Chapter 88
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 088
Chapter Title: Capriciousness
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Setting up the outpost was going smoothly.
The troll warriors eagerly volunteered as laborers, lending a hand to the camp construction. It was all because they were promised sweet rewards for their labor.
"One at a time, come and get yours."
Cecilia called out. Cheers erupted from the trolls. They lined up and stepped forward, holding out empty bowls.
The nuns took the bowls, filled them with a handful of food, and handed them back. Fruits freshly grown by the Saintess of Flora and Fauna, along with mutton jerky. These were precious delicacies impossible to find in the Demonic Realm.
Enchanted by the taste, the troll tribe competed to join the work. Thanks to the strong troll warriors pitching in, the camp was built far faster than the Church Alliance had planned.
'The northern defense line is holding up nicely too.'
The barriers had been fortified into a proper defensive line. Large ballistae, consecrated silver arrows, and all sorts of combat supplies were at the ready.
Thanks to that, they could fend off even groups of variant abominations without much trouble.
'...But I can't let my guard down.'
The dragon that had become an abomination.
If that thing came south on its own to strike here, it would surely devastate both the Church Alliance and the troll tribe.
Knowing that full well, Woojin sat on the barrier every night, watching the north like a lighthouse keeper awaiting a ship.
Honestly, this situation was outside his calculations.
'I planned to leave the Demonic Realm for Barrier City as soon as reinforcements arrived... but things have gone sideways.'
It would take considerable time to complete the outpost. So, his plan was to entrust local defense to the Church Alliance forces and head back to Yurgis alone.
He figured that with the ballistae and silver arrows, there wouldn't be issues even if he stepped away...
But then the dragon popped up out of nowhere, derailing everything. His feet were effectively tied. Woojin couldn't just ignore it and leave.
'It's not without my responsibility.'
The problem arose from hunting that dragon before, so he had to clean up the mess himself.
'...I told Claire I'd be back soon... this is a headache.'
He was in for an earful later.
Woojin crossed his arms and let out a deep sigh. Seeing his foul mood, Braknak, who had been sitting by the fire, cautiously glanced over.
"Um... would you like some late-night snacks?"
As he spoke, Braknak offered a roasted deer beast's front leg. The aroma was tempting, so Woojin took it without hesitation.
Grilled directly over the flames, the skin had slight char marks. Woojin roughly tore them off with his hands and took a big bite.
For beast meat, it was decent. Seasoned with salt, each chew released savory juices.
"Nicely grilled. Is this salt from the Church Alliance's gifts?"
"Yes. It's one of the supplies provided by the humans."
Woojin and Braknak tore into the meat while chatting. The Demonic Realm's natives made such beast meat their staple.
It wasn't the tastiest...
But beast meat had its merits.
High in calories, even a small amount invigorated you, and repeated consumption improved physical abilities. Far less than an inner core, but over time, the effects built up noticeably.
Back in his weak days, Woojin had scavenged meat from beasts to build his strength.
'Powerful beasts have value not just in their inner cores, but in blood, meat, and byproducts too.'
That's why this situation puzzled him inwardly.
'...Why did the Nine Roses leave the dragon's corpse behind?'
Before, Woojin had deliberately avoided touching the dragon's body when he withdrew. He meant to yield the spoils to the Nine Roses.
He'd received the dragon's inner core, so the body should go to them.
The spider queen had taken significant wounds in battle, and dragon meat was perfect tonic for recovery. Her minions would surely come retrieve it soon.
Thinking that, Woojin had left the Nine Roses' domain without lingering and set off on his journey.
'But the Nine Roses... let the dark cultists take the dragon's corpse.'
The dragon's body was enormous and heavy.
To transport it intact, they cast a grand spell to freeze it solid. Then the dark cultists swarmed it like ants on a big carcass...
The Nine Roses couldn't have missed that commotion. Why had she just watched them steal the dragon's body?
And before that... why hand over the dragon's inner core so readily?
'...I just can't figure it out.'
The Nine Roses' thoughts were hard to grasp. That's why she was called capricious.
Woojin pondered her true intentions but gained no insights. Reading someone else's mind was no easy task.
Best to give up and finish his snack.
As he bit into the deer meat again, abomination howls echoed from afar. Drawn by the roasting meat's smell, no doubt.
He glanced sideways at the enemies.
'Just small fry again today.'
No need for him to step in. The troll warriors and alliance soldiers responded swiftly.
"Pin down their feet!"
Braknak issued the command.
In response, troll warriors hurled their bone spears. With fierce whooshes, the spears struck, slowing the foes. Then the waiting soldiers aimed their crossbows.
"Loose!"
Pew-pew-pew-pew—!
