Chapter 101
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Strange Place
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Among beasts, there were rare variants blessed with extraordinary talents from birth.
Just like Woojin's pet wolf Rex, who possessed cunning wits and tentacles. This silver squirrel seemed to harbor some uncommon power as well.
He could tell just from its eyes. Exceptional strength always shone through, no matter how well it was hidden.
"......That one's sizing me up too."
The silver squirrel perched atop the mushroom stared piercingly in his direction. Moments later, it let out a low cry, signaling to its kin around it.
Of course, Woojin had no idea what it meant. To him, it was just squeaking.
"What are they plotting?"
Something felt off.
He had no intention of sitting there taking it passively, so Woojin stood up.
There was one thing he'd had his eye on earlier. A pile of beast bones stacked beneath the mushroom. He approached and picked up a long leg bone.
He swung his machete diagonally across it.
Crack!
The tip of the leg bone chipped away, leaving a sharp, spear-like edge. He repeated the process a few times and quickly fashioned five bone spears.
"This should do."
Woojin hurled the spears one after another. They whistled through the air with fierce momentum. But the spear tips weren't aimed at the squirrels.
Instead, the five spears flew straight toward the towering mushroom stalks, like trees reaching for the sky.
Thud, thwump-thwack—!
The spears embedded themselves into the mushroom stems at regular intervals. Woojin charged after them, leaped high, and grabbed the shaft of the one at the top like a dunk shot.
Using the pre-thrown spears as a makeshift ladder, Woojin scaled the mushroom in an instant.
"......This is interesting."
The texture underfoot was bizarre.
The mushroom cap yielded softly at first, then bounced back with surprising elasticity. It felt just like standing on a trampoline.
Ting, twang!
He bounced a couple times in place to build momentum, then kicked off the mushroom cap with all his strength.
His body shot forward like a cannonball. The squirrels panicked at the sight, scattering in all directions.
Whoosh—!
A strange wind howled.
He turned to pinpoint the source. Far off, three green squirrels gestured in the air as if shaping clay on a potter's wheel.
In response to their motions, pale green currents swirled through the air. The unnatural gusts gathered spores from the entire forest, compressing them into a spherical mass like a giant ball.
These green squirrels commanded the wind—a rare and mystical ability.
"So they were prepping a big attack to take me down."
Even with his poison resistance, they must have figured a massive dose of mushroom toxin in one hit would drop the intruder. That seemed to be their bet.
Ridiculous notion, but he had no desire to get smothered in poison dust either.
"Let's deal with those ones first."
Woojin leaped repeatedly toward the green squirrels. The mushrooms' springy force propelled him faster and faster.
The distance closed in the blink of an eye. At this rate, he'd cut them down soon.
That was the thought—until a peculiar sound caught his ear.
A wet splashing mixed with chirping like a sparrow's. He turned to identify it.
Light shimmered.
A pure white glow drifted beside the silver squirrel. Eerie light that flowed like liquid, occasionally pooling into clumps. It resembled molten silver suspended in midair.
Peeew—!
A silver beam lanced toward him. Woojin parried it with his machete.
Clang!!
The clear, ringing sound sent the light ricocheting away in a straight line.
But then it halted midair, turned, and looped back toward him. The graceful arc evoked a silver trout swimming through water.
"What a bizarre ability."
Remote-controlling the light like a drone to strike foes. A first for him.
Countering it wasn't hard, though. No matter how many times the beam flew at him, he just needed to read its path and bat it away.
He pressed forward without pause.
The silver squirrel grew desperate at the sight and suddenly leaped down from its tall perch.
Splat—!
As it spread its limbs wide, a hidden gliding membrane unfurled. The silver squirrel glided straight at him. Woojin realized its true nature too late.
"A flying squirrel, huh."
It was much smaller than the others and looked different too, which had puzzled him. This one was a different breed.
The flying squirrel glided in.
The gap shrank rapidly with each moment. Suddenly, it folded its wing membrane and dove.
Whirr—!
The flying squirrel somersaulted midair as it plummeted. Its whipping silver tail trailed behind, stiff and crescent-shaped like a new moon.
Woojin raised his machete to meet the tail.
Kaaaaang!!
A deafening metallic clash sparked silver embers. The impact stung his hands fiercely. The tail sliced like a steel blade.
Using the recoil, the squirrel flipped backward to create distance.
Peeew!
An ear-piercing whistle followed. Woojin twisted away instinctively. The beam grazed his shoulder from behind.
No breather—the frontal squirrel leaped again, swinging its tail. The squirrel and silver beam alternated attacks like a pincer assault.
Woojin's hands were kept plenty busy. He swung his machete to deflect the onslaught.
