Chapter 341
Chapter 341
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 341
Chapter Title: Those Martial Arts Guys
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"Urgh...!"
Every breath felt like my mind was drifting off to some distant place. This was the limit. I couldn't push any further. I felt like I could pass out any second. Had Lizette woken up? She was still lying next to me, out cold.
From what I could see, her bare skin was covered in blood, with ugly bruises here and there. Looked like she'd taken a few hits while backing me up from behind.
But we'd cooperated, so we survived.
If we'd gone at it separately, we would've been 100% fucked.
Thud, thud.
The passersby around us stared at our battered forms for a bit before going on their way. A few of them lingered, eyes glued to us—probably thieves eyeing my pockets while I was out, or pervs after Lizette's tits.
Or both.
I spotted a couple rapists who looked like they were planning to drag the unconscious Lizette into some dark alley and blow their load.
"You fucking bastards... get lost...?"
Lizette rasped it out, catching on. Her savage tone made a few gawkers slink away. The stubborn ones stuck around, though.
"Ah... fuck."
No matter what, sprawling out here was asking for trouble. The second I blacked out, I'd get pickpocketed for sure—no bullshit.
That kind of petty crime happened every damn day, even outside the slums.
Hell, even the city guards—who were supposedly in charge of public safety—would rifle through the pockets of passed-out drunks without a second thought.
To avoid that, I had to get up and head somewhere safe... but I couldn't move anymore. After all that crap, passing out here and getting robbed? I wouldn't be able to stand it.
"De... Dezja... aa..."
I desperately tried to lift my upper body, but it felt like my body was sinking into the ground like quicksand. Was I seriously getting dragged off to hell like this? Wonder how Berbaja's doing.
The more I tried to get up, the more my consciousness faded.
My eyelids felt like lead weights.
That's when—
"H-Hey! L-Lizette Instructor!"
A somewhat familiar voice rang out.
It was Mariel.
...So Lizette the bitch survived after all.
"What the hell is...!"
"Ugh... ah... Mariel..."
"W-What happened! This!"
Her panicked voice was grating on my nerves. From the sounds of it, she was trying to help Lizette sit up.
"Shut up... urgh...! Get me to the relief monastery... hack... ugh..."
"H-Huh? Lizette Instructor! Stay with me...! And who's that next to you? The Heavenly Demon?!?!"
Fucking loud.
She better not be activating her weakling-hater mode and smashing my skull. Honestly, we'd basically cleared the air between us. Let's keep it civil, please.
"Heavenly Demon! Answer me! What the hell happened with Lizette Instructor!"
After seeing this, that's the question you ask?
Lizette's voice had gone silent—she must've passed out.
"You want... the truth...?"
"Yes!"
But I couldn't tell her now.
"Ugh..."
"Snap out of it!"
My consciousness couldn't keep up with reality anymore.
Everything blurred into a haze.
And I was pulled into a dream.
"O-Oppa...! Are you okay...!"
In a hazy space where I couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality, Lina's voice echoed. You carrying me? No way in hell. You'd snap your back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ My skin had turned blue-black.
Because that bitch Lizette had beaten the shit out of me, leaving bruises all over my body. Right now, my whole body was purple as fuck—if we shot Avatar 2, I could play a Na'vi no problem, no excuses needed.
James Cameron-approved makeup!
What was I, some Blue Man?
"Fucking hurts, shit."
I'd come to in the relief monastery's group treatment room.
Maybe a day had passed since I blacked out? Vague memories surfaced: Lina hauling me here, the nuns treating my wounds. Mariel yelling something, too.
Murmur, murmur.
Not a quiet place, being a group ward and all.
I looked around: busy nuns scurrying about, patients being wheeled in, a few heading out on their own two feet.
Where was Lizette?
"..."
She was on the bed next to mine.
Couldn't see her body under the blanket, but her face was bruised purple too—we'd make a matching pair in Avatar.
You be Neytiri, you fuck.
I'll be Jake Sully.
Anyway, she was sleeping soundly.
"Eek...!"
Fragmented memories of the nuns' heals piecing me back together surfaced, but Lizette's punches weren't normal—they'd rocked my internals too.
Even slight movement fucking hurt.
Checking my body status was a bitch.
During the fight, the crisis had numbed it, but damn, I'd gotten wrecked. The pain was insane—worst since that time I used Body Reformation and fucked up my mind with freakish internal injuries.
The difference? This was pure physical trauma.
Couldn't even get out of bed.
I could force it if I gritted my teeth, though.
Goddamn, Kim Katt lives a hard life.
"O-Oppa, you feeling better now?"
"Yeah... you here? Thanks to you, I am."
Lina was sitting by my side.
That tiny body had carried and dragged me all the way here. Maybe she felt indebted for various things I'd done. Time to repay her.
"Thanks, Lina."
"N-No, it's just... you helped me too, so..."
This kid.
"I'll give you a reward."
"R-Really?!"
"Check the shelf up there for my clothes."
"This one?"
The nuns had stripped off my top for treatment.
They'd unequipped my trashed Quilted Armor and gear, piling it all on the little shelf nearby. No sword in my stuff, fuck.
"Yeah, that Quilted Armor. Money pouch inside?"
Lina rummaged for a sec.
