Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Suspicious Companion? (2)
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The onlookers were all excited, their faces lit up in anticipation of my failure.
“…….”
I took a moment to breathe deeply before standing in front of the Sage's water bottle.
It was hard to believe that this tiny bottle, no bigger than the palm of my hand, had brought despair to thousands—no, tens of thousands—of people.
‘Well, that ends today.’
I grabbed the bottle with a light smile.
And then.
-Pop!
I twisted off the lid and pushed it over.
The bottle tipped unsteadily and fell flat. The legendary water that Sage Ilrodia had taken one final sip from before dying spilled out onto the ground in a pathetic puddle.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
The square fell utterly silent at the unbelievable sight.
I picked up the bottle with a gentle smile, as if it were nothing.
“That do it?”
“…….”
The man dispatched from the Ekaitz Council just gaped at me with a dumbfounded look, unable to say a word.
And who could blame him?
Ilrodia’s legacy of wisdom had vanished just like that, in the most anticlimactic way.
“Crazy bastard…….”
Someone muttered, and that sparked murmurs that grew louder and louder.
“Is he insane?”
“He dumped out Ilrodia’s wisdom!”
“Crazy son of a bitch!”
The shouts started building. I glanced around at the agitated crowd and tossed out a line.
“If it’s that precious, why not lick it up off the ground? It’s still pooled there.”
“……!”
“Better hurry before it dries.”
At my words, countless people gasped.
“I-It’s mine!”
“Out of the way! I’ll take Ilrodia’s wisdom!”
The square turned into utter chaos in an instant. I backed away from the surging crowd and spoke to the man overseeing Ilrodia’s trial.
“Can I go now?”
“Th-That, uh…….”
He stammered, at a complete loss. I let out a deep sigh and explained slowly.
“The condition was to lift the Sage’s water bottle, by any means necessary.”
That’s right.
By any means necessary—to pick up the Sage’s water bottle.
That was the one and only requirement of this trial.
“W-Well, that’s true, but…….”
The man looked around in confusion. But there was no one there to give him any useful advice.
I flashed a relaxed smile and patted his shoulder.
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
With that, I strolled out of the trial grounds without any interference, the Sage’s water bottle tucked safely in my possession.
* * *
“You’re insane…….”
“That’s a bit harsh.”
I took a sip of the fragrant tea Katarina had poured me and gave her a soft smile.
“I heard some commotion in the square, but I never imagined it was all your doing.”
“I merely solved a conundrum that had persisted for centuries.”
“…….”
Katarina stared at me, her face saying she couldn’t agree.
“So Ilrodia’s final wisdom is just… gone?”
“Who knows…….”
“You know something, don’t you?”
I just smiled.
Of course I knew.
The water in the Sage’s water bottle wasn’t Ilrodia’s wisdom or anything like that.
It was just plain water.
Completely ordinary water with no effects whatsoever.
Even in the real world, the Sage’s water bottle had been a huge controversy.
No player had lifted it for months.
With the festival quest going unsolved for so long, players gathered every festival to brainstorm.
Famous guilds and top players alike tried for the Sage’s water bottle, but no one succeeded.
Then one day, some newbie cleared it in the most absurd way.
The newbie used the [Discard] skill.
The Sage’s water bottle became the newbie’s instantly, and the incident blew up the Eohen community.
It was such a famous happening that I knew the story well.
The bottle really just held ordinary water.
The key was the bottle itself!
The Sage’s water bottle quest was a test of wisdom—one that rewarded only those who overturned preconceptions.
The item description detailed the tale of Ilrodia’s trial of wisdom and all that, but I had no reason to explain it to everyone.
Just snag the item and done.
The Sage’s water bottle was a special item that absorbed pure mana from its surroundings to produce high-concentration mana potions.
The mana potions it made had no cooldowns or side effects like addiction—they were top-grade.
Plus, once you used a filled potion, the bottle would absorb more mana and refill itself.
In other words, infinite refills of the world’s rarest top-grade mana potions.
The only downside? It was soulbound, usable only by its owner.
If a non-owner tried to use it, the potion turned back into plain water.
But for me, that wasn’t a downside—it was a perk.
If it was just a plain bottle to others, fewer people would come after it.
I took another sip of tea and turned to the curious Katarina.
