Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Adi and Rudian
Although I had become Adi's master, I first needed to confirm exactly what functions the fellow had.
-Without my terminal, I'm left with only rather crude functions. Shamefully, in my current state, I'm not at a level to properly support my master."
Adi answered with a rather embarrassed demeanor.
For now, due to his main body being sealed, he said that his attack capabilities were virtually nonexistent.
-If I could recover Shambhala, I could face off against even a god! Master fighting!
"...Is it just my imagination that I'm already smelling a 'fake' here?"
Rudian wore a disgruntled expression.
However, that didn't mean Adi had no abilities at all.
-In the current situation, this is the only ability that will be of direct help to my master, but...
"Huh?"
In the brief moment of hesitation, a streak of black shadow instantly covered my vision.
The identity of that shadow was one of Adi's tentacles.
'Crazy?'
SWOOSH!
Adi's tentacle pierced straight through Rudian's forehead.
'...!'
A speed too fast for magic to detect meant no time to react.
At that moment, as the indignant thought, 'Ah, I'm going to die at the hands of this swindler!' was about to rise—
When some kind of hologram window appeared before his eyes, Rudian's eyes bulged.
'Huh?'
BEEP!
-Name: Rudian
-Age: 17
-Title: Offspring of House Iskar
-Strength: 5
-Agility: 7
-Vitality: 6
-Magic: 0
-Total Combat Power: 192
'Th-This is!'
A familiar sight anyone who has played an RPG would recognize at least once.
There's no doubt about it.
Though the pitiful magic stat was heartbreaking, this was clearly what's known as a status window from gaming systems!
Adi calmly withdrew the tentacle from his forehead.
-It's not quite like a game system with quests, but according to the master's capabilities, I can observe and quantify the abilities of both the master and opponents.
It felt as if a third eye had formed on the forehead where Adi's tentacle had penetrated.
Of course, it was just a feeling, but when concentrating on the sensation on his forehead, a rectangular window appeared like a game ability that he'd never seen before.
Rudian was almost jumping with joy.
'With just this, it will be an enormous help for survival!'
Though there was a penalty that numbers couldn't be seen if the difference in ability between parties was too severe, to Rudian, that wasn't a penalty at all.
'That means they're opponents I shouldn't mess with!'
The eye to identify the strong. In , a similar ability existed called the "Eye of State."
Whether this was the same ability, he didn't know, but regardless, an ability that could quantify was one of the abilities Rudian had most wanted to obtain since being incarnated into this world.
Seeing Rudian visibly rejoicing, Adi continued in a subtle tone.
-The fact that this ability has been injected is proof that the master is an 'outsider.' It means you're a being with the authority to recover the terminals scattered by my creators.
"Still, next time, please talk to me before taking action."
Though gaining this ability was joyful, a surprise forehead poke was not appreciated.
-I'll keep that in mind.
Should this be called a phantom pain?
There was no actual pain, but due to some inexplicable dizziness, Rudian unconsciously kept rubbing his forehead while grumbling.
"So what do you plan to do now?"
"First, I need to rejoin my group."
Getting Adi as loot was good, but whether for abilities or items, he couldn't hastily abandon his role as Calline's subordinate until he gained direct firepower.
"First, I'll get through this crisis, then worry about how to recover your terminal."
-A good mindset.
Fortunately, Adi was well-versed in all the geography within the dungeon, including entrances, exits, traps, and shortcuts.
According to Adi, originally Rudian was destined to be buried at the bottom of the abyss and bid farewell to the living world, but fortunately, Adi, who had detected Rudian's presence and awakened, narrowly managed to rescue him.
'I really almost died.'
Rudian let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Truly a stroke of heaven's luck.
The thought that perhaps meeting Adi was also part of the author's wicked scheme even crossed his mind slightly.
Rudian was about to follow Adi's guidance to search for his group.
'Huh?'
Just as Rudian was about to leave the space where Adi had been sealed.
At the entrance, which appeared to be a stone wall, he noticed a skeleton sprawled on the ground.
