Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 79 ────────────────── (E/N: I feel like some of the below status is weird and don't match my understanding of everything that went through...But I'll just accept it as is. This novel can be quite confusing to translate and this is only MTL at the end of the day) ■Roera Level : 56 (E/N: This is the sister. The fck happened? I thought she was level 20-30 at most a few months ago) Race : Human ; Class : Swordsman ; Trait : ???'s Energy(A+), Owner of Holy Sword(A) ■Fienne Level : 53 (E/N: 31->53) Race : Progenitor ; Class : Mage ; Trait : ???'s Energy(A+), Blessing of Purified Blood(A) ■Pamon Level : 65 (E/N: 58->65) Race : Dark Elf ; Class : Mage Trait : ???'s Energy(A+); Lord of the Forest(A-grade) ■Rona Level : 35 Race : Human ; Class : Priest ; Trait : ???'s Energy(A+), Empty Vessel Filled with Purity(A-grade) ■Feryn Level : 50 Race : Half-Spirit ; Class : None ; Trait : ???'s Energy(A+), Pure Chaos(A-grade) ■Risir Level : 42 Race : Human ; Class : ???(Unique) ; Trait : ??? ────────────────── *** [Displaying target's information] ... ... ... [Target's rank is too high] *** [Title : Damn Garbage Game] Content : Now it's gotten to the point where even looking at status windows drains HP and mana - : That happens when you look at information on Fate Quest bosses or named monsters in the ultra-late game stages lol - : [Target's rank is too high] - : T a r g e t r a n k - : Damn it, I just thought of that name and now I have to offer praise again - : Even looking at 7th Rank (level 60) characters drains HP and mana, but 8th Rank (level 70) and above are seriously unbearable *** "Ugh...!" In an instant, I involuntarily squeezed my eyes shut. It was because of the unpleasant and painful sensation as if dense liquid was flowing through my eyes into my brain. At the same time, I could feel my mana and mental strength melting away softly like well-cooked pork belly inside me. 'What the hell is this...?' This happened when I tried to check information related to myself in the Status Window. Even with my eyes closed, the Status Window's presence became blurred and distorted. I decided to withdraw the attention and focus I had directed toward the Status Window. Then, I felt the burden that had been pressing on me moment by moment disappear. "Phew..." When I opened my eyes again and composed myself, a sigh naturally escaped. "Seriously, what kind of bullshit is this..." No language synchronization support, and garbage optimization that doesn't just consume resources but burns through them. If there were app reviews, I would have immediately given it 1 star and requested a refund. 'Senior otherworlders. Were your Status Windows this fucked up too?' Realizing that the Status Window, which usually serves as the starting point for life reversal, was just plain fucked, words involuntarily spilled from my mouth. The only consolation was that it wasn't completely useless, perhaps? I organized the information I had just obtained through the Status Window. Then, a hollow laugh burst out naturally. "...Why are these people's levels like this?" I don't know exactly what those level numbers mean. However, what was certain was that judging from my level, our companions' abilities far exceeded my expectations. I already knew that our Master and my friends were tremendous figures. Master who single-handedly dominated an entire family. The genius Roera who bore all the expectations of her family. The Progenitor Fienne who managed family-scale territories. And even Feryn who made the Elf princess anxious. But seeing their greatness quantified into levels like this and confirmed directly left me dumbfounded. 'I'm level 42 having reached 6th Rank, so what's level 50? Could it be 7th Rank?' What was most impressive was that I was in last place. Even Rona, who was supposed to be the bottom, had tremendous growth. The guy who until recently had failed as a demon and passed as a human, losing all his abilities, had somehow caught up to just below my level. Suddenly, I recalled the traits I had glimpsed in passing. I couldn't check them in detail since trying to confirm each one felt like my brain was being pounded by a pork cutlet mallet, but- 'They all had something called whatshisname's energy.' Perhaps that was the secret to their tremendous growth? Do I have that too? Just as I was having various thoughts about the Status Window, there was a knock. I heard knocking sounds from the entrance. *** "Wrinkly Braids, hello!" When I opened the front door, Verdandes hurriedly followed and greeted the guest at the door. Wrinkly Braids. It was Sir Meltas. 