“In the end, Sage Ilrodia wanted to leave his relic not to the strong, but to the ‘wise.’”
“……So you’re claiming to be wise?”
“Well, you could see it that way.”
Sage Ilrodia must have understood the aesthetics of emptiness and fullness.
I felt the growing weight of the Sage’s water bottle and smiled contentedly.
“Anyway, with the Sage’s water bottle, conquering the deep-sea dungeon will be much easier.”
“That’s music to my ears.”
“The schedule’s as discussed. On the new moon, when the waves calm.”
“We’re all prepared here. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Will do. Thanks for the tea—it was great.”
“Safe travels.”
Having enjoyed the festival to my heart’s content and confirmed the schedule with Katarina, I left the trading company estate feeling light-hearted.
To avoid getting lost by wandering through the market like last time, I deliberately took the outer path along the sea.
The sun had set, leaving everything dark, with only the sound of waves.
Nights by the sea get chilly.
Maybe I’ll grab a drink back at the inn. Some dried squid grilled crisp with soju would be perfection……
The inn probably just has jerky, cheese, and wine.
“Sigh…….”
I walked slowly, letting out a sigh.
-Squelch.
-Thud.
That’s when it happened.
Something blocked the path in the darkness. I couldn’t make out details, just shadowy forms—lots of them, and big.
“…….”
I stopped and peered into the dark. Hidden in shadows, but moonlight gleamed off glowing eyes.
They were watching me.
Didn’t look like they were here to share drinks.
My hand went to the Hydra’s Fang at my back, and I stared them down just as hard.
“Hey, buddy.”
When I neither ran nor charged, a rough voice called out from their side first.
“Looks like you scored something nice today.”
“…….”
Figures.
No way no one would eye the Sage’s water bottle.
Plenty of people in the square had seen me take it……
I didn’t respond, just kept staring.
“Hand it over nice, and we won’t kill you.”
“Keheheh!”
“Kekekeke…….”
Like every cliché villain, they spouted the usual lines.
They weren’t joking, though. Each pulled daggers, swords, hand axes—blades glinting blue in the moonlight, proof they meant business.
“What if I say no?”
I asked in a flat tone.
“What?”
“What if I refuse?”
They burst into mocking laughter.
“Then we kill you!”
Did they have a school for these tired lines?
I sighed deeply and gripped the Hydra’s Fangs in both hands.
Fine timing, actually. I’d been thinking it was time for some real combat practice. Practice dummies delivered right to me—practically brought tears of gratitude.
“Try it.”
Two, three, five, seven, nine……
Nine opponents?
Nine for one druid?
Talk about small balls.
I activated [Leaf Step] right away, slipping nimbly between the heavy charging brutes.
-Stab!
-Squelch!
Once, twice. I drove the Hydra’s Fangs deep into their sides, then leaped into the air.
“Y-You bastard!”
I easily dodged the one swinging a hand axe. After all my time against Jamil the axe-master, this was a breeze. This guy swung like an amateur.
-Smack!
I kneed his chest, then slammed a Fang into his skull. Yanked it free, and he crumpled pathetically.
-Thud.
Three down, six to go.
“Dieee!”
Why do they always yell when charging? Annoying. I swung my Fang straight at his throat.
-Swish!
-Spuuurt!!!!
Blood sprayed like a fountain, splattering my face.
‘Gross texture…….’
Ptoo. I spat out the metallic tang in my mouth.
“U-Uwaaaah!!!”
One who saw it dropped his dagger and bolted. Smartest of the bunch. I leaped at the four frozen stiff.
My body felt light. Like this, I could……
-Slashslashslash!!
-Splatter!!
“……!”
Before I could swing, their bodies burst apart. Hot blood sprayed, mangled torsos thudding to the ground.
-Shing……
From the darkness, eyes gleamed white in the moonlight.
“You…….”
A massive figure emerged from the long shadow, cloaked in pitch-black.
“……Lloyd?”
Blood-soaked, but unmistakable. He gave a curt nod, emotionless, wiped his blade on a corpse’s hem, and sheathed it at his waist.
“Patrol will be here soon.”
“…….”
“Go back.”
Lloyd turned and vanished into the dark.
I glanced at the bisected bodies, then hurried after him.