Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: To Live in This World
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The favorability that hadn't been rising finally went up, which felt incredibly good. They'd just wrapped up an emotional conversation, and it was about time to get up, but she had no intention of letting him go.
"Um, Tia. I'm going to bed now, so could you let me go?"
"Mm. No."
Tia slowly shook her head and pulled Judah into a hug. She extended her legs behind his waist and crossed them, locking him in place. She smiled brightly.
"Let's sleep together today. Good night."
Was she saying they were sleeping without a blanket? She pecked his forehead and closed her eyes. With no other choice, he closed his eyes while inhaling her scent. He'd thought sleep wouldn't come at all, but strangely, listening to her steady breathing and the faint heartbeat from her cheek lulled him into slumber.
...
...
...
....
Judah, deep in sleep, slowly felt his consciousness return. With his eyes still closed, he frowned and moved his hand. Something soft brushed his fingertips. He reflexively kneaded it, and the sensation was so addictive he couldn't stop. Wondering what it was, he opened his eyes and squeezed harder, only to hear an unexpected sound.
"Ah."
"?"
His eyes, which had been opening slowly, flew wide open. Right in front of him lay Tia. No way... was that what he'd been groping? He saw his hand resting on her breast. She curled her lips in amusement at his flustered expression, smiling. Judah, who never imagined such a situation, jolted in shock and tried to sit up, but the support under him vanished, and he plummeted down.
"You're going to hurt yourself."
He nearly fell but her hand shot out, grabbing him and pulling him back onto the sofa. Judah let out a sigh of relief. He slowly sat up this time, and she didn't hold him back. She just hummed with laughter.
Memories of the previous night resurfaced. They'd talked about his dream, and she wouldn't let go, insisting they sleep together. He'd worried about pulling an all-nighter hugging on the narrow sofa, but her stroking hand had put him to sleep. But that wasn't the point. He glanced down at the hand that had freely groped her breast. Flexing and unflexing it, it vividly recalled the texture.
'...It really was soft.'
It had been so long since he'd touched a woman's breast that his heart pounded wildly.
"Sorry, Tia."
"It's fine. It's not like it wears out from touching—and your reaction was cute."
He bowed his head in apology, and she giggled. Acting like it was nothing, she got up and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Judah hurried after her to help. It was a simple breakfast without the side dishes he'd fuss over in Korea. He made a salad with cabbage, mayonnaise, and fruit, sliced bread into bite-sized pieces and stacked them in a bowl—nearly eight slices since they both ate a lot. Once ready, he pulled milk from the fridge and set it out.
"If you want to travel the world with your current skills, it'll be tough."
"?"
Judah paused while scraping jam from a jar onto the bread with a knife. Tia propped her chin on one hand, twirling cabbage and fruit on her fork.
"Don't you remember? You told me yesterday you wanted to travel the continent."
Ah, right. He nodded while finishing the jam, signaling he remembered.
"Even seasoned mercenaries or adventurers get caught up in things and die while traveling. For solo travelers, there are even more unexplained disappearances that go unnoticed. That's one reason nobles bring skilled knights on trips."
He knew full well that traveling the world without special abilities was insanely dangerous. This wasn't a world with good public safety like his original one, or embassies in every country. If something unfair happened, you had to handle it yourself. Even if it meant some restrictions on freedom, joining a merchant caravan as a mercenary or low-rank member was a safer start. But then he couldn't collect fragments.
The whole point of traveling was to recover fragments. So he had to go. And he wasn't scared of dying. If he died, he could start over. With a fragment, he could rewind to the moment he obtained it. That single fact—that he could revive from death—let Judah overcome his fear.
"I know. But I have to go anyway."
Tia let out a soft chuckle.
"That's why I said we should get more experience before leaving. Like I mentioned yesterday, starting today, we'll head through the Eastern Forest to hunt Black Wolves in the Southern Forest."
Serenia Castle was perfect for adventurers and mercenaries to gain experience. The Western Forest had dangerous beasts, but the south was less threatening. The reason many avoided the Southern Forest was the sheer number of Black Wolves and White Wolves, which could wear you down. No interruptions from others, but no help either.
As soon as breakfast ended, Judah and Tia prepared for the forest. Seeing her pack for several days of camping, Judah clicked his tongue. Adventures weren't as romantic as they seemed. The bag had to be stuffed with essentials for emergencies.
