Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Vengeful Ghost and Beastification
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I didn't head out of the village into the dark night to hunt monsters.
It was because I knew my place—I was waiting for daytime when visibility was secured.
I am weak.
Objectively speaking, ridiculously weak.
Didn't I fight on equal terms with Yuna, who had effortlessly slaughtered powerful adventurers in an instant?
That was only because that idiot monster girl was caught off guard, weakened, and in a state of arousal.
"You're a miracle for being alive."
I placed my hand on my chest once more. My heart was pounding away.
The games I'd played before.
Some of them had skills that activated just by thinking about them, but others, taking advantage of the virtual reality aspect, required specific motions to trigger.
The more extreme ones even demanded you sense and manipulate something like mana on your own to activate.
The slash that severed Yuna's neck came from the game I enjoyed most—Assassin Cruiser—and its irrecoverable sword technique, which I shortened to Severing Sword.
It was a terrifying skill with cheat-level cutting power that prevented wounds from healing... but it had its limits.
Against enemies with regeneration, simply decapitating them wasn't enough; you had to hack their entire body to pieces before they were finally neutralized.
Yuna was a direct subordinate of the Demon King, right?
A monster of that caliber might have reattached her head within a day.
I wasn't venturing outside the village not just because I knew my place, but also because that deranged idol monster might be lying in wait for me.
At the very least, I planned to stay put until daytime when I could see clearly.
While staying still, I figured I'd kill time leisurely reviewing the alert windows that had popped up during my fight with Yuna... but how do you even bring up the interface that appeared back then?
It had blabbered on about some incredible feat or new skill acquisition...
I tried reciting various commands like before, but nothing came up. After struggling for a while with no luck, I gave up for now.
There was still a long time until dawn—what should I do to pass it?
Then let's indulge in some happy daydreams.
For example, imagining how I'll ruin Yulis.
I'm not merciful enough to just kill her.
At the very least, I want her to feel even half the misery and humiliation I endured.
I want her to regret it.
I have no idea where she is now, and the Hart Clan seems incredibly powerful, so revenge will have to wait... but having a clear sense of purpose isn't bad.
And I need to get revenge on that goddess bitch too.
My teeth ground together.
I had a rough idea of what that smile she flashed at the end meant.
According to Yuna, us "Outsiders"—people from my world who get dropped into this one—receive some kind of privilege.
Whether it's legendary weapons, skills, pets, or whatever, everyone gets some cheat-level power.
And that's not all.
They also get basic knowledge injected for surviving in this world.
But I don't have any of that.
I thought maybe my ability to recreate sword techniques from past games by recalling them might be my privilege, but no, it's not.
These are advanced techniques that require intense focus and training to perform—it's unlikely they'd hand out something like that as a cheat. Cheats are supposed to be easy and powerful, right?
Besides, if they'd given me something that convenient and strong, that damned goddess Loveheart wouldn't have smirked at me like "screw you."
Just like Assassin Cruiser had that mysterious "ki" energy, this world has some unknown power floating in the atmosphere similar to it, which barely allowed me to manifest my swordsmanship—and that's what saved my life.
Without my experience from Assassin Cruiser, I'd be dead.
They dumped me into this world on a whim and left me to die...
My teeth ground together.
Yulis was the worst bitch, but that damned goddess Loveheart was a massive bitch too.
But she's a goddess.
Is there even a way to get revenge...?
She seems to be summoning otherworlders for some purpose, so she's probably not omnipotent...
...Wait a second.
This isn't a game—it's another world.
Then... those guys who suddenly vanished back "then"...
No way.
.....
...Nah, that's overthinking it.
In my weakened state, fixating on other goals won't get me anywhere.
For now, focus only on the immediate goal: revenge on Yulis.
As various thoughts swirled in my head, the dawn light began to break.
I slowly got up and stepped out the door.
The watchmen glanced at me and quickly looked away.
They probably didn't want to get involved.
From my side, I was just grateful they weren't picking fights and wasting my energy.
Adventurers were already bustling about even at this early hour.
Some, like me, went on foot, but most rode horses or carriages.
There was no benefit to mingling with them, so I kept my distance until their faces were out of sight.
Using the info I'd gotten from the guild staff last night, I headed to the hunting grounds.
But midway, an unwelcome encounter happened.
"Ah."
Someone seemed to recognize me.
The moment I tried to ignore and pass by, a grating voice pierced my ears.