"......Now this one's fun."
Beasts with strong ranged options usually faltered up close, but this one was the opposite. It had refined its light ability to boost close-quarters firepower.
An unfamiliar talent and application. Woojin savored it, swinging his blade with relish as he traded blows.
Taat!
Suddenly, the flying squirrel vaulted back. It kept leaping to widen the gap.
Woojin voiced his puzzlement.
"Where do you think you're going all of a sudden?"
His muscles were just loosening up, but the squirrel's retreat broke the rhythm.
Why flee now?
Then he realized. Woojin glanced skyward. A massive spore orb plummeted like a meteor.
"They finished prepping while we played."
In the delay, the squirrels had swept up every poison spore with their wind.
Trapped like balloons in a clear sphere, the toxins rained down on the forest intruder.
Woojin watched impassively, then a thought struck him.
"Looks just like a thunderhead."
The spore cloud resembled storm clouds blotting the sky.
Crackle!
He summoned lightning in his palm, then casually lobbed it into the spore mass. No big deliberation—just a whim.
The result was spectacular.
Red lightning crackled within the cloud, sparking a small explosion like a popper. But it chained outward, swelling rapidly.
Boom, pop-pop-bang!!
Explosions burst like fireworks. Glistening spore particles rained harmlessly to the ground. Woojin watched in quiet admiration.
Spectacular sight.
"Is this a dust explosion?"
When combustible dust fills the air, even a tiny spark triggers a blast. First time witnessing it live.
No time for leisurely viewing.
He meant to hurry after the fleeing flying squirrel, but no need.
The silver squirrel gawked dumbly at the night sky. Stunned by the novel fireworks, it seemed.
"No sign of the others."
Its minions had vanished—fled in the blast, probably.
Woojin strolled casually toward the silver squirrel. Even as he approached, it stared skyward, entranced.
He tried speaking.
"Hey."
The squirrel startled and looked his way, expression like a kid caught sneaking treats.
Woojin held up his machete.
"Come at me again."
No shared language, but it surely grasped the intent.
The flying squirrel pondered briefly...
......thud.
It flopped onto its back. Belly exposed in total surrender.
The moment it saw the sky explode, all fight drained from it. No chance of victory from the start. Woojin had just humored it for fun.
Begging mercy now was its best play. So it decided.
Woojin considered the sight.
"What to do with you."
Spare it? Or kill for the core and loot?
No long deliberation. He gripped the machete and swung down at its neck. The blade fell like a guillotine to sever its breath.
......Had he followed through fully, anyway.
"Wow... didn't even dodge."
Woojin was impressed inwardly. The squirrel lay still despite the falling blade. He'd halted just shy of its neck.
Tremble-tremble—
Its legs quivered wildly, but Woojin admired the guts.
"I'll let it slide this once."
He sheathed the machete.
Then departed without a backward glance. Long road ahead, and he'd wasted time playing with the squirrel—time to hustle.
He quickened his pace northward.
Left alone, the squirrel lay still a moment... then abruptly sat up. Its beady eyes fixed on the man's receding back.
The being who painted the sky in flames. Where might such a great one be headed?
The silver squirrel felt curiosity stir.
Food was always a necessity.
Hunger gnawing, Woojin rummaged for sustenance. An unlucky wild boar ended up skinned and roasting over a fire.
Such large meat was tough to cook evenly through. Like kebab, he sliced thin strips from the outer layer with his dagger and ate piecemeal.
As he chewed boar meat... a prickling gaze prickled his awareness.
"......How long is this one gonna tail me?"
Atop a massive tree. The flying squirrel hid behind branches, peeking down.
It had shadowed him the whole way.
"Reminds me of old times."
Rex had tagged along just like this before joining the group.
Some differences, though.
The brazen wolf had followed openly, waiting for scraps. This squirrel skulked timidly, observing his every move.
A mild nuisance, but Woojin paid it little mind.
"If it's fate, it'll stick around. Otherwise, it'll wander off on its own."
No big deal either way.
And so the two pressed north. Their destination loomed closer.
A mountain range of colossal volcanoes. Black smoke billowed ceaselessly from the peaks. About a week's march away.
Woojin scanned the volcanic chain roughly, then eyed the surrounding wasteland. He'd come this far for the mountains, but that goal had faded to the background.
Hard not to. Something unexpected sprawled in the vast plain's midst.
"......A city out here."
Not abandoned. Buildings stood sturdy, cooking smoke rose from multiple spots. Impressively large.
What was this place?
As he pondered, the city gates opened. Figures emerged, chatting amiably. Humans.
Humans dwelling deep in the Demonic Realm. The implication was clear.
"A Dark Cultist city."
He'd found their stronghold.