Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Home
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Home.
"Looks like there aren't any other bastards up above."
Glasses B let out a sigh of relief as he spoke.
Sure enough, just as Glasses B said, there were no bone worms on the other floors.
Unlike what we'd expected.
It seemed they'd mobilized every single bone monster from our floor.
'Fortunately, our forces are much stronger than anticipated.'
Even if we got surrounded by the monsters from the fourth floor, we could escape safely.
I hoisted Cheong Yurang onto my back and leaped forward.
"So, what are you going to do about her?"
"About what?"
"Lady Cheong Yurang, I mean."
"......"
At Glasses B's words, I blinked a few times.
By forming a lord-vassal bond, we'd awakened the blood of her lineage.
That transformed Cheong Yurang into Fenrir, who saved us all.
'But no matter how I think about it.'
This didn't seem like an ordinary ritual.
Even if I was a bit slow on the uptake.
Normally, in these kinds of things.
'King and subject.'
No, not quite that.
Or if I thought in terms of this world.
'King and knight.'
Something around that level, probably.
If so, I'd gotten dragged into something awfully troublesome.
'......But.'
I couldn't complain about it.
Especially since I owed her my life.
Honestly, with my current strength, escaping that place on my own would have been impossible.
Even after leaping over all those creatures, another one like the Rotten Horse or Dark Knight showed up later.
'Sure, it was definitely a weak one.'
But they were only weak compared to us—we could take them down—but not that weak.
And after killing all the bone monsters, we'd have been exhausted, so the odds of losing were high too.
"Well, she'll figure it out on her own. That's just who she is."
"We've only known each other for a day, haven't we?"
"True, but it was the most intense day of my life. Honestly, that day, I was even prepared to die."
"Is that so?"
"Somehow, I get the feeling that even without Lady Cheong Yurang, you might have found a way to survive."
"No way."
-You would have.
As I denied it, the holy sword spoke up.
-Of course, only if you'd handed your body over to me and gotten lucky.
'That still means giving up my body.'
-It would only be temporary anyway. Due to our pact, I... Hm, I've said too much for my own good.
'Bullshit.'
The holy sword trembled slightly.
For a moment, it began speaking in a somewhat gloomy tone.
-By the way, about that gift of yours... Any plans to evolve it?
'Yeah.'
-Just in case, but if you evolve that gift and it starts feeling too convenient at some point, be careful.
'......Why?'
-It's definitely something akin to a demon's art. No one would deny its usefulness, but it's also an incredibly dangerous power.
Come to think of it, Rishiel had said something similar.
That my gift, Plunder, was no different from a demon's technique.
-Too useful, too powerful. Too bizarre and grotesque. What you steal with it isn't just space—it's souls too.
'......'
-No other gift can match its utility. The more you use it, the closer you grow to its original owner.
'Is that tied to the [Fate] you mentioned too?'
But I had a question.
The gift's original owner? Did something like that even exist?
-Gifts are blessings bestowed upon humanity by the gods. But when the gods vanished, their possessions manifested as gifts. I don't know the details, though.
'......Feels like I just heard something huge.'
-And those S-rank gifts they possessed... they're the minimum requirements for becoming a god.
'You can just tell me that?'
-You say you don't want to be a hero... but no one is more qualified than you. You've already made this much of an impact in less than a month. I can roughly imagine what you'll be like after a year. So, it's best to know what you need to know.
I see.
I tucked away the knowledge the holy sword had shared, then looked around.
Glasses B and Mayu, both looking exhausted.
And Cheong Yurang, still fast asleep on my back.
That said, it was a bit troubling.
Seeing everyone react to this technique as if it were some demonic art.
'It really does seem dangerous.'
If it was that risky, maybe I could synthesize it away at some point.
With those thoughts swirling, we headed up to the upper floors.
As we climbed, we started seeing scattered people here and there.
Whenever we spotted any.
"Don't go any further. Best to head back today."
"Who the hell are you to tell us...?"
"Eek, sorry, Lord Marcel! This idiot's just uneducated! We'll head back right away!"
"Relay the message to everyone you meet on the way."
We spun around like that a few times.
"Sorry to drag you into something like this."
"No big deal."
Honestly, I didn't think much of it.
They were either going to become Cheong Yurang's subordinates or pay taxes to fatten her wallet.
Compared to her saving my life, it was nothing.
And then.
"......The damage seems worse than expected."
The Beast King sighed as he surveyed the remaining survivors.
"At least you all made it out alive."
The Beast King's eyes turned to us. He sighed in relief and walked over.
"......Cheong Yurang must be worn out and asleep. Mind if I hear the details inside, Marcel?"
"Yes, I'll explain everything properly."
