Chapter 28
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 028
Chapter Title: Recruitment Offer
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Sometimes a cornered rat bites the cat's nose. Such bold attacks could often turn a losing fight into a victory.
Of course, not today.
"Kyaaak—!"
The hookclaw badger scraped at the ground.
With its front paws spread wide as if to embrace him, it lunged. It was the classic bear hug attack. Sink fangs into the enemy's throat, rake the back with claws to rip out the spine.
The hookclaw badger had hunted countless humans with this reckless charge... but this time, its audacity had met the wrong opponent.
Thwack!!
He thrust out his palm, slamming it into the badger's chest. A thunderous boom echoed as the beast flew far back.
Lying sprawled, it vomited bloody foam. A single gesture had shattered its ribs, caving in its sternum deep.
The other badgers panicked at the sight. Even the watching Holy Knights flinched in surprise. But Woojin, the one at the center, was simply dissatisfied.
'That's not quite the feeling.'
He'd been mimicking Bow's palm strike on the side, but no real results yet. Recreating that exact sensation wasn't easy, but persistence would bring it eventually.
......Martial arts research can wait. Time to finish off the remaining beasts.
Two badgers charged toward him.
The lead one seemed ready to pounce any second, then abruptly halted and crouched low. At the same instant, the trailing one kicked off hard.
Thud!
The rear badger leaped, vaulting over its comrade. Riding that momentum, it swung its front paw. The crouched one below snapped its jaws at Woojin's ankle.
Above and below. Simultaneous strikes from the beasts. In response, Woojin gripped his sword hilt with both hands and swung down like chopping firewood.
Snap, crack!
Two sounds of something severing rang out. The blade sliced through the incoming paw, then cleaved the lower badger's skull.
Thud.
The beast collapsed. Its body convulsed several times, as if denying death. But soon it went limp.
The leaping badger tumbled across the dirt, rolling far away. It was relatively lucky. Though it lost a front paw, unlike the others, it still breathed.
"Kik, kuik..."
The last badger let out a pained whine, then limped into the cave. It had finally realized there was no chance of winning.
Whiiistle~
Woojin whistled. Rex gave chase. The badger fled desperately, but with one paw gone, it was quickly caught.
The wolf bit its nape and shook its head wildly. A pitiful scream erupted. Soon, the snap of breaking neck bones brought silence.
"Let's go."
Woojin called to Conrad's group, then headed deeper into the cave. Conrad and the Holy Knights followed wordlessly.
Conrad suddenly asked the Holy Knights.
"......That hunt ended too easily. Were those beasts just weak?"
Woojin had subdued three with a gesture and a single sword stroke. The situation resolved so effortlessly it was bewildering. Conrad, no expert in close combat, struggled to comprehend.
The Holy Knight pondered briefly before answering.
"Hookclaw badgers are weak beasts, but their ferocity makes them no easy prey. And judging by the traces... it seems this man massacred all the rats in this cave alone."
"Meaning?"
"......He's an extraordinary powerhouse."
At the Holy Knight's reply, a pleased Conrad nodded repeatedly with a grin.
"Haven't found a free agent like this in ages."
He had to recruit him.
He'd hoped finding a rift core in the leech rat cave might net an extra hundred gold coins... but sadly, no such luck.
It was only natural, really.
No rift core would appear out of nowhere since yesterday. Woojin had scoured the cave thoroughly back then and concluded there was nothing noteworthy beyond the rats.
Conrad confirmed it with his own eyes.
"No rift core, unfortunately. We'll pay the promised reward once we're back in the city."
Conrad spoke politely. Woojin returned to the pioneer city with him.
Immediately after, Conrad led him to an office.
"The reward will arrive soon. Why not chat while we wait?"
At Conrad's gesture, a nun approached and set tea and biscuits on the desk. Fine treats reserved for honored guests.
The intent behind this hospitality was clear.
'They want something from me.'
He'd planned to grab the gold and leave, but now he'd have to hear them out. Woojin munched a biscuit and waited for Conrad to speak.
"To cut to the chase: Jin, have you considered joining the Church Alliance?"
......What came out of nowhere?
"I was planning to anyway. Bow gave me a recommendation token."
Woojin replied, pulling Bow's token from his pocket to show. Conrad looked slightly flustered.
"......As expected, Elder Bow's eye for talent never fails. This complicates things a bit... Have you already committed to them?"
"Not yet."
Back then, Woojin had deferred his decision. So Bow gave him the token and suggested joining the Church Alliance whenever he felt ready.
Conrad's smile returned.
"Then I still have a shot. Any interest in working here in the city? I can confidently offer the best terms."
Pioneer City No. 1 was the largest and wealthiest among those in the Demonic Realm. And it had one unbeatable advantage over the others.
"This is the city closest to the barrier. In other words, when the expedition begins, it'll be the first land purified. Soon, it'll draw more wealth than anywhere on the continent."
The moment purification started, it would cease being a pioneer city and become a metropolis officially recognized by the Alliance. Humanity's first reclaimed territory. Its symbolic value would attract immense attention and funds.
Prosperity was all but guaranteed.
Woojin had arrived at the perfect time. Accepting the offer and settling here would let him share in that glittering success.
