Chapter 32 :

Episode 7 : Captain (6)

I shouted. "Hey. When are you going to compensate me?"

Zircon shifted her eyes to me, watching me getting hugged by Behemoth and Mirai. She gave me a troubled expression as she spoke. "Very well."

Tanzanite became stupefied and stopped her sister. "W-Wait! This can't be right!"

"Dear sister, he didn't discriminate against the quest's restriction." Zircon gave her reason clearly.

Tanzanite pointed at Behemoth. "B-But he received help from that cute cat!"

Behemoth overheard their conversation and hissed. "I'm not cute!!"

"Eek!" Tanzanite flew back after seeing Behemoth hissing. Including, the fact that she didn't fully understand what the cat was saying.

"It was our fault for not noticing the cat." Turquoise shook her head, sighing.

Zircon nodded to Turquoise. "Now that you understand. May you, dear sister?"

‘Looks like they're going to reward me. Perfect.’ I smirked.

Not wasting a second, I instantly activated my hidden skill.

[You activated the hidden skill, ‘Skill Imitation’ Lv. 1.]

[What do you want to imitate?]

Turquoise manipulated her book, having a quilt appear in her palm. She wrote something inside the book as if she were doing her usual report.

[You completed the quest!]

[You will be rewarded.]

[You have received the hidden stage's reward.]

[You have received the hidden quest's reward.]

I thought. ‘Fast leveling!’

[The Hidden Skill, ‘Fast Leveling’ has been selected.]

[Imitation level is Lv. 1.]

[Imitation of ‘Fast Leveling’ Lv. 1 has activated.]

[You have 5 minutes before the imitation ends.]

‘How much will I level up from 10000 experience? I wonder..’ I chuckled. ‘I should be thankful toward HwanGi-ssi.’

[You leveled up!]

[You leveled up!]

[You leveled up!]

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.

[Your hidden skill, ‘Skill Imitation’ has gone up a level!]

[Imitation level is 2.]

[Imitation of ‘Fast Leveling’ Lv. 2 has activated.]

[You have 10 minutes before the imitation ends.]

[You leveled up!]

[You leveled up!]

.

.

.

.

.

[Your hidden skill, ‘Skill Imitation’ has gone up a level!]

[Imitation level is 3.]

[Imitation of ‘Fast Leveling’ Lv. 3 has activated.]

[You have 15 minutes before the imitation ends.]

[You leveled up!]

[You leveled up!]

[You leveled up!]

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———

[You leveled up!]

...Finally, it stopped after ten minutes or so.

I was thankful toward my hidden skill, ‘Skill Imitation’. It allowed me to copy other people's skills. Depending on the imitation level, it will make the skill that I'm imitating to that imitation level.

However, if the original skill that I copied is lower than the imitation level. Then it will pick the original skill level instead.

‘I'm surprised that ‘Fast Leveling’ is already at Lv. 3. HwanGi-ssi must be trying hard up there.’

‘And thanks to his hard work, I got to be at the level..’ I opened my status window to have a check on my level.

Name: Wang Joon-Chul

Age: 28

Level: 46

Health: 9,450

[+1500HP from Trench Coat's enhancement.]

Mana: 740

[+1000MP from a set's enhancement.]

Stamina: 9,450

Hidden Skills: ‘Simulation’ Lv. 1, ‘Player Analysation’ Lv. 1, ‘Skills Imitation’ Lv. 3

Skills: ‘Weapon Mastery’ Lv. 3, ‘Discharge’ Lv. 2

Stats:

Strength Lv. 10

Agility Lv. 10

Intelligence Lv. 6

Dexterity Lv. 10

Luck Lv. 7

[You have 65 stats points available.]

‘...hah.. what?’ I blinked a couple of times just from looking at my level.

‘Never have I ever level up to 46 in the beginning of the stages! And the 65 stats points!’ I rubbed my eyes to see it again, thinking my eyes were playing a trick on me.

And without a doubt, I really did level up to 46. ‘Will I be able to get ‘that contract’ this time?’

Turquoise noticed me standing there being shocked a few moments ago, she mused. ‘What is it that made him look so surprised before?’

Thankfully, her book had the answer to her question when it flickered light, shaking in her arms.

Turquoise wondered why it was acting this way, so she opened her book. When she did, she freezed from pure bewilderment after reading the information.

Zircon became aware of Turquoise and asked. "Dear sister, are you okay?"

Turquoise was too speechless to explain a word which was why she just handed her book to Zircon.

"Hm?" Zircon took the book, feeling rather puzzled but still she read it.

Tanzanite wanted to join in, hence why she leaned over to Zircon, staring at the book.

"Hey~ What are you reading..?" Tanzanite who had a mood swing, asked with her voice going from cheerful to a sudden confusion.

Turquoise tried to act calm when she said, ignoring the information she just saw. "I'll bring the ‘Last’ player to stage #8.."

Zircon and Tanzanite floated there, reading the book as if to clarify the information.

Meanwhile, Turquoise flew toward me which stopped me from looking at my status. "I shall take you to stage #8. So please everyone close your eyes."

I nodded to her and looked at my comrades, asking. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Captain! Ready as always!" Mirai answered while blushing.

Behemoth interrupted her. "We're always ready when you are! Master!"

Both of them soon glared at each other, gritting their teeth with a hiss.

Raiden chuckled from witnessing the familiar scene before staring at me. "Will we get to talk when we're up there?"

I shrugged. "It depends. Plus, you already know how hectic it is on the surface."

"Stage #8 isn't that dangerous."

"I know." I smiled and reminded them. "You'll need to get the ‘Numbers’ by yourself."

"Yes, Sensei." Raiden bowed. "You two! Stop fighting over there!"

"Hmph!" Mirai looked away with her arms crossed while Behemoth hissed at her.

"We need to get the ‘Numbers’ when we're up there. That's an order from Sensei."

"I bet I can get them faster than you, Incy Wincy spider." Behemoth challenged Mirai, climbing onto Raiden's head.

Mirai became irritated to the point that she felt as though her blood was boiling from exasperation. "I told you not to call me that!!"

Raiden bellowed at them before things got worse. "Urusai!"

( ‹Urusai›, Japanese word for ‘Noisy’, but in Anime and Manga, it is translated for ‘Shut up’. )

I laughed, seeing how they were still the same after such a long time. "Childish as ever. Haha."

Mirai pouted and went toward me, so she could smack me gently in the chest. "Captain, you baka, don't laugh!

I held her hands and told them with a serious expression on my face. "Everyone. It's time to go."