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"
"...?"
A familiar bratty voice.
There stood El—the girl they'd called her—and Flat, staring at me in shock.
The instant I saw those who'd abandoned and fled from me, something snapped in my head, but I barely held it back.
With a cold voice, I asked,
"You two..."
"Y-You're alive!"
Flat lit up and rushed over, grabbing my hand. Stunned by the unexpected reaction, El piped up in her grating voice again.
"Hold on, Flat! There's no need to be nice to a cowardly traitor like him!"
"N-No, El, that's..."
Flat looked back and forth between me and El, sweating bullets. What was this? Something felt off.
But since she'd insulted me, I had to fire back.
"In the middle of battle, you conveniently passed out and got carried away easily—do you have something to say to me?"
I started with informal speech but switched to polite.
There was that advice from some old guy before: speaking politely makes you calmer and reveals the opponent's weaknesses more clearly.
I sized up El.
I expected her to explode in rage at my words, but she just grit her teeth with a frustrated look.
"...Hmph. We really took a loss. Let's go, Flat."
Loss? What? But El showed no further interest and started to leave. I had no lingering attachment either.
Flat, however, didn't seem ready to go.
"Can you go ahead and wait a bit, El? I need to talk to him."
"What? No way! Talking to trash like that will rub off on you, Flat!"
That fucking bitch's tone...
"El."
Flat's stern expression made El flinch, turning into a whimpering puppy. Seeing that, Flat smiled reassuringly, and El glanced around before saying,
"Hurry up and come back."
She flicked her hair and walked off. I shook off Flat's hand, which was still gripping mine.
"Uh, ah..."
To intimidate the flustered Flat, I spoke in a sinister tone.
"Yulis. Where is she?"
I had plenty I wanted to ask. Like why they let her frame me...
I had my suspicions. The Hart Clan must be so ruthless that even the savior of their lives couldn't be treated poorly.
Flat ignored my question and gave an unrelated response.
"I-I'm sorry. I never thought Yulis would act like that..."
"......"
"Really, I'm so sorry."
Flat bowed at a 90-degree angle. I hadn't expected an apology before excuses, so I froze for a moment.
"...Why didn't you correct the rumors? Not just you—all of you."
"That's... because we feared retaliation from the Hart Clan. Lady Yulis is the direct knight of Gold, their heir, and holds a high position even within the clan."
So that's how it was...
"Please wait just a little! Once El and I resolve our issue, we'll clear your name right away, Sir Yedre!"
"Issue?"
"No matter how formidable the Harts are, give it a month. N-No, two or three...! Right now, El doesn't know the full story, and things are tense, but she's a righteous girl at heart—she'll understand once I explain!"
I had no idea what issue they had, but he sounded oddly unconfident.
I couldn't expect much.
I asked again.
"Where is Yulis?"
"I'm not sure. After she spread those lies about you, Sir Yedre, she took the fainted Gold and left. Probably back to the Hart Clan main house in the capital Sers..."
"...I see."
As I turned to leave without regret, Flat raised his hand to stop me but hesitated. Sensing it, I halted and said,
"...Thank you for apologizing."
"N-No, not at all! As an aspiring knight, even with circumstances, to witness injustice and stay silent... I'm ashamed of myself."
Flat was sincerely atoning.
If this was an act, I'd never trust another soul again.
"Ah! It's not much, but..."
Flat untied the pouch from his belt and handed it to me. It was surprisingly heavy.
"Money...?"
"It's not a lot, but... you don't seem to have eaten properly. I hope it helps. Next time we meet, I'll give you more."
It felt like receiving charity.
Well, it probably was.
I shook my head.
"It's fine. I'll earn my own."
"N-No...! Please take this money! Otherwise, my conscience... Ah, no, who cares about my conscience..."
Even amusing.
The displeasure toward the subjugation party that ignored me mostly melted away at Flat's apologetic demeanor.
"Then I'll gratefully accept. I'll definitely repay you next time."
"Wh-Where are you going?"
"Just a stroll. See you around."
The flustered Flat soon waved vigorously, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"T-Take care! We're still staying at the Light Fairy Inn in Milf Village, so come find us anytime if you need anything...!"
Leaving Flat's urgent voice behind, I walked on.
My mood felt a bit lighter.
The destination was a forest path that was somewhat maintained.
Low-level adventurers usually gathered and sold items for quick cash, but that was just a hamster wheel—earn a day's wage and blow it the same day.
