Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Village of Terror (1)
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"...Huh?"
The stunned Kael tilted his head.
Save the world?
"At first, I tried coming up with some grand excuse, but nothing clicked. We're both in a position with nothing to lose, so I figured I could just tell you the truth. A potato-peeling slave becoming a hero—doesn't it get your blood pumping just thinking about it?"
"W-Wait. Hold on a second. What are you even saying? Save the world?"
"Exactly what I said."
Kael urgently propped himself up.
Bran lay on his side, facing him.
There wasn't a hint of mischief in those deep dark green eyes.
"This world is about to end. A chain of horrific events will unfold like dominoes, and if no one stops them, it'll spiral beyond saving. I guarantee you, what we went through at Black Stone Fortress will feel like nothing."
"B-Bran, how do you know all this?"
"I just know."
It felt strangely familiar.
It was a brazen answer, but explaining it as 'a game world' would only confuse things more.
Bran continued.
"Don't overthink it just because 'saving the world' sounds grandiose. Tackle the problems one by one, and before you know it, you'll be a hero."
"I-If you say so, Bran..."
"Besides, you don't have anything else to do anyway. Got family? Relatives? Haven't decided what to do once you leave here? Good call—I told you to think it over."
"That's because we escaped way faster than expected...!"
"Doesn't matter. This was the plan all along."
Bran sat up, facing Kael directly.
"Kael. I need you."
"...!"
"Come with me."
Kael flinched at the sudden closeness.
His mouth opened and closed soundlessly before he dropped his gaze.
"Uh, u-uh... Okay."
His ears peeked red through his hair.
Kael scratched his cheek and mumbled softly.
"Sure. If you need me, Bran... Heh heh, guess I have no choice."
"Nice. Straight to the point."
"And you're my lifesaver, so... I said I'd help with anything I could."
Kael smiled with his eyes.
There was a strange lilt of amusement in his voice.
Whatever made him so happy was a mystery, but the positive response was a relief anyway.
'Good thing. I was even thinking of knocking him out.'
Bran let out a sigh of relief.
He was more reliable than expected.
To remember a casual promise from the fortress like that.
Of course, even if he'd refused, Bran would've dragged him along.
'Now we're at the starting line.'
Bran's top priority was survival.
Figuring out how to return to reality came after.
He was confident he wouldn't drop dead anytime soon.
With the funds he'd scraped together, he could settle in a decent city, live off odd jobs.
Buy a house, marry a pretty fantasy lady... Oh, and get a dog. Yeah.
The problem was that the return road wasn't a kind game that let you enjoy a happy life like that.
'Damn. You think I don't want to slack off too?'
This game was designed so that if the player slacked off, the world ended.
The playable character's story was just a side plot.
The main storyline that ran through the game was solely about preventing the world’s destruction.
Of course, Bran the player hadn't always saved the world.
He'd played around, let it end, and restarted plenty of times.
Back then, he was just a spectator beyond the monitor.
But now, Bran was in the game—reality.
'Will seeing the ending send me home?'
He had to act.
Smash the triggers of doom one by one, reach the ending, and everything would reveal itself after.
It was the dilemma tormenting him since waking in this world, but the conclusion was clear.
"Focus on the present."
Only those who live today get a tomorrow.
Bran dusted himself off and stretched.
"Alright. Shall we head out?"
"Yeah. But where are we going?"
"Valkeros."
"Oh? I've heard of it."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
The city of steel and fire nestled beside the Red Mountains.
If even he knew it, it must be pretty famous.
"Isn't that where the Steel Tower is? Sounds pretty far..."
"Yep. At our pace, it'll take over two months. But what can we do?"
It was the destination chosen after deep thought.
Lots to gain in the city, and benefits along the way too.
Finishing his words, Bran flung off his top.
"Good. Let's change clothes before we go."
"B-Bran?!"
His sturdy upper body was revealed.
The startled Kael clapped a hand over his mouth.
"...!"
"Feels so much better. Never wearing that again."
It was like a snake shedding its skin.
He'd been itching to change since before the escape.
