Chapter 300
Chapter 300
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 300
Chapter Title: Flower's Lingering Fragrance
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"Ah, no! What the hell is going on! We should be outside by now!"
Kobson, completely gripped by the terror of the jungle, flew into a panic, jumping around and screaming. Even I couldn't make sense of it at all and was starting to feel utterly confused.
The outskirts of the jungle had definitely been lined with tall underbrush. We'd clearly hacked through that brush to enter the jungle.
So we should be able to do the same to get out.
And since we'd moved in the right direction, it was impossible for the jungle to appear again beyond the brush.
No, wait a minute.
Could it be that the terrain all looks the same around here, so we messed up our direction and ended up going deeper in? No, that couldn't be. Who are we? Seasoned adventurers with years of experience under our belts.
Us making a mistake like that?
Of course, mistakes can happen. If it wasn't a mistake, maybe the jungle grew bigger in the meantime... Anyway, it was confusing as hell.
"Kobson. Calm down. Let's head back that way first."
"Whew, yeah, I guess we should."
Since we'd ended up on a completely different path, going back was the right call. -Slash. The brush was dense again, even though we'd just cut through it moments ago. Had it grown back already? No way that could happen... Everything felt suspicious.
-South American remote legend.
"Fuck."
I pushed down the uneasy thoughts rising like smoke and slipped back out through the brush.
And then.
"...Where's this?"
"I-Is this the same place?"
...The place we'd come out to was strangely unfamiliar too.
The scenery all looked so similar that even a short passage of time had caused a glitch in my mental map.
No, fuck?
This is seriously fucked.
My heart started pounding faster.
"No idea. Fuck. Hey, we're totally screwed."
"Fucked! What do we do, Barbarian!"
"Fucked!"
"Fucked!"
Chanting our fuck mantra to steady our nerves, we took deep breaths and scanned the surroundings. Lost is lost, and if we're lost, we have to find our way.
Before nightfall.
Fortunately, it was still midday.
We had plenty of time. With iron wills, warrior spirits, and our adventurer experience, finding the path should be easier than snapping a kid's wrist.
Kobson and I calmed ourselves and slowly imprinted the surrounding scenery into our minds.
"Alright, Kobson. Looks like we've lost our way for now."
"I know... Damn it! What the hell do we do...!"
"Calm down, you idiot. This isn't the first time, right? We'll find the path. We didn't even go that deep in the first place."
Judging by time, we'd only moved for about two hours at a slow pace.
"Whew, stuff like this happens sometimes, but thinking it's a jungle makes it suddenly scary. If bugs show up, it'd be a nightmare."
This guy must not have gone through the Generation of Solitary Conquest or whatever, 'cause he seems weak to bugs. The boys from my childhood never feared even the cruelest insects.
"Get it together, man. We came along this brush line, so just head back the way we came."
"Got it."
We retraced our steps.
Our footprints visible here and there confirmed we were on the right path, but even they were fading fast.
No, shit.
Where the hell did we go wrong?
I'd been focused on the path the whole time, so I thought we couldn't lose it... About 20 minutes in.
"Barbarian. Something's over there."
"..."
-Rustle.
Kobson whispered quietly and slipped behind a tree like a shadow. I naturally muted my steps and followed him.
"...What is that? What the hell?"
"Hmm, can't tell from here."
He must've spotted it and taken cover the moment it entered his view. Sharp senses. Kobson and I stayed silent, craning our necks to observe the unidentified thing.
"A person? Is it a person?"
"Hard to say. Let's get closer."
-Sneak.
We slowly drew our swords and tiptoed toward the target. The closer we got, the clearer its shape became.
Finally, when we reached it.
"Well, shit."
-A corpse.
The object's identity was a human corpse.
Or more accurately, an adventurer's corpse.
Brown leather clothes and cloak—total standard adventurer gear. Worn-out shoes and gloves... Minimal armament, a hat on his head, and a saber clutched in his right hand.
No scabbard in sight.
"Barbarian. Was this here when we passed earlier?"
Kobson asked, scanning left and right with fierce eyes. He was already geared for combat. Scared or not, when it's time to fight, you fight.
I was on high alert too.
"...Nope."
I answered.
No way something this obvious was here before.
-But.
That wasn't the only weird thing.
This adventurer clearly hadn't died today. He hadn't rolled in from somewhere and dropped dead—he'd been 'dead here' from the start.
-Especially.
"What the hell are these flowers...? Barbarian, you know anything? This is creepy. Answer quick."
"Nah, first time seeing these."
"Flowers blooming from a corpse... My legs are shaking for some reason."
"Same here."
Instead of maggots, vibrant pink flowers—like spring beauties—were blooming all over the corpse. The flowers, rooted firmly into the dried flesh, looked dazzling, as if sucking vitality from the dead man's essence.
-Ominous.
Why did this guy die here... and why flowers instead of a single bug on the corpse? Pitch-black dread started filling my heart.
The adventure genre had flipped to mystery horror in an instant.
"...Looks like we took another wrong turn."
"Totally fucked... Fuck, Barbarian. We definitely came the right way, right? That's what I thought."
