Max Talent Player

Chapter 43: Shot Table Dungeon

Pygmy.

The moment I uttered that word, I coughed violently, feeling intense pain. It was like someone had rammed into my solar plexus.

Gugh!

It was difficult to breathe. Kneeling on the ground, I could do nothing else but clutch my stomach.

Thats right. Get worked up.

Neptune was definitely a Streamer of a race called the pygmies. Everyone acknowledged that. Even the Guardians watching right now used that term. But Neptune really disliked the pygmy appellation.

Whether you dislike it or not, Im not the one who attacked you first.

Neptune came closer.

I dare you to keep mouthing off, you lowly little shit.

Go on, bark. Ill end your miserable life for you.

It was difficult to talk. A heavy pressure was crushing me. Fear that I might even die at this rate began to swell within me.

No, he cant kill me.

A tremendous amount of bloodlust needled my skin. If Eye of Perception hadnt been temporarily disabled, that bloodlust might have given me vivid images of my head being cut off. Just like the last time I was here on the 2nd floor of D-Tower, when I was getting attacked by the Magic Troll.

I said, bark.

I raised my head with difficulty. He couldnt kill me anyway. Right now, many Guardians were focusing on me, and I had even received sponsorships from many of them. If he were to kill me here, he would become the enemy of the Guardians who had sponsored me.

You cant kill me.

I was the one in the right.

I only talked down to you because you did so to me first. I only put up an appropriate resistance because you threatened me with a wrongful method first. I only called you pygmy because your race is pygmy. Just what did I do to suffer this kind of treatment?

If you were ignorant, you couldnt fight back. If you knew nothing, you could only become a victim. But I knew. I knew that my words were in line with the Commandments in this System. My actions werent just self-defense, but straight-out justified.

At this point in time, I shouldnt be a criminal yet. Is it right for the strong to persecute the weak without justified reason? To persecute a Player doing a justified Play?

[The Lady of the Scales deeply sympathizes with your words.]

[The Lady of the Scales applies the special power Innocent Until Proven Guilty.]

The pressure crushing me disappeared, and I was able to breathe again.

[Due to Innocent Until Proven Guilty, the effects of Forced Submission are removed.]

That was only naturala Guardians power was far higher in authority than a Streamers.

[The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain nods.]

[The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain has contempt for cowards.]

[The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain applies the special power Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak.]

Be strong to the strong, and weak to the weak. It was a buff that amplified my strength when facing a strong opponent.

[Due to Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak, all abilities of the Player will be temporarily sharply increased.]

The True Master of the Heavenly Demonic Mountain followed on the heels of the Lady of the Scales to take my side. They probably took my side for different reasons, but they were both helping me all the same.

Neptunes face filled with visible bewilderment.

[Eye of Perception has been reactivated.]

With my increased parameters from Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak, I could now read Neptunes information.

[Intermediate Administrator]

Name: Neptune (Pygmy)

Age: 9

State: Bewilderment / Shock / Panic

Disposition: Headstrong / Competitive

Summary: Very Competitive Pygmy

• The disposition/state/summary only show the most representative and can change according to the situation.
• Because Eye of Perceptions proficiency is not high enough, viewing more detailed information is impossible.

I tried taking a look at Senias info as well while my abilities were boosted, but it failed. Apparently, the Strong to the Strong, Weak to the Weak power the True Master granted me only worked on Neptune.

Right now, I feel like I wouldnt lose in a 1 on 1 against Neptune, but

A Player directly fighting a Streamer wasnt very desirable. The Guardians didnt really welcome that, unless they were courage-lovers like the Courageous Lion King.

It seems the Guardians think the same as me.

Right on cue, a notice came in.

[System Scan Result: No bug values have been discovered.]

[System Scan Result: No illegitimate methods have been used.]

I came this far using my knowledge of the future and by putting my life on the line. This was merely the starting line, but it was absolutely not the case that I got this far with zero effort. Starting with the lycanthrope, I had been Playing with my life on the razors edge.

Its fine to accuse me. Thats well within your right. But you forcibly persecuted me without any proof whatsoever simply based on your conviction, for the sole reason that I am weaker than you.

Neptune was unable to muster a response.

State: Bewilderment / Shock / Panic

It was because of his competitiveness and headstrong personality that he was unable to apologize to me right now.

If I hadnt been able to speak up for myself earlier because I was scared of you this situation would have gone your way.

It was because I formally raised an objection, because I rightfully spoke up, that the situation turned out like this. If I hadnt done anything, I would have become a literal punching bag.

Dont you think its cowardly?

Neptune bit his lips. From the way he tightly clenched his fists, it seemed he was very enraged. He still didnt want to acknowledge his fault, but Guardians stronger than him were watching, so he wasnt able to say anything.

I didnt lose in a battle of wills.

This was actually an unexpected win, seeing as I could direct the situation to my benefit.

Apologize.

Why?

Because you were in the wrong.

Youre also!

He was about to say something like youre also in the wrong, but stopped short because he had no rationale for such an accusation.

