The Discarded Son's Skill Market
Chapter 38: Respect

Chapter 38: Respect

"Huh? E-Major?"

Luke ignored his idiotic subordinate and stepped forward to offer a respectful greeting to the other party.

"Major, please excuse my subordinate’s incompetence. He... is young and comes from a distant land; he’s just getting to know the world. I am Luke Shawn, of the Shawn Family." Luke apologized, but emphasized his family name.

The Masked Major simply waved his hands to indicate that he didn’t care about the issue with his subordinate.

"I’m Gio."

"Nice to meet you, Major Gio." Luke smiled. He then turned his gaze toward Alice.

"You said she’s your client, right?"

"That’s correct."

"Are you a mercenary, Major Gio?"

"I recently signed up to check out the area." Zaid’s answers were brief.

Not to be mysterious, but to keep his secret from being revealed.

Luke nodded with a smile. "I understand, Major Gio. Actually, Miss Alice is a classmate at the Academy of the Awakened. She’s talented, so if you can help her level up a couple of times, I’ll be personally grateful. I’ll pay for everything, as compensation for the trouble!"

"Oh, so that’s how it is." Zaid nodded. "You don’t need to pay; she’s already paid me. If that’s all, I’ll be going now."

Zaid turned around and walked away with Alice.

Luke didn’t stop them.

"Young Sir..."

"Shut up." Luke clenched his teeth and glared fiercely at his troublesome subordinate. "Wasn’t it enough that your sword was seized by his hand? Do you also want him to cut off your head?"

"Huh? But his strike..."

"I know his blow was weak!" Luke growled. "He must have held back. Didn’t you hear the sound of the impact when he struck your sword with his hand? It sounded metallic!"

"Huh? Oh... yeah. It sounded metallic."

"Don’t you know what that means?" Luke wanted to slap him for answering like an idiot.

And, in fact, his subordinate didn’t understand.

That infuriated him even more. "Invisible armor—that means he’s wearing invisible armor underneath! Only B-Rank beasts or higher use that kind of equipment! Don’t you get it?"

The man trembled.

Invisible armor... B-Rank beasts...

His legs gave out, and he fell backward.

"I-is that man s-so strong?" He stammered and nearly fainted.

"I don’t know if he’s that strong, but I’d rather not risk my life. If he were Rank B..." Luke didn’t want to think about the consequences. "Let’s go back," he said.

He was furious. He thought he could catch Alice, since he’d found her in a place so far away from other people... but it seemed he’d have to wait a little longer.

The wait was making him impatient...

--

After moving away from Luke Shawn’s group, Zaid and Alice walked a little further in and disappeared among the trees.

Suddenly, Zaid stopped and raised his hand. There was a deep wound there.

"H-huh?" Alice rushed over to him and looked at the wound, which was oozing blood. "W-when?"

"I just stopped a metal sword with my hand—isn’t that logical?" Zaid laughed.

"But it didn’t sound metallic...? What about the armor?"

He shrugged with a chuckle. "Armor? Do you think I’d have something that expensive? I barely have enough to live on."

"Huh? But..."

"Help me bandage it. It’s no big deal." Zaid handed her some bandages he’d bought earlier.

Although she was confused, she helped him.

Meanwhile...

Zaid stared into the void before him.

[Luke Shawn has been marked as a "Hate" target. Keep this up, and you’ll be able to acquire his Talents at a low cost.]

[Hate Target: Someone who harbors an irrational hatred toward you.

This reduces the price of their Talents by 50%.]

The system messages appeared the moment he walked away from Luke. However, they didn’t appear for no reason.

Just before they had their little problem, he noticed that mysterious snake coiled around Luke’s neck. Unlike the time he saw it around Alice’s neck—when it did nothing more than "mark" her in a strange way—this time the snake sank its fangs into him and bit him.

However, Luke didn’t feel a thing; he didn’t even notice it.

Alice was looking at it too, and she didn’t see it either, so he could only assume it was something only he could see.

’What is that snake, and why can I see it?’ he asked himself and asked the system, but he received no answer from either source.

All he knew was that he could now buy Luke Shawn’s Talent at a 50% discount.

However, when he checked his Talent Shop, he couldn’t find it. What else was he supposed to do?

’It says he’s a hate target... I’m sure that guy hates me, but did he spot me right then just so he could hate me even more?’

’I don’t think so... he would have killed me.’

Zaid wanted to scratch his head, frustrated by his inability to understand what was happening.

’Forget it. Maybe I just have to earn that guy’s hatred, and it doesn’t matter if it’s like Zaid or like Gio.’

He shrugged and happily accepted the gift.

But there was something else that bothered him.

’That guy’s already at Level 8—no wonder he hasn’t been at the academy lately. So those bastards gave him free rein in these hunting grounds.’

He had requested it so he could form a group with his roommate, Alice, and John once John was discharged from the hospital. However, the request was denied on the grounds of "protection"; a group of F-Rankers was not allowed to go to those hunting zones.

But there are two people in the class who go every week—at least twice!

Plus, Zaid’s roommate is Rank E, and when he teamed up with others, they did let him go. So he could see that it was clearly an attack against him.

No doubt orchestrated by Luke Shawn and Robinson Shawn. Mastermind: Most likely his younger brothers.

’Bastards,’ he grumbled. That way, those guys would get ahead of him. ’I’ll have to make the most of my time in the guild.’

"It’s all set, Zaid." Alice tightened the bandage securely and made sure it wouldn’t come loose.

Zaid pushed aside his complaints and thanked her. "Thanks." Then he drank a healing potion.

"Wow, you bought one of those really expensive things..." Alice marveled.

First, he swallowed what he’d just said. Then he replied, "I didn’t buy it; I met a girl who’s an alchemist, and she gave me a few. I couldn’t afford to buy those things—even the cheapest ones cost more than ten thousand dollars."

"A-an alchemist girl?" Alice stammered a little, and the smile faded from her face—though she quickly brought it back. "I-I see. I understand."

"Is something wrong?" Zaid asked, puzzled by her sudden change in attitude.

"No. Nothing." She shook her head and started walking. "Let’s go. I need to level up."