Conrad laid out his pitch. Woojin, who'd been stifling yawns, found himself listening intently at some point.
'......He sure knows how to sell it.'
It was a solid offer, no doubt.
The Church Alliance was staking everything on this expedition, and Pioneer City No. 1 would taste the sweetest fruits first. Even a short stay could yield substantial gains.
As Woojin pondered...
A Templar arrived with a pouch brimming with gold coins. Seeing it, Conrad rummaged in his pocket and pulled out his own recommendation token.
Plop.
He placed it atop the pile of coins in the pouch, then offered it to Woojin with a genial smile.
"Take your time deciding. The gates of Pioneer City are always open."
"......Understood."
Fishing out just the token would be rude, so Woojin reluctantly took the whole pouch.
Now he had two recommendation tokens.
'Things are unfolding strangely.'
More options weren't bad. The expedition was still ways off, so he'd decide his next destination within days.
Outside, Woojin checked the gold in his luggage. Two hundred and forty coins.
Forty more than promised. Extra pay for guiding to the leech rat cave and slaying three badgers.
'Definitely a big spender...'
Joining under Conrad promised steady such benefits. Woojin eyed the token atop the gold. It bore Conrad's name and title.
'......Archbishop.'
Affiliation: Church of Wisdom.
Far bigger than expected.
From Woojin's knowledge, each church had only two archbishops. Conrad was among the top three in power in the Church of Wisdom.
He pocketed the token securely. Regardless of accepting or not, losing a high-rank's token would spell trouble.
Headaches kept piling up.
'Time to eat.'
We do all this to eat well and live. With far more gold than planned, he'd celebrate with a fancy meal.
Thus thinking, Woojin walked on, scanning for a restaurant. True to its size, the pioneer city brimmed with shops: underground casinos, taverns, pawnshops, smithies...
......One caught his eye.
'An artifact shop too.'
Artifact.
The term for treasures imbued with spells or blessings. Most crafted by mages, though rare natural ones existed.
Even in barrier city Yurgis, there were a couple artifact shops. Woojin used to window-shop their glass displays, noting items and prices.
'Insanely expensive.'
Back then, with over a hundred gold, he'd held back—too wasteful. Enchanted items were playthings for the ultra-rich.
But now Woojin had far more gold. Too much for daily expenses. Carrying it all was a hassle from the weight alone.
'A decent artifact would greatly aid future beast hunts.'
Even the Black Marlin Mercenary Corps had snagged multiple beasts with a single 'Unbreakable Net.' Woojin had long wanted one.
Food could wait; he'd browse the shop first.
With that, Woojin entered. A pot-bellied middle-aged man rushed out to greet him.
"Haha! Welcome!"
The owner beamed amiably. Woojin glanced around the shop, spotting cobwebs everywhere on the ceiling.
'......Business must be slow.'
Not a fly in sight. Dust coated the webs thickly; shriveled spiders lay crushed in corners, starved.
Silently surveying, Woojin prompted the fidgety owner.
"By any chance... what brings you here?"
"Just browsing artifacts. If something catches my eye, I'll buy."
"How about this one then."
The owner fetched an item from the display: a ring with a red ruby. He slipped it on, then waved his hand dramatically like a stage magician.
Chanting the activation word.
"Ignis!"
Whoosh—
A small flame flickered up from his palm. Woojin was mildly impressed.
"Works well."
"Of course! This Flame Ring ignites for one minute, recharges after half a day!"
"How much for the ring?"
"Twenty gold coins."
Woojin tilted his head slightly.
'Just matchstick-level firepower... and they charge twenty gold?'
And only for one minute.
Seeing Woojin's lukewarm reaction, the owner hastily swapped it for another: a bracelet with a white gem. He donned it and murmured an incantation.
Shaa—
White light particles gathered in the air, forming a hand shape. Woojin recognized it instantly.
"Cat's Paw spell?"
"Exactly! You know your magic. Summons it once a day for ten minutes."
Cat's Paw.
From the saying about borrowing even a cat's paw in a pinch. Conjures a hand in midair for daily chores.
'Claire used that spell handy.'
Woojin had envied it but couldn't learn—the difficulty was high.
"How much for the bracelet?"
"Ninety gold coins."
......For that price, smarter to add a bit and join the Magic Tower.
Artifacts were overpriced, spells underwhelming. Thus thinking, Woojin asked what had nagged him.
"Anything useful in combat? Like firing fire arrows or erecting barriers against attacks?"
"......Haa."
The owner sighed deeply, face turning wistful.
"Everyone expects that... Truth is, artifacts have shit efficiency. The ones you want are rare and insanely expensive."
"I see."
"Yeah. If they were common, rich folks would kick mages' asses to churn them out. Swap 'em nonstop for endless spells, right?"
Made perfect sense.
Listening, a submerged memory surfaced.
'Come to think... Derek and Cedric showed little interest in artifacts either.'
Wiser to hire people with that money. Even Golden Beetle heirs deemed buying them unnecessary luxury.
'Nothing useful for me here.'
Still, since he came, he'd look around. As he wandered...
"......What's that?"
One item snagged his gaze.