'Wrinkly' referred to the wrinkles all over his face, and 'Braids' referred to his braided hair and beard. It was a name that conveyed pure emotional feeling and was surprisingly intuitive, but it had the major flaw of being extremely rude. Tap. I lightly touched the little sand girl's head with my knuckle and said. "No! Verdandes! You can't say that! Say it properly. Sir Meltas." "Si, Sir Merutadechu!?" "Sir Merutadechu, I apologize. I had her practice so she could pronounce names properly, but she developed a habit of pronouncing all difficult pronunciations like that. It's what you might call the harmful effects of rote learning." "Haha, it's fine. Wrinkly Braids, you say. Isn't that quite adorable? I quite like that name." "Is that so? Then, Sir Wrinkly Braids. What brings you here?" "You call me properly." "Would you like to come inside first?" "No need. It's a simple matter, so I'll speak briefly. Do you know City Councilor Ran?" For wise social life in Bondaless, I had familiarized myself with most of the key figures to watch out for in Bondaless. The name Ran was included in that list of key figures. The City Council, which was the gathering of Bondaless's actual rulers. She was the eldest daughter of the Pelros family, one of the five families that made up the City Council, and the woman who was ruling the family in place of the Family Head who was bedridden with illness. (E/N: *sniff sniff* That smells like normalization to me) "You mean Ran of the Pelros family. I know she's one of the most powerful figures in Bondaless as a City Councilor." City Councilors. Even the Masters of the Magic Towers who were politically independent within the city, as well as the great nobles who ruled territories close to the empire elsewhere, could not treat them carelessly here in Bondaless. "That powerful figure in the city apparently has something she wants to personally request of you." "Of me?" Having fulfilled requests from merchant guild leaders several times, I had become somewhat accustomed to commission requests from outsiders, but even so, this case felt quite sudden. City Councilors were usually the ones who granted favors, not the ones who asked for them. Could there really be matters within Bondaless that City Councilors couldn't resolve with their own power? If I had to guess, it would probably be something related to other City Councilors. "Something feels off. What could she possibly need from me to make such a request?" "I share that sentiment. City Councilors rarely try to owe debts to our Magic Tower. Do you know why?" "Because they're concerned about the Magic Tower gaining political influence within the city?" Sir Meltas looked at me with a surprised expression. "You understand correctly. I often think that you seem quite mature for your age." "Oh. You're praising me too much for something trivial." "You can say that because you don't know nobles your age well. You wouldn't know. You have no idea how relieved I was that stupid answers like 'Because it would damage my dignity!' didn't come out of your mouth." At those words, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Indeed, among young nobles, there were many who were privileged as Sir Meltas described. I don't know about Sir Meltas's standards, but by my standards, they were definitely not fools. I'm not in a position to complain about others' intelligence. If I had to be precise, those guys are stubbornly obstinate. Guys who talked about honor and dignity while forcing their worldview on others. I had seen enough of them to be sick of it when I was in Bendel. "Anyway, as you said, the City Council is concerned about the Magic Tower gaining political influence within the city, so they absolutely never provide any leverage to the Magic Tower. There's nothing to regret. For people of their level, bringing in mages from outside is no trouble at all." "But even so, they've made a request to our Magic Tower." "Not only that, they specifically named you." "Could there be a reason for that? Perhaps it's because of my back alley friends again?" "If you had problems with those back alley friends, the City Councilors would be exactly the people you'd need to go to." "That's true. Then why on earth?" "Actually, I already asked for the same reason. Nothing would be more lamentable than a promising mage getting caught up in political affairs and having his feet tied." "Ah, as expected. So what did they say?" "They said they received advice." "Advice?" Sir Meltas paused for a moment before continuing. "According to my own investigation, Ran has recently become infatuated with a certain individual. A very suspicious figure called the 'Saint.'" "Saint?" "Yes. I hear he goes around treating the sick in Bondaless's slums for free." "Isn't he a good person?" "The reality of the world that makes me say this is truly lamentable, but Risir. Be wary of those who show kindness without reason." "It is truly lamentable. Well, I agree to some extent. People who claim to have no greed for money are usually the ones obsessed with money. So, are you saying this so-called Saint advised City Councilor Ran? To ask me for help?" "What do you think?" "Seeing that he likes me, perhaps he's unexpectedly a good person?" "Right! If someone likes Risir, they're a good person! So Wrinkly Braids is also a good person!" Verdandes, who had been examining Sir Meltas's beard from below, shouted. A grandfather's smile looking at his granddaughter spread across Sir Meltas's face. "And that person called Ran also has quite a reputation from what I know. Should I call her the hopeful faction of the City Council?" "She’s relatively honest