Chapter 393
Chapter 393
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 393
Chapter Title: Colors from Space
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Looks like since we're just three people dragging Quytes along, we come off as easy pickings, so these dipshits keep swarming us. If we traveled with a full group or a fancy carriage, they'd steer clear on their own, but what can you do.
We don't have that.
"Heh heh, you must've made a killing robbing travelers around here, right? Where'd you stash it?"
"Guhhh... I don't know, you fucker!"
For a bandit who'd been sliced up in seconds, the guy had some balls. I stomped down hard on his chest and jammed my blade tip into his shoulder.
"Kyaaaaah!!!!"
The sword pierced straight through his shoulder, and he thrashed around screaming his lungs out.
"Still don't know?"
These fucking bandit scum.
With the meteorite crash, every two-bit criminal in the area had come crawling out of the woodwork. Of course, they weren't anything special. Just your run-of-the-mill thugs dreaming of a quick fortune.
This whole area's security might go straight to hell.
Bailing out quick was a damn smart move. Even if things got too chaotic, the nearby cities would have no choice but to send in the army to crack down.
Then we'd all get run through by spears and swords, no questions asked, and stripped of everything we had. Armies are scary as shit. The moment they mobilize, it's hell on earth.
"Aaaagh!! S-stop! Stop it!"
"Where'd you hide the money!"
Anyway, I twisted the blade skewering his shoulder like a morningstar, and he puked up blood while wailing in agony.
"We didn't hide itoooo!! We split it all upoooo!!!"
"So I just gotta shake down your pockets then?"
"Yeah, you fucking bastaaaaard!!!! Guhaak!!!"
"Should've said that sooner, you dogshit prick!"
—Stab!
I slit the bandit leader's throat right there. There were about fifteen of them in total, but against me, Cloudi, and Winia? They didn't have the skills or the numbers to survive.
"Man, there really isn't a single peaceful day."
Winia aimed her staff at the head of a bandit crawling on the ground. He was critically wounded and begging for his life.
"Once we get outta here, it'll calm down. All sorts of worthless assholes flocked here because of the meteorite. It'll quiet down as soon as we leave."
"Yeah, probably. Sigh, snagging that meteorite was nice, but we shouldn't head out next time without hearing the rumors first. Too many dipshits around."
"Heh heh heh, yeah. Let's avoid crowds from now on."
And with that, we smashed every last one of the bandits who'd ambushed us.
Then we took our time thoroughly searching their corpses. Not much cash, but we found plenty of stuff that might be worth even more.
"Holy shit."
"Katt? Winia? What's this?"
Every damn one of them had three or four small pebbles stuffed in their pockets.
I spread out my cloak on the ground and dumped them all out—nearly fifty in total. Could a meteorite be mixed in here? If so, we'd hit the mother lode.
"Hmm..."
Winia examined each one carefully before delivering her verdict.
"They're all junk. Just regular pebbles. Looks like these idiots picked up every suspicious-looking rock they could find."
"Figures, these fucking morons. Completely useless, the cancer of society!"
Just like she said, these retards must've seen some rocks and thought, Meteorite maybe? Heart pounding as they secretly pocketed them.
In the end, all ordinary stones.
"These pieces of shit probably never helped anyone in their worthless lives! Should just kill every last bandit fucker!"
Fuming, I stomped the pebbles to dust and chucked them far away. At least we pocketed some cash—like hazard pay. Lucky for that.
If they'd been straight-up beggars, I wouldn't even have an outlet for my rage.
"Only worthless fucks keep coming at us. Let's go."
Of course these bandit dipshits wouldn't know a meteorite if it hit them. That adventurer who sold us one last time? Just lucky or sharp-eyed.
No matter how many fell, meteorites aren't common.
With trash like this everywhere, time to drop expectations and call it quits.
"Still, it was pretty fun, right? I'm satisfied with this much."
Cloudi seemed pleased, at least. Fine by me if she's happy. I sorted our earnings with a grin.
"Same here, honestly."
We'd made a solid chunk of cash on this trip.
We'll have some expenses and Quytes rental fees back home, but we still cleared over 60 silver. Long journey, big payout. The little meteorite's just bonus.
Might learn some decent skills with this.
With that, we hustled back to Isvant. Nothing but eagerness to escape this hellhole.
Still, obstacles blocked the road now and then. If words worked, we passed peacefully; if not, we beat our way through. Bandits? Slaughtered on the spot.
Being just three makes us a magnet for trouble.
No restraint in greed-blinded fools. Some even turned to murder and pillage to vent meteorite frustrations. Attacking easy marks? Inevitable.
In short, cosmic madness had driven people insane.
...No.
Not quite cosmic madness.
The madness was already festering in people's hearts. The meteorite from space just woke it up. Yeah. Humanity's savagery isn't imported or implanted—it's always been there, rooted deep.
