Chapter 26: Aren't You Scared?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 26: Aren't You Scared?
“Welcome, Yoo Eon! Here is the list of protocols for identifying your unconfirmed skill! To be precise... it’s a list of experiments worth trying!”
“I see.”
I took the sheet of paper from Ravi’s hand and spoke.
“Ah, Ravi. Please call me Aven from now on, not Yoo Eon.”
“Huh? Did something happen?”
“Yoo Eon is my real name, but... after forming a party, everyone seemed to find it strange. I asked someone I know to help me come up with a pseudonym.”
“Aha, I see. Aven, huh? I think it’s a nice name!”
“Do you happen to know what Aven means?”
“Hmm... Aven... Aven? Wait a second.”
Ravi made a V-shape with her thumb and index finger, resting her chin on it as her eyes darted around in thought. Then, she disappeared back behind the curtain, seemingly to rummage through her bookshelves.
I hadn't exactly been demanding an answer, but since I had some time to kill, I decided to check the list Ravi had given me.
‘Research and Identification Progress for [Musculoskeletal Swap] (Tentative Name).’
It was a document written with grand ambition, resembling something of a bucket list. It listed about twenty different actions to attempt, several of which I had already tried.
‘Simultaneously utilizing the blood/muscles of two or more different species!’
“Tried that.”
It was possible to use Direwolf blood alongside Ursus blood and muscle at the same time. PASS.
‘Attempting internal organ replacement (Super-duper dangerous!!)’
“Tried that too.”
Since I hadn't come back to report my progress after my last visit to the Appraisal Office, it seemed Ravi’s information wasn't up to date. I’d have to check them off one by one. PASS.
‘Transposing muscle fibers to different locations (Example: Using Direwolf leg muscles for abdominals/erector spinae).’
“This... I should try.”
As I continued scanning down the list, Ravi walked back out and spoke.
“Yoo Eon! No, wait. Should I call you Aven?”
“Well, you know my real name, Ravi. It doesn't really matter what you call me.”
“Mhm. I see! Anyway... ah, did you look over the list?”
“Yes. I’ve already tried a few of these.”
“Really?! Let me see!”
Ravi placed her hands on the bed I was sitting on, struggling to climb up beside me. I wrapped my arm around her waist, lifted her up, and set her down gently on the mattress.
“Oof, thank you! Let’s see here....”
As Ravi read down the list, her eyes grew as wide as a rabbit’s, and she stared at me.
“In-Internal organs! You’ve already replaced them?!”
“Yes. I’ve tried the heart, lungs, and liver.”
“H-Heeeeeek!! How could you pick such vital organs! What were you thinking? That’s so dangerous!”
“Well, you’re the one who wrote them down as things to try.”
“Even so! It was supposed to be approached very carefully under my supervision!”
“It wasn't that big of a deal.”
I went through the list of things I’d tried and told her the results. Ravi trotted over to her desk, scattered papers everywhere, and listened intently, recording every word I said.
“I see... It seems different types of blood can mix within your body without issue.”
“Seems so.”
“And you haven't tried anything else besides these?”
“No.”
Ravi scrutinized the list and pointed her finger at the next logical step.
“Next is this! Ta-da... bone replacement!”
“Bones, huh.”
Admittedly, I hadn't thought about bones yet. Muscles, regardless of their shape, are essentially bundles of fibers that can be separated into thin strings. When I used my ability, I felt them morphing to fit my body.
In fact, changing just the muscles didn't cause any significant change in my outward appearance.
But bones aren't fluid like that. Every animal has a different skeletal structure, so I couldn't imagine what would happen if I swapped them using the skill.
Above all, the biggest problem was....
“Do I have to chew and eat the bones?”
“Ah, well.”
It was a truly barbaric challenge—having to gnaw on raw bone. Ravi answered from beside me.
“I actually have an idea! You’ve eaten a Direwolf’s eyeball before, right?”
“Yes, I have.”
“But you said you didn't swallow the eyeball whole! You said you chewed it a few times before it went down, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Which means you can break the bones into manageable pieces and eat them! If that’s too hard... you could even grind them into powder and drink it! With water!”
That certainly seemed worth a try. If I could use bones as a skill that way... yeah.
Thinking about it like that changed things. I might be able to quickly fill in and repair broken or cracked sections. Recovery would be slow, but eventually, the original human bone would knit back together.
“And so...! I’ve prepared something!”
“Prepared? What?”
Ravi pulled a wooden box from a drawer under her desk and placed it on top.
“Ta-da! It’s a Direwolf bone!”
“Hmm. When was this caught?”
“Umm~ I’m not sure?”
“Good grief.”
So far, everything raw I’d consumed had been freshly caught—in a 'fresh' state, so to speak. While this was a clean, white bone stripped of cartilage and flesh, bones eventually rot from the marrow inside and weaken over time.
If I was going to try this, there was no reason to eat an old bone.
“I see... I didn't think about that part.”
“I do have plenty of good bones, though.”
“What?! Really?!”
“Yes. They weren't caught... that long ago. At least, not as long ago as that bone.”
“Hmph.”
Ravi stared at the bone in her hand before placing it back on the desk.
“Where are the bones?”
“Do you have some time? They aren't here.”
“Ah, are they being kept somewhere else?”
“Yes. The Appraisal Office doesn't seem busy, so if you want, you can come with me.”
“I-I’m busy! Super busy! It’s just a little slow today!”
“Hmm, right. Sure... hmm....”