I had some combat ability, so... my choice was hunting. Well, it was the only option.
This forest was home to moderately dangerous beasts.
Specifically, ones with high speed but paper-thin defense.
Normal adventurers avoided it, but for my style—relying on reflexes and ending fights with just Severing Sword—it was perfectly optimized.
Here's hoping the info I got from the guild staff yesterday, despite their sharp glares, paid off.
I found a fairly open spot not overgrown with brush.
Standing in the center, I drew my sword.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Shing.
A chilling sound, a chilling sensation.
I'd inspected it while attuning to the air yesterday, and despite taking hundreds of powerful blows, the blade wasn't even nicked.
It wasn't a particularly good sword, but infusing it with that "ki"—whatever they call it here—the white energy allowed me to swing it like that.
To be precise, Severing Sword required using that power to work.
But surprisingly, this mysterious energy had more varieties than I thought.
Even now, I could sense... three kinds.
The energy called ki, and the mana that's essential to any fantasy world.
But I had no clue what the third one was.
It was even more abundant than ki or mana.
...Whatever. I'll figure it out later. Focus on hunting for now.
I scolded myself and prepared for the hunt.
The monsters in this forest were Little Rumrats.
They had a great sense of smell and came sniffing for humans on their own.
A ball-like body with a rat face—you'd know it when you saw it.
Yeah, I'd know it right away.
And sure enough, it appeared three seconds after I thought that.
I wondered if I'd mistake it for a ball, but the dark yellow fur clump that looked diseased bounced around unmistakably.
About 10 meters away. I stared it down without letting my guard slip.
Kwak!
The sphere charged straight at me.
Like a bullet.
I had no idea how such a small body generated that force, but getting hit would hurt like hell—maybe even break bones.
Well, it looked slow to my eyes.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Severing Sword Slash!
[Kee?]
That was its last words.
The sphere split in half, spraying blood everywhere.
Sizzle...
Monsters were shunned by this world's energies, right? That's why they burned up and turned to ash upon death. Sure enough, its corpse was vanishing.
But that only applied to entrails and blood—things like hides and teeth remained intact.
I pulled out the gathering sack I'd prepared in advance yesterday and collected them.
Then a new guest arrived.
The new Little Rumrat had smelled its kin's blood, its eyes even redder.
These things had no altruism toward their own kind.
They just devoured each other greedily before the bodies burned up.
In other words, their driving force was appetite.
That was none of my concern.
I was just grateful they swarmed.
After that, it was simple repetition.
By the time my sack grew heavy, the sun was starting to set.
The pleasant misconception: I seemed surprisingly strong.
I'd thought so "back then" too, but that was the modern world. Here in fantasy, I'd downplayed my strength, yet Little Rumrats—which gave novice adventurers trouble—posed no threat. Guess I'm decently strong.
...That's enough for today.
My arms were trembling.
Then. I sensed killing intent.
I spun and swung at the charging red thing.
The sword clashed with the red mass.
Boom!
Surprisingly, I was the one knocked down.
"Guh...!"
Luckily, aside from falling, nothing else was wrong, so I sprang up and assessed the situation.
A long shadow stretched under the sunset glow.
Hard to make out its form because it was red like the dusk.
A red Little Rumrat.
No childish color game—this one's eyes burned ferociously, and its mouth was smeared with blood and flesh chunks.
[Kikikik.] Even mocking me. I let out a hollow laugh and gripped my sword tighter.
As if waiting, the Little Rumrat bullet-charged.
Not at me, but to my side.
"Huh?"
Bang!
It bounced off a tree into another direction, then bang-bang-bang echoed everywhere.
It was ricocheting wildly to fool my eyes. Twice as fast as normal Little Rumrats.
...But it didn't matter to me.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Severing Sword Screech!
Unlike before, when I'd barely countered after detecting it, this was a proper slash.
I gripped and swung with full force.
Boom!
Crack—!!
"Kuh...!"
Tough.
My precise strike still couldn't pierce its skin.
Tougher than Yuna's tentacles.
I failed to cut and was repelled again.
And it didn't even seem hurt.
Bang-bang-bang-bang!
The red Little Rumrat bounced around the area again.
Hmm...
After pondering, I readjusted my grip.
"Truth is, piercing is easier than slashing... Know what I mean?"
[Kikeek!] It didn't, charging the same way. The difference: its body was wreathed in flames. Probably its ace move.
