Chapter 23
Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Death Always Awaits You. We Merely Postpone That Appointed Time.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
< 23 >
Death always awaits you.
We merely postpone that appointed time.
[Dimension 64]
Shwooooung─
Radiant pillars of light appeared in the center of the village square.
As the glow faded, people began to reveal themselves.
Among them, the one in the middle.
Dale opened her eyes, filled with hope and determination.
'This is the Transcendent World... I'm tense...'
Before her feet even touched the dirt path of the village, she activated her unique ability the moment she arrived.
Invisible energy began to gather in her raised hand.
A few seconds later, she launched something emitting blue starlight high enough to touch the sky.
Soon, that something spread out beautifully, relaying information to her.
Only then did she step away from the spawn point, looking around as she thought.
'Red? That means opponents I can't easily beat. Yellow means slightly stronger than me.'
Having only received a brief explanation of her ability in the waiting room, she didn't know exactly how powerful a red-level threat was.
A unique ability that detects nearby hazards based on the user's strength.
Unique Ability: [Hazard Signal]
She only knew the meanings of the colors, so she needed more specific information.
While she and the other six people turned their heads this way and that in anticipation and tension.
There were people observing them from afar, debating what to do without getting too close.
It was Dwin's group.
Shiron, whose arm had nearly fully recovered, and Manab, with his distinctive Indian features.
The three had fully experienced the dawn chill of the Transcendent World, but it was an unavoidable fate.
Unlike Shiron, who maintained a serious silence, Manab turned to Dwin and spoke.
"What should we do?"
Dwin replied, still not quite adjusted.
"That must be a unique ability. Don't panic."
"Probably... just like I did yesterday. Answer as little as possible and only say what's necessary."
At those words, Manab swallowed hard.
These newcomers had cleared the wolf quest in complete ignorance and now had to face his judgment of fate.
No one in this village knew how many he would kill today.
Not even his own group was exempt from death today.
Just as Dwin's group was focused solely on the newcomers.
An important system message that they hadn't noticed had already been revealed at noon.
I had been about to grab a slime that spawned right at noon when this news made me pause, my hand stopping mid-reach for the freshly summoned slime.
'What?'
An event?
I gripped my hand again, processing the slimes with familiar motions as I thought.
The first event...
I already knew events were coming from the ranking restriction announcement.
But that had been about the second event, the tournament. This sudden alert was completely unexpected.
For now, I focused on the event details. In that short time, half the slimes were already dead.
A tower? Monster dungeon.
Chosen difficulty levels.
With only a simple description, there weren't many clues to speculate on.
There were various possibilities, but narrowing them down:
Monsters on each floor, break through them to reach and kill the 10th-floor boss.
Or clear floors by killing all monsters.
It could be a shared dungeon fight. If difficulties match, maybe a shared tower.
Whatever the format, it felt advantageous to me.
Right now, my growth wasn't as fast as before.
It was a time when impatience to unlock Zone 3 was building.
A chance to sweep the tower rewards and grow even stronger.
If it involved meeting others, even better. I could take their experience too.
The tower's difficulty might be high.
But if it's dangerous for my current stats, others would drop like flies.
That would check them in turn.
It seemed like an event where only raw combat power mattered.
No mentions yet of cooperation, deduction, or puzzles.
'Still, can't assume that yet. I'll adjust plans as info drops daily.'
With daily reveals ahead, I couldn't assume it'd all favor me.
Growth could be caught up anytime, so at this strong point, maximize gains.
The meadow slimes were already turning to dust.
Having used Demi-God Body to catch them, I pulled a mana potion from inventory and drank it.
It was habit now: drink potions to recover mana even for minor spends, for efficiency.
Mid-thoughts on the tower, I spotted something glowing high above the village.
My high agility let me notice anomalies hundreds of meters away.
'Never seen that before. Probably a newcomer's unique ability.'
'No way Dwin and those two got taken out? If so, disappointing.'
But I didn't head back to the village.
I knew the odds were extremely low.
Dwin was level 6—weak compared to me, but superhuman to normals.
Newcomers overturning veterans was near impossible now.
The most likely time had been day 2.
Day 2 arrivals were the first from Earth who earned qualification through points.
That is, Transcendent World day 1 synced with Earth's first trials.
They broke through fierce regional competition.
And day 1 people.
Excluding exceptions like me, most were average folks.
Closest levels, no numbers advantage—first meetings between people.
The community dimensions forming a controlled, fair society stemmed from the atmosphere then.
Only a tiny few.
Lunatics like me broke the balance and grabbed gains.
I thought back to that unique ability shooting something skyward.
Looked pretty powerful.
Probably an attack skill.
Or an AoE buff?
I recalled the white guy on day 4 uprooting rocks.
One of the more impressive unique abilities I'd seen.
But level gaps trump any ability.
I dashed to Zone 2 for wolves.
Dwin's group calmly approached the new arrivals.
Dale, pondering the hazards her ability flagged, sensed presences and turned.
All eyes naturally went to the three men approaching from a short distance away.
Standing in the village square, Dale mulled over her ability's warning.
Hazard Level: Red.
Not unbeatable, but victory far from guaranteed—dangerous foes.
And the source was clear.
The three men before her.
Dwin's group stopped just short of where closing in might seem suspicious.
Recalling yesterday, he spoke in an emotionless voice.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Dwin. I've been assigned to help newcomers like you."
