Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: One-Eyed Village (7)
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“To let us know about this... you dragged your injured body all the way here...”
“Bullshit. You just came here to whine.”
“If that coward's still alive, doesn't that mean he's just a bit stronger than Dragon Rank anyway?”
Philip denied it at those words.
“...No.”
I didn't know Anonymous (1)'s exact strength either, but I decided to rate him one rank higher than Dragon Rank.
To see how they'd react.
Their attitude clearly suggested that Dragon Rank was no big deal.
“At least... one step... above.”
“Then how are you still alive?”
Someone immediately countered, but a few others seemed to grudgingly accept it.
“Nah, it makes sense. He abandoned his castle and ran.”
“If he sacrificed everything he had just to escape, it tracks.”
“So you're saying he's really Lord Rank? What're his abilities?”
Lord Rank seemed a bit much for them?
The nuance shifted subtly from when they talked about Dragon Rank.
Their eyes grew a touch more cautious.
I recalled the battle traces I'd seen around Philip Deran's castle.
They must have checked the crumbled walls and the indelible scars of combat too.
As long as Anonymous (1) wasn't pinpointed specifically.
Honestly, I didn't know much about Anonymous (1)'s features either.
I only knew he was searching for someone, so he probably wasn't in the north anymore.
“Martial... type. Doesn't use magic.”
“A rare species?”
“Then we could recruit him to our side.”
“You think that bastard would just sit still?”
“He's already fucked anyway, why bother caring.”
“No, just answer already. Is he a rare species?”
Every race's gaze locked onto Philip at once.
“What, did you lose your language skills in the fight too? Why're you talking so damn slow?”
That frustrated me too. What was I supposed to do about his voice function?
Philip nodded this time as well.
Calling him a rare species was good for hiding his identity. They could just chalk up any description I gave to “rare species” and move on.
At that moment, all eyes turned.
Toward the fluffy white-furred monster, as if asking for his decision.
From the atmosphere, I'd already guessed he was the leader here.
Unlike his appearance, he seemed incredibly cautious.
He'd stayed silent the whole time the others bickered, just watching me.
Finally, he spoke.
“No need to doubt him.”
“That bastard might've already betrayed us.”
“No. I checked just in case... and he possesses the essence.”
“Essence? That's a given.”
Puzzled voices rose here and there.
But I, watching the scene through the screen, swallowed hard without realizing it.
Essence. It seemed to refer to the black slime.
His eyes glowing red just moments ago—wasn't a mere threat, but a way to gauge identity?
“Come to think of it, I had something to tell you.”
The white-furred monster looked at Philip as he said it.
“I'd thought you were dead and forgotten... but when we take the north, I have a task for you.”
“Wha... t?”
“Go to human lands. And bring back one human.”
“...”
“It's a direct order from Him.”
“From Him?”
The surroundings buzzed with murmurs, so I made the skull rattle in feigned shock while lost in thought.
Him?
Who did that mean?
The one who made the black slime?
Suddenly, I recalled the moment I first discovered the primal mana.
The instant my mind cleared from the black slime, enlightenment overlapped with Philip Deran's diary entry.
It said swallowing the black slime would lead to an entirely new magic system.
The master of evil. No—the being cultivating the master of evil... the creator of this slime.
Perhaps that entity could establish a new system.
Like the enlightenment I gained... opening a path utterly different from the existing ones.
They might be calling him “Him.”
“Him wanting a human? Why bother with humans? Pitiful lot still clinging to past glories.”
Snickers and mockery erupted around them.
These guys seemed to harbor resentment toward humans.
They were badmouthing humans right in front of Philip—should I take offense or not?
I mulled it over and decided to stay quiet.
Strictly speaking, it wouldn't hurt Philip Deran's feelings anyway.
He'd long since shed his humanity to become a lich.
And even if he wasn't human, Philip seemed pretty low on the totem pole here.
It wasn't in the diary...
Made me feel a bit sorry for him.
Then the white-furred monster spoke again.
“He'll be a huge help in expanding our forces going forward.”
“Him saying it directly?”
“Yes. If he joins, we'll be able to relay our voices even from afar. Right now, we can only sense if someone's kin through the essence. But with that human, we could identify individuals specifically, he said. A human doing that kind of research—useful in many ways.”
“...”
That... sounded exactly like me no matter how I heard it.
Not Philip Deran...
Ivan Vieirn.
It was about me.
A device to transmit voices from afar: Communication Orb.
A device to identify individuals: Unique Mana Pattern recognition.
...Fuck, really me?
In my panic, I hurriedly answered through Philip.
“Fine... I'll do it...”
What would've happened if I hadn't known?
I'd thought I was just running experiments, helping Anonymous (2) a little...
Didn't expect to get dragged in myself.