"...Who is this?"
To have entered such a dungeon alone, and not only that but to have broken through to the deepest part and reached here?
If this person was an adventurer, they were likely among the most elite on the continent.
Whether Adi recognized this skeleton, he informed Rudian of its identity.
-This is an adventurer who invaded this place about 10 years ago. They managed to avoid the wizard's minions above and make it here, but lacking qualifications, they couldn't break through the entrance, struggled for a long time, and died.
'Tsk, so this is indeed a dungeon belonging to setting.'
To go through hell to reach the deepest part, only to find that the dungeon required a key that couldn't be obtained.
Rudian paid his respects to the deceased and then reached out his hand.
-...What are you doing?
Adi asked, puzzled by Rudian's subsequent actions.
"Collecting the remains."
Rudian's hands were quickly rummaging through the corpse's clothes.
Well, pitiful is pitiful, but you've got to take what you can get.
Originally in this world, it was a custom among adventurers to collect the belongings of those who died in dungeons.
-It feels less like a custom... And more like you're collecting valuable items.
"Shut up”
If it helps someone in economic difficulty, surely the deceased would be satisfied and attain enlightenment.
Yes, surely they would.
'This pocket watch looks valuable. Maybe around 10 gold?'
The adventurer must have been quite wealthy, as apart from the rusted equipment, there was quite a lot to salvage.
Rudian whistled while reading the name engraved on the pendant.
"So this adventurer's name is Abel. Abel Retsutain, where have I heard that name many times..."
Happily plundering the belongings, Rudian's expression suddenly froze as soon as he read the name Abel on the pendant.
"...Abel?"
SHIVER!
-Master?
Though Adi called out in confusion, Rudian couldn't answer due to the powerful mental shock.
"Abel Retsutain"
-Wh-What? Why is this name...!
The name inscribed on the pendant's surface, presumed to be the owner of this item.
Rudian stared endlessly at the remains, now reduced to a skeleton, with a dumbfounded expression.
This person's identity was none other than the name of the 'protagonist' who would be active in .
***
Abel Retsutain.
The protagonist of the epic fantasy novel , which spans over 800 chapters.
The story of 'Lee Geon-ung,' an ordinary high school student from South Korea, who is reincarnated as a child of the Retsutain baronial family in the world of , and lives an "extremely ordinary" second life.
Anyone who's read a bit of fantasy novels would have noticed, but the description "extremely ordinary" for the protagonist is the author's deception and scheme toward readers.
Though he was from a mere low-ranking noble family and was known around as just the second son of a local baron.
As the basic story of centers on the overpowered protagonist, Abel receives "talent" itself as a reincarnation bonus from the god of creation and causes all sorts of chaos.
Especially during the Second Heaven-Demon Great War, which covers the early part of the novel, most of the demon race who appear as main enemies quietly exit the stage after being transformed into Abel's experience points.
Well, though Abel was someone who stuck his nose everywhere, needed or not, and caused chaos.
To Rudian, who knew the novel's ending, he was this world's only hope and no different from a savior.
'Ca-calm down! Calm down!'
Rudian took deep breaths slowly to suppress his trembling.
He knew better than anyone, as an avid reader, that this kind of thing could never happen.
'Time-wise, this is impossible!'
Rudian recited the protagonist's profile.
'Birth name Lee Geon-ung. Age 19. After failing the college entrance exam, while looking for the reincarnation truck, he was actually hit by a reincarnation truck and came to this world. His name in this world is Abel Retsutain. Though from a local baron's family, he received the blessing of the creation god and obtained the mythical artifact White World and the Order God's holy sword Grandia, beginning his path as an overpowered character. The early part of involves smashing the skulls of demon realm seeds lurking on the surface.'
This is the early-stage profile of protagonist Abel that Rudian knew.
'Then what is this?'
His previously calmed pupils began to shake again.
Unless the author changed the setting, this person couldn't be the protagonist's father either.
In the story, Baron Retsutain was just one of the extras who appeared normally in the early part of the novel.
