Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Reaping the Rewards
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Human psychology is like that. If there's even a slight opening, you want to at least break even, and if you've been wronged, you want compensation in equal measure.
This isn't the mindset of a thief at all—it's natural for anyone to feel that way, and as long as it's not excessive, it's something you can act on.
‘Where else can you find a victim as magnanimous as me?’
I've fed the perpetrator, let him sleep it off, even helped him find work.
And it wasn't just simple assault? No. From my side, it was a life-or-death situation, so the damages were immense.
So yeah, sucking up his mana dry, tormenting him with a few questions, and yanking out a fistful of hair? Totally fair.
We stepped through the portal Repid opened and emerged onto the plains where we'd camped right before entering Valbus's ruins for the first time.
Caw? Caaaw!
The familiar cry of a crow echoed from afar, bringing a sense of relief that we'd finally put one major incident behind us—mingled with a touch of regret.
“Should've pulled out a few more strands.”
I muttered as much, and Zero, who was stuffing a bundle of red hair into his pocket with his fingers, shot me a slightly queasy look.
“More?”
“This is all for your sake, you know?”
At my words, Zero flinched, holding a single strand of hair before slowly absorbing it.
According to Repid, doppelgangers originated from artificial lifeforms created by dragons long ago, but now they've diversified into what might as well be a new race.
Of course, records cut off at some point, and since he's only lived about a thousand years, he doesn't know much—only those who've lived longer might, he'd added.
‘Even setting aside changes in appearance, absorbing the bodies of various creatures or powerhouses raises a doppelganger's level.’
“Absorb Repid's hair, as much as you can handle.”
“Yes, Adelrian.”
Zero nodded with a docile expression at my words.
“Bess!”
The moment Luna emerged from the portal, she looked around and dashed toward her horse, which was idly grazing on one side of the plains.
They'd clearly been tied to a tree before moving, but it looked like they'd freed themselves. Luna's horse Bess and my horse Toby were both munching away diligently, while Kane and Zero's horses were...
‘Having a stare-down...’
Kane's horse was a bit bulkier than the others, smart, and had a fierce temperament.
Zero's horse, being a former wild stallion, was gentle with people but aggressive toward other animals—and with no owners to intervene, it seemed a hierarchy battle had ensued.
I'd heard wild horses do have pecking orders, but they're not that rigid. Kane's horse Arishnel must be different since it was trained as a warhorse.
It looked like they'd even gotten scratched up in spots, as if under attack. The ground near them was churned up red, and they were snorting hot breaths.
“Dragons causing chaos over there, horses over here.”
I'm exhausted, so tired.
Zero's horse, weaker around people, seemed to lose momentum with our arrival. Leaving them be, they'd sort it out themselves.
I found my horse Toby, patted him down, and fed him a carrot.
“So, where to now?”
Luna, who'd been nuzzling Bess, came over to my side. I let out a small sigh at her question.
“Originally, I planned to head back to Chavid's capital after grabbing artifacts from the ruins, take another portal to the monster borderlands.”
I eyed Kane and Zero approaching, leading their horses, and continued.
“But losing all my body-guarding artifacts in this mess is bothering me.”
I'd gotten quite a few artifacts from Valbus. The problem? They weren't exactly what I needed.
From a gamer's perspective, pricey items mean weapons, armor, strength-boosting accessories.
‘But this world is different.’
Lamps that don't go out underwater, frames that slowly restore torn paintings, pillows for deep sleep, scented candles for good dreams—the bulk were lifestyle conveniences.
Well, in a game, only inventory gear matters, but in real life, it's different.
In a place where magic developed instead of science, daily-life artifacts are inevitable.
‘Plus, I got the ones I was after anyway.’
It was a gamble to boost Kane and Luna's power from the start.
“Kane. Take this.”
Ching.
I spun my ring with a grin, opened my subspace, and tossed him the item.
“What is it?”
“It'll be your weapon from now on.”
A matte black iron ring, pitch-black and unadorned. It looked like junk, but its value depended on the user.
In the game, it was just a mediocre unique item. A ring that went in the weapon tab, and handing it to an NPC using a specific weapon turned it into that weapon for combat.
Performance was average. Its unique rating came from versatility—transforming into any weapon—not raw power.
‘But with Kane now, it's different.’
Unlike his dual-wielding Innocent Saga days, he'd handled all sorts of weapons since Rabes Castle, sticking to longswords for good reason but capable of others.
“Infuse it with mana, aura, whatever—and imagine the weapon you want.”
Kane gripped the ring, eyes downcast, and soon a blunt club protruded from his hand.
“Something like this?”
It squirmed like clay, growing and shrinking, sprouting a blunt blade, widening—from dagger to chain whip to greatsword.