"Ah... yeah, there is."
Luckily, the cash was untouched. Lina pulled out the pouch.
Well, unlike regular isekai randos, priests and nuns serving gods don't touch others' stuff. Though "others" here means "people."
So the devout folks at the relief monastery would never steal from patients.
"Hand it over."
I was grateful as hell that Lina had carried me over, saving my money.
I took the pouch and pulled out two silver coins, handing them to her. Two silvers should be plenty for a tip.
"Here."
"Th-Thank you...! Oppa!"
Lina beamed as she took the silver.
She probably half-expected something like this when she hauled me. Not robbing me was already impressive. She didn't have the guts anyway.
"Now you've got some money, right?"
I said to the happy Lina.
"...Yeah."
"Use it to buy new clothes. Stay somewhere decent. Eat proper meals. For work... well, adventurer's probably your only shot. Do your best."
Waitress at an inn or restaurant would suit her better, but no self-employed isekai folk hire barbarian orphan girls. No connections, no skills, too young—stuck being a city laborer adventurer.
Stuff like porter, herb gathering, sewer cleaning. Dangerous and tough, no doubt.
Especially since she wasn't an adult yet—higher difficulty.
But she had to survive, Lina!
Live on...!
"Got it."
"Alright, off you go. Thanks for the help."
"...Okay."
Lina hesitated as she stood, like she had something to say. I waited quietly. Last words, probably.
"...Can we meet again sometime?"
"If something comes up where I need you."
With that, she bowed and headed out. I always tell her this, but live strong like a mountain girl. Seeing Lina makes me wanna say it.
Thanks, Lina.
"Ah."
Come to think of it, I'd pulled another all-nighter.
No clue what to tell Cloude and Winia. Cloude might be thrilled if I said I got in a fight, but Winia... she'd be pissed. A lot.
She's been sensitive since the jungle drift.
So even though I was hurting like hell, I had to head back ASAP. How could I endure Winia's backhand?
I threw on my clothes, and a nearby nun approached.
"Checking out? Hmm, your condition's still rough. Better stay another day... The heals didn't take as well as they'd like."
"Someone's waiting. I'll come back if issues pop up."
"Alright then. Hope we don't see you again."
"Heh, yeah. How much?"
"One silver."
Still pricey.
"Here."
"Don't get hurt again!"
"You too, Sister."
I fished out a silver and handed it over. She noted it on her clipboard, wished me well, and bowed.
Time to go, then—
"Eek, fuuuck..."
Lizette stirred, groaning as she slowly opened her eyes. This bitch was up too. Blinking at me, she suddenly scowled and said,
"...What the hell's this blue fucker?"
"What? Fuck you too, Smurf bitch."
Lizette's red hair mixed with her bruised blue face made her look like Taiji Lizette. This cunt deserved a Geon-gon-gam-ri beatdown.
Swish.
She lifted the blanket to check her body.
Everything but her tits was black and blue.
I figured they'd stripped off that tube top, but nope—they'd left it on, being a girl and all.
"Ah, fuck... Hey. Scars on my body, you bastard."
"Your face has 'em too. So what? Looks badass."
"Ugh, you thug fuck. That's how you talk to a woman?"
The scars on her arms, shoulders, and abs actually suited her fierce image. Proof of a warrior.
"Woman, my ass. Finally got some self-awareness, huh?"
"Hey, can't you tell by my tits? You scarred up a girl's body, asshole."
No, fuck.
"...You wrecked my gear too, don't act all high and mighty. Can't you see I'm bruised?"
"..."
An awkward silence fell.
Sure, Lizette pulled some shitty moves, and my gear was all trashed, but without our unholy team-up at the end, we'd both be fucked side by side. No Avatar 2 for us then.
It all started with her anyway.
But shitty or not, comrades are comrades... No rage boiling up.
Didn't feel much at all.
"Bitch. Anyway, what about my armor and sword, you fuck?"
"Ah fuck what. You trashed my claws and body too, you dick-thug."
She pointed at the pile of scrap that used to be armor, countering me. Ugh, fuck. Couldn't kill her over this.
Not skill-wise or socially.
Staring down at Lizette like that, she averted her eyes and said,
"Whatever... come to the slums with me."
"Slums?"
"If you're pissed, let's go squeeze money outta them together. Those bastards need to pay for their shit."
Exactly.
"With you and me teaming up, we can rip 'em off big time. Whaddya say?"
Now almost every fucker in the slums was our enemy. To heal these wounds, nothing but cold, hard coins stained with humanity's grudges and screams would do.
I finished dressing, turned my back to her, and said,
"Sounds good! Fuuuck!"
Team up with Lizette to recoup losses—easy!
"Let's rob those bastards blind!"
"Knew I liked you for a reason."
No need to bring up that escape drama.
We were already united by one goal. Forget past grudges for bigger future bucks. Me and Lizette together? Cleaning out the slums would be a breeze.
Primitive friendship, maybe.
Like a proto-guild.
"Hey! You two! No cursing in the monastery!"
"Ah, sorry!"
With that, I promised to link up with Lizette the bitch later, grabbed my creaky body, and headed back to the inn.
Wait, fuck.
Moving hurt like hell every time.
Maybe ask Cloude and Winia for a massage.