Chapter 33: The Art of Extortion

Indeed, this individual’s true identity was clearly meant to remain hidden, explaining his apprehension at the mere thought of other Saint-tier NPCs from the Nine Heavens Alliance appearing.

“But dragging this out isn’t a solution. Perhaps I should seek out the other formidable figures of the Nine Heavens Alliance to investigate. We are absolutely committed to saving Senior, yet we are also individuals of unwavering faith! To forsake our vows by failing to acquire those items would be a profound betrayal of our deepest convictions!”

“Are those two swords not enough? Those are… those are treasures belonging to Ultra-Saint-tier powerhouses! You… you too…” The voice, at this point, began to sound genuinely aggrieved.

‘My glorious reputation, spanning a lifetime! I, who once roamed freely across both the Aydel Continent and the Demon Realm, have now been reduced to being extorted by two mere girls! I… I… I’ll bloody well…’

The voice’s indignant outburst instantly confirmed my suspicion: the supposed human and demoness NPCs were entirely fictitious. The three distinct voices I had heard earlier were nothing more than a deliberate ploy, conjured solely to mislead me.

My suspicions had been piqued from the very beginning, when I first tossed stones down into the cavern’s depths. A cascade of pebbles rained down, yet only a single male voice immediately voiced its displeasure; the other two supposed entities had remained utterly silent.

Undeniably, this unconscious grumbling had been his undoing.

Subsequently, upon drawing the sword from the cavern, the area surrounding it was utterly empty. There were no two sealed women, as had been claimed.

One could, of course, surmise that they were simply incredibly swift, vanishing from the great pit in an instant, too quick for our mortal eyes to perceive… Very well, if that’s the narrative you wish us to adopt, then we shall oblige.

“Draw the sword! Draw the sword! I swear! Your rewards will be abundant!” The male voice, fueled by desperation, was verging on hysteria. “Draw it! Quickly, draw it!”

“Senior,” I reminded him, my tone perfectly respectful, “advanced inheritance, a divine artifact.”

“I am… one of the Divine Race; how could I possess the inheritance abilities of a mere human? And divine artifacts… there are only a handful in the entire world! How could I possibly…”

“Senior,” I reiterated, my voice still respectfully calm, “advanced inheritance, a divine artifact.”

“…A rare warrior skill book, [Star River Reversal]. That’s all! Now, draw the sword!” The mysterious voice was laced with obvious anguish. “Don’t you dare complain it’s too little! If you can find a second inheritance of this skill anywhere in the world, I will gladly remain trapped here, with no need for your rescue!”

“Very well, we shall endeavor to locate a second copy,” I replied, not even glancing at the skill book that had materialized before me as I promptly handed it to Su Yingning.

‘Endeavor to locate a second copy?’

The mysterious voice was so incensed that it felt as though smoke billowed from its seven orifices (TL Note: A Chinese idiom describing extreme anger), causing even the surrounding golden light to tremble violently.

“…And another Soul-Sealing Urn! It contains a Fog Demon that can grant comprehension of [Extreme Healing]! Simply slay it with a Light-element skill, and the knowledge will be yours! Absolutely nothing more! One super-tier skill, one mid-tier skill—now, come and draw the sword!”

Casually, I tossed the [Soul-Sealing Urn containing the Fog Demon] into my backpack, then continued my respectful reminder: “Senior, advanced inheritance, a divine artifact… Oh, and Divine Descendant reputation, of course.”

“I [Bleep] (TL Note: A bleeped-out curse word) your venerable ancestor!”

This fellow was so utterly enraged that he actually swore! An NPC, reduced to profanity!

“Take this! The [Book of War]! It won’t directly elevate you to Saint-tier, but it will grant a direct path to the Warrior-tier… specifically, the Level 60 Swordsman branch! Is that sufficient? I repeat, is that not ample? Do not be so insatiably greedy!”

I glanced at Su Yingning, observing the young girl gazing at the golden light with a hint of pity. With a touch of trepidation, she finally spoke: “That’s enough. If we push any further, we might provoke him into giving us nothing at all…”

I offered the young girl a reassuring glance, causing her to momentarily freeze.

‘…That gaze is remarkably familiar.’

Unaware of the young girl’s inner thoughts, I continued, speaking with righteous conviction: “Absolutely not! We must champion civilization and establish new customs. As exemplary adventurers of the Aydel Continent, we cannot possibly abandon our faith merely for such paltry offerings! Therefore… a divine artifact, and reputation.”

My current demeanor, perfectly complemented by my tone, made me appear utterly devout and earnest.

And then, he exploded.

“Faith, my venerable ancestor!” I distinctly heard the grinding of teeth as the voice shrieked, then continued, “Reputation? Impossible to grant you before I’m free! And divine artifacts… divine artifacts are utterly useless to you at your current stage! With your paltry strength, you cannot possibly wield them!”

I nodded in fervent agreement, then spoke with an air of profound piety: “Senior, a divine artifact, and reputation.”

“I [Bleep] (TL Note: A bleeped-out curse word) your entire lineage! Die!” The voice was wildly gasping for air. “I possess only this single Demon Race divine artifact, the [Moon Eclipse]! Take it! Now, draw the sword! If, after accepting this, you still refuse to draw the sword, I swear I will sacrifice a significant portion of my power to slay you both!”

A small, iridescent ring, overflowing with shimmering colors, materialized before me. Without a moment’s hesitation, I tossed it into my bag…

Then, seizing Su Yingning’s arm, I bolted.

“Alright~ Let’s be off~”

‘Draw the sword? Perhaps. See you at Level 180!’

****