Everyone Except Me is a Newbie - Chapter 15

Are You Planning to Steal My Virginity?!

– Kwoooor…  

A monster the size of a building had collapsed. The visual impact of this was immense.  

“Wow! It’s a big match!”  

“This is insane, is this a comic or an anime?!”  

The big match between the Queen and Kim Iseo. This fight, literally ‘big’ in every sense, naturally attracted many viewers.  

Who wouldn’t want to watch a colossal human battling a giant monster? Especially right in the heart of Seoul.  

Although unintended, this had turned into an unexpectedly spectacular display of showmanship.  

“Did you see that earlier?”  

“Did you see that earlier?”  

“Yeah, the person is enormous!”  

“Who is that?”  

“Who is that?”  

Survivors of the ruined city had all seen Kim Iseo’s enormous form and were curious about his identity.  

“Yeah, he killed it! That bastard!”  

“Is he maybe a hero? Something like that?”  

For them, the Queen was a source of fear, so there were quite a few who found satisfaction in her defeat. There were even some who praised Kim Iseo as a hero, despite his focus on calculations and ambition.  

On the other hand, some people noticed the essence of the situation and remained cautious.  

“What level is his skill? He was using all sorts of impressive skills.”  

“It’s a bit scary… Remember the gangsters killing everyone recently? Imagine if he was like that.”  

People had various opinions, but the important thing was not them. What mattered was that the constellations watching the situation from the players’ perspective had reacted.  

[Colorless / 9588: What is he? I need to check that channel.]  

[Yellow / Lord of Steel: Oh. Maybe he signed a contract? He used several skills at once.]  

[Green / Merciful Light: I don’t think he’ll go green or yellow.]  

[Colorless / 549: I’m heading there too. Sounds fun.]  

The constellations began to move, and the number of constellations watching Kim Iseo surged explosively.  

▻ Interested Constellations: 4,328  

The number jumped from around a thousand to four thousand. The exodus of constellations was just the beginning of the wave created by Kim Iseo’s ‘Queen Raid Show’.  

* * *  

Of course, the Weplug members were too busy celebrating their massive victory to pay any attention to their interested constellations.  

“Yaaaaay!! We really got it!”  

“F**k yeah!!”  

They were too occupied with reveling in their triumph.  

Among the celebration, the first to regain composure was Kim Iseo. Though he should have been the most delighted as the raid’s greatest contributor, he had something more important on his mind.  

“Hey, hey, let’s check the items.”  

Kim Iseo said this as he opened the item chest dropped by the Queen. Inside were several high-grade potions and scrolls.  

But there was one piece of equipment that caught his eye.  

‘…Acceleration Gloves!’  

==========================  

<<Acceleration Gloves>>  

▻ Grade  

You’re in luck. It’s of Heroic grade.  

▻ Description  

Gloves that greatly increase the wearer’s hand speed. The speed increases with each successive attack.  

▻ Effect  

Agility +40  

Skill levels related to movement +1  

Attack speed per hit +5% (up to 50%)  

==========================  

The gloves increased the player’s agility, which meant an increase in attack speed. Moreover, they came with an attack speed bonus.  

Combined with Judgment Sword and Holy Sword, these gloves would set the foundation for the ultimate burst damage.  

It was clear who should claim these gloves.  

* * *  

The rightful owner of the Acceleration Gloves was, of course, Kim Iseo.  

“These are definitely for the team leader, aren’t they?”  

“Take them. You need to keep us fed.”

Kim Iseo had proven to be the most effective during the raid, and there was no doubt that the items he received were perfectly suited for him.

“Thank you!”

With a swift motion, Kim Iseo put on the acceleration gloves. He felt as if his hands had become lighter.

‘Now I’m almost equipped with the full aggro burst set.’

The moment when his basic combat style was established. If he fought with burst damage using the Judgment Sword and the Sacred Sword, and withstanding attacks through Giantization, he felt confident he could defeat 4- or 5-star players in raid battles.

‘Now I just need to evolve the sword…’

The prologue was coming to an end soon. If he evolved the sword at that time, he would undoubtedly be the strongest player at the beginning of this world.

‘What achievement should I use for the evolution?’

Kim Iseo was already contemplating how to evolve the sword. It was a pleasant dilemma.

‘Necromancer first kill? Or… the Queen raid achievement might be better?’

In Mana Sword, when evolving a sword, you must choose an achievement. The sword evolves by the achievement the player has achieved, and the higher the achievement’s grade, the higher the sword’s grade.

‘The Necromancer is surprisingly a Hero grade. Is it because it’s a first kill? It’s the same as the Queen raid?’

Kim Iseo, lost in thought, checked the achievement grade late.