"First things first: Accept the 《General Quest - Compound-Eyed Wolf Hunt》 from your quest window."
Dwin immediately added to use their weapon selection right, then continued.
"To hunt wolves, follow me. This place is full of dangers—don't act rashly."
On the surface, they were Transcendent World veterans helping newbies.
But to her, who arrived seizing points, free goodwill only raised alarms.
Others might follow despite suspicion.
If not for her unique ability.
Having already ID'd the hazards, Dale's guard was maxed.
Survival instincts sharpening her, she scrutinized every move, expression for oddities.
Sure enough, no welcome in their eyes or demeanor.
Especially the leader-type who spoke: deep in his eyes, faint fear mixed with resignation.
He feared someone.
Realizing that unlocked the situation's core.
They weren't autonomous.
From there, she inferred more.
Many possibilities arose, even ambushes.
She stayed silent.
Dwin, seeing that, spoke awkwardly but firmly.
"Let's head to Zone 2. I'll explain kindly."
The six with Dale exchanged glances.
Not grasping the situation, they looked anxious but followed Dwin's lead.
Dale pretended to accept the quest while quietly observing.
"Now follow me. We go to Zone 2 to complete the quest."
The moment Dwin moved to lead.
Dale spoke lowly but firmly enough to halt everyone.
"Hold on."
Dwin turned back puzzled.
Dale met his eyes straight.
"Why do we have to hunt wolves?"
The unexpected question froze Dwin's face.
"Because... it's the quest."
Dale countered the simple answer.
"We just arrived. Logically, can we hunt wolves right away? No info, straight to dangerous beasts?"
Her logic was airtight.
The other six nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I thought that was weird too."
"Aren't wolves dangerous? No other monsters?"
As murmurs rose, Dwin looked flustered.
He clearly hadn't anticipated this.
Silence might still get them to Zone 2.
Ignoring the question pre-departure was worse.
"It's... because hunting wolves is more efficient. Better rewards."
"Efficient?"
Dale scoffed back.
"Death ends everything. Talking efficiency without safety is foolish. Any other reason we're missing?"
"Wolf hunting seems risky—suggest another way if there is."
Her sharp grilling shut Dwin down.
He hadn't expected her—quest seemingly accepted—to push back.
Patience fraying, he nearly barked an order.
The moment Dwin opened his mouth.
Manab blurted out unthinkingly.
"There are slimes! They're the weakest..."
Manab clamped his mouth realizing too late.
Shiron glared; Dwin blanked out.
Dale seized it. Their reactions weren't acting.
Something was up with slimes.
"Then slimes first. That makes sense in order."
Her words held irrefutable logic.
Dwin's mind raced.
His orders were wolves. Not slimes.
Forcing them to wolves would spark backlash.
Could turn to fights like with Shiron yesterday.
If someone died or got hurt... blame on him fully.
As Dwin hesitated, impatient Shiron stepped up.
"Nonsense! Do as told—no backtalk!"
Newcomers flinched back at his threat.
Shiron seemed ready to reveal his ability.
But Dwin urgently blocked him.
"Stop, Shiron."
"Outta the way! They don't get it...!"
"I'll handle it."
Dwin stated firmly.
Shiron grumbled but stepped back.
Dwin clearly outranked him; Shiron had no authority.
Dwin had to decide fast.
Defying orders could mean death.
But clashing now was risky too.
As his grim future flashed.
Dwin remembered something.
He answered promptly.
"...Fine. Slimes it is? Follow us."
At Dwin's okay, Dale smiled faintly.
In this brief exchange, she'd seen their power structure was flimsier than thought.
Skipping the 'ordered' wolf hunt.
Their leader's power wasn't absolute; orders not ironclad.
The ten headed to the familiar slime meadow.
But what greeted them was an endless empty plain.
Not a single slime in sight.
"What... is this?"
One asked in panic.
Slimes existed as monsters.
The word was clear in the first general quest.
Zone 1 named [Slime Meadow].
Yet no slimes.
Dale silently stared at Dwin. Her eyes seemed to pierce all.
Dwin sighed deeply. The truth had to come out eventually.
"This dimension... has others besides us."
His confession shocked everyone but Dale.
"So, the weakest monster we can hunt is wolves."
"Hunt what's left. Clear now?"
As silence fell, Dale spoke again.
Her voice calmer, firmer than before.
And her words.
"That simplifies things even more."
Dwin looked at her puzzled.
Dale's gaze swept Dwin, Shiron, Manab in turn.
"We're weak. You're strong, the three of you. But we're many."
"So, you three hunt wolves for us."
It wasn't a proposal. A demand.
Dwin was speechless.
This woman was insane.
She completely misunderstood why they weren't killing her group of seven.
Shiron glanced at Dwin, stunned by her 'threat.'
He too realized how idiotic it was.
Ignoring Shiron, Dale fixed only on Dwin. No need for underlings.
"Lead and protect us first. We'll support from behind. Share exp and items equally from kills."
"In return, we won't fight you."
Then Dwin realized.
She was cut from the same cloth as him.
Seizing control, exploiting others to survive, any situation.
But her judgment was dead wrong.
Ignored exp/gold systems.
Even level-based power gaps.
But...
In her eyes, Dwin saw yesterday's him and today's.
"...Fine. We accept."
Seeing her mistake his group's plan for her 'good proposal,' Dwin felt pity and relief.