Only My Skill Tooltip Is Strange

Chapter 82

I formed an alliance, though not exactly an alliance, with Alice.
The duration would last until Alice obtained the A-rank artifact.

“Can’t we just go straight to the mission?”

The mission itself wasn’t difficult.
If we focused on clearing it without causing a ruckus, it would end quickly.

The reason the Pirate King failed was because he provoked me.

‘If that bastard hadn’t started causing trouble for no reason.’

Even though the artifact was tempting, I wouldn’t have cut in line and broken the unspoken agreement of the 5th-floor Thief faction.
Therefore, his failure was his own fault.

I wasn’t to blame.

“A-rank rewards don’t come around often. Timing is crucial.”

A-rank equipment.
It wasn’t the kind of equipment you usually see.
Its performance was also superior to most regular equipment.

Thinking you can get such rewards anytime you want is a naïve thought...
It’s the kind of thinking that only rookie players who know nothing would have.

I felt embarrassed for asking such a dumb question.

“Most missions offer C-rank rewards. C-rank equipment is better than you’d expect, though. That’s why other thieves will do anything to clear them.”
“…So, I took that opportunity away. That’s why the Pirate King had a tantrum, huh. Hmm.”

Alice didn’t deny what I said.

“If it weren’t my turn, I could have let it go, but the Pirate King couldn’t. If he missed this chance, who knows when the next mission will open?”
“Still, he should’ve assessed the opponent first. If he just died like this, what was the point of all that waiting?”

Alice glanced at me.
She let out a snort, as if saying, “What do you have to say about it?”

“A-rank missions will contact me when they open.”
“What if another player applies first?”
“There’s no player like you who does things recklessly. Everyone values their life.”

The reason I was able to make a ruckus against the Pirate King was because I was confident in my self-defense.
Mid-level players would have a hard time applying for these missions.

Even if they thought they could casually snag an A-rank reward, they couldn’t bring themselves to click that final “execute” button.

“…What about the contract? How do you participate as a player if you contract with the administrator?”

If you abuse the Illusory Tome, you can participate in the tutorial as a player.

But it’s too risky.
The moment the administrator finds out, you’re finished.

‘It’s tempting to think I can get stat rewards again, but...’

It’s not worth gambling with my life.

“You just have to go find the administrator.”
“To the police station?”
“Yeah. As long as no ‘clues’ are left behind, they won’t arrest you even if your identity is exposed.”
“……”

If I had time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go check it out.

“Well then, I’ll see you when the A-rank mission opens.”

Alice left the club with a promise for the future.

Until the A-rank mission opened, I had some free time.
I used the money I earned to have a meal.

A restaurant.
I walked into a common ramen shop.

There were a lot of people eating similarly.
I squeezed in and had my meal.

It had been a long time since I had noodles and broth.
On the 3rd floor, there was a limit to the ingredients I could get, and on the 4th floor, expecting a normal meal was impossible.

‘At least the 2nd floor wasn’t so bad.’

But I couldn’t stay long there, nearly being kicked out.
So, this was the first proper meal I had since the 1st floor.

“Is it delicious?”

Suddenly, a woman sitting next to me spoke up.

I didn’t ask who she was.
I kept quiet, and she started talking to herself.

“You probably survived on that shitty 3rd and 4th floors. Then you come up here and eat ramen. A simple meal. It’s moving. I felt the same.”

Slurp-

I continued eating my ramen, ignoring her chatter.

“Are you Korean?”

The woman was sure I was Korean.
That’s why she came over.

‘Why are there so many people like this, trying to backstab me?’

Are they fearless?
Or is backstabbing the only way they can get ahead?

They say the person you need to be most cautious of abroad is someone from your own country.
A fellow Korean you randomly meet.

The same applies in the Tower of Struggle.
Koreans are the most dangerous.

‘Other dimension folks at least growl when they see you, so it’s easier.’

But Koreans don’t do that.
They approach you with a smile, then stab you in the back.

‘What good is representing a good Earthling? These people ruin reputations.’

I nodded and confirmed her guess.

“How did you know?”
“You can tell just by looking. Koreans are obvious.”
“…Did you know I was a national athlete before you approached me?”
“A national athlete?”

The woman stared at me, examining my face.
I could feel her eyes scanning me.