And then.
"Hup!"
My thrust, focused on a single point, collided with it.
Grind...
It was so tough it didn't pierce instantly, but my left hand on the hilt and right supporting pushed, combined with its momentum... the blade sank deeper, bit by bit.
And, Severing Sword activated.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Severing Sword Pshoooo!
It pierced through.
[Keek...?] That was its pathetic end.
It sprayed blood and went limp.
"...Tough bastard."
This fight had nearly drained my stamina completely.
It looked easy, but one slip and I'd be dead.
Is this the boss of the Little Rumrats...?
Its corpse wasn't vanishing, so maybe it wasn't dead? No, it was. Unlike the others, this one just didn't evaporate.
I considered taking just the teeth and hide since I lacked butchering skills, but decided to haul the whole thing.
Rustle.
Sensing a faint presence, I instantly went on alert.
"Um, ex-excuse meee..."
"......"
But what reached me wasn't a monster's roar—it was a woman's frail voice.
Something transparent shifted between the bushes.
Suddenly, the air shimmered like peeling scenery, revealing a woman with outdated round glasses.
Her hair was reddish-pink in twin tails—or side-up, whatever.
The glasses were huge, but her face seemed pretty enough.
"H-Help meee..."
Ignore.
She's an adventurer from the guild anyway.
Probably one of those who mocked me plenty before.
Helping her to boost my rep was an option, but I had no desire. Life's a solo run anyway, right?
I wouldn't harm her, but I wouldn't help either.
One betrayal from misplaced kindness is enough.
"Pl-Please... My mana and Prynar are both depleteddd~"
...Prynar?
Is that what they call the energy more abundant than mana?
I ignored the woman scrambling after me and kept walking.
I was walking pretty fast, but she kept up. No—maybe even faster than me.
...Should I shake her off?
The petty thought crossed my mind, but I didn't.
Thus, we traveled while maintaining a bizarre distance.
And arrived at the village.
The woman, now stuck to my side, looked dejected.
"Sigh... They were the first people I met today, but... to think they'd go like that..."
"......"
"It was a dangerous area, but we prepared plentyee... But stiiill... Sigh... Poor things..."
She chattered on like a bird even though I ignored her.
Does this girl not know me?
Doesn't matter. Her attitude will change at the guild anyway.
At the village gate, the guards grimaced at me, then blinked in surprise at the woman beside me.
I ignored them and headed straight to the guild.
Creeeak.
By now dusk had fallen, and the guild was packed.
People wrinkled their noses at my stench, then recognized me and glared hostilely. Do whatever.
I strode to the counter. Surprisingly, the woman I'd "saved"—no, who'd followed—stood beside me too.
"What can I do for you, adventurer? And the lady next to you—sorry, but please wait in line? Uh..."
The staff's smile froze. Has my notoriety shaken even their poker faces?
But it wasn't me—it was the woman beside me. She gasped and pointed at me.
"He saved me! Add it to his merits, pleeease!"
"Uh... A rescue?"
"Yep!"
"I didn't do any such thing."
I shoved her aside and presented my sack.
"What's this?"
"Little Rumrat teeth and hides. Got a ton—how much when exchanged?"
"Showoff."
The voice came from a nearby table. I ignored it and handed over the sack. The middle-aged female staff inspected it and let out an impressed "Whoa..."
"These are definitely Little Rumrat materials. I'm not an appraiser, so I can't give exact value, but... teeth at 5 bronze each, hides at 3 silver each."
With her confirmation, the surrounding glares shifted.
"Whoa... That many Little Rumrats? From that trash?"
"Makes sense he'd dare mess with the Harts with skills like that..."
Fuck off.
I plugged my ears and happily tallied the amount.
More profitable than expected?
Amazed at the impressive sum for a day's work, I suddenly remembered the red Little Rumrat.
I pulled out the separately bagged corpse, and the staff wrinkled her nose.
Ah... Showing the body was a bit much?
"Um, how much for this one?"
"Corpses that bloody fetch less than market value."
"Oh, really."
What the fuck. I worked my ass off for that.
"But hides from monsters whose bodies don't evaporate are rare, so proper butchering could raise the price... Huh?"
She rubbed her eyes. Then leaned close to the corpse. As it got uncomfortably near, she spoke in a trembling voice.
"R-Red Rat?!"
.....
Red Rat. Guess that's its name.
This thing seems like a big deal...