The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 13

"You want to learn how to move fast?"

The scene unfolds in a shabby, rundown district on the outskirts of town.

Hanbit, seeking out a thieves' den in the slums, came face to face with a young, blond-haired girl.

[Lia]

Lia the pickpocket.

A name quite infamous in the back alleys of Edlen.

Not just a common thief, she fancied herself something of a Robin Hood.

"Hmm."

Brushing off her shorts as she got up, she eyed Hanbit from head to toe.

In that instant...

Whoosh-!

With a sudden gust of wind, Lia vanished into thin air.

Thud-!

"Too slow."

Reappearing before Hanbit's eyes, Lia held a small pouch in her hand.

"That'll be 5,000 gold for the lesson. Pretty cheap, right?"

[You have lost 5,000 gold.]

Just as the system message indicated, 5,000 gold disappeared from his inventory.

This all-too-familiar scene brings back a flood of old memories.

"What? No reaction?"

"You said it was for the lesson, right? And you're actually going to teach me?"

"...Of course. I don't lie," Lia replied, pouting her lips.

Stuffing the money into her bag, she turned her back.

"First, try to catch me. You can use any means necessary, but if you can't catch me, it's void, okay?"

Thud-!

With those words, the girl disappeared in the blink of an eye.

A message immediately popped up.

Ding-!

[Quest]

Lia, who promised to teach you a skill, has run away.

Search Edlen to find her.

Objective: Catch Lia.

Reward: Lia's Swiftness Skillbook (1st Rank-?), 1 Stat Point, 100 Experience Points

Time Limit: 3 hours

-She ran off right away, huh?

-She'll come back automatically when the time limit is up.

-Has anyone ever caught her within the time limit?

-It's more advantageous to wait here.

-Yeah, she just comes back home. lol

Advice from experienced players poured in.

However, Hanbit leisurely started walking.

"Huh? Are you leaving? Even if you find her by some miracle, you'll never catch her."

"I know."

"Then what are you going to do? If the time limit runs out, it'll be fixed at the normal rank."

Yeonwoo raised a valid question. The answer was incredibly simple.

"I'll ask someone who can catch her."

* * *

"I need your help catching Lia."

The peaceful atmosphere of Artsvel's general store shattered as Hanbit abruptly burst in.

"All of a sudden?"

Artsvel, who had been in the middle of smiling at Hanbit in greeting, now wore a dumbfounded expression. Her incredibly lifelike reaction set the chat ablaze.

-The AI is insane, lol

-What kind of game IS RP, seriously?

-The girl who never smiled at me is smiling at Black Dragon.

-Wait for me! I'm coming too!

-Breaking news: Bomb Slime still not found.

-Keep waiting until tomorrow~

"But how do you even know Lia?"

"You two are like sisters, aren't you? It's pretty well-known around the slums."

"...Don't tell me you got pickpocketed?"

Having experienced similar situations a few times, Artsvel asked with a slight frown.

Hanbit shook his head and replied, "No, we're playing tag."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

This time, her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"So, will you help me?"

"Ah..."

Artsvel heaved a deep sigh and got up from her seat.

"Alright. Let me lock up."

Leaving the store, the two stepped out onto the street. After briefly surveying the surroundings, Artsvel started walking. She seemed to know exactly where the girl might be.

"So, is she going to give you something if you catch her?"

"I'm trying to learn how to move swiftly."

"Ah, that's what this is about."

She nodded in understanding.

Artsvel and Lia the pickpocket. The relationship between these two well-known figures in the slums was more like that of a guardian and her ward. Having looked after Lia for over seven years, Artsvel was practically like an older sister to her.

Perhaps this was just a phase of teenage rebellion.

Meow.

Purr.

Walking deeper into the alleyways, the two stopped. On a small set of stairs, bathed in the only patch of sunlight, a young girl was playing with some cats.

"Lia."

"Huh?"

Lia's eyes widened at the familiar voice.

