Baddie Distribution System
Chapter 51: Ice Kobolds

Chapter 51: Ice Kobolds

"Dumbasses. They should’ve scouted before rushing into the dungeon," Dapper muttered, shaking his head at the cries for help echoing from deep within.

"You said there are Ice Kobolds here. Can you handle them?" Dapper asked Shinro.

"I should be able to take one down at a time, but Ice Kobolds usually attack in groups. They’re less intelligent than goblins, so we don’t have to worry about complex traps—just ambushes. Besides, this is a low-level dungeon," Shinro replied, adjusting the strap of his bag.

Dapper nodded. He already knew the ranking system for monsters in this world. Rank-1 creatures were about the same level as Murkpaws. Still, this would be his first time hunting a humanoid monster.

"You might run into a Rank-2, so be careful. Good luck," Dapper said, turning toward one of the tunnels.

"Hey! Why do you think I came to find you? You’re just going to leave me and go alone because you think you’re strong?" Shinro shouted, hurrying after him.

’Loud prick...’ Dapper gritted his teeth and turned around.

"Why do you even think I’m strong, idiot? That’s the same kind of thinking that got you scammed. I’m just putting on a tough front so other participants don’t mess with me. There are people here just looking to pick fights," Dapper said, rubbing his face with one palm.

"Let’s stick together. Just don’t slow me down," he added, and Shinro quickly nodded.

Dapper made his way toward the last tunnel on the far side and stepped inside. The interior was illuminated by Mana crystals lining the ceilings and upper walls. The tunnel was wide and riddled with crevices and hiding spots along the edges, making Dapper even more cautious.

Keeping close to the wall and moving silently, Dapper and Shinro spotted a scene unfolding a few meters ahead. Instinctively, Dapper yanked Shinro into one of the crevices to hide.

Up ahead, a group of boys were being attacked by several Ice Kobolds. Seeing them up close, Dapper was surprised. They stood around three feet tall, wore nothing but rags around their groins, and wielded a variety of rusted weapons—spears, knives, staves, and bows. There were seven of them, ganging up on a team of five boys.

Shinro tried to step out, but Dapper held him back.

"Fujévu gagààga!" one of the Ice Kobolds barked in gibberish, stabbing a boy with a knife. Blood sprayed into the air.

"ARGH!!!" the boy screamed, falling and crawling away in panic as the Kobold stalked closer.

The rest of his team tried to fight, but they were outmatched by the kobolds’ speed and aggression.

"So these are the fakes Deegan mentioned. Just look at how clumsily they hold their weapons. They clearly don’t have Combat systems. And they haven’t cast a single spell, so I doubt they have Magic systems either. They’re probably spoiled brats who came to mess around," Dapper muttered, watching the carnage unfold as Shinro shut his eyes, unable to bear the sight of blood and screams.

Suddenly, golden runes flared beneath each of the boys. The glowing symbols startled the Kobolds, who stepped back in confusion. Then, with a brilliant flash, the boys vanished on the spot, leaving the monsters stunned.

’So this is what Deegan meant by rescuing those in danger. Either way, those guys are going to be punished big time,’ Dapper thought, pulling a dagger from his inventory.

"Wait—are they dead? And why the hell do you have a dagger? I thought you were a mage?" Shinro asked.

"They’re fine. The academy won’t let them die, obviously. As for the dagger—well, time to deal with the Kobolds. I already gauged their reaction time," Dapper said, rising to his feet.

"Wait—"

"Fujà hejejje gaaga," the Kobolds argued in their language, still baffled by the boys’ sudden disappearance. They hadn’t noticed Dapper yet.

"Sprint..." Dapper whispered.

[Sprint Activated.]

In a flash, Dapper burst forward with incredible speed. His dagger sliced clean through one Kobold’s neck—blood spurted out. In a fluid motion, he slit the throats of three more and stabbed a fifth through the chest, twisting the blade to rupture its heart.

[Sprint Deactivated.]

As the system message appeared, Dapper slowed down, now facing two remaining Kobolds who stared at him in horror.

"FUGAAAAÀ!!!!!!" one of them screeched in panic, tossed its weapon, and bolted. The second one followed closely behind.

Dapper smirked and stretched out his hand.

"Fireball."

A large sphere of fire formed in his palm and launched toward the fleeing Kobolds. Before they could coat themselves in ice magic, the fireball exploded, engulfing them in flames and burning them to ash.