His slave rags were filthier than a slum mutt would touch.
'Man, my body's in great shape now. Impressive.'
Bran whistled at the sight of himself after a while.
Lean, panther-like muscles rippled across his frame.
Keep this up, and he'd surpass his old world's physique.
Bran flexed his arm at Kael.
"What do you think, Kael? Pretty decent, right?"
"Uh, y-yeah... Ahaha..."
"Hey. Look at me when you say it."
Kael desperately averted his eyes.
They darted left and right, flicking over Bran's body.
Blushing over something so trivial.
Bran pulled new clothes from his sack and urged him.
"You too—change quick. Can't go around in that stinky thing."
"Huh? Oh, y-yeah! I'll, uh, change over there."
"Why bother? We're both guys."
"I-It's embarrassing! Be right back!"
He bolted behind a tree, clutching his clothes.
The more you watched him, the more delicate he seemed.
If he were bulkier, Bran could've toughened him up with some physical therapy into a real man.
Too scrawny to even hit.
"Guess this place is goodbye too."
Bran glanced back.
Black Stone Fortress was hidden by trees.
Only faint smoke rising and the silhouette of airships lingered vaguely in the sky.
Bardo was probably still cleaning up.
Memories of the past months flashed by like a panorama.
"Ugh!"
It hit then.
A splitting headache tore through his skull.
A familiar pain. Déjà vu. Dizziness twisted his vision.
When his blacked-out sight returned, he was trapped in someone else's body.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[You maggots! Move it!]
A familiar bellow echoed.
The voice of the bald supervisor trampled to death by slaves.
At that irritable baritone, Bran realized what he was seeing.
'Nameless Hero's memory.'
He looked down.
Thick shackles bound his hands, unseen in ages.
Slaves like him trudged in a line through the forest.
Hollow faces devoid of hope.
Black Stone Fortress bandits whipped them onward intermittently.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Abandon hope! Your new master will be even harsher!]
[Kekeke... Tough luck. Rumors say you're headed to the western front.]
He pieced it together from the bandits' talk.
It was the part from Nameless Hero's self-introduction—being dragged off as cannon fodder.
Unable to escape, Nameless Hero was sold to another master before leaving the fortress.
No freedom there either.
Just a battlefield of murder, rape, and bloodshed.
Nameless Hero's emotions flooded in: futility, helplessness, rage, sorrow.
The sky above was shrouded in dingy clouds.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, the pain vanished, and Bran's vision returned.
"Hah."
Bran gasped for air.
The sky was clear again.
His wrists, hastily checked, bore no shackles.
No whipping bandits, no dragged slaves.
Just the soft chirp of birds.
"...Ha."
Bran let out a hollow laugh.
Same place, vastly different outcome.
A future changed by him.
He knew why this memory surfaced now.
Clenching his fist, Bran murmured skyward.
"How's that? First button's on right, yeah?"
Anything less would be dishonest.
He'd button the second one perfectly too—no worries.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The journey to Valkeros began.
Road life was rough, but paradise compared to slavery.
Warm days meant no sleeping bags needed, food easy to forage.
Best part: time was entirely theirs.
Clang!
Bran parried Kael's dagger and nodded.
"Again. Grip the dagger."
"Ugh... Can't we rest a bit? My arms won't move anymore..."
"No. Train hard now, or it won't save you in a real fight. Right now, you're too weak for even one or two goblins. Know what that means?"
"W-What?"
"If goblins show up without me, you get dragged off helpless and suffer. They don't care where they stick it. I've heard stories of adventurers taken by goblins..."
"N-No! Hate that!"
Kael snatched up his dagger in panic.
Bran pressed on with the harsh one-on-one lesson.
Even as support, he needed to defend himself.
Good thing Spera stabbed five daggers into him.
No need to hunt for decent weapons.
Like Zhuge Liang borrowing 100,000 arrows from Cao Cao. Though he was the straw man.
A week passed.
"Wonder if the other slaves escaped safely."
"They did. No screams. Mog handled it fine."
"Haven't heard that name in ages... Hope Mog's okay too."