‘Is it supposed to be that easy?’
Just slap it on and it works? Doesn't seem right.
“My sword blade got wrecked fighting that dragon. This is good.”
Kane spoke slowly, reverting it to a ring and slipping it on his finger.
Confirming that, I handed Luna one iron-plated boot.
“You're giving me this too?”
“Of course. Try it on.”
It looked giant-sized, bigger than Luna's face, but such artifacts usually adjusted to the user.
Luna turned slightly, swapped her leather boot for the iron-plated one.
The boot shrank naturally. I explained further as I watched.
“You're close to using aura, right Luna?”
“Hmm... honestly, I think I could barely manage it now.”
Realms usually awaken through enlightenment, desperation, or shock.
‘Guess Luna and Zero were too wiped to check.’
Pretending to pat her head as she tapped the toe on the ground approvingly, I brought up her user interface.
[Luna Index―Budding Horned Fighter]
Main Traits: [Timidity (C-)] [Cuteness (S)] [Horn Power (A+)]
Hidden Traits: [Rage (B)] [Lust (D)] [Loyalty (B)]
Wait... why'd Rage rank up like that?
Anyway, beginner adventurer dropped, now Budding Horned Fighter.
‘That's fine. Saw it when I raised her Horned King tree in Innocent Saga.’
Back then, overfocusing on combat gave crap traits, even Rage in the title. Not this time...
Timidity's almost gone from traits.
Title has ‘Budding,’ so she's met aura user conditions, weakly.
I gazed at Luna and smiled slowly.
“Wanna try it with the boot?”
Sword-launching aura might be too much, but wrapping her body should work.
Luna beamed, wiggling her foot.
“Huh?”
Clank—clink—
A palm-width blade shot out from the toe, retracted; then a sharp spur from the heel did the same.
It reached just past the shin, with a razor edge at the knee—perfect for knee strikes.
A combat boot through and through.
Normally inconvenient for daily wear, but as an artifact, it reverts to plain iron-plated boot when she drops aura.
Fascinated, Luna clanked it around, eyes sparkling as she looked at me.
“Young master... I can really use this?”
“Of course.”
I tugged and released her floppy ear, then beckoned Zero.
“Um, do you have something for me too?”
Zero eyed me expectantly. He already had the rarest—dragon hair.
“A pot that nothing sticks to and a ladle that stirs itself.”
“...Uh, yes?”
“What.”
“Nothing.”
I showed him the pot and ladle, said I'd pull them from subspace for meals, and Zero looked a bit crestfallen. I shrugged and mounted up.
“Originally planned to hit the borderlands to study tactics and strategy.”
I grumbled at the empty feeling on my wrist and neck.
“Zero needs trait awakening, and honestly, I need ways to protect myself.”
Doppelgangers live long enough for decent knowledge, artifacts to guard my body, and ideally, pick up Innocent Saga main party members.
‘Off to hunt stone moss.’
Though this stone moss isn't the one I know.
Breaking it once or twice is fine, right? The grudge from reading the original? Totally innocent.
“We're heading to the Forest of Spirits now.”
Luna perked her ears, tilting her head.
“That's too far from Chavid... closer to Rabes, though.”
Her point: might as well start there.
I know...
Scratching my head, I tugged the reins and started moving.
“Plan was Chavid to borderlands, then Isle of Storms—mermaids' nest if smooth, Lake Kingdom if not.”
I'd mapped a route. Everyone makes plans. But life doesn't follow them.
With Kane's auction shield bracelet and life-saving pendant gone—even once a month—no choice but reroute.
“Need something to protect myself.”
Had to prioritize delayed defense items.
Luna nodded understandingly.
“Makes sense, gotta go then.”
Kane followed, testing lance and glaive forms atop his horse. Zero trailed Luna.
‘One burst DPS, one sub-DPS/evasion tank, one backline support. Zero's ambiguous but no frontline.’
Balance demands stone moss.
I sorted my thoughts and spurred the horse.
* * *
Finally! There you are, you vile humans!
Caaaaw—
Familiar No. 8 shed tears of joy.
How much had it scoured Chavid chasing the humans who'd vanished while its stomach churned from the portal?
Crow? Dog? Good thing familiar eternalization gave tracking instincts to slowly sniff mana scents.
And now, the horses they'd ridden were rampaging, so it'd waited amid barren earth, eating bugs unearthed by the two brawlers.
Cackle-cackle!
Eternalization instinct. Separated from Commander Familiar No. 1 and true master, it was fading.
But the joy of fulfilling orders—who gets it?
It'd stick around Chavid awhile.
Familiar No. 8 watched Adelrian's group ride off and cried out in delight.
Caw—!