Chapter 43: What a Shitty World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: What a Shitty World
“What is that? You’ve been wearing it ever since we left the clan building.”
“It is an artifact called the Illusion Cloak. It has a perception inhibition function; as long as I wear it like this, I will appear to others as nothing more than an ordinary woman.”
“What about us?”
“Since you saw me putting the hood on, it likely won’t work on you.”
“I see. It seems quite impressive.”
It was a peculiar robe—a white base embroidered with red thread in a pattern resembling a thicket of thorns. She said people wouldn’t remember her well if she wore it. Being a celebrity must be a real hassle.
Still, isn’t the design a bit too eye-catching? Since it’s an artifact, I suppose the magical effect is what matters, so the design probably doesn't hinder its function.
Both Ravi and Delbaheim were finished with their preparations to enter the labyrinth. Ravi, who had hated the idea so much the first time, didn't seem particularly scared of the labyrinth anymore.
I made sure to tuck my staff securely inside my clothes, threw a navy robe over my civilian attire, and headed toward the guild.
“Unfortunately, it seems there will be no need to enter the labyrinth today.”
“What?! Why not?!”
“Because Yoo Eon subjugated a large number of Lizardmen last night. The recovery operation is likely in full swing.”
“Ah, right. That happened.”
“Whaaat...? Hmph.”
Ravi looked disappointed, but honestly, having less work to do is a good thing. I wasn't sure myself, but apparently, Lizardmen are hard to come by. Even though Delbaheim is strong, traveling all the way to the 10th Floor is still a chore.
With my current physical condition, I felt like I could probably run while carrying two Ravis in each hand, but it would still take time.
“Also, Yoo Eon. While I cannot offer much help in this regard, quite a few people might try to cling to you. I suggest you brush them off skillfully.”
“Why? It’s not like they have a reason to like me.”
“Who do you think they believe killed the dozens of Lizardman corpses currently being processed?”
“Oh, right.”
“Not just the processors, but all sorts of wholesalers and headhunters from small to medium clans who heard the news will be staying up all night waiting for you.”
“Hah. But wait, who reported all that anyway?”
“...”
“Why did you do it?”
“W-well, what else was I to do...? Stealing credit is a wicked thing. How could I possibly claim the achievements of an Iron-grade explorer as my own...?”
Well, she had a point. It was obvious how much weight Delbaheim’s words carried. When she was making that report, she probably assumed I would be joining the Mayerbridge Union.
The story of an Iron-grade explorer who wiped out hundreds of Orcs single-handedly joining the Mayerbridge Union as a rookie would have been a very intimidating piece of propaganda.
Of course, that plan went up in smoke since I didn't join. It couldn't be helped. I heard the administrators of the Mayerbridge Union were handling various follow-up tasks.
They said that by tomorrow morning, once everything was settled, the sale of the Lizardman corpses would be finalized and the money would be in my hands. It really is nice having someone else handle the paperwork.
* * *
Despite it being the crack of dawn, the guild interior was bustling and incredibly busy. Since Lizardman hide is a high-quality material used for many things, wholesalers had flocked in from all over.
Moreover, on days when supply is high, it’s easier to drive prices down. Consequently, the guild was busy trying to defend the prices while the buyers were doing everything they could to haggle.
“Good grief. It’s a madhouse.”
“Yoo Eon. This way.”
“Ah, wait for me!”
I followed behind Delbaheim, and Ravi trotted along behind me as we headed upstairs.
The guild building, built in a wide circle with the portal as its center, had slight differences in the range of explorers it handled depending on which direction each section faced.
It wasn't a hard-and-fast rule, but generally, the guild buildings facing Northwest and Northeast tended to deal with high-grade explorers.
The guild lobbies facing Southeast and Southwest tended to deal with lower-grade explorers. This phenomenon occurred because their living districts were different.
“Well now, a distinguished guest has arrived.”
“Sir Dexter. As I mentioned previously, the person who subjugated the Lizardmen currently in the disassembly center is this man.”
“Yes. That’s me.”
The man was Arthur Dexter, a figure who held a position on the Guild Management Committee located on the 4th floor of the Southwest lobby. He was a typical middle-aged man with a bandage over his right eye, shaggy brown hair, and a scratchy beard.
Delbaheim had explained that he was once a Titanium-grade explorer but had since retired from the front lines to dedicate himself to administrative work for the sake of lower-grade explorers.
“Nice to meet you. What is your name?”
“It’s Aven.”
“I see. I’ve heard of your exploits. I’m told that in addition to the Lizardmen coming in now, you wiped out hundreds of Orcs and even took down an Orc Chieftain by yourself.”
“Yes... that’s how it turned out.”
“You can speak with more pride. You’ve accomplished something that even most Gold-grade explorers would find difficult.”
“Is that so? Thank you for the compliment.”
Dexter nodded and sat back down in the seat he had risen from. He looked exhausted, likely due to the heavy workload, but whatever. A Titanium Grade is practically superhuman; he’d be fine taking care of himself.
“For now, I’ll just say good work. I’m sure you have things to do. I’ll check everything thoroughly and make sure your points are added soon, so don't worry.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It’s nothing.”
