LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 7
Chapter 7: Private Tutoring (3)
The ominous title, "The Worst Traitor in History," mixed with a Korean name so obvious it practically screamed for attention, caught my eye immediately.
Adding to that was the chilling label: “Multifaceted Ability User.”
Sensing something was very wrong, I rushed to read through the troll text, even forgetting the comforting influence of my [Calm Mind] trait.
And then...
‘What the hell…?’
The explanation was long-winded, but the gist was this:
20 years ago, a man named Kim Nam-cheol was summoned to the trolls as a "transferred one," just like me.
He possessed five hidden traits, referred to here as “abilities,” from the start.
Thanks to his overwhelming power and loyalty to the trolls, Kim Nam-cheol rose to the rank of battlefield leader.
During a summit attended by the leaders of all major troll tribes, he assassinated four high chieftains and defected to the human empire. The great chieftain himself barely survived.
His betrayal triggered the Second Racial War.
I was stunned, goosebumps prickling over my skin.
It wasn’t just the revelation that another Korean transfer had been here—something I’d never encountered in my six months here.
The bigger shock was that this person had allegedly caused the Second Racial War.
‘Because of him... the war happened?’
That alone was astounding, but the next line was even more jarring:
“Following the Kim Nam-cheol Incident, trolls began fearing multifaceted ability users. Humans born with more than one ability are now executed on sight, regardless of circumstances.”
The memories from my first days here resurfaced vividly.
[Doesn’t everyone have only one ability?]
This was what Stinson had said, the so-called dentist who turned out to be a troll spy.
At the time, I’d assumed he was simply another human with a hidden trait, like me.
‘...He wasn’t trying to hide his own abilities.’
[I have only one as well. Just in case, you know.]
He had been fishing for information—testing if any of us were multifaceted ability users.
Another chill ran down my spine.
If I had bragged about it back then? I would’ve been executed immediately under “Kim Nam-cheol’s Law.”
In hindsight, it was pure luck.
By keeping my other traits hidden, even from my colleagues and Evelyn, I had managed to survive.
Even my inability to use offensive traits without triggering [Survival Instinct] now made sense.
Had I openly displayed any hidden powers, I would have been labeled a multifaceted ability user in no time.
‘I’ll have to be even more careful moving forward.’
For hours, I continued reading about Kim Nam-cheol’s actions.
‘He really caused one hell of a mess.’
It explained so much.
Why even humans loyal to the trolls faced a ceiling in promotions.
Why they weren’t allowed to leave Zul Dron unless on official missions.
And why non-gifted humans, once kept as lower slaves, were now executed outright.
Kim Nam-cheol’s betrayal had changed the rules entirely.
Hours passed as I combed through the earlier sections, meticulously reading every word. By the time I finished, dawn had broken.
***
“Jinyu...! Good morning! Go-good morning!”
Since that day, Toka’s manner of speaking to me had become... odd.
Apparently, she had picked up somewhere that dropping someone’s surname was a sign of closeness.
Good morning? Yeah, sure— The weather’s getting warmer, huh? That would’ve been the normal response, but...
“...Yeah.”
Today, my words didn’t come easily. And for good reason—last night had been a bit much.
I brushed past the awkwardly smiling Toka and headed to the classroom.
My first class was Human Class A.
“...Just like in your native languages, Trollish also has many homonyms. I’ve compiled a list of the most common ones. You’ve probably heard this word in conversations...”
The lesson carried on as usual.
“Good work, everyone!”
At the end of class, the students filed out in a hurry.
‘They’re probably at their busiest, overwhelmed by everything.’
Most of them had only recently finished orientation and started living among the trolls.
They reminded me of fresh recruits straight out of boot camp.
‘I used to be like that too.’
I had about 15 minutes before the next class. Normally, I’d head to the staff lounge to chat with Lactomar or Toka, but today...
I sat in the empty classroom, lost in thought.
Multifaceted ability user Kim Nam-cheol.
The murder of high chieftains.
The Second Racial War.
Summary executions.
