Imprint

…Huh?

I blinked my eyes and turned the skill back on.

[There is a target nearby on which the <Stigma Theory> skill can be cast.]

In a world turned entirely blue like an infrared thermal camera, there was one object shining red.

[Target on which <Stigma Theory> can be used: <Karvan Baharga>]

“…You.”

I barely managed to swallow the rest of my words.
I almost committed the rudeness of asking, ‘Are you a monster?’

I squinted my eyes and checked the man’s individual name again.

[<Karvan Baharga>]

If he were simply a monster, he wouldn’t have a proper name like that.
It meant that a modifier like ‘Nameless Beast-kin’ or ‘Demon-God Exile’ would definitely be attached.

So, no matter how I looked at it, he had to be an NPC.
I couldn’t understand why he was being targeted by the skill.

[List of skills that can be plundered with <Stigma Theory>]
▷ Pack Hunt: Increases critical hit chance when switching to ride ===. Unaffected by ice-attribute skills. The ‘Indomitable’ buff persists without a cooldown.
▷ God-Devouring Wolf: Inherits the will of === and goes berserk in beast form. During berserk, melee attack damage and movement speed increase by 300%. Does not take fall damage.
▷ Locked Skill: Can be acquired upon obtaining a special title.

Besides, what in the world was that skill set?

To my memory, those were skills that had been deleted a long time ago.
They were skills that were permanently shelved along with the Varg due to the OP issue because users abused them so much.

Could this man be a Varg?

A suspicion suddenly arose, but it couldn’t be.
The very existence of the Varg had disappeared years ago.

Then is this man a skill abuser like me?

Feeling an inexplicable sense of camaraderie, I looked the corpse-like man up and down and suddenly asked.

“Are you, by any chance, an Awakener?”

The man’s head shot up.

It felt exactly like the headlights of a car that had been turned off suddenly turning on.
Could such a glint appear in the eyes of a man who looked like a corpse?

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe as a terrifying killing intent erupted, as if I had been hit head-on by a gale.

As I was panting, the man, who had been glaring at me with hate-filled eyes, turned his head away again.

…Did I, just say something wrong.

Flustered, I was just staring at the man’s cold profile when the skill list above his head flickered temptingly.

[Target on which <Stigma Theory> can be used.]

I want it.
That man’s skill.

My breath came in short gasps, and I swallowed hard.
My life would change if I just had that.

If I just had that skill, I could pop the heads of the Nemea outside, and while I didn’t know about the Observer, I might be able to make that bastard Baalzeph kneel and put Midvalen under my feet.

“Hey, want to make a deal with me?”

And so, I began to desperately try to persuade the man.

“You want to escape from here too, right?”

A sliver of concern that I might only increase my crimes by getting involved with this NPC of unknown identity flickered, but now was not the time to be picky about hot or cold potions.
My life was on the line right now.

“Just let me imprint on you once, then we can both escape from here.”

『…==? (Imprint?)』

The man who was glaring at me suddenly said something I couldn’t understand.
It seemed to be the language of his race.

『== === == === = ==== ====. (Do you think a mere human can imprint on me?)』

…What is he saying.

I didn’t know what he was saying, but it felt like he said something unpleasant.
Judging by the man’s expression, full of disgust and ridicule, that was the case.

Should I just knock him out and plunder his skill?
He’s practically a corpse anyway, isn’t it worth a try.

A childish impulse arose, but I suppressed it after seeing the man’s broad shoulders.

I couldn’t waste stamina on a pointless struggle.
I couldn’t even drink a recovery potion because my inventory window was locked, let alone a weapon, so if my stamina dropped, I might even pass out.

“Excuse me. I’m sorry. Could you please speak in a way I can understand?”

I said it with the kindest smile I could muster, but the man just turned his head away and closed his eyes.

“Can you not speak the common language?”

Perhaps because of the shaggy silver hair covering his eyes, it felt like I was trying to talk to a white-furred beast.

