Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Black Mage's Request
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Gyaaaaah!!!
Since it was a sneak attack, I kept the battle cry in my head. I charged at the Scale Wolf that was frantically tearing into the Noll's corpse, sword tip extended.
—Kruk?
But its wild instincts were faster.
The moment it spotted me, it tossed aside the Noll's body and bolted in the opposite direction.
"Gibson!"
"On it!"
But on the other side, Gibson was already waiting.
This was the beauty of party hunting. The Scale Wolf slammed on the brakes like a startled cat at the sight of Gibson and veered sideways.
By then, I'd already caught up. I swung my bastard sword down at its running back. The strike, loaded with my full body weight, had enough force to cleave it in two.
—Thwack!
"Damn it!"
A curse burst from my lips.
The blade had only sunk halfway into its spine. It hadn't fully severed. Damn it all. I'd aimed to split it clean in half with one blow, but it was a bit shallow. The scales' defenses must have been the culprit.
—Queeeek!!
Shallow or not, it was still a critical hit. The beast rolled on the ground, screeching in agony. It looked like it hurt like hell. If someone hacked an axe into my spine, I'd be writhing and screaming too.
—Kireeeek!!!
It kept vomiting pain, thrashing on the ground until it flipped belly-up. The blade must have nicked a nerve.
Its belly had no scales, leaving the vitals wide open. I raised my sword to put it out of its misery.
"Move!"
"Huh?"
That's when Morris charged in, axe raised.
—Clang!
He shoulder-checked me hard and shoved me aside, then cleaved the Scale Wolf's head from its body with a single axe blow. Impressive technique. Clean as a professional lumberjack's—no wasted motion. I was in awe.
Mainly because I'd taken the shoulder-check. Yeah, awe all right. What the hell was this bastard's problem?
"Whew! Got one!"
Morris wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. He looked ridiculously refreshed, the old man.
"Hey, old timer. Why shove people around like that? Huh? I almost fell."
"Eh? Oh, sorry about that. Can't be helped when you're killing monsters."
This guy's been pissing me off since earlier. From experience, types like him always stir up trouble at the end. To nip it in the bud, I decided to call him out now.
"I had it in a killable state. Was that really necessary?"
"Calm down. I killed it, didn't I? You might not have managed it."
"The thing's down with a sword in its back, writhing—how the hell wouldn't I kill it?"
"..."
"I'll let the bossy tone slide once, but keep being rude like this, and I'm gonna have a problem."
"...Fine."
Morris turned away.
Having grown up in a Confucian country, I generally respect my elders, but that doesn't mean I put up with bullshit. Adults gotta earn that respect.
I've shed enough blood with party members to toughen up, so now's the time to speak my mind and live.
"Simple enough."
Gibson walked over and said.
"Let's skin it, then. The Scale Wolf's value comes from this scaled hide."
I pulled out my knife to start skinning. The one I'd extorted from that thug last time. I'd kept it in my pouch instead of selling.
"Hmm, how to go about this."
I sliced open its belly. No expert tanning knowledge, but as an adventurer scraping by, I'd picked up the basics peeking over shoulders.
Carefully expose the meat, slice the tissue, peel the hide... Trickier than I thought. It wasn't going smoothly. The thing was big as a big hound anyway, so skinning it fully would take ages.
"That's not how you do it. Give it here."
Claudy, who'd been watching, snatched my knife. She looked more skilled, so I stepped aside.
"Watch."
Claudy plunged the knife between flesh and hide without hesitation.
—Slice.
—Shh.
—Riiip.
"Whoa."
An exclamation escaped me.
She skinned the Scale Wolf with expert ease, her hands moving like a top-tier butcher's. In seconds, she'd peeled the whole hide and handed me back the bloody knife.
"Blade's dull. Better sharpen it."
"Wow, perfect. This'll fetch top coin, no question."
"The back wound's a bit of an eyesore, though."
"Oh, right. That. Shit."
Monster hides fetch more intact and well-peeled. But trimming just the spine ridge wasn't a huge loss.
