Chapter 114
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Farm's Fox (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The plan was simple.
"Set it on fire and run."
"..."
Arwen stared at him wordlessly, as if waiting for more details. But Woojin showed no sign of opening his mouth again.
Arwen glanced at him cautiously before asking,
"...Um, is that the whole plan?"
Woojin nodded readily.
"Simple, right?"
"It feels almost too straightforward."
"No choice. Too many variables."
Coming up with some elaborate, intricate scheme would be pointless. One unexpected twist, and the whole thing would fall apart.
So the best approach was to pick a single goal and improvise based on the situation.
"Safety comes first."
This was all about screwing over the enemy. If he ended up dead or injured, it'd be a net loss. The moment things looked dicey, they pull back.
On the flip side, if they slipped in successfully, they could have some real fun beyond just playing with fire.
"Might as well assassinate a few, poison the well. Top it off with arson, and those bastards will love it."
"..."
Arwen's expression turned a little strange.
"Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?"
"Feels like déjà vu."
It didn't feel like something someone else would say.
Just a few days ago, Arwen had been the bishop overseeing an entire mining city. Back then, Woojin had infiltrated it pretending to be a Dark Cultist.
"...Were you planning to do all that in the city I was managing?"
"..."
Busted.
To put the plan in his head into action, one prerequisite had to be met.
'How do we infiltrate the enemy base.'
Last time with the mining city, he'd slipped in easily by posing as a Dark Cultist...
But this enemy base had no humans at all. Disguise was out of the question. He needed a new approach.
He brainstormed a few options.
To pick the most efficient one, he spent a day scouting the enemy lines and sizing things up. His conclusion...
"...We'll use that guy."
He beckoned toward one spot. Arwen focused intently on what his finger pointed at.
A massive bull beast pulling a huge cart. It had gone into the forest to chop wood, and now it was loading the cart with logs big and small.
This bull handled procuring timber and firewood. They'd use it to slip inside the defensive line.
"Pheromones charged up?"
"Yes. Plenty."
Time to get started.
He gave the group a rough rundown of the plan, then they quietly made their way toward the forest.
Crack! Craaaack—!
The sound of chopping firewood echoed. Woojin and Arwen crept closer. Soon, a bull came into view, chugging booze nonstop while felling trees.
Woojin silently signaled. Arwen caught on and activated her ability.
Pink light particles leaked from her robe sleeves. She extended her hand, and the allure pheromones slowly drifted toward the bull beast.
Sniff, sniff...
The bull wrinkled its nose repeatedly, sniffing the air. A sweet, briar-flower scent. Entranced, it drooled dumbly.
'Success.'
Feeding her all those good inner cores had made her ability noticeably stronger.
They approached the bull.
As Arwen drew near, the bull dropped to one knee, lowering itself like a loyal servant before its master.
"How much pheromone left?"
"About eighty percent."
"That should be plenty."
On to the next step.
Woojin inspected the cart and nodded. Arwen immediately addressed the bull.
"When I give the signal, pull the cart. Back inside your defensive line."
"Grooo... Understood."
The bull nodded vigorously, then gripped the cart handles.
At the same time, Woojin, Arwen, and Coco crawled under the cart. They hooked hands and feet on the protruding planks below, clinging like cicadas.
"Go."
Arwen said it. The waiting bull pulled the cart forward.
The wheels rumbled and jolted ahead. Woojin looked up front—the farm's defensive line was drawing closer.
"Holding up okay?"
"Yes. Plenty of room."
They'd cling under the cart until past the line. Awkward and tiring, but manageable.
Arwen asked curiously,
"How'd you come up with this?"
"Saw it in a book."
Actually a movie. The prison break scene where the criminal clings to the vehicle's undercarriage stuck with him.
If the guards bent down to check under the cart, they'd be in a bind...
'But they won't be that thorough.'
From afar, the gate checks hadn't taken long. Unlikely they'd inspect a firewood cart closely.
As expected, the bull guards gave it a quick once-over, then opened the stockade gate without a second thought.
Infiltration success.
The cart rolled slowly. Woojin scanned surroundings, gauging the layout, while Arwen whispered commands to control the bull.
"...Charm's about to wear off."
Arwen murmured softly. Right on schedule. Bulls were powerful beasts; the effect didn't last long.