“Ugh....”
* * *
Naturally, the bones I intended to get were from the Ursus. I hoped they hadn't been sold yet.
Following Ravi’s request to wait outside, I spent about ten minutes moving around and checking my condition. Before long, Ravi stepped outside, but...
‘She’s in civilian clothes.’
She had taken off her usual navy robe and wide-brimmed witch hat, dressing in normal attire.
“You’re not wearing your robe?”
“T-That’s my work uniform. I don't wear clothes like that when I go out.”
“Hmm. Are you embarrassed by the robe?”
“N-No! I’m not embarrassed! It’s just... it gets in the way when I’m moving around!”
“I didn't say anything. Don't get mad.”
“I’m not mad?!”
It was my first time seeing Ravi in civilian clothes. It seemed she wasn't lacking for money, as she was quite well-dressed. Without the baggy robe, it was much more apparent how thin her limbs were.
‘If I gave her a low kick... it wouldn't just be a fracture; her leg would probably just snap right off.’
When we entered the Guild building, it was a bit less crowded than in the morning. Most explorers entered the Labyrinth early in the day.
“Oh, I thought you were going to rest.”
“Some business came up. Have all the Ursus corpses I brought in this morning been sold?”
“They don't sell that fast. Did you come for the payment? You’ll have to wait a bit longer. Come back tomorrow morning.”
Katrina said this as she saw me entering the Guild.
“I didn't come for the payment. I’m glad they haven't been sold.”
“Do you have business with the corpses themselves? And this little lady here is.... a buyer?”
“H-Hello! I am Ravi Sateria, an appraiser!”
“Right, hello. Candy?”
“C-Candy...?”
Katrina pulled a small candy from a pocket on her black vest and offered it. Ravi reached out with both hands to accept it.
“Ah, candy. Thank you...?”
“Sure, you’re cute. Follow me, they’re still being processed.”
Following Katrina’s lead, we left the Guild lobby and entered an adjacent building. A familiar yet distinct scent of blood wafted through the air.
“Katrina. What is this place?”
“This is where we process and categorize monster corpses brought in by explorers or Labyrinth plants they’ve gathered for purchase. The Ursus corpses you brought... ah, you can go to table 84.”
The building was like a vast hall with high ceilings. Thick stone pillars supported the roof, and numerous monster corpses were sprawled across tables set at regular intervals.
This place was used by the monster dismantler clans that collaborated with the Guild. The first step was for the Guild to store the monsters brought by explorers or hand them over to the dismantlers.
Once the dismantlers finished categorizing and processing the corpses, they returned the organized remains to the Guild. The Guild then sold the processed remains to auctioneers from the auction clans.
A portion of the sale proceeds went to the dismantlers, a portion to the Guild, and finally, the explorer’s share was handed over.
The auctioneers would hold periodic auctions to sell the remains they purchased, taking a margin for themselves.
If an explorer didn't request the Guild to handle the monster and instead used it themselves or had connections to the black market, the remains would flow into the Southeast.
On table 84, which Katrina had mentioned, lay the head of the Ursus I had brought, along with various other parts. The bones, which had been neatly stripped of the messy bits of flesh and cartilage, were laid out.
“Who might you be, sir?”
“I’m the one who caught this thing. Can I take a look?”
“Ah, certainly. The dismantling isn't quite finished yet.”
Once I identified myself as the one who caught it, the slight hint of wariness vanished. On the massive table designed for dismantling medium-sized monsters, the organs and meat I hadn't consumed were lined up neatly to prevent mixing.
Unfortunately, since I had eaten the eyeballs, the head was empty.
“I’ll take one piece of bone.”
“What do you plan to use it for? Different parts are used for different purposes.”
“Hmm, which is the hardest bone?”
“The femur. The thigh bone.”
“I’ll take one of those.”
The dismantler reached into the pile of bones, pulled out a large one, and handed it to me. It was impressively sized and quite heavy. It had been perfectly stripped, with no cartilage or flesh remaining.
“Did you... use some kind of chemical to remove everything?”
“No. See these gloves?”
The dismantler held out his hand to show me his gloved palm.
“It’s Chainmail Shark skin. It’s very rough, so if you scrub with this, almost everything comes off. Cartilage can just be pulled off cleanly by hand.”
“Oh.”
The palms were covered in a very coarse type of leather. That looked quite convenient.
And so, I acquired Ursus Femur x 1.
“Let’s go, Ravi.”
“I-Is it over....”
Ravi answered in a funny, nasal voice. Wondering what on earth was wrong, I turned around.
“What are you doing?”
Ravi had her eyes squeezed shut so tightly her brow was furrowed, one hand pinching her nose shut while the other gripped the hem of my clothes.
“I-It’s gross... and it smells bad....”
“I see.”
I picked up the Ursus head next to me, held it in front of Ravi’s face, and spoke.
“You can open your eyes now. I’m right here.”
“Ah, really?”
And when Ravi opened her eyes, all she saw was the Ursus head with its eyes missing. Of course, since the eyelids were closed, it wasn't that grotesque. I held it at an angle where the severed neck wasn't visible, so it should have been fine.
“Boo.”
I expected a funny reaction, but Ravi surprisingly didn't react much. She just flinched slightly.
“What, aren't you scared?”
But Ravi’s pupils weren't focused. It was as if someone had pressed a stopwatch and frozen time.
“Uh-oh.”
Then, Ravi’s eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed like a falling leaf.
“Wait, she actually fainted from this...?”