A volley of arrows streaked across the night sky in crimson trails. They were fire arrows, freshly fired by the soldiers.
Weaker than silver arrows infused with divinity, but they packed a spicy punch.
"Graaaargh!!"
The abominations struck by fire arrows screamed wildly. The squid-like burning stench filled the air. Chewing meat while inhaling it oddly brought out an umami flavor in his mouth.
Woojin meticulously stripped the meat from the bone while checking the battle.
"Looks like the enemy numbers have thinned out a lot?"
"Indeed... you're right."
Abominations infused with ancient beings' auras had extraordinary reproduction rates. They replenished forces quickly no matter how many were killed, but lately, their numbers were visibly dropping.
'Their breeding is finally hitting its limit.'
Not surprising.
Night after night, the troll tribe and Church Alliance hunted them down, and Woojin casually slaughtered packs in the woods during his strolls.
The weakening enemy was good news.
"How about attempting a northward push soon?"
Braknak suggested. Woojin pondered briefly, then shook his head.
"...Let's observe the situation a bit longer. No need to rush."
Terrain advantage was the greatest weapon. Defending from behind the barriers like now was ideal until the third expeditionary force arrived, then advance together.
Stepping beyond meant full-scale war with the abominations. Best to gather maximum strength first.
Braknak nodded in agreement at Woojin's words.
"Understood. Honestly, I'd love to reclaim our home with our own strength alone... but pragmatism trumps pride."
"Good thinking."
Woojin glanced at his hand. The bone was picked clean. Chatting and nibbling away, he'd finished the snack without realizing.
"Shall I roast more meat?"
"This is enough."
Gluttony could backfire.
Woojin hurled the bone in his hand with force. It spun like a boomerang, flying toward the barrier base—a deer beast's leg bone.
Splat!!
An unlucky abomination's skull crushed on impact. Not stopping there, Woojin stood and said,
"Get me some throwing spears."
"Right away."
For post-meal exercise, he harpooned visible abominations one by one.
Nothing special; he did this every night. Yesterday with Braknak chatting, today the same. Tomorrow would be no different.
As he thought how fortunate...
"...What is that?"
Woojin muttered to himself. Braknak beside him asked,
"What do you mean?"
"Over there. In the forest."
Woojin pointed it out directly. Braknak squinted hard, frowning, but saw nothing.
"...It's too far for my eyes."
"Is it?"
The distance was indeed great, as he said. But no issue.
"It's coming this way."
The gap closed. Soon Braknak spotted it too.
A creature slithering toward them, tail sweeping the ground. More precisely, it was its body. The lower half was serpentine, covered in blue scales.
Above the waist, the upper body resembled a human's. But scales densely coated it, with sharp fins sprouting from face and body.
Its bizarre form made identification easy for Braknak and Woojin.
"...A naga?"
Naga.
One of the tribes with significant forces. No idea why one came here, but it looked in poor shape.
"Grrooo..."
A groan of agony. Its blackened, rotting eyes oozed black pus.
Braknak muttered at the sight.
"...Seems it's become an abomination."
"Yeah."
Woojin thought briefly, then asked,
"Weren't the nagas doing fine? This one looks like a fairly high-level warrior."
"Well... that's what I heard too."
Braknak sounded puzzled.
The abomination naga exuded a menacing aura. Meaning it had been powerful in life. How did it end up like this?
No time for deep thought.
The naga slithered toward them. Woojin gripped a throwing spear tight, poised to hurl—then paused.
'...This one's got eyes.'
A seeing variant abomination. At this range, it could dodge a spear.
Just then, a troll warrior flung a spear with all his might. The bone blade honed from beast bone shot toward the naga.
The naga's eyes fixed on the spear tip.
Crack!
It snatched the incoming spear mid-air. A powerful variant. Soldiers loaded precious silver arrows into crossbows.
"Loose!"
Pew-pew-pew-pew—!
Silver arrows flew. But over half missed wildly—too dark to pinpoint the naga.
Innocent abominations screamed from stray hits. About a dozen accurately targeted the naga. Blind shots, but lethal regardless.
In response, the naga abomination readjusted its grip on the spear shaft with both hands.
Whirr, whirrr!
The bone spear spun like a windmill in its hands, deflecting most silver arrows. Handling it like a trusted old weapon with effortless skill.
Seeing this, Braknak grinned, fangs bared, excitement boiling.
"A fun hunt after ages... pity there's just the one."
Did it hear?
"Graaaaaargh—!"
The naga bellowed. From the forest, naga abominations swarmed out. Easily three hundred by rough count.
The lead naga aimed its spear tip at the barrier. The horde charged in response.
Woojin quipped like a well-wisher.
"Satisfied now?"
"...My apologies."
The night siege had begun.