<Lich Lv.50>
The monster’s name and Level floating boldly above it were intimidating enough.
Even so, I confidently pointed at the skeleton, whose appearance would terrify anyone, and casually called it “this one.” As if responding to me, it merely clacked its perfectly aligned teeth in a steady rhythm.
Yoonji Huh looked back and forth between me and the lich in shock.
“H-how…?!”
That single “how” carried countless questions.
How could a frail Player supposedly only at Level 9 stand so confidently before a Level 50 lich?
How could the lich, which normally ravaged humans with unspeakably vicious magic the moment they entered this alley, be acting so docile?
How had I deliberately arranged this situation?
Yoonji’s eyes, overwhelmed by utter confusion, darted about without knowing where to settle.
To help her understand, I decided to play the role of the “Level 9 monster tamer” I had created thanks to Kim Seokju.
“I’m a monster tamer.”
“A-a monster tamer…? B-but I didn’t see you use a skill…?”
Just as Yoonji stammered, I had not used any skill. There had not even been the slightest ripple of Mana that would naturally appear whenever a Player activated one.
Of course not. There’s no way an NPC like me could do something like that.
So I decided to add one more detail to my cover story.
“I don’t particularly need to use a skill. Mine is a passive skill.”
A passive skill.
Unlike an active skill, which required the user to draw out a specific ability with Mana, a passive skill remained constantly active without the user taking any action.
Ordinary taming skills were naturally active skills, but if I used that explanation as it was, I would have no way to explain why countless monsters welcomed me simultaneously.
Players can only see their own status windows anyway. How would she know whether I really have a passive skill?
I decided to brazenly pass off my Title, Friend of Chaos, as a passive skill.
“I called myself a monster tamer, but technically, it’s a little different. My skill doesn’t tame monsters. It makes them regard me as someone friendly. To put it simply, I don’t have many other skills, but I have unusually high compatibility with monsters.”
I lightly tapped the lich’s chest with the back of my hand. Even through its robe, I could clearly feel the hard texture of bone.
Rather than showing hostility when I struck its chest, the lich clacked its teeth again as though it were laughing. It even reached out with its skeletal hand and patted my head.
Yoonji audibly sucked in a breath at the sight.
“Ah… So that’s why your Level… No, but… if what you’re saying is true….”
Her eyes gradually began to gleam as she struggled to organize the chaos in her mind.
“What’s your name?”
“Lee Jaeo.”
Unlike before, Yoonji had completely discarded her dismissive attitude and tried to step closer.
At that exact moment, the lich’s eyes flashed and its staff began to move, so I quickly stretched out a hand to stop her.
“Stay where you are. I’ll come to you.”
If Yoonji approached me like this, the skeleton might misunderstand and think she was trying to harm me.
“You stay here and behave. Don’t follow me.”
I glared at the lich as I spoke. The crimson light that had been blazing in its eyes immediately wavered, and it began clacking its teeth again.
It sounded as though it were answering that it understood, so I left the alley with Yoonji.
Once we emerged, Yoonji fixed me with an even more intense gaze and grabbed my shoulder.
“Ugh!”
At my groan, she flinched and immediately let go.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I was careful, but I didn’t think it would hurt you that much.”
My bone did not seem broken, but the area was numb and throbbing enough that I was certain it would bruise soon.
I lied about being Level 9, but in reality, my body is weaker than even a Level 1 Player’s!
It was not as though I could paste a sign on my forehead asking everyone to handle me like fragile glass.
I rubbed my aching shoulder and looked at Yoonji. The way she fidgeted anxiously was completely different from the arrogant woman I had first met.
“Mr. Lee Jaeo. I sincerely apologize for how rudely I treated you earlier.”
Fine.
“Could you tell me more about your skill?”
Now it was time to embellish the story.
***
After returning to Eclipse’s hideout, my companions and I were immediately given one of the villa’s rooms.
The two-bedroom unit had a fairly spacious living room and looked cleaner than it had through Myriad Aspects Map. Eclipse had apparently done some basic cleaning in preparation for housing members of the new alliance.
There were still plenty of other alliance applicants, so Yoonji left us in the room and remained busy for quite some time. Thanks to that, we unpacked, comfortably cooked dinner, and relaxed until evening.
It was almost ten at night when Yoonji came to find me and requested a private meeting.
I followed her and spent nearly an hour presenting the cover story about my ability as though it were credible information.
“There isn’t much else besides the passive skill I showed you earlier. I said I’m Level 9, but my stats aren’t much different from those of a Level 1 Player.”
“I’ve heard that Players with magical or mental abilities tend to have extremely low basic stats. I completely understand.”
I had subtly admitted that I was practically the same as a Level 1 Player, yet Yoonji now seemed like an entirely different person and placed no importance on my Level.
The obedient behavior of the Level 50 lich must have shocked her that badly.
“How many monsters can you control at once?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t actually do anything specific to control them. However….”
I deliberately trailed off.
The truth was that every monster regarded me as friendly, so there was no meaningful limit to calculate.
If I honestly revealed that fact, they might drop me alone into the middle of an area swarming with monsters. I would probably be treasured rather than suffer so much as a scratch, but the problem was what came afterward.
It would be troublesome if they tried to put me at the front every time a battle broke out.
I only intended to cooperate for this raid.
During it, I would find a Player with a District-transfer skill and cross into District 1, where my younger sibling might be.
That was my ultimate goal.
I continued after the brief pause.
“Even though it’s a passive skill, it seems to consume a great deal of energy. The strain on my body increases in proportion to the number of monsters that recognize me. I may look perfectly fine, then suddenly collapse unconscious.”
Compared to Players, whose bodies naturally grew sturdier as they leveled up, I looked like a frail young man at a glance.
It seriously wounded my pride, but what could I do? It was true.
“That’s why I usually run out of energy around midnight and fall asleep as though I’ve fainted. No matter how much anyone tries to wake me, I absolutely won’t get up. It would be easier to simply assume I’ve lost consciousness.”
“Oh dear… You must have suffered a great deal.”
Yoonji shifted her gaze while pretending to sympathize sincerely.
In her eyes, I could practically see her thinking, How can we exploit this ridiculously overpowered weakling to get the most out of him?
This should be enough.
It was actually better if Yoonji was calmly calculating where she could make the best use of me. That meant she would not resort to the idiotic method of throwing me into the middle of a monster horde.
Leaving Yoonji behind as she considered how to use her newly acquired monster tamer for as long, efficiently, and safely as possible, I exited the interview room.
Once outside, I noticed several people leaning against the corridor walls in the cool night air and glancing at me.
Judging by their displeased or arrogant expressions, the news that I was a single-digit Level Player had already spread everywhere.
We’ll be parting ways soon anyway, so there’s no need to care.
I continued toward the room where my companions were staying.
Then I heard a commotion outside the villa.
The noise grew louder and louder before suddenly falling silent.
What is it? What happened?
Unable to suppress my curiosity, I walked over to a corridor window.
Beyond the open window, I saw the silent crowd voluntarily parting to create a path for one man.
Without giving them so much as a glance, the man walked between them as though it were only natural.
I was on the third floor.
The distance made it impossible to see his face clearly, but I recognized him instantly from his clothes and weapons alone.
Jeong Uijin had returned.