Chapter 86
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Tin Woodman
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Dried jerky and warmed mushroom soup.
And white bread with wine.
We enjoyed a feast that seemed utterly impossible in a place like this.
"Schwoong."
I'd steadily earned some of the food through honest work, but the rest came from bartering.
Not sure if "honest work" and "stealing" really go together, though.
After stuffing ourselves, we did some light stretches while brainstorming strategies to take on the Tin Woodman.
"Hmm, hold still."
Moona's beady black eyes bored into me.
I knew he sometimes stared at me with that inscrutable look, but today his eyes were rounder than usual.
"Kek?"
What? Got something to say?
"Little wind. Do you still think of yourself as a crow?"
"Caw?"
Of course I'm a crow.
Sure, I've evolved a bunch, but at my core, I'm still a crow.
Even with that "Afterglow" prefix—it's still a crow at the end of the day.
"Hmmm... Bring your beak a bit closer."
I stuck my beak out as the sage instructed.
"Hm, this beak is just like a bird of prey's. And those talons... so thick and typical of raptors..."
So my species might be crow, but with raptor traits.
My size had definitely outgrown a normal crow, too.
"And these feathers with their subtle bluish tint... They look black at a glance, but in the sunlight, that blue sheen is unmistakable..."
Moona's explanation dragged on.
Did he know something?
With his Sage trait, maybe he recognized my species: Afterglow Crow?
"I see... Now, open your beak a little."
I followed the sage's orders.
"Caw."
As I parted my beak, Moona shoved his head right inside.
"Gulp!"
What the heck are you doing!
"Shiiiing!"
Swungswung sharpened into a razor edge.
He was probably just inspecting the inside of my beak, but to Swungswung, it looked sketchy as hell.
Luckily, Swungswung pulled out of my beak just before his sharpened edge could stab Moona's butt.
"Hm, confirmed."
"Kek-kek."
What did you even confirm going that far?
"Parrots, crows... Some birds can mimic human speech."
True.
Kiwi birds do it, and parrots are famous for it.
....
Wait, crows too?
"Caaaaw?"
Come to think of it, I'd heard that somewhere before.
"Why the look? You mimic chick peeps, so why not human words? You'll need training, but your vocal structure is perfectly capable of imitating human sounds."
"Peep!"
I chirped like a chick for old times' sake.
So my vocal cords could mimic a human voice now?
"Trust me. How do you think I speak human?"
Now that he mentioned it, this kiwi pulled off human speech flawlessly.
In a deep, actor-worthy baritone, no less.
So if I learned from Moona, I could talk like a human too?
Learning human speech would be huge.
Infamy and fame.
Beyond tracking Dorothy, building my rep was priority one.
And that mostly involved humans.
Whether infamy or fame, being able to chat with them directly would make it way easier.
Plus, it'd help with my contractors.
Moona was my pro interpreter, but even I couldn't always parse his kiwi babble perfectly.
"Peep!"
"Now, repeat after me. Slowly, one at a time. Start with basic greetings."
Moona taught me human speech.
My vocal cords weren't exactly human, so he had to guide me on throat movements and fine adjustments.
Speaking naturally never felt hard, but learning it step-by-step was brutal.
Tighten muscles, release.
Adjust tongue position.
After practice, I finally made sounds beyond crow caws.
I could fluently pronounce "Hello."
"Kwek... H-hello.... Khkhkh.... Hsss.... Cooo...."
"Shiiiing!"
Swungswung puffed up like a startled cat.
Moona winced too.
"Ooh, that's terror. And hell. Sirens at least sound pretty—yours is... well, close your beak."
"Kek."
Moona lightly nipped my beak with his own.
Was my voice that bad?
"Impressive, but... I get the gist. A greeting, sure. But that sound... reminds me of that scarecrow's racket. No human would listen for more than a second."
Hey, no need to be so harsh.
Moona tried to dissuade me, but I saw gains.
Voice was a bit off, but I could talk human now.
I'd polish it later.
Now I could spin my head around and chat with humans properly.
Cherry and Kiki would love it.
"Hm... odd hobby. Anyway, practice more later. No time for that in enemy territory."
"Khweee... Haaa...."
I nodded.
All prepped.
Evolution done, new powers tested.
Relaxed with chit-chat, fueled up—perfect timing.
I eyed the massive door.
Opening it would summon the Tin Woodman.
"Caw."
I infused playfulness into a serious tone.
Clack, clack.
...Thud thud.
I dashed up and stood before the giant door.
[Main Quest: Found the Clue - Completed]
[Reward: Obtained the Lord of Tin's location.]
[The Lord of Tin is within 50 meters ahead.]
Why tell me this right when I'm at the door?
I get it, sort of.
Getting here was basically a cheat.
Normally, you'd clear the labyrinth section by section, hunting clues.
But we timed the ruin reset and shortcutted straight here.
So the late notice makes sense.
A bit annoying, but confirming the boss is behind this door? Not a total loss.
[Main Quest: Tin Woodman - Unlocked]
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1. Through countless battles and adventures, you've tracked the Tin Woodman the Scarecrow spoke of. His current name is the Lord of Tin—a far cry from the Scarecrow's memories.
2. He is sealed within the Tin Ruins. Following the clues, you've learned anomalies began here after the Scarecrow's death—and that they're tied to the sealed Tin Woodman.
3. You've reached the temple where the Tin Woodman resides. Your next step is obvious.
4. The time has come! Open the temple doors and defeat the Lord of Tin. That is the Scarecrow's dying wish—and your mission.
Quest Clear Conditions: Defeat the Tin Woodman.
Quest Clear Rewards: ??
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At least the main quest updated on time.
It fudged in stuff we skipped, but whatever.
Normally you'd gather clues through proper steps, but we took the shortcut.
Tin Woodman.
Or Lord of Tin, as he's called now.
Time to face him.
I glared at the door and unleashed a precise rooster-foot kick.
BAM!
The massive door creaked open slowly.
What I saw was a gigantic axe.
A massive axe, no doubt wielded by the Tin Woodman.
But its size was insane.
Almost as big as the door I'd just shoved open.
What kind of monster swings a weapon that huge?
How twisted would the Tin Woodman be?
【Lord of Tin LV??】
Seated on a colossal throne of tin, he gazed down at me with lifeless eyes.
Down at me, literally.
The throne was high, sure.
But the real reason was his sheer size.
Big enough to wield that axe I gawked at with ease.
A body of tin, eyes like blue flames.
Kreeeeek.
A grating sound, like an unoiled machine grinding to life.
"A rare intruder."
The colossal figure with glowing blue eyes spoke in a mechanical drone.
Dorothy's old companion, the Tin Woodman.
"...A golem. Infused with ancient magic, no less."
The Lord of Tin was none other than a golem.
Kreeeeek.
The unpleasant mechanical noise echoed.
So, take down that behemoth?
A crow vs. something bigger than an elephant?
Something's wrong here.
I tried to backpedal fast.
Never imagined it'd be this huge.
I glanced back, ready to yell for backup.
But I couldn't.
BOOM!
The massive door slammed shut on its own.
"Non lacrimat ferrum, non sanguinem offert."
⟨ Ancient Seal Chant ⟩
Yeah.
Like it or not, the boss fight had begun.