"Me too. And keep your voice down."
Unless some prankster murder kid had moved the corpse here as a sick joke, we'd 100% blended into the surroundings again and lost the path.
"..."
That's why it felt like the corpse appeared out of nowhere.
Fuck, we're lost.
The brush encircling the jungle... was still there. Could we get out by hacking through it? No clue. Maybe the brush itself was some illusion beast messing with human judgment.
"Let's grab his stuff first."
"No. Hold up."
I stopped Kobson from touching the corpse.
"No bugs on it. I think those flowers are poisonous."
"Hmm, makes sense. Maybe the flowers bloomed first and kept the bugs away?"
"Logically, yeah."
But we couldn't just skip the corpse.
"Grab a stick."
To block any flower toxins, I wrapped cloth over my nose and snapped off a long branch. We could probe from a distance.
That sword was worth taking, at least.
"Gotta use your head. Let's search it."
"Right."
-Rummage, rummage.
We used the long branch to knock off the flowers from afar and search the corpse.
Sure enough, not a single bug anywhere. Totally bizarre. Even if the flowers were toxic, the jungle's teeming with life.
Nothing's absolute.
Normally, stag beetles and larvae would be swarming a corpse like this.
But this one, clearly dead a while, showed no such damage. It looked pristine, like he'd just fallen asleep.
The flowers' poison again?
That potent?
Scared of the poison, should we run?
No answers, all mysteries.
This sudden jungle was as inexplicable as its cause. And no visible external wounds either.
...This is fucking terrifying.
What the hell happened.
Nothing special on the corpse. Honestly, poison fears make me hesitant to take anything anyway.
"Ah, fuck. Take this sword? Or nah?"
"Wasn't thinking about it, but now it's creepy."
"Fucking hell."
I hooked the branch end on the saber hilt and dragged it slowly. Then, like catching a dragonfly barehanded, I reached out and gripped the handle.
"Hmm..."
"You okay? Dizzy or anything?"
"Seems fine."
I plucked a leaf, tilted my canteen to wet it slightly, and carefully wiped the blade. No discoloration or powder.
-Whoosh.
I swung and tossed it—no issues. The flowers were only on exposed flesh, not the blade. Good to go.
Equipment item acquired.
"Heh heh heh, at least we got something. Feels better."
"Yeah."
We'd seen an ominous corpse, but snagging a valuable item lifted our spirits fast. Still midday. We could find the path, I brainwashed myself muttering. We'd already descended into madness.
"Uwaaaaaah."
"Ugaaaaaah."
-Slash! Slash!
We slashed wildly through the brush, desperate to escape the jungle, but greeted not by the outside—another jungle.
Gonna lose my mind, fuck.
The South American remote legend kept creeping into reality. Nightfall might really fuck us. Unknown night raiders could be watching...
"Damn...! Barbarian! Sorry! My fault for suggesting we come in!"
"No! Nothing to apologize for! We're partners!"
"Heh heh heh! Right!"
"Kekeke! Yeah!"
After our frenzied sprint, we checked around and returned to the origin. An experiment of sorts, but the scenery felt shifted despite the short trip.
Even marking trees with slashes felt off somehow.
Kobson and I were probably delving deeper into the jungle.
Just as despair welled up and we nearly howled.
-Swish!
"S-Something's there...!"
"I saw it too!"
We dove for cover, swords ready, watching the wildly shaking vines. What now? Another monster? Or... bandits? I'd take the latter gladly.
Please. Be human...!
-Rip!
"Gasp!"
"W-What the fuck!"
Emerging through the vines—
-Something humanoid, standing on two legs.
"A beauty?!"
"..."
"B-Barbarian! A beauty! A beauty appeared!"
-Beauty.
It was a dryad—one of those cursed plant monsters that Kim Katt, the flame magic swordsman from back then, had slain.
"You fucking idiot."
This crazy bastard!
It's a monster!
"Beauty...!"
Suddenly, Kobson sprang up.
Aggro pulled. Our eyes met the dryad's.
"H-Hey, you idiot! Are you insane?!"
Kobson gaped, eyes glued to the dryad, ignoring me completely.
It was a decent-looking monster, sure.
-...?
Spring-green skin that looked supple, a healthy figure.
Lush breasts and radiant golden hair—irresistible to any man. Innocent face contrasting with seductive upturned eyes.
And the outfit? Barely vines and leaves covering the essentials—lewd as hell. Eyes popping made sense.
Though compared to Cloudia, not even 10% the beauty.
-Saa?
Sudden development.
The dryad smiled faintly and approached us slowly.
"T-That fucking bitch...!"
Not baring teeth... smiling? Smiling's advanced communication. No mere monster could do that.
Palpable malice.
Grip tightened on my sword.
-Step.
Then.
"You fucking asshole! Snap out of it!"
Suddenly, Kobson stepped forward.
What the hell? His eyes were glazed! Shit! She's charmed him! This guy's lost it!
-Hee hee.
She giggled eerily at the sight.
But wait.
Looking closer, this dryad was a bit different from the ones I'd seen.
-Flowers on her head.
The same big pink ones from the corpse.