Watching Tia shoulder the heavy pack, Judah pondered for a while. Should he tell her about his <Bag>, the inventory? Favorability at 60, trust near 80. She wouldn't do anything weird if he told her. So, in front of her, he took off the bag he was carrying and stored it in <Bag>.
Stunned, she questioned how he had a sub-space. Her surprised expression—something he'd never seen—turned confused as she even asked if he was a dragonkin. While Judah wondered how to explain, he said some man had appeared and given it to him.
She seemed skeptical at first but eventually nodded in acceptance, adding not to show it carelessly to others. After the minor commotion, she confirmed his <Bag> ability and had him store tools she couldn't carry due to weight and space.
Starting with cookware, water bottles, emergency rations, and more went in. Only by late morning did they pass the east gate.
+ + +
Unlike the Eastern Forest, Serenia's Southern Forest was a dark thicket even at midday. Yesterday at the entrance, he hadn't noticed, but crossing the boundary via made the difference clear. It wasn't called the Black Forest for nothing. Rustling from small animals made Judah tense up. But compared to going alone, it was different.
"You don't need to be so stiff."
Tia patted his shoulder.
"Ah, yeah."
Unlike rigidly tense Judah, she walked with her usual soft steps. Of course—she was a mercenary with a silver badge, given to the most experienced and skilled. Just below gold rank, and with her level and stats, the wolves here were no match. In beastman form, she could probably take down <Requiem>, the Black Wolf boss. ...Probably.
Judah glanced at Tia walking beside him.
"By the way, Tia."
"Yeah."
Fwooo—
"Won't smoking draw them in more?"
She puffed on her long cigarette, exhaling gray smoke. It dispersed in the air. She always said it was herbs, not tobacco, and the scent was strong but pleasant—subtle and good, unlike his world's acrid smell. But for scent-sensitive wolves and dogs, it screamed location. After a few puffs, Tia grinned slyly at Judah. It was the opposite of yesterday's warm smile.
"Yeah. It'll draw them."
"Huh?"
"That's why I'm smoking. We can't hunt them one by one, right? If we can't find them, make them come to us."
"What if too many come?"
"It's fine. I'll hide. You handle it."
Stealth, huh? But what about her cigarette smell?
He'd never seen her stealth in two years together, so he had no sense of C-rank stealth's power.
"Hmm? Those eyes say you think I can't hide? Watch."
Tia's body blurred and vanished from sight. But when she moved, the air rippled like waves, faintly detectable. If she stayed still, even he couldn't tell where she was. Sight, scent, presence—all gone. He'd underestimated C-rank, but it was impressive.
She released stealth with a soft shimmer.
"See? I'll escape with this, so don't worry. Hehe, of course, I'll save you before you die."
Judah wondered if he should reveal his hidden Shadow Heresy Arts to her too. He'd kept it from her fearing Kaseun might tell Cain about Shadow Swordsmanship, and it naturally extended to her.
"So, when wolves come, handle them yourself."
She laughed, oblivious to his thoughts. No problem. This was a chance. With her watching his back, he could hunt without Heresy Arts. He'd risk some injuries. He couldn't stay in Serenia forever; without risk, growth stalled. Judah took a deep breath and nodded.
"Then let's go. To catch a tiger, enter its den."
Like Hansel and Gretel dropping breadcrumbs, he followed her trail of cigarette smoke. The trees of the Black Forest swayed in the wind, welcoming Judah grandly.
* * *
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Tip14. Magical beasts are beings from the demon realm that settled in the mortal world. Think of them as invasive species. They possess a special substance called a magic stone in their bodies, which they use to enhance their physiques, spew flames, emit cold air, and manifest special powers.
Tip15. When magical beasts settled in the mortal world, it threw the world into chaos, but it's not all bad. We used their magic stones to bloom a new civilization, enriching our lives. We'll always oppose magical beasts, but we need them for our prosperous lives.
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========== Afterword ==========
(The front part disappeared weirdly, so I deleted and rewrote it ㄷㄷㄷ Where did it go?)
Nyah nyah.
You thought it ended with two parts, right?
......I burned it white. (Thud)
Now, hurry and hit recommend!
Let's climb the daily rankings once. If not, well, I'll stockpile more for now...
Yeah... that's right.