"And you..."
The Beast King's gaze shifted to me.
His tiger-like amber eyes scanned me appraisingly.
"Marcel. What do you think I should give this one?"
Marcel pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I think one of the beastkin treasures would be appropriate."
"No way! To a mere human...!"
Mayu spoke up at Marcel's words. The Beast King's eyes turned to her.
With utter indifference.
"This is my fault, it seems. Being close to that girl must have made me spoil you."
With that, something emanated from the Beast King.
An immense fighting spirit.
Fighting spirit was formless by nature, but the Beast King's was visible to the naked eye.
-Take a good look. This is the fighting spirit wielded by the pinnacle of a nation.
'......My god. All that's fighting spirit?'
-You know it is, yet you can't believe it. It's fighting spirit infused with willpower. With that level... that beastkin won't set foot in the labyrinth for at least three years?
'......What does that mean?'
-Fighting spirit laced with will crushes the enemy's resolve. Mix in some killing intent, and turning them into a vegetable is easy.
The holy sword murmured delightedly.
Whether true or not, Mayu the beastkin had rolled her eyes back, foaming at the mouth, and fainted on the spot.
"Drag her away. Sorry about this. I've spoiled her too much."
"......It's fine."
No big deal.
He'd deliberately shown it to prove just how strong he was.
-Ho, you noticed?
'......Showing the power gap with your own eyes is the fastest way... and she crossed the line big time.'
While I chatted with the holy sword, the Beast King smiled faintly and addressed Marcel.
"Does he have achievements to that extent?"
"Yes. While Lady Cheong Yurang's contributions were great in this operation, it all started with him saving our lives."
"Need anything?"
The Beast King turned to me.
I was a little flustered.
We were supposed to get two elixirs, but now he was offering more?
-Ho, this Beast King fellow is pretty decent.
'Because the rewards look bigger than expected?'
-That too. And he didn't reject you just for being human. Didn't skimp on the rewards because you're human either.
'......'
Good thing the beastkin king was actually a proper Beast King.
Anyway, I thought about what to ask for.
-Armor! Or shoes with great mobility.
'My shoes have runes on them.'
-Hmph, you think slapping trash runes on them makes them anything special? Those are just cheap items jacked up in price to seem valuable.
'......'
That bastard Diago.
Passed off junk like that as a favor?
'I'll collect interest on this later.'
I looked at the Beast King.
"Got any shoes?"
"Aiming to boost your mobility? Hm, something wind-related would be best."
He muttered to himself, then spoke to the secretary beside him.
"Alright, I'll give you your reward right now. And you can go. Best to shake off labyrinth fatigue immediately. Mel, give him that one."
"Yes, understood."
At the Beast King's words, the beastkin man standing like a secretary handed me a box.
"Hope it suits you."
The butler named Mel gave me a confident smile.
⚙ APPRAISAL ⚙ Wind-Swallowing Shoes (B) Shoes that grow faster the more wind they swallow. ◇Generates wind from the moment the user equips them. ◇Can instantly accelerate speed using the swallowed wind. -What? You have an appraisal skill too?
'What? Isn't that standard?'
-What are you talking about? Some people are like onions—layers of surprises.
I ignored the bewildered holy sword and checked the other items.
⚔ ITEM ⚔ [Elixir] Dragon Vein Crystal Water ◇Greatly increases the user's stats and mana upon consumption. ⚔ ITEM ⚔ [Elixir] Purification Elixir ◇Expels waste products from the user's body upon consumption. -Both are solid. Dragon Vein Crystal Water boosts mana, and Purification Elixir clears out bodily waste for faster mana usage. The Beast King gave you just what you needed.
With the holy sword's seal of approval, they seemed like good stuff.
I accepted them with a smile.
*
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Mana has increased by 10.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Purified bodily waste products. Strength, Agility, and Stamina have increased by 3.] *
Strange rumors were circulating in the village. I caught wind of them that evening while drinking at the tavern.
"Hey, you hear? Lady Cheong Yurang's marrying some human guy."
"What?! But that dude looked pretty strong."
Rumors like that were everywhere.
When I used Rogue Mastery to gather intel, the entire beastkin nation was buzzing with them.
'Can't be helped.'
This place was comfortable.
But it could never be my true home.
'Time to head back.'
I'd bought a new house, called in cleaners to tidy it up, so it should be ready now.
The clan members had been replenished too, so it was about time to return to the Cradle.
I approached Diago.
"Hey, hero. You really shone this time. As expected, your mouth says one thing, but your body's honestly that of a—"
"Gotta bounce."
"This guy's dropped all pretenses now?"
Whatever.
Escaping now was more important.