"I'm busy, so stop playing tag."

"How did you...?"

Lia stared blankly back and forth between Hanbit and Artsvel. Then, realizing something, she yelled.

"That's not fair! Why did you bring Artsvel?! And how do you two even know each other?"

Visibly flustered, Lia put on an aggrieved expression.

"You said I could use any method to catch you, didn't you?"

"But..."

Lia was left speechless at this irrefutable logic.

The most effective way to deal with Lia? It’s Artsvel.

"Just teach him quickly. And Lia, you come to the store. You know what'll happen if you don't, right?"

"...Okay."

Lia's shoulders slumped at the warning.

"Alright then? I'm leaving."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Artsvel said with a chuckle as she headed back to the store.

Hanbit approached Lia and lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

20 minutes. That's all it took to catch the pickpocket.

"Want to do this again?"

"No way!"

Shaking off his arm, Lia glared at Hanbit with a frown. Then, she pulled a blue book from her bag and tossed it to him.

"Proper movement starts with proper footwork. Got it?"

Ding-!

[Quest complete.]

[Reward grade has been adjusted to the maximum amount based on clear time.]

[Lia's Swiftness Skillbook (1st Rank - Unique).]

[Stat Points increased from 1 ⟶ 3.]

[Experience Points increased from 100 ⟶ 500.]

[Level Up!]

[1 Stat Point awarded.]

-This is how it goes, huh?

-Another Unique item?!

-How was I supposed to know Artsvel and Lia were like sisters?

-At this point, isn't the web novel the problem?

-Release the original work, seriously.

-What if Black Dragon is actually the author?

-Reasonable deduction, I agree.

The chat exploded again, but Hanbit had achieved his goal.

"I'm outta here!"

Stamping her foot, the girl disappeared from sight in an instant.

Hanbit immediately used the book in his hand.

Poof-!

The book disappeared, and "Swiftness" was registered in his skill tree.

Watching this, Yeonwoo asked with a bewildered expression, "Is that really the end?"

"It's a heartwarming ending where she goes to visit the store of the woman who raised her like a sister."

"...It is heartwarming, huh?"

-Heart...warming?

-That kid didn't look happy though.

-I bet Artsvel is terrifying when she's angry.

Yeonwoo and the viewers didn’t seem particularly interested in the unusual relationship between the two. They simply viewed Artsvel and Lia as NPCs necessary for acquiring a skill.

'...I guess it can't be helped.'

Players hadn't been able to form a proper relationship with Artsvel. Since everyone ended up sending her to jail, it must have become impossible to even have a conversation with her.

They were just diligently following the guidebook, so it was an irreversible outcome.

"Not all people follow the guidebook, do they?"

"I guess not? There are so many solo players, and not everyone shares information with the community."

Even if most people followed the guidebook, there must be some who forged their own path. However, since this was the first time Artsvel's quest had appeared, it meant no one had found the correct approach.

Naturally, Lia had also remained an obscure NPC.

'So there's another reason why the main story is a mess.'

Hanbit recalled the Edlen storyline from the guidebook. Artsvel and Lia never appeared in it.

Considering the snowball effect triggered by Julio's deception, it truly was a nonsensical story.

"Let's go. We need to learn the next skill."

"Ah, the last one is swordsmanship, right? I'm actually the senior here."

-He's going to get wrecked later.

-Real talk lol

-Thumbs up if Roper quits from shame.

Finally, iit was time for Swordsmanship. Although Yeonwoo claimed that it was his main skill, the viewers were already teasing him.

"Hey, I got a rank 2, you know? I worked really hard."

"What's the grade?"

"...Advanced."

-Oh, you too?

-Me too, haha

-Average viewer lol

The second skill in the swordsmanship tree is "Proficient Swordsmanship." It was a passive skill that simply enhanced the basic swordsmanship skill.

"You learned that from the guidebook too, right?"

"There wasn't really anything complicated about it in the first place. You just have to swing a wooden sword for about an hour and do some simple sparring."