The keywords from last night’s reading churned in my head. I began piecing together what I’d learned.
‘...20 years ago.’
That lined up with the launch of Arcane Chronicle.
This phenomenon of waking up in a game world had apparently started 20 years ago.
Among the earliest transfers was Kim Nam-cheol, with his five hidden traits. Judging by the records, he’d caused utter chaos.
‘The differences in the world must be ripple effects.’
Six months of living here had taught me one thing.
While the world seemed similar on the surface, it didn’t align perfectly with Arcane Chronicle’s original lore.
For instance, the trolls using humans as slaves or guides wasn’t part of the game.
The past 20 years had seen countless changes, driven by other transfers like me.
‘...What should I tell Evelyn?’
I had been considering revealing my hidden traits to Evelyn soon.
Hiding them had grown frustrating, and I thought her intelligence might help me figure out how to work around [Survival Instinct].
But if multifaceted ability users faced execution...
“Teacher!”
Evelyn entered the classroom, cheerful as ever.
“Good morning! Are you still not feeling well? Oh wow, you look exhausted too!”
Gesturing to her bag, she indicated the books she’d brought today, her mood noticeably brighter than before.
Seeing her smile brought me back to reality.
‘Right. As long as we return home, none of this will matter.’
No one knew about my hidden traits yet.
Multifaceted ability user or not, that was this world’s problem, not mine.
I just had to focus on returning to reality.
“Good morning. You’re early as always.”
...As long as I kept my head down, nothing would happen. That’s what I decided.
“By the way, about the book you lent me yesterday—”
“Shh! Lower your voice! Someone might hear.”
“...You’re louder than me.”
Evelyn’s voice was noticeably louder than mine, but whatever.
“What about the book? Was it not helpful?”
No, it was helpful. Too helpful, actually—that was the problem.
“No, it was fine. I’ll return one of them for now, so feel free to return it to the library.”
I handed back one of the books I had prepared in advance.
“Hmm. ‘Setagaya, the Beautiful Motherland.’ I’ll read it myself for some extra study!”
Sure, go ahead.
For now, I doubted Evelyn would fully grasp its contents.
She might be the top student in Human Class B, but even she had limits.
“I’m still reading the other one. When do you need it back?”
“Just within 15 days. Did you find anything useful?”
“Let’s talk on the weekend. Take a seat for now.”
Hearing footsteps approaching, I cut the conversation short.
Students began trickling in, filling the empty seats.
Unlike Class A, these students looked more relaxed.
“...Good to see you all. Let’s get started. First, let’s review last session—”
The daily routine at the Troll Language Academy continued.
***
After work, I headed to Stone Grunder’s house for our second tutoring session.
“Humaaaannn!”
Stone Grunder’s enthusiasm for learning hadn’t waned.
I quickly silenced him before he could get too loud.
“Stone Grunder, you must never talk about what happens during our tutoring sessions. In fact, don’t even mention that you’re receiving tutoring.”
“Krrrk! Why not? Shouldn’t I share something this good with others?”
When did he grow such a generous heart?
“Not everyone can become a battlefield leader. I only invest in warriors with potential.”
“Goooohhhh! Understood!”
His quick acceptance was a relief.
Intentional or not, he seemed to have a tight lip, so one less thing to worry about.
Clang!
Stone Grunder pulled a crude weapon from the rack and tossed it toward me.
It was a heavy, rusted sword. The blade was thinly corroded, suggesting it had never been used in actual combat, but it still looked sharp enough to slash and pierce without issue.
“Krrrk! Human! Pick up the sword!”
Ah, right. He’d said something last time about using weapons. ...Is this guy seriously okay? Even if I’m not much, a sword is still a sword.
“...Are you sure about this? Even with a blunt sword, you could get hurt if this goes wrong. We don’t have to—”
“Krkakakaka!”
Before I could finish, he erupted into laughter.
What the hell? Is he insane?
Thud! Thud!
Instead of answering, he hefted a massive axe from the rack.
It was clearly his preferred weapon, well-maintained and gleaming.