After Delbaheim exchanged a few more private words with Dexter, we headed down from the 4th floor toward the workshop I had visited before. A few people approached us on the way, but I brushed them all off, telling them we’d talk later.
“Yoo Eon... have you become a celebrity...?”
“No way.”
“You know you can’t forget about me, right...? You have to come to my appraisal office... you definitely have to come to me, okay...?”
“Yes, of course.”
Dozens of Lizardman corpses, mangled by Orcs, were in the middle of being dismantled in the workshop. Because there were so many, some hadn't even been touched yet, and they hadn't even finished recovering all the bodies.
It would be evening before the processing was done. And tomorrow morning by the time the sales and other incidental tasks were finished.
“Are Orcs not used for anything?”
“No. Orcs have low commercial value. Their hide, their meat—none of it is of any use.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“And above all... it is illegal.”
“Selling Orcs? Why?”
Delbaheim hesitated for a moment, then suddenly leaned in and whispered softly into my ear.
“Orc semen... is used as an ingredient for illegal aphrodisiacs...”
“Ah.”
How horrific...
* * *
“Hmm. What should I do about this?”
“Ummm.”
“Uuuu...”
Just in case, I had cut off a Lizardman’s section from the waist down to the mid-thigh and brought the whole thing. These Lizardmen had quite long tails. They were heavy, and the part where the tail attached to the back of the waist was considerably thick.
“It’s not that there are no recipes for Lizardman tail, but...”
“It’s no good if it’s cooked. I have to eat it raw.”
“That... sounds difficult.”
“Should we try cutting it first...? Carefully, so that no bone dust flies...”
Now that it was time to start, I had no idea how to go about it. Maybe I should have hired a dismantler from the guild to do it. We had returned to the Sateria Appraisal Office, but I had to worry about the smell and blood splattering.
“You mean you must prevent any loss that might occur during the cutting process?”
“Yes. If any part is missing, it might not function properly.”
“I believe I can help you slice it cleanly.”
“Really?”
Delbaheim nodded. Come to think of it, she was right. Isn't this person a Palladium? My image of her was a bit skewed because of how she acted around me, but she was still a member of a dive party that had reached the 65th Floor.
He should be able to slice through the tail of a low-grade monster like this with ease. A human spine consists of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae, followed by the sacrum and coccyx—the part commonly called the tailbone.
Lizardmen, instead of a sacrum and coccyx, had a long, spine-like bone structure that extended all the way to the tip of the tail...
“This should do it.”
Delbaheim used her ability to freeze the area where the Lizardman’s tail was attached and then carved it out cleanly. A very convenient ability.
“Could you perhaps... cut it into segments, joint by joint?”
“Understood.”
Once the severed Lizardman tail was sliced thin by its joints into bite-sized...? No, not exactly. Once it was made into a size that could be swallowed.
'Looks like ingredients for oxtail soup.'
At least it was a size I could fit in my mouth. It was cut very cleanly. I hadn't expected much from Delbaheim, but I guess she really is a high-grade explorer.
“Are you... going to eat that?”
“Yes. I have to.”
Still, the initial segments were a bit thick. I had no choice but to cut them in half again and put them in a container to ensure no part was lost. Then, the world’s most horrific mukbang began.
Crunch
“Y-Yoo Eon... I’ll step outside for a moment... Please call me when you’re finished...”
Since my mouth was full of tail, I simply nodded in response.
It took about ten minutes. It was a much easier task than trying to shove hard bones down my throat without chewing. Eventually, I forced every bit of the tail into my stomach and stored it using my skill.
“Is it done now?”
Creak
“I-is it over...?”
“Yes. It’s over.”
I had to concentrate properly. A monkey? How exactly is a monkey’s tail attached? Connecting the tailbone directly after the lumbar vertebrae...
“Will the skin... connect?”
Lizardman tail skin felt like a crocodile’s; it was obviously a different texture from human skin. It was uncertain whether my human skin and the Lizardman hide would fuse properly.
The only way was to try.
“Whew... I’ll give it a go. Even if it takes a while, please don't rush me. I need to focus.”
“Okay!”
Ravi nodded vigorously, while Delbaheim gave a silent nod. The two were sitting side-by-side on the cot, watching me. I stood in the center of the appraisal office, making sure I had plenty of space behind me.
Alright, let’s do this. I need to feel like a tail is growing on me. I reached back and felt the end of my spine. Where exactly should the root of the tail start? When I had cut open the Lizardman’s lower body, there was a bone that looked like an intermediate stage between the spine and the tailbone.
Since I had eaten that too, I should be able to use it.
Can I attach cartilage to the end of my spine? I think I can. What about my skin and the Lizardman hide? Let’s try to fuse them well. It’s not like I’ll die instantly if it fails. At worst, some muscle fibers might poke out into the air.
‘Right here.’
I felt it as I pressed with my hand. It felt like the tail should start from here.
I focused my mind and activated the skill.
‘Come out. Tail.’
Crack, snap...
“This is...!”
It was a success. The tail came out. However, as the tail erupted powerfully from my lower back, it tore through my pants.
Clatter—
In front of me, another "tail" that I had been born with popped out into the world along with it.
“Kyaa!”
“Gasp...!”
It dangled.
“Oh, no.”
What a shitty world.