"Don't worry about him. Even with what I taught, he'll rake in cash."
Bran shook his head.
Unarmed modern martial arts were god-tier unbeatable.
They sheltered in a rock crevice from rain.
By flickering campfire, spiced fish skewers sizzled golden.
Crunch. Bran bit into grilled fish, brows shooting up.
"What the hell. Why's this so damn good?"
"Ehehe, eat up. Learned it at the tavern."
Kael hugged his knees, grinning.
No more worries—his face brighter than before.
Gaunt limbs filled out, shadows under eyes gone.
His pure smile drew one from Bran too.
'Kids should smile.'
Another week passed.
Higher latitude cooled the heat bit by bit.
Still southerners at heart.
"Ugh... So hot today too..."
"Hang in there. Cooler next week."
Bran said.
His skin tanned deep bronze.
Cruel contrast to Kael's porcelain unchanging under sun.
Too quiet. Should've hit a traveled path by now.
Doubting their route—
"Hiiiieeeaaah—!!!"
A guttural roar from the jungle.
Like a prisoner tortured guts-out.
Flutter!
Birds burst from noon sky.
Kael's eyes widened.
"Bran...!"
"Yeah. People."
Bran's eyes narrowed.
Source close.
He crouched, hand on sword hilt.
"Follow quietly. Get ready to fight."
Kael nodded silently.
The roar continued rhythmically.
Five minutes in, a swamp appeared.
A wonky cart stood tilted—clearly off.
Odd-voiced figures milled before it.
"Damn cart! Go kiss Delpha's toes!"
"Hic... Gramps... Hic, let's give up..."
"Nonsense! My life's savings are inside!"
One old man, two adult men.
All exhausted like field laborers.
Two mules munched grass nearby—likely cart pullers.
Half the cart sank in swamp.
"Lose my future here?! Hiiiieeeaaah!!"
"Haaa... Stubborn as hell."
The old man clung, roaring again.
Face ballooning, veins bulging.
Pulling futile—cart unmoved.
"It's impossible. Just carry what we salvaged."
"Yeah. Be grateful we're alive. Mountain path's shorter anyway."
"Pffhee."
Men urged him.
Mules whinnied agreement.
Old man merchant, two mercenary guards by looks.
Peeking from trees, something caught Bran's eye.
"That's..."
Boxes unloaded from cart.
Wooden surfaces etched with sun and anvil.
Valkeros city emblem.
Aha.
Bran stepped out.
"Hey, sir. You look like you need help."
"Eek...! Bran?!"
Kael mouthed a silent scream.
Didn't expect him to jump out sans discussion.
Guards drew swords hastily.
"What the fuck, popping out nowhere?!"
"Stop right there!"
"Just a passerby. No weapons—don't scare me."
Bran showed empty palms, proving harmless.
Daggers hidden in pants, but looked unarmed.
"Mind if I help the gentleman?"
"Help? How? Gonna pull the cart or what?"
"Yes."
"Hah, go ahead. But try anything funny, and your head's gone."
Guards scoffed in disbelief.
Fair reaction—Bran would've too.
He addressed the cart-wrestling old man.
"Sir. Headed to Valkeros?"
"Kiiiyaaah...! Damn it, who're you?!"
"Asked if you're going to Valkeros. You seem stuck—pull this cart out, and give us a ride there?"
"Shut your trap and scram! A snot-nosed brat like you, how—"
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡
Power of the Great Tree
Strength doubled!
Before the old man finished—
Bran activated Power of the Great Tree and gripped the cart with both hands.
"Hup."
He yanked hard.
Rumble—!
The cart, immovable by three men, slid free.
"Huuuuh?!"
The old man flopped on his butt.
Guards' eyes bulged.
Mud oozed stickily from the submerged part.
"Maybe shouldn't have used Power of the Great Tree."
Bran smacked his lips.
Could've pulled it barehanded anyway.
Submerged bits mud-caked, but cargo fine.
Steadying the listing cart, Bran asked the old man.
"So, ride? Or back in the swamp?"