"Truly... horrifying."
"What, blackie?"
"The meteorite awakened the most primal emotions buried in people's hearts. Surging desires blinded them... Nothing came from space. It just revealed what was there."
"You gonna keep spouting creepy nonsense, blackie?"
"Why's it nonsense?"
I could feel it.
Like the screams of monsters still back there, crazed with desire for meteorites... That hand! That meteorite! The tragedy ain't over!
People kept flooding in for that slim chance!
"O-oh!! Ooooh!!!! Ooooooh!!!!!!!!!"
"Uwaaaagh!!!"
"Kyaaaaah!!!!"
Just like these folks who showed up now.
Regular travelers, probably. They spotted my roar from across the way and bolted at full sprint.
"...No need for words anymore."
Winia sighed at the sight.
Anyway, the return trip went smoothly like that. Day by day, the malicious types thinned out fast.
Once we escaped the meteorite drop zone, it was like breaking free of madness—only normal folk from then on.
No conflicts with them at all.
Ironically, with violent humans gone, our new attackers were monsters.
All those crowds had driven the local monsters outward.
Monsters swarmed from every direction.
Displaced ones rampaged, invaded territories sparked fury. Stressed, enraged, starving beasts poured down from the mountains to prey on people.
Total chaos.
The meteorite turned everywhere to shit.
Adventurers' workloads are about to skyrocket.
Monsters stir, adventurers get busy.
—Grrr... slurp slurp!
—Woof, woof!
Even on the road with Quytes, spotting monsters munching human corpses was easy.
Goblins, giant wolves, imps, even spirits drawn by the stench—overflowing.
Traces suggested owlbears or mid-sized cockatrices had swept through some spots.
Not a whale fight bursting shrimp backs, but nearly a thousand idiots digging up mountains for meteorites? Monsters had no choice but fight to death or flee.
"What a fucking mess."
—Woof! Woof!
—Woof woof!
—Woof, woof woof!
A gnoll pack was live-feasting on traveler corpses right now.
Gnolls rank low-tier, but thirty charging at once? Most folks couldn't handle it.
—Woof! Woof!
—Woof woof!
The dog-headed freaks spotted us and barked ferociously, bloody maws gaping. Four human bodies down.
Travelers or low-rank adventurers. Bad luck.
"These mutt fucks... Shut up already? Winia. Lunch is dog meat today."
"You wanna eat ones that ate people?"
"Better we eat 'em and teach a lesson."
"Keep bullshitting and you'll get punished, blackie?"
"Yes ma'am."
Winia chanted a spell and fired a fireball. The direct hit turned a gnoll to screaming hell.
—Yelp! Yeeeelp!
—Yeeelp! Yelp!
—Woof...! Woof woof!! Woof!
Panicked by sudden fire, the terrified pack ditched their charred buddy and scattered.
Too burnt to eat now. Shame.
"Katt, you really gonna eat it?"
Cloudi asked worriedly. Medium rare would've been fine, but this? Cancer on a stick.
"Nah. Charred meat's off the menu."
"Merfolk chew raw flesh too, no?"
"That's sashimi... Fish is different. Anyway, this is inedible."
Checked the gnoll victims' belongings.
Nothing special. Badges showed an E-rank and F-rank adventurer party. Yeah, short-handed against a gnoll swarm.
Never dreamed of this scale, no prep. Doomed.
I took their coin pouches and weapons.
—Sniff.
"No, you don't."
Quytes eyed the charred gnoll hungrily. Feed it that and we'd regret it, so I yanked the reins quick.
"Almost there now. Ow, wanna crash in an inn ASAP."
Cloudi stretched as she spoke.
"Haaah, haa. I'm beat too. Gonna rest for days once back."
Winia stretched along. I joined in. Long trips wear you out. But the cash haul warmed my heart.
"Yeah. Let's crash hard. Night watches are exhausting."
"Blackie can't rest."
"Huh, why?"
"Katt... You asking 'cause you don't know?"
"Fuck."
Guess no rest even at home.
We pressed on over mountains and valleys, finally nearing Isvant. No monsters near the city. Bandits rare too.
Rare taste of leisure.
"How many days since we left?"
"Over two weeks. Didn't think it'd drag this long. Got lost in the Mist Plains longest. Plus two rest days there."
"Took a ton of time."
Over two weeks total. Planned for ten, but Mist Plains detour killed it.
And search results? Meh.
Meteorite singleton our haul.
"Skip sleep tonight and push? Arrive by morning. Return Quytes first thing, grab rooms, rest."
"Yeah, sounds good."
"Let's do it. No issues."
They nodded.
No-sleep sprint gets us to Isvant. Final push. Tired, but we can handle it.
Quytes might tap out first.
If so, we'll carry the packs.