for a city councilor. Though that makes her less powerful." (E/N: No Normalization then? Siiighh! Where are all the baddies) "Then it's decided. I'll go and at least hear what she has to say. Opportunities to score points with a City Councilor aren't common." Surprisingly, the Magic Tower's influence within Bondaless isn't that great. If I say 'I'm a Magic Tower mage,' the probability of them bowing their heads would be about 50%. On the other hand, if I say 'I'm friends with a City Councilor,' the probability of them bowing their heads would be about 95%. Sir Meltas didn't bring me this suspicious story for nothing. This was a tremendous opportunity. An opportunity to solidify my position within Bondaless and the noble world. I accepted Sir Meltas's proposal to seize that opportunity. *** ───── ■Risir Level : 42 Race : Human ; Class : ???(Unique) Trait : ???(Unique), ???(Unique), Breathing Iron(S-), Pure Chaos Energy(A-), Solar Energy(B+)... ───── (E/N: I'll say this now but I have no intent on banging my head on the wall trying to make sure the trait name stay consistent. No idea which trait even correspond to what since it always say "New trait created!" without specifying name anyway...) *** The place Risir headed to meet City Councilor Ran Pelros was a grand mansion located in District 2, the wealthiest residential area of Bondaless. They were gathered in a reception room that seemed larger than most houses by itself. "Lady Ran. Honorary Mage Risir has arrived." The moment Risir entered the reception room guided by the butler, all eyes in the room focused on him. The emotions contained in those gazes were generally complex. Even those who smiled and showed curiosity didn't have entirely friendly looks. Risir could immediately understand the reason. 'I'm the only rookie here.' *** City Councilor Ran had gathered people to solve the problem she faced. They were all big shots worthy of receiving a City Councilor's courteous invitation. "I am Talrod of the Red Magic Tower." Said the man with sharp eyes. "So I meet the Red Spear like this." Then the beastkin woman with red-furred ears and tail spoke. "I am Shakan of Sky Step Tribe." "I meet a descendant of the great warrior." "And you are?" "I am called Maldad." "The Demon Hunter of Kardum. I've heard of you." With the introduction of the man who wore his robe's hood even indoors being the last, they all made satisfied expressions. They were all names renowned across the continent. Except for the rookie who had introduced himself first. Honorary Mage Risir of the Gray Magic Tower? Never heard of him. Had they been saddled with an ambiguous figure due to political circumstances? If not, wouldn't it be proper to invite at least Gray Staff Meltas or Flowing Star Marina to such an occasion? When such dissatisfied gazes turned toward City Councilor Ran, she cleared her throat and began to speak. (E/N: I thought Star was reserved for really powerful figures...I guess not. Or I'm seriously underestimating Marina) "Everyone, thank you for taking the trouble to come here." "The reason you called us is probably because of that, isn't it?" The Demon Hunter of Kardum. Maldad pointed to the table placed at the center of the reception room. A Black Crystal Orb was placed on top of it. "Yes. The demon sealed here has information that our family wants. But no matter how much we plead or threaten, it won't answer. So, I want to request that task from all of you." Demon. Those two syllables mentioned without warning added weight to the atmosphere of the place. "One experience is better than a hundred explanations. Would you like to check it once?" City Councilor Ran carefully gestured toward the crystal orb. "Hmm~" The beastkin female warrior, Shakan, glared at the Black Crystal Orb while leaning against the chair back. Soon, she got up, approached the crystal orb, placed her hand on it, and spoke. "Hey." "..." The crystal orb did not answer. Next, the Master of the Red Magic Tower, Talrod, approached. "Demon, I ask for your name." "I have no name to reveal to you insignificant beings." Watching all this, the Demon Hunter of Kardum, Maldad, crossed his arms and sighed. The Alien Energy that felt vivid as if it touched his skin directly despite being far away. At a glance, this was not a low-ranking demon. For example, it would perceive humans not as objects of interest but as objects of complete contempt. Getting specific information from such a demon? And accurate information without any distortion at that? He had a premonition that this commission would not be easy. Shakan and Talrod struggled with the black crystal for a while before returning to their seats. Just as they, all having become serious-faced, were about to begin their discussion. "Risir! Risir! I want to go talk to Blackie too!" A little girl who had suddenly appeared from somewhere picked up the Black Crystal Orb. Just as they belatedly panicked and tried to stop the little girl. "Blackie! When our Risir asks something, you answer! Got it!?" "...Gladly." *** ■Verdandes Level : ??? (78) Race : Spirit ; Class : None ; Trait : ???'s Energy(A+), Lord of the Desert(A+)