The stench of scorched flesh filled the tunnel.

Sprint, the skill Dapper had just used, was one that temporarily doubled his agility for five seconds. It was a new ability he recently acquired from the system.

"Woah, how the fuck did you move that fast?!" Shinro exclaimed, stepping out from his hiding spot.

"Because I don’t want to be an average Mage. I refuse to have the usual weakness most Mages suffer from," Dapper replied, flicking the blood off his dagger before returning it to his inventory.

"You even have a space ring... wow," Shinro muttered again, eyeing the ring on Dapper’s middle finger. He also noticed two other rings on his ring finger, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"He doesn’t want to be an average Mage, huh..." Shinro repeated under his breath, Dapper’s words echoing in his head. He clenched his fists, a newfound determination flickering in his gaze.

Moments later, he dashed forward to catch up with Dapper, who had already ventured deeper into the dungeon. Eventually, he caught up. Dapper had his hands casually tucked in his pockets. He wasn’t as tense as before, but his guard was still up.

"Shinro, if we run into Kobolds again, you’re handling them. I already killed a bunch, which should be enough to pass," Dapper said.

"Haa, I don’t think that’s how it works. Deegan didn’t say we could take a break after fighting. I think you’ll still have to keep proving yourself," Shinro argued.

Dapper chuckled. "The real goal is to use your abilities. Whether we kill Kobolds or not isn’t the main point. It’s all about demonstrating your system and surviving. Every single move we make is being monitored. Look up. You see those tiny floating orbs?" he asked, pausing to point toward the ceiling.

"What are those...?" Shinro asked, squinting as he finally noticed the small black orbs hovering quietly.

"Spying devices. Everything we do is being watched," Dapper revealed.

"This... how did you even know that? You act like you’ve taken this test before, but you didn’t even recognize Deegan earlier," Shinro said, blinking in confusion. "Wait, are you an adventurer or something?"

"No, not an adventurer—but I’ve experienced things far beyond killing monsters and selling their parts," Dapper answered with a slight smile, thinking back to his previous life as a thief and assassin. He turned and kept walking.

Suddenly, they slowed down. Voices echoed faintly ahead—it wasn’t monsters, but humans arguing. Dapper and Shinro moved quickly but carefully, staying hidden as they approached a nearby crevice. From there, they observed the scene ahead.

A petite red-haired girl holding a magic staff was surrounded by six boys.

"Stupid bitch, who told you to go for that kill? We only let you join because you can heal! And now you’re stealing kills?!" one of the boys yelled, furious.

"Our agreement was to work together, but clearly, you’re just using me. I took down those Kobolds by myself!" the girl shouted back, defiant despite being surrounded.

"Oi, this is why I hate Mages. You think casting fireballs and wind blades makes you a badass? You’ve never actually fought! Following a bunch of combatants was your first mistake. Of course we’re gonna use you! Now shut up and heal us before we beat the crap out of you!" another boy snarled, snatching the staff from her hands.

"This is bullying! It’s unfair! You’re going to get punished!" the girl cried, stepping back, trying to escape but they had her completely surrounded. She couldn’t cast magic without her staff and was completely defenseless.

"Bullying? Bullshit. No one said we can’t bully. And since you’re weak, of course you’ll get preyed on. Come to think of it, they say Mages are always wet down there, right? All you do is cast spells and never train. Bet you’ll satisfy me and my boys just fine," one of the boys sneered, licking his lips as the others laughed and leered at her.

In an instant, they pinned her to the ground and began tugging at her clothes.

Dapper’s expression darkened. He hadn’t planned to interfere—he’d even stopped Shinro from rushing in. But one thing they said finally crossed the line.

’Scum like them... calling her weak after ganging up on her?’ Dapper thought, stepping out of the shadows.

"Shinro... unleash that rage you’ve been bottling up. I think it’s time to vent it out on these filthy bastards," Dapper said loud enough for everyone to hear.

The boys turned their heads sharply.

"Fuck! Someone’s here—we were just about to take off her panties!"

"Low-life trash like you dares to call someone weak? You didn’t even give her a chance to fight back. Let me show you what you clearly don’t know about Mages," Dapper said, pulling out a new dagger from his inventory. It was longer, thicker, and forged with a twisted blade made to inflict maximum damage.