Chapter 111
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: 12th Floor - Lv. 355 Straggler Clans (2)
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Reality isn't a comic or novel.
Villains in fiction are usually portrayed as irredeemable trash you wouldn't even bother associating with.
In reality, that's almost never the case. If you went looking for one, maybe you'd find it somewhere, but still.
Even if they're villains, mafiosi, or cold-blooded killers without pity or tears, most of them are just people.
They might act wicked when it suits their needs, but on a whim, they could just as easily do a good deed that day.
Finding someone who isn't like that would be far harder.
It's not about innate goodness or evil. As long as you're living as part of society, it's more profitable to at least pretend to have some basic decency.
Anyone who isn't a complete idiot knows that.
In that sense, the vampires aren't particularly good or evil either.
The immense power that comes with being a vampire might be something to envy in a novel.
But if I became a vampire and had to live with it in reality, it wouldn't be nearly so glamorous.
From not being able to step out in sunlight to all sorts of other penalties—they hit much harder in practice.
Back in the game days, vampires were a solid race as long as you covered their weaknesses well.
The Labyrinth is different.
You can't log out.
You can't just cherry-pick the perks and ignore the downsides.
So vampire life comes with its own set of hardships.
A planet without days like this must be paradise for them.
That's why the vampires decided to be lenient even toward an Exile vampire.
Something like, "We're kin, so let's help each other out."
In this era, they're no longer the powerhouses they once were.
It's more accurate to say they've been backed into a corner where they have to emphasize their shared vampirism.
The tides of time change many things.
Pushed to the fringes, they no longer have territories they can call hunting grounds. No need to sneak around at night for blood anymore.
Now it's all about money.
This artificial planet, nominally part of the alliance, might lack laws, but it has capital.
The declining vampire clans started earning cash to survive.
The vampire clans that once prized their traditions and order are gone.
All that's left are corporate crime syndicates.
If Barbaroi had fled from the Imperials during that earlier era, they might have been naturally accepted.
How could they turn away a group that size when they're desperately trying to band together under the banner of kinship?
But now, those straggler clans from back then form the backbone of the federation. What a joke.
The Labyrinth's history always shifts like this in entertaining ways. It was one of the fun parts even back in the game days.
Anyway, now that vampires are the underdogs, they're all ears for rumors.
Most of it won't affect them right away.
But for those who have to live through long centuries, who knows when disaster might strike.
The intel they gathered with senses on high alert reached me without much hassle.
"The capital fell, huh. Shame the Emperor survived."
"You shouldn't go spouting that everywhere. Plenty of planets full of Imperial expats, after all."
Exiles' thirst for rumors is a well-known fact.
The vampires were generous with me, a fellow kin. Attitude like, "You gotta know this stuff to survive, right?"
We chatted a bit more casually, but it seemed the fact that an Exile was at the heart of the war hadn't leaked.
The War God probably didn't have enough followers for total control, so the Empire must have clamped down on it.
Not great for the Empire's image, getting played by a single Exile like that.
"What of the God of Discipline? Did He not support the war?"
The vampire just shrugged at that.
It's been ages since the God of Discipline rose as humanity's sole religion.
That time was apparently enough to turn the human species into ruthless merchants without blood or tears.
"Those humans... They're jacking up blood prices every day. Tough world out there."
Even if vampires are underdogs on the big scale, one-on-one, humans still fear their superhuman strength in the shadows.
They just lose influence in the light, but vampires will always get by fine in the future too.
Plenty hawk immortality as bait.
The word "vampire" itself is slang for a money-grubber, after all.
And yet here they are, getting bled dry by humans.
I couldn't help snickering, so the vampire shook his head ruefully.
"Well, survival's not an issue for an Exile like you. You've got human allies. I once dreamed of becoming an Exile myself."
"You realized it's impossible."
"Yeah, I could tag along maybe. But that's not what I wanted."
"The Exiles you dreamed of as a kid were probably different from the real thing."
"Haha, I was young. I turned around twenty, I think."
"How many years you got?"
"A century? Still a kid by vampire standards."
Overall, it was a friendly vibe. After some small talk, I said I needed a break and headed upstairs.
No physical fatigue, but mental wear builds up no matter the race.
The vampire waved casually.
I slipped into one of the two rooms we'd booked.
Sure enough, surveillance was already in place.
And tails followed me up.
They might smile to your face but plot behind your back—that's normal.
If they didn't, you'd be dead already.
These days, the Girl had been steadily counting the days.
Not from the start, but because Uncle's iron wall seemed pretty solid even to her.
It was right before winter break in her senior year anyway. She was almost twenty.
To be honest, she thought she'd win the bet.
At some point, she could tell Uncle was subtly aware of her.
And trying his hardest to act like it was nothing.
It was a nice room, complete with a mirror. She stood in front of it, checking herself out.
First, a body check—like always, even outside.
She never skipped stretching to keep limber.
The Jeong Family didn't inherit typical genes in many ways, so their muscles barely bulked up no matter what.
The Girl was the same. Slim frame, petite build.
At a glance, she didn't look superhuman, let alone athletic.