I saw him wracking his brains, but I didnt give him the tiniest bit of ammunition to work with. I may have called him pygmy in order to provoke him, but that wasnt actually a mistake. It wasnt derogatoryI just called him pygmy because he was from the pygmy race. Just like how calling a human a human wasnt an expletive, this was the same logic.

rry.

I heard him say something very quietly. I scowled.

What did you say?

I said, rry.

Neptunes greenish-blue face turned bright red.

I said, Im sorry!

Only then did I nod. An apology was an apology.

You should give a token of your apology.

Basically, cough something up.

I couldnt let a perfectly good opportunity to carry out some lawful extortion slip through my fingers.

* * *

After having Neptune close his channel, I got him to write a memorandum that he wouldnt attack me.

That was a possibility, after all. Not just that, but I also got a Pygmys Ring from him.

[Pygmys Ring]

A ring made by a pygmy blacksmith.

Grade: Rare

Durability: 50/50

Effect: +5 fire resistance

Equip restriction: Level 20

He probably gave me the most useless thing in his possession, but even this was a real boon at my current level. Its grade was even rare, one step over common. Considering that most beginners werent able to invest in accessories, this ring could be called quite a big harvest.

I went back home. Sunhwa was the first to run over and greet me. The savory smell of soybean paste stew wafted in the house.

My sister glanced furtively at me when I walked into the living room.

State: Welcoming / Relief / Happy / Expectant

Her feelings were as clear as day from her state, but her speech was the epitome of bluntness.

Moms coming back home soon too. Mom said she already ate, so eat, or dont, I dont care.

From her attitude, it was like she was trying to say Who cares if you eat or not, I made it for Sunhwa and me anyway, but the four sets of utensils on the table were very telling.

Ah. Is that why there was expectant in her status window?

I washed my hands and sat down at the table.

Thanks for the food, noona.

State: Expectant / Restless / Anxious

It looked like Id have to make a big ado about this stew being super delicious.

Come to think of it, before, my sister hardly ever cooked. After I came back from the Tutorial Field alive, she had apparently changed a lot as well. She was even cooking, something shed never done before.

But noona, whats the big occasion? Whyre you cooking and all?

I didnt do it for you. Its just that the kitchen is so big, so I just gave it a try. Its a waste to let that kitchen rot.

Ah, uh-huh. Her state was too transparent for that to fly. It was obvious that she was devoting every ounce of her concentration onto my spoon.

Its not tasty.

It was pretty much her first soybean paste stew ever. Being tasty would be more unusual. However, I lied through my teeth.

Its good, noona. Where did you learn to cook, noona? Whys it so tasty?

Shut up, I know its not good.

State: Embarrassed / Happy / Relieved / Joyful

It was fun to watch her state change by the minute. And this embarrassed part was particularly amusing. I wouldnt have been able to tell had I not been looking for it, but her ears were ever so slightly red. Her expression was a block of ice, but her ears were red.

I should feign ignorance.

The quick-witted Sunhwa also professed the stews deliciousness as she chattered, and when our meal was almost over, Mom came home. She had a few pieces of bread in her hand, and I was suddenly struck with the feeling that todays meal was extremely joyful.

Ahyoung made a stew? Goodness!

Mom was surprised, too.

Just cause. The kitchens too pretty, so I just gave it a try.

Mom slapped my sisters butt, saying, Well done! Our Ahyoungs ready to get married now. I sat at the table and savored this feeling of leisure. My sister was here, and so was Mom. It wasnt very tasty, but we had this warm soybean paste stew, too. There was bread and milk in Moms hand, and now, Sunhwa was here as well.

Theyre all very small pleasures, but it feels great.

Would it be too much of an exaggeration to call this happiness?

I have to protect it.

Be it this happiness, or this leisure, or these small pleasures. No matter what it was, I would protect this way of life, and achieve greater success while doing so. Because now, I could do the things I hadnt been able to do in the past and had the ability to draw out my own future.

I went to my room and reviewed my plans again and again, something Id done every day since returning to the past. To prevent any possibility of information leak, the notebook Id regressed with was safely stored in my Inventory.

Next

The next step could be summed up as two plans.

This is better, but

Gates were appearing all over the world, along with dungeons of an even higher difficulty. At the same time, breaks were also occurring, and people were slowly getting used to such phenomena.

Lets think about it a little more.

I had to extract the greatest efficiency from the least amount of time. I went onto the Internet and pulled up the newly started Real Player forum. This place, the beginnings of the future full-fledged Real Player website, was currently a gathering place for Players, as well as a place for exchanging information.

I could even see quite a few threads like LF Raid Party Members here.

Even though theres no structure or rules yet.

Even so, mankind was slowly adjusting to this world.

Will I find what Im looking for?

After around 10 minutes, I found a certain post. The title was very closely related to one of my two plans.

Could this be?

I looked at the posters name. If my prediction was correct, then the poster was definitely someone I knew.

[Poster: JayangdongFireMaster]

As I thought.

JayangdongFireMaster was the nickname of Choi Sung-gu. Even though his nickname was a little silly, his later moniker wasnt silly in the least. His moniker was Flame Lord.

Found you, Choi Sung-gu.

I clicked on the post.