‘So she didn’t know.’

I felt a little embarrassed.

Even though she closely observed me, it seemed she didn’t recognize I was a national athlete.

Well.
I was just somewhat famous, not everyone in Korea would recognize me.

If it wasn’t the Olympic season, most people wouldn’t have recognized me.
They only cared when there was a gold medal on the line.

The woman continued.

“You were a national athlete? Wow.”
“……”
“I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you. The truth is, I’ve been summoned to the Tower of Struggle for a long time, so I don’t really remember things from Korea.”
“Really? You figured it out well.”
“To disguise as a Martial Artist, you should’ve been a bit more rugged, but you’re so neat.”

It’s not as simple as just dressing dirty.
It’s hard not to be recognized as an Earthling.

The only reason I could get away with it so far was because I had skills far removed from being an Earthling.

‘I don’t look like a Martial Artist, but if I wasn’t one, it wouldn’t make sense.’

Am I a Martial Artist who looks like an Earthling?
Or a ridiculously strong Earthling?

The players must have thought it was more likely I was the former.

‘Alice saw me as the latter.’

Because she saw me during the tutorial, she made that judgment.

“I ate well.”

I paid and headed out of the restaurant.
The woman followed me closely.

“Why are you following me?”
“Are you a police officer? A thief?”

Her blunt question made me frown.

“Why do you want to know?”
“So I’ll know if we can do the mission together.”
“What if I’m from the opposing faction?”
“Then it’d be a shame.”

Having made it to the 5th floor, I could say I had experienced a lot.
But this woman still seemed to have a naive side to her.

“…Actually, I saw you at the club earlier.”

I knew it.

I glared at her as if I was about to draw the Golden Dagger.
It was a form of threat.

‘I’m not actually going to kill her.’

This was still a city.
I can’t just do whatever I want.

I could get sanctioned by the administrator.

‘Killing someone in a back alley is different from doing it openly.’

I quickened my pace.
Ignoring her words, I headed toward a secluded area.

If she wants to die, she can keep following me.
That was the intent behind my path.

She was clueless.
Or maybe pretending not to know.

She kept following me closely.

‘Am I really going to have to do this?’

It’s a tricky situation.

This woman didn’t backstab me, nor did she ignore me like I was a bug.
I was just assuming things based on her behavior patterns.

‘I would rather she charged at me like the Pirate King.’

I glanced at her.

She was using her smartphone to contact someone.
I could see her sending a message.

‘Is she calling in her teammates?’

If I wait, they’ll probably come to die on their own.
I walked slowly, waiting for them to gather.

‘Presence.’

They hadn’t even reached a completely hidden spot, but they were already appearing hastily, eager to take action.

“Yeah. I’ve been waiting.”

Show me your teeth quickly.
I’ll take care of the rest.

I grinned and pulled out the Golden Dagger.

At that moment, one of them approached me.
Seeing his determined expression, it seemed he had made a decision.

They all rushed toward me and knelt in front of me.

“…Please help us!”

What is going on now?

‘Trying to gain momentum?’

They knelt and lowered their center of gravity, trying to land a fatal blow when I let my guard down.
It seemed like a plausible combo.

But I didn’t let my guard down.

“I heard you killed the Pirate King. Alone.”

The man spoke in English.
I didn’t understand, but thanks to the Soul System, I could comprehend it.

‘He looks like an East Asian.’

English is the universal language.
It wasn’t strange for an East Asian to speak in English.

“Help you?”

I scanned the players nearby.
I quickly scanned them.

‘…Their skill in hiding their intentions is impressive.’

I didn’t feel any signs of attack.
Either they weren’t planning on attacking at all, or they were skilled enough to deceive my senses.

“You want me to help with the mission?”
“No.”

The East Asian man began explaining his situation.

“The Citizen Gang kidnapped my daughter. We can’t possibly rescue her on our own, so… we need your help.”

It seemed like they were a team operating on the 5th floor.
They had gotten into a conflict with another team and couldn’t solve it on their own, so they were asking for help.

‘And they saw me kill the Pirate King…’

The woman who had approached me at the ramen shop was begging.

“Please help us. Rescue Lizzy. We’re both Earthlings.”
“……”

I wouldn’t mind helping them, as long as they didn’t try to backstab me first.

“Guide me to your gang.”