‘First… let’s finish the prologue.’

He temporarily set aside his happy thoughts and decided to head out.

“Let’s go. To the temple.”

* * *

The temple looked as small as the mushroom houses of dwarves in movies from the outside.

“Wow…!”

“This is well implemented!”

Inside was entirely different. It was a very large cathedral, with an elegant Gothic style commonly seen in Europe.

“Here.”

As Jannelet’s voice echoed through the cathedral, all the members of Weplug focused their attention on her. 

She pointed to what looked like an altar.

“I will manifest the power of the Sacred Stone and release the true power of Mana Sword.”

Jannelet took a round stone out of her arms.

Wuuuuuuu!

The Sacred Stone began to shine in various colors. A dazzling beam of light rose from it, reflecting perfectly onto the highest point of the cathedral.

“Now I will infuse all my divine power into this.”

Jannelet placed her hands on the Sacred Stone and closed her eyes. Warm light enveloped the Sacred Stone once again.

“I will not be able to act as a goddess for a while. Perhaps…”

She did not say that she might die.

“I hope you will definitely keep your promise. The promise to protect the people of Gaia.”

Jannelet opened her eyes and looked directly at Kim Iseo as she said this.

Kim Iseo nodded.

“Understood.”

The next moment, with a clear effect sound, all the shortswords began to shine.

Shuuuuu!

The blades of the shortswords trembled and changed their appearance. The formerly thick and clunky blades became quite sleek and elongated. The once stubby handles began to be wrapped in leather, and handguards rose up. Simple but beautiful decorative jewels were set into the rims. These jewels symbolized the colors of each constellation.

[Your Mana Sword releases its true power.]

[From now on, your sword can evolve if conditions are met.]

It was an announcement that the era of Mana Swords was officially beginning.

* * *

After all the swords had transformed into Mana Swords, Jannelet bid farewell to the Weplug members.

“If it weren’t for you all, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this task. I have prepared gifts for all of you. First… for Seoyeon.”

She began handing out gifts to the members in turn and finally stood in front of Kim Iseo.

‘Finally receiving it.’

This was the certificate Kim Iseo had been eagerly waiting for. It was a moment where a smile naturally formed. However, seeing Jannelet’s sorrowful eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to smile.

“This might be the last time we see each other.”

Jannelet handed Kim Iseo a beautifully rolled-up scroll from her arms.

‘It’s out…!’

Kim Iseo swallowed hard.

Swish.

Jannelet unfurled the scroll and explained.

“This is called the goddess’s Certificate, a kind of talisman imbued with divine power. It will be useful when accepting the constellations.”

Kim Iseo already knew about it.

“This is my final gift.”

Jannelet said this as she carefully re-rolled the scroll for Kim Iseo.

Wuuuu!

A space gap opened above the altar, and a portal appeared. It was a portal opened from the planet Gaia.

“Oh, the portal opened within the promised time… Thank you so much for everything.”

Jannelet slowly returned to the portal.

“Goodbye, Jannelet! See you next time!”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

The Weplug members saw her off, and Jannelet did not look back. She simply slowly stepped into the portal’s gap.

“…”

Suddenly, she turned her body back out.

“Uh…?”

“Ah… Aren’t you going in?”

The team members were surprised by the unexpected turn of events. Such things should not happen. The portal was already closing. There was no time.

Jannelet, who had run out, dashed up to Kim Iseo.

“Ha… Ha…”

She arrived and took a moment to catch her breath.

“What’s going on? There’s no time, why did you come back out!?”

“For this.”

Smooch.

It was a very sudden event. A flash of silver hair appeared in her view, and her lips touched his cheek.

It felt cold and moist.

Kim Iseo, surprised, touched his cheek.

“This is my last gift. It contains my divine power, so please return it when we meet again…”

Kim Iseo came to his senses as Jannelet dashed back into the portal.

In the last moment, her face, slightly visible, seemed to be smiling brightly.

After the portal closed, Kim Iseo, left alone, muttered absentmindedly.

“She said she used all her divine power…”

Ding.

[Achievement ‘Are You Trying to Steal My Innocence!?’ (Heroic Grade) Acquired!]

[Are You Trying to Steal My Innocence!? : You have been chosen by the priestess. Thanks to this blessing, all your skills (including skills acquired in the future) will have their levels increased by 2.]

‘What…?’

Kim Iseo was astonished by the strange achievement and reward he had never seen before. 

Contrary to his thoughts, Jannelet’s kiss might have contained quite a bit of divine power.

* * *

[Beginner Tip: Achievements are a good buff that increases stats without consuming equipment slots. Since achievements are also used when evolving Mana Swords, it is advantageous to collect them whenever possible.]