‘Damn it, you didn’t say you were using yours too!’
As [Calm Mind] began to activate in response to this sudden turn of events, Stone Grunder raised the axe high.
Then, without hesitation, he slammed it down—onto his own foot.
Whoooosh!
Clang!
“Hoooorrrraaaahhh!!!”
He howled triumphantly, like a strongman finishing a stunt.
The sheer force of the blow, delivered with his full strength, had left his foot completely unscathed.
“...”
My stunned silence seemed to amuse him.
He put the axe back on the rack and stomped toward me, his presence looming.
Thud!
Then, with the air of a child showing off to an adult, he declared:
“My skin is steel.”
Ah...
Right.
I’d completely forgotten.
[Steel Skin].
That was one of his traits.
“No matter what you do with that scrawny body of yours, you won’t leave a scratch on me!”
Sure, buddy. That tracks.
Now it made sense why he hadn’t even flinched when I pummeled him during the last session.
So that was [Steel Skin] at work.
Of course, his skin wasn’t literally made of steel—it was just ridiculously tough.
In the game, tankers with [Steel Skin] were a nightmare to deal with unless you had aura or elemental attacks.
As things stood, he was right—there was no way I could wound him.
“...Let’s begin the lesson.”
I conceded to his bravado, extinguishing the torches.
“Hoooorrrraaaahhh!!! Today, I’ll definitely catch you!”
As darkness enveloped the room, the atmosphere grew tense.
For all his bluster, Stone Grunder’s focus sharpened in battle, showcasing the instincts of a seasoned warrior.
‘If only he’d applied this focus in class.’
Gripping the sword he’d given me, I silently approached him.
Swoosh—
“There!”
Just as I swung the blade horizontally toward his shoulder, I felt a gust of wind.
Whoosh!
His rocky fist tore through the air, aiming straight for me.
‘Tsk!’
I managed to dodge, but it was clear he had grown more adept since last time.
Gone were the wild, aimless punches—Stone Grunder was adapting.
If not for the dynamic vision buff from [Eyes of the Dark Priest], my head would’ve been crushed several times over.
“Kahahaha! Tutoring is so much fun!!”
Time passed as the lesson dragged on.
Clang! Clack! Clang!
The sound of futile attacks filled the room, like eggs smashing against a rock. Naturally, the one suffering most was me.
Huff! Huff!
Stone Grunder showed no signs of fatigue, relentlessly swinging his fists.
Clack! Clang! Clack!
Meanwhile, no matter how much I slashed, stabbed, or hacked, his skin truly felt like steel.
‘I’m running on fumes, damn it. I didn’t even sleep last night.’
“Krrrk! This is just a regular day for the Abyssal Stone Tribe! Come on! I’m finally starting to get it!”
As I paused to catch my breath, he seemed to grow restless, urging me to continue his “love taps.”
God... Was this really going to be my weekly routine? The cost of my poorly chosen words was proving high.
And out of all the trolls, it had to be him.
Calculating the time left in this torturous session, I raised the sword again and swung at his massive frame.
Swoosh—
‘Did he dodge?’
For the first time, instead of absorbing the blow, Stone Grunder twisted his shoulder to deflect it. Caught off balance, I left my side open.
Grab!
In an instant, his instincts and talent kicked in. The star of the Abyssal Stone Tribe seized the opportunity.
‘Damn it. I saw that coming too.’
Crunch!
Clatter—
With one hand gripping my side, he used the other to grab my neck. My sword fell to the floor as I was hoisted into the air.
‘Ugh...! I... I can’t breathe—’
“...I’ve finally caught you.”
How did he dodge that?
Was he just enduring until now, waiting for this moment?
“Human...”
“Urgh... mmph...”
“I have one question.”
What? This guy, who never opened his mouth in language class, suddenly turns into a model student here?
I struggled for breath, the pressure mounting.
“I’ve been wondering.”
For the love of God, just spit it out.
I’m on the verge of dying here.
“How are you able to see me so clearly?”
“...!”
“In this darkness, no less.”