“Then here, you can draw a picture on my palm to explain. I’ll try my best to understand. Okay?”

No response.

…Damn it.
Giving up on further conversation, I got up huffing and puffing.
If he was going to be this uncooperative, I had no choice but to be forceful.

What was the mana cost of ‘Stigma Theory’?
Could I use it without a potion?
I rummaged through the skill window and slowly approached the man.

“……”

The rug on the floor should have muffled my footsteps, but as I approached, he opened his eyes wide as if he were a ghost.
I thought I saw wary yellow eyes through the gaps in his silver hair.

Up close, the man’s condition was much more serious than I thought.
His tunic was wide open, and it was hard to look at his chest and abdomen.

There were numerous cuts, as if he had been scratched and torn by something, and the smell of blood was so strong it was off-putting to touch him.
It was a good thing I had a strong stomach.
Otherwise, I would have gagged on the spot.

Holding my breath, I looked the man’s face up and down and was startled.

“…Wow.”

He was the most handsome NPC I had ever seen.

Under the shaggy hair that I guessed was once silver, his features were surprisingly beautiful.
Except for his unusually sharp eyes, he was a strikingly handsome man.

But no matter how handsome he was, it wouldn’t be strange if he became a corpse soon, so it was very unsettling, but there was no guarantee that this man would stay alive forever.
Naturally, you can’t use skills on a corpse.

“You’re hurt really badly. If we get out of here, I’ll heal you.”

“……”

“I have a lot of elixirs. I can’t take them out right now, though.”

Did he understand my offer to heal him?
Unlike before, the man didn’t close his eyes as I chattered and approached him, but just stared at me.

Thinking this was my chance, I approached the man and squatted down, and was startled.
When our eye levels matched, I could really feel the man’s size.
He had one knee bent and the other stretched out, and at a glance, his legs were incredibly long.

I couldn’t even guess how tall he would be if he stood up completely.
His forearms, with a bit of exaggeration, were as thick as my waist.
His broad shoulders, his very frame, seemed to belong to a different race.

‘…Well, we are different. I’m a player, and that man is an NPC.’

I shook my head reluctantly and began to explain clearly.

“You see. I’m going to use a skill now…”

“……”

When I tried to make eye contact, he whipped his head to the other side.

I was momentarily choked with anger, but what could I do?
The one who needed something had to make the move.

“Because of the stigma condition, I’m going to bite you a little. It might hurt.”

I moved to the opposite side of where the man had turned his gaze and continued to ramble.

“But, I’m not trying to hurt you. Me, good person. Loyalty. Great.”

In case he couldn’t understand, I spoke in the shortest possible sentences, mixing in gestures.

I pretended to grab my arm and take a big bite, grimaced as if in pain, then thumped my chest and gave a thumbs up.

The man’s reaction to that whole show was concise.

As if to say he didn’t give a damn what I did, he whipped his head to the opposite side this time.

Damn it.
When someone is talking, listen!

I can’t take it anymore.
Huffing, I was about to put my hand on the man’s shoulder when my wrist was lightly grabbed.

“……”

He was clearly looking the other way, but he had caught my hand without even looking.
It was an incredible reflex.

But that was also for a moment.
He let go of my hand as if flinging away something dirty.

“……”

It was only for a moment, but I met his crooked gaze from under his shaggy bangs.
His wary eyes looked extremely displeased.

“I’m not trying to hurt you! Let’s help each other live. You want to escape too, anyway.”

“……”

“Pleeease! I just need to borrow a little bit of your strength.”

I continued to speak steadfastly despite his fierce glare.

My instincts screamed danger, but I had no other choice but to persuade him.

“Imprint! Just that one time. Okay? Then…”

“…You, from a while ago.”

As I clasped my hands together and begged, the look in the man’s eyes, which had been glaring at me as if he would kill me at any moment, changed completely.

“Do you even know what that means when you say it.”