'There's still no other evidence that this skeleton is the protagonist.'
One reassuring point was that the tattered clothes of this skeleton were from the northern Ergon Kingdom, not the Morian Empire where the protagonist was born.
'The skeleton is also that of a complete adult... It seems too big to be the protagonist.'
Apologies to the protagonist, but according to his profile, the protagonist was rather short and had a complex about it.
The number of demons who died after making fun of the protagonist's small stature in the story exceeded a truckload.
'Then what could this situation be...?'
-Is there a problem, master?
Rudian, who had been stewing alone, only regained his senses after Adi's urging.
"No, it's nothing."
A conclusion was reached.
At present, before the start of the main story, protagonist Abel would still be living an ordinary life as a young child.
However, it was somewhat concerning that this place wasn't too far from the territory where the protagonist resided...
'Anyway, there are still about 5 years left until the main story begins.'
The numerous evil forces that would overturn the world several times remained quiet in their movements before the main story began, for the sake of the author establishing the story.
More precisely, they didn't emerge to the forefront of history and operated strictly below the surface.
'If I'm really worried, I can spend my own money to check on the protagonist's situation. Don't be afraid.'
Just in case, Rudian collected all the belongings regardless of their value.
In the remote chance that there was a point of contact with the protagonist, this could potentially create a connection to the protagonist.
'I hope my worries are just groundless.'
Rudian prayed toward the author who had dropped him here.
***
About an hour later, Rudian successfully reunited with the expedition team thanks to Adi's guidance.
Adi even showed a hologram map of the dungeon interior right before his eyes, pointing out the types of monsters and the locations of hidden traps in detail.
'...This is incredibly convenient.'
This level of assistance was no different from a map hack.
However, something completely unexpected happened when Rudian rejoined the expedition team.
"Young maaaaaaster!"
"Stop right there, you!"
"If you come any closer, I'll cut you down!"
Though Rudian approached waving his hand in delight, for some reason, he was met with only their intense hostility and killing intent.
"Wh-what is this?"
As a subordinate, he hadn't expected an enthusiastic welcome for his survival, but such blatant hostility was completely unexpected.
Derrick, who effectively led the group, pointed his sword at Rudian and shouted in a frigid voice.
"There's no way Rudian, who fell from such a cliff, could return alive and well like this! That must be a doppelganger trying to approach us by disguising itself!"
"...Huh?"
Indeed, in this situation, Derrick’s words had more credibility than the idea of returning uninjured after falling from such a place.
"Even if by some miracle you returned alive, the monsters that exist within this dungeon are ones that Rudian could never handle! How could someone who fell without even a weapon be so perfectly fine like this!"
Those were absolutely correct words, leaving nothing to argue against.
"Um, Sir Derrick, about that..."
But saying "And yet it actually happened" would only result in being stabbed.
Rudian desperately presented his prepared excuse.
"When I fell earlier I somehow managed to grab onto a branch stuck in the wall, and by heaven's luck, there was a cave-like place with a hole right below? It seems like it was created by some explorer who came before, preparing for accidents, and thanks to that, I survived."
This was a prepared excuse backed by Adi's guarantee.
From the beginning, this wasn't a situation that could be overcome with a half-baked lie.
"Fortunately, I didn't encounter any monsters on my way back either. Really! I was just lucky!"
For someone in the position of a subordinate, emotionally pleading innocence like this was more convincing than making a cool and calm defense.
But Derrick and the knights showed no signs of believing his words.
"Stop lying!"
"No, it's true! Otherwise, how could I have fallen in such a place and returned alive?"
"Prove that you're Rudian within 10 seconds! Otherwise, I'll cut you down!"
When the other party went this far, Rudian too began to get angry.
"Look, I wasn't going to say this, but Sir Derrick, last time at Harpana's Waterdrop, when you were hitting on the clerk Cynthia and got caught by your wife, and desperately clung to her waist as she was threatening to return to her parents' home..."
"W-wait! What are you saying right now?"
Derrick expression rapidly changed to one of embarrassment.