"Where'd you learn tanning like that? Pro-level moves."
"Basic where I'm from. But shouldn't you know this? I thought Mirkeshans were nomads."
Truth is, I'm no nomadic savage—I'm a modern Korean, clueless about skinning.
"Yeah... Left home 'cause I sucked at everything and got picked on..."
I feigned gloom. No one knows nomad life in detail, so my backstory's flexible.
"Oh, sorry. Hit a sore spot?"
"Nah, it's fine."
She gave a pitying look, but it was all bullshit anyway.
"Anyway, wash your hands."
"Huh?"
In return for the skinning, I uncapped my canteen. Her hands were bloodied from the work. In potential combat zones, clear foreign matter from hands whenever you can.
"Here, hold 'em out."
I offered the canteen. She eyed me oddly, then extended her hands. I tilted it, rinsing them clean.
"...Thanks. Feels nice."
"You earned it more."
Afterward, I rummaged the Noll corpse for its dick, but it was mangled beyond salvage. Scale Wolf had been at it anyway, so we skipped and left the body.
"Hunting a Scale Wolf this easy bodes well. Let's find the next."
"Mm... Yeah. Any likely spots nearby?"
"We'll scout from now."
Gibson and Morris said. We moved on quick. They have territories per specimen, so probably not right here.
We ignored the skinned Scale Wolf corpse. Leaving it might bait other monsters.
Trekking along the shallows, we hit a mossy zone reeking of marsh water. Damp spots like swamps sprout this moss type.
Lucky break.
Mana grass grows here.
"Whoa, hold up."
I halted the group.
"These spots grow valuable roots. Let's scout quick."
"We're here for Scale Wolves, not digging weeds. Waste of time."
Morris had a point. But I had a side quest. Needed to convince them to dig mana grass now.
"You think? Hey, old timer, check that out."
I pointed to blue grass under a rock. Lucky find. Mana grass stood out blue against the green moss.
"That's one copper per root. Perfect side cash, right? And it's not just one—tons around. Picking up free money ain't wasting time."
I scanned the group—they nodded. Money talk swayed even Morris.
"Mana grass, huh? Takes me back. Haven't thought about it lately, but this much? Worth a look."
"Heh, that weed's worth coin? Good to know."
We greedily reached for them. About ten roots lined the rock base. Needed five for the request, so close.
Anyway, forests like this teem with materials. Back in my scrub days, stuck to city outskirts, earnings sucked.
Mana grass roots looked like mini bellflower tubers. We carefully dug them up. Half an hour later, each had five-plus.
"What's this?"
Spotted a grotesque mushroom like a goblin club, pocketed it secretly. What even is it? Ask Lisha later.
"Enough side loot. Katt, where to sell?"
"Alchemy Guild in town."
"Grab every one we see from now on."
Claudy, being from out of town, didn't know mana grass.
—Kyusal.
—Kyusal kyusal.
Leaving the moss zone, kobolds appeared ahead. They sensed us, freaked, and fled. Where kobolds are, predators that eat them lurk nearby.
Kobolds rarely leave nests unless food's short, sending workers to forage. So Scale Wolves likely eyed their nest as a buffet. Near-blind, easy pickings.
"Seeing them means one's probably close."
"Follow?"
"Yeah, good idea. Let's go, Gibson."
We trailed the kobolds. Nols and kobolds nearby—swamp life's thriving. Shame, though—I needed kobold brains. Truly tragic...
Anyway, mana grass done, hides, dicks, heads get us to 40% quest progress.
The fleeing ones left clear tracks—easy trail. Over a hill, small cave ahead.
"That their nest?"
Morris said.
"Means Scale Wolf nearby likely. Let's hold and wait."
As Gibson said, we hunkered in bushes atop the hill for rest and cover. Wait for one to show, then strike.
"Ugh... Long walk's tiring."
Damn, knees aching already.
Common sense: Scale Wolves know kobold spots, so a hungry one'll come soon enough.