"That's nice. Guess swordsmanship isn't for you."

"...That doesn't make sense. You're not going to get a Unique grade for this one too, are you?"

-No way.

-This can't be happening.

-Tell me it isn't so.

-FYI: In RP, most people go for the swordsmanship skill tree.

-That's me right here.

Viewers who had already learned swordsmanship cried out in despair. But it couldn't be helped.

"Let's go."

The two headed straight into the forest. They climbed a low mountain along a winding path. Continuing along the path, they spotted a small hut near the summit.

[Balder the Swordsman]

A middle-aged man sat at a table in front of the door, a liquor jug in his hand.

"I've come to learn some swordsmanship."

In response to the question, the swordsman took a few swigs of his drink. Then, glancing sideways, he said, "Swing the wooden sword. Until I tell you to stop."

Ding!

[Quest]

Learn swordsmanship from Balder the Swordsman. If you pass his test, you will be able to learn swordsmanship suitable for your level.

Objective: Swing the wooden sword until Balder instructs you to stop.

Reward: Unlocks the next quest in the chain.

Accepting the quest, Hanbit picked up a wooden sword placed on one side.

The atmosphere in the chat changed slightly.

-It took me an hour and a half.

-Don't you think there's a minimum number of swings?

-Nope, posture is important. You just have to endure to the end.

-Did you forget how Black Dragon did in archery? 30-minute clear.

-Don't be ridiculous lol. The fastest time ever is 28 minutes.

-The community isn't everything.

-Still, let's not get too hyped up..."

All sorts of advice and speculation poured in from viewers who had already experienced this. The consensus was that no matter how fast he is, it will take more than 40 minutes.

Reading through the chat, Hanbit had an idea.

"Want to make a bet? Will I finish within 30 minutes or not?"

"Oh, I like that!"

Yeonwoo quickly chimed in with enthusiasm.

-30 minutes lol

-Can he do it?

-Is there no Sword Saint Association?

[Sword God has registered a 200,000 won challenge mission.]

[Success if completed within 25 minutes. If you fail, you get no money and have to bungee jump off a cliff.]

-Sword God, lol

-Reduced the time by 5 minutes like a rat. lol

-That penalty is harsh.

-If he doesn't even get the money, that's worse than the Phone Scam Association...

“25 minutes? No way, that's ridiculous!”

Yeonwoo was the first to react to the increased difficulty.

Seeing this, Hanbit feigned surprise and said, "25 minutes? Hmm..."

"That's too difficult, isn't it?"

"Well, let's give it a try."

-He's actually doing it lol

-Isn't this bullying at this point?

-If you're feeling wronged, then succeed.

-I'd bet a thousand won at 25 minutes.

-If he fails, it's 0 won lol"

[Kitchen Knife has donated 20,000 won to the challenge mission.]

[25 minutes. LOLOLOLOL]

[Sword Mister has donated 70,000 won to the challenge mission.]

[Still, 25 minutes is a bit...]

…….

"Wow! 800,000 won! Thank you!"

[Prize Money: 807,000 won]

As Yeonwoo's said, the prize money surpassed 800,000 won.

'800,000 won?'

Hanbit's eyes widened at the amount, twice as much as the archery bet. He'd heard swordsmanship was popular, but he didn't expect it to be this much.

"Whew."

Exhaling briefly, Hanbit gripped the wooden sword with both hands and closed his eyes.

-Pretending to be a master lol

-Chunnibyo ON

-He's an emotional guy lol

Completely focused, Hanbit's body didn't move an inch. The viewers laughed and mocked him at this unfamiliar sight.

But the swordsman reacted differently.

"...?"

He stopped drinking.

An eerie atmosphere fills the air, silencing everyone.

Before anyone can grasp what's happening, Black Dragon swung the wooden sword.

Whoosh-!

A single movement cut through the wind.

The swordsman dropped his liquor jug and exclaimed, "Stop. That's enough."

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]