Rogue Villain-Chapter 277: Natural Disasters

"Let’s begin then. How can I help you get stronger, monstrous human?"

Trana didn’t have any trouble with Mara’s attitude, much to Ackster’s surprise. It was also surprising that Mara was good enough at magic to catch a dragon’s attention and become their disciple.

"A few things. Knowledge about things like Covenants, my broken trident and why you want it but can’t take it by force—you made it sound like that wouldn’t work for some reason—and I would appreciate rare materials that I can use to strengthen my body. I guess that’s what I can think of for now. Maybe sparring now and then."

Trana nodded.

"Okay, that’s easy. I can put together a bunch of knowledge. If you specify further, I can narrow it down since it’s going to be a thick book otherwise. I can spar whenever I’m not teaching my cute disciple. But when you say materials to strengthen your body with...do you mean armor?"

"Ah, no."

Ackster realized that what he was doing wasn’t exactly the standard.

"I have a skill—two, actually—that let me extract and refine whatever I eat to strengthen my body. When paired with my extraordinary regeneration, I can rebuild my body stronger and better by eating a lot and breaking down my body."

"...I see. That’s what you were doing with Viztar."

"Yeah."

"What are the names of those skills?"

"Are you asking out of curiosity or because that knowledge will help you help me?"

"Both."

"Monster Muncher and Smelting Furnace."

"Monster Muncher and—?"

Trana stopped tapping her foot while noting down what Ackster was saying and looked at Ackster with a fierce gaze that contained a myriad of different emotions.

"Did you say Smelting Furnace?!"

Ackster nodded hesitantly. One of the primary emotions he could decipher in Trana’s striking blue eyes was wariness.

"You’re certain?!"

Ackster nodded hesitantly and pulled out his Nomi. With Trana, a dragon acting like this, maybe it would be best to double-check.

[Name: –]

[Profession: ■■■■■■■]

[Inventory]

[Stats:

[Strength: SS]

[Agility: S]

[Fortitude: SS]

[Mana: C]

[Spirit: SS]

[Stamina: SS]

[Skills:

[Iron Body]

[Pain Tolerance: SS]

[Poison Resistance: A]

[Overhuman Senses: A]

[Survivalist: S]

[Clear Mind: SS]

[Limit Breaker: A]

[Monster Muncher: S]

[Guardian: A]

[Stubborn Well-Being: SS]

[Curse Resistance: G]

[Unstoppable: A]

[Hemorrhage Resistance: SS]

[Sea God]

[Mana Manipulation]

[(Unimportant Whatever Art): A]

[Martial Body]

[Pyro Resistance: SSS]

[Pyro Affinity]

[Hydro Affinity]

[Smelting Furnace: B]

[Magic Resistance: S]

[Storm Resistance: A]

[Berserk: A]

[Demon Sword]

[Sword God’s Disciple/Sword]

[Dauntless: S]

’I seriously got a skill for being that crazy bastard’s disciple?’

Ackster looked at his status with surprise. What surprised him more than anything was that he had still underestimated the Sword God. The Sword God was apparently so powerful even the world recognized his strength and status. Apparently, that extended to whoever was the Sword God’s disciple.

Ackster shook his head to clear it of any distractions. He had something else to prioritize. Besides, it was difficult to think of anything else when he had a flawless face with vertical pupils close enough to peer into his brain.

"Uh, yep. Smelting Furnace. B-rank, if that matters. Huh? I honestly thought it would be higher since it could even digest a dragon and its flames."

Trana took a deep breath to calm herself as Ackster held her back at arm’s length.

"That confirms it."

She nodded with a grave expression.

Trana locked eyes with Ackster while holding his shoulders with a vice-like grip.

"Can you tell me your name?"

’What’s this about now?’

Ackster wasn’t quite keeping up with what was going on inside Trana’s mind. But he was pretty sure she wouldn’t harm him. And she was a lot stronger than him. After his experience with the Sword God, Ackster decided it was better to go along with what she wanted when she had that kind of gaze. At least she could be reasoned with, unlike the Sword God.

"Charles."

That didn’t mean he was going to be honest, though.

"...Your real name."

’Fine.’

"Ackster."

"..."

"Phileam. Ackster Phileam."

Trana furrowed her brow in a mix of confusion and doubt.

"Is that your real name...?"

Ackster tilted his head.

’No way. Is she referring to before my transmigration? She can tell I’m not the real Ackster Phileam by looking into my eyes? Or is she simply seeing if I lie or not?’

"As far as I know."

"Hmm."

Trana cocked her head while still looking into Ackster’s eyes as if a different perspective would help her see better.

"Strange. It’s partly true. You’re not lying...—You don’t happen to have another name? Or an alias you consider your true name?"

"Can I ask what this is all about first?"

"Hrrn."

Trana leaned her head back and faced the sky with a groan of frustration as she tried to figure out what was going on.

’Should I just tell her?’

Since it seemed Trana was getting close to the truth of Ackster’s origins, he wondered if it would be better to just rip the band-aid off in one go.

Trana looked at Ackster again and waved a hand to isolate Mara so that she didn’t hear anything of their conversation.

"This might be a little confusing, but bear with me. What do you know about Calamities?"

"Disasters that appear now and then and threaten the world as we know it. It can be anything, and it’s the Hero’s job to stop them."

"Yes. That’s true. Do you know where these Calamities come from?"

"No...? Don’t they appear like any being or natural disaster? It’s like a part of nature. Earthquakes, tsunamis, erupting volcanoes, and Calamities are natural disasters, right?"

It wasn’t explained in detail in the original story, and it had caused some discussion among the readers. But the general consensus was that the Calamitous Cycles were a repeating cycle of natural birth and destruction or simply another mechanism akin to the water’s rain cycle.

Trana furrowed her brow slightly and looked at the ground with a grave expression as if unsure how to break bad news.

"It’s an understandable guess if you don’t know all or more of the Calamities that have appeared. But no, that’s not what Calamities are. It’s something that’s usually very hard to grasp for the people of this world."

’!’