Anyone putting out even slightly innovative inventions couldn't live normally.
Things were chaotic enough now—what if I mass-produced relic-grade artifacts?
I'd been skeptical, but now I had to scrap that idea for sure.
Or use a fake name instead.
Felt like fire had broken out on my feet.
Fatigue vanished; my mind raced at full speed.
I'd planned to stir shit up and delay their plans as much as possible anyway... now it was for my sake too.
“Win him over or dominate him. Your choice. You have followers now too, so you know the methods. Not even Transcendent level, so no issue.”
“Huh? Not even a Transcendent?”
“Why bother with a guy like that?”
Protests rose from the other races, but he ignored them.
“Didn't I say it's an order from Him?”
His blood-red eyes flashed again.
I couldn't feel it through the screen, but the others all shut up, so it must've been intimidating.
His appearance alone screamed extraordinary. Anyone could tell he was a rare species—or perhaps an ancient race that had lived eons.
Moments later, one of the others hesitantly asked.
“What about the one who set up in the north? Ad.”
So the white-furred monster's name was Ad.
“From what we've heard, he's stronger than Dragon Rank but doesn't exceed Lord Rank. Philip Deran surviving proves it.”
Ad said calmly.
“No issue. He'd be near the north's edge around Philip Deran's area anyway. We carry out our plan first, deal with him after. Not too late.”
Ad planned to brush it off casually.
But that clashed with my goals.
Ad was at least Lord Rank... or higher.
I spoke through Philip again.
“Wha... t... am... I supposed to do?”
“Do about what?”
“If you... deal with him... later... I can't... go back to my castle.”
“See? Told you he came to whine.”
Ad showed no intention of entertaining Philip's complaints either.
“That's for you to figure out.”
His voice was firm.
I forced Philip's eyes to well up pitifully.
Not that they actually could.
“I... trusted... you all. Belonging... here... responsibility...”
“Responsibility... I see.”
Ad pondered briefly, then reached into his thick white fur and pulled something out.
Thud.
A book landed in front of Philip.
Thick black cover. No title engraved.
“This is the magic we promised if you joined us. That's the responsibility we committed to. If I'd known you'd be this useless, I wouldn't have offered in the first place.”
Just an empty black cover at a glance. But instinct told me.
This was the new magic system accessible only to those who swallowed the black slime?
Philip Deran had written about his expectations for it in the diary.
“Think about it yourself. While He mentions a mere human not even Transcendent, what have you been doing?”
“...”
“You're saying you're even more useless than that human. Bring him, and you're done.”
Should I be happy about this or not?
Philip would've at least bristled.
“Don... don't... fuck... with me.”
“Don't fuck with you? You saying that to me?”
Ad's blood-red eyes gleamed ominously.
...Did I overdo it?
“S... sorry.”
Mocking laughter burst from around us.
Might feel bad as a father figure.
'But what can I do about your personality?'
If Philip truly had any ego left, this would've been too cruel.
Unfortunately, his self was long gone from this world.
For now, I made Philip speak in a wronged tone.
“I... didn't do... nothing. The one who... wrecked my castle... knew about... you.”
Philip pointed at the Pale Water Tribe member who'd been sniping nonstop.
“Wha... t? Knew about me?”
The guy shot back incredulously.
“At first... he said he'd... start with you... the weakest... one first.”
“What bullshit is that? @#@#$$!”
Some unintelligible curse spilled out in his agitation.
No wonder he was pissed—I'd basically called him dog food.
But I hadn't singled him out just for revenge.
“My reaction... was the same... as yours.”
“Huh?”
“So... we fought... and now I'm... like this.”
“You fought him after hearing that? Why?”
“Same... affiliation...”
The Pale Water Tribe member's face twisted in suspicion.
Eyes screaming disbelief.
“That guy... knew you all... met the Langin tribe... near Palewood.”
“...”
That was something Anonymous (1) spotted while scouting Palewood for Anonymous (2).
At my words, the Pale Water Tribe member's eyes changed.
Not just him—all the Pale Water Tribe and Langin tribe gathered here flinched.
Less belief in my words, more glancing at someone.
Their gazes ended at Ad.
“Did he tail us?”
The mood froze as Ad's voice dropped.
“N-no way. We confirmed no one around.”
“When was the meeting?”
“A while back...”
“Then he might've figured out our entire plan already.”
Good, truth planted—now for the lie.
“After... dealing with me... he said he'd head... straight to Evanveil.”
“Us? Nothing happened on our side.”
“He hasn't... dealt with me... yet.”
Evanveil's rare species finally hardened his expression.
“What'd you say? Lord Rank? He said Lord Rank?”
Signs of unease showed.
For now, Evanveil's rare species wasn't even one rank above Lord Rank at minimum.