand soldiers wielding black chains and the rest of the NCR army moved to surround the spot Pedro exploded.
“Guild master, will Pedro really resurrect here?”
“I don’t know, but we have no choice.”
It was all in vain, but the NCR Guild did not know that Pedro was not going to resurrect ever again. I kept silent to keep it that way. Then, Jose Alejandro turned to me.
“Mr. Lee, if Pedro does resurrect here…”
“Then I will stand by the NCR Guild,” I answered with a smile. Pedro wasn’t going to resurrect, so I might as well suck up to him until I got my payment. Once I did, I would carry out Pedro’s desire for vengeance. I was going to destroy them all.
—
Three hours later…
“…It seems he had set his Respawn Point at a Store or used a gem,” one officer said, dejected. But a few thought differently, including Hugo, the head of Intelligence.
“Maybe…that was Pedro’s last death.” Even Hugo didn’t believe what he was saying. “The Death Prison definitely had Pedro’s soul. The five chains inside the cell came out and grabbed it.”
“That… is true,” another officer agreed.
“Then the Death Prison destroyed itself. The Death Prison’s role is to prevent its target from resurrecting. If it doesn’t have a soul to do that… it would have no reason to remain on this plane.”
“…” No one said anything for a while.
“What’s the probability of that being true?” Jose finally asked.
“I had it at a 5% chance three hours ago. But it’s well over three hours now, so I would say there’s now a 40% chance.”
“Why?”
“One of Pedro’s skills or items must have had a huge condition. I doubt it was an item. He definitely couldn’t afford one and I don’t think he ever visited many Stores.” Hugo’s investigative ability was second to none, so there was no reason for anyone to reject his hypothesis.
“Hmm…” Jose took a moment to contemplate his next move. “Return to base! But for the next ten days, we maintain vigilance!”
“Yes, sir!”