Luckily, the cart had reached a quiet outskirts area. Good enough.
"Get off."
Woojin let go as he said it.
Arwen and Coco dropped next, rolling aside like pros. The squirrel scampered after. The cart rolled on ahead without them.
The bull blinked suddenly, as if waking from deep sleep.
"Grooo... Why am I here?"
It muttered to itself, looking around. Nothing suspicious. Woojin and company had hidden long ago.
"...Drank too much?"
The bull grumbled and resumed work, diligently pulling the cart toward the wood yard.
Woojin and Arwen watched from the drainage ditch.
"Slipped in clean."
"Yeah."
Time to proceed.
"Wait here till nightfall."
The Demonic Realm's depths were perpetually overcast, so day and night weren't much different. But at night, creatures bedded down.
The farm beasts were no exception.
The rooster warriors had fixed sleep habits. They dozed at sunset, woke before dawn, then crowed loud enough to rouse everyone.
'Comes with being roosters.'
Instincts too deep-rooted to fix. The farm beasts slept by the roosters' schedule—couldn't anyway with the crowing.
'Once the garrison's asleep, it'll be way easier to move.'
Some night watch and patrols, but dodging them would let him tear through the defenses freely.
So Woojin, Arwen, and Coco hunkered in the ditch, killing time.
Then...
"...Shh."
Woojin tensed. Arwen, who'd been playing with the squirrel, shut up.
Footsteps approaching.
Woojin signaled silently. They all crouched low and crawled along the ditch.
After ten meters or so, a bull arrived where Woojin had been.
Face flushed from booze, it staggered up and stopped at the ditch. Then it dropped its pants.
Shhhhhaaa—
The bull pissed into the ditch. Held it a while—stream went on forever.
'Ugh, gross...'
Woojin clicked his tongue inwardly and signaled to move. Might as well go deeper now.
The ditch was wide and deep, probably dug by these idiots. They pressed on, peeking out occasionally to scout.
Mostly tent barracks, but some older mansions dotted around.
'Used to be a village.'
Midway point the Dark Cultists used, handed to the farm now.
Woojin eyed the mansions. Smoke leaked from chimneys—someone warming rooms with fireplaces.
Warmer, comfier than tents. Obvious implication.
'Higher-ups' quarters.'
Woojin smirked. Taking them out would sow maximum chaos.
'Wait here.'
He clenched his fist—halt signal. Arwen and Coco stopped too.
Twenty minutes later...
Work noises died down. Garrison deep asleep. Woojin slipped out of the ditch.
Crept stealthily toward the mansion.
Three bull beasts stood guard around it, silently vigilant, no chatter.
"What now?"
Arwen whispered. Woojin pondered, then asked,
"Can you charm those three?"
"If I dump all my pheromones... but is that okay?"
Wasteful, but an investment.
"Do it."
Arwen channeled her ability fully.
Shaaaa—
Her eyes glowed pink. Feathery antennae sprouted from her forehead, moth-like. And wings.
She flapped. Pheromones carried on the wind enveloped the bulls' faces.
"Gack, cough!"
The bulls hacked in surprise. Quicker on the uptake than the last one.
One tried to scream for help. But yelling needs a big breath.
Siiiip—
As its jaw opened, pink particles rushed in.
"...Grooorg..."
All three bulls' eyes glazed over. Woojin was pleased.
'Way easier now.'
Worth the inner cores.
He approached the mansion, twisted the knob. Door opened quietly. He stepped inside without pause.
'Wonder who's crashing here.'
Time to check.
Deeper in, a bedroom appeared. Someone sprawled on the huge bed, snoring.
It was... a sheep.
Oddly humanoid build and face—like half man, half sheep mashed together.
Its hair caught the eye: white wool curled in ringlets. Grew on its head like a powdered wig sported by medieval nobles or artists.
'This the Probat o.'
Probat o. Bipedal sheep.
Arwen had mentioned it often when describing the farm. Probat o ruled as the farm's top nobility.
'Can use magic, high threat.'
Crack!
Woojin grabbed its head and twisted. The sheep stuck out a long tongue.
Dead.
He slit its chest with a dagger, extracted an inner core. Small, but dense and heavy like lead.
'Not bad at all.'
Found a gem.