Her skin didn't tan easily either, so she came off like a shut-in bookworm.
Of course, Uncle shot that down flat. "Nah, you don't look like a good student."
"That's an insult, right?"
"Hey, saying you look smart isn't an insult. It's just that you look so average, there's nothing else to compliment."
"Oh yeah?"
Something like that. She decided to take it positively.
Meant there were plenty of things to praise, right?
She thought so herself.
Doing bare stretches in front of a mirror was way better.
Superhuman or not, she was still human at base. The body worked the same way.
Just with more output.
Mirrors weren't common in medieval fantasy worlds. She'd never seen one for real.
At best, she'd glimpsed herself in the Healing Spring. Seeing herself so clearly was a rare treat.
The changes in her reflection didn't match her memories at all.
"Looking a bit more like a big sis now."
Her sister, who she could never see again, had been tall. About average male height.
But no real talent for physical stuff.
They should've swapped builds, her dad often lamented.
When she was younger, they hoped she'd grow more, but even at the end of senior year, no dice.
Still, the girl in the mirror now looked noticeably sleeker than before.
A few centimeters could change your look this much?
And her proportions felt different too.
No one in the Jeong Family looked muscular on the outside.
Normal workouts didn't stress them enough for growth.
They just looked like skinny priests. Not even pretty muscles.
But now, the Girl had a sporty vibe at first glance.
Balanced, like someone who worked out.
She loved it. Back at school, she looked no different from the kids glued to their desks. She'd worry a bit about gaining weight.
Sure enough, slack off a little and it piled on fast.
Her face had changed too. She didn't hate her childish features, but it wasn't her goal.
A touch more mature?
She was starting to resemble her big sis in lots of ways. And her sister had been a total beauty. Good sign.
"Hehehe. Forty days gone."
"What's that, sis?"
Her lanky little sister stretched out on the bed, blinking sleepily. She looked dazed, not fully awake. Could've slept more, but insomnia was common for Exiles.
They kept dozing off and snapping awake.
"Nah, nothing. Go back to sleep."
No need for the baby to know.
Subjective time: she'd entered the Labyrinth on November 21st. A few days and she'd turn twenty by Korean age.
Actual birthday was Children's Day, so half a year left, but whatever.
Lately, she felt confident she could take Uncle in close-quarters combat.
She'd already crushed a hero unit, after all.
Okay, the dual-wielder hadn't even drawn before she smashed her, so not a pure win.
But she could overwhelm with raw stats now, to some extent.
Even Uncle.
And she was growing into quite the beauty, by her own reckoning. Could a cute girl like her make him fold?
Smiling, she posed this way and that in the mirror.
Even in kingdom-era transitions, some future-era Exiles appear depending on luck.
But rarely do you face a full society instead of just scattered future troops meant as hurdles.
This could shock party members in its own way.
I figured I'd observe closely while handling business.
The youngest didn't worry me much. Faith is the ultimate mental armor.
The Hunter had a firm goal right in front of him, so he'd be fine.
Same for the others. The old man and little mage each had clear purposes.
The Girl, though? No real goal. Just vaguely "get home." Not enough clear motivation since she'd suffered less.
Makes sense for a first Run.
So I'd keep an eye out.
"Hm."
Wasn't planning to sneak up silently.
But somehow I did, and there she was striking weird poses in front of the mirror. Kinda dumb, but cute.
Absurdity leaked my presence.
"Waaah! How long you been watching?!"
"Settle down. Someone might think I peeped in the bath."
"Aaack!"
Embarrassment's universal.
I shook my head and shut the door.
"No! Don't just leave! Say something! Anything!"
I scattered into bats and returned to my room. Her screams echoed for a while.
Was her motivation purely me, innocent as that?
Dangerous.
The God of Nature slyly chimed in.
"She's still a kid."
"Well, she's a minor, anyway."
"Dunno. She wants to go home, so I'd like even the little things to feel like back there."
"Her way of leaning is a bit..."
This guy always knew just enough to be creepy.
The Petal Fairy God said it in a sweet voice, chuckling softly.
Time passed. Naturally, party decisions were mine alone, effectively.
Even if I asked for opinions, they all trusted me blindly—no opposition possible.
Unintended dictatorship, but I'm used to it.
No need for more vampire chit-chat.
He suggested a place we had to hit anyway.
"You're planning to use the [Anvil], right? You'll need dwarves for that. One rock dwarf lost his house because..."
"A Healing Spring popped up in it?"
"We can't detect it, but can't enter either. Gotta be that."
Common when population density rises and an Exile appears in the future era.
But there was another issue.
"This dwarf's a big shot. Every weapon flowing into this place passes through his hands."
"Oh, spring in the mansion, huh."
"Having a spring at home ain't bad at all. Whaddya say? Help him reclaim it, get on his good side. Dwarves crave the [Anvil] too."
The [Anvil] isn't protected like a safe zone—everyone knows when it spawns.
But as an Exile-set object, it needs an Exile to use.
No era has replicated its mystical forging with magitech.
In every Run, dwarves covet the [Anvil].
Sometimes, spawning with one is a boon in itself.