Chapter 195

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: penny

Chapter: 195

Chapter Title: Changed Future

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Tadadot.

I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

The thing had great mobility, sure, but it didn't have the combat power to attack Versh Village. So how had it stormed in and succeeded in its hunt?

We descended into the cave, and soon the village came into view.

"......"

It was a total wreck.

Half the wooden buildings looked like a tidal wave had swept through them, and the streets ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were a sea of blood.

No bodies left behind. I wanted to know what had happened, but there weren't even any survivors.

"What the hell..."

"...Are they all dead?"

I had no idea. This was a development I'd never heard of before. Or maybe something like this had happened, but everyone in that route had failed and died.

'Did the future change because I got Dracos early and farmed it?'

There was no way to know right now.

I didn't even have a proper grasp on what was going on. That was when it happened.

Rustle.

A faint presence. Tadadot—we rushed over, and with the spirit's help, we cleared the collapsed debris. Familiar faces emerged.

Ah! Lee ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Eun-jeong, who'd been worrying nonstop, lit up the moment she saw them.

"Comrade Jong-su!"

"Cough cough. Everyone safe?"

Kim Jong-su and the North ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Koreans crawled out from under the ruined building.

"Where are the others?!"

Kim Jong-su shook his head. No survivors from the village at all. Even the North Korean side had dwindled from eleven to five.

"What the hell happened?"

"Well, you see..."

And then it all made sense once I heard the story.

—Hahaha, good luck to you all!

After successfully winning Kubara's affection, Kim Jin-woo started skipping out on volunteer work. While everyone else toiled under the blazing sun, he was stripping Kubara and thrusting away on top of her.

"People complained it was unfair, but it didn't do any good."

Nod.

I knew full well how bitchy and selfish Kubara could be.

But Kim Jin-woo was the head of the Jeju Union before he was her lover.

—You're ditching your guild members to fool around alone? Is that what a guild master does?

—Mind your own business, fuck off.

As complaints poured in and members started turning away one by one, Kim Jin-woo realized his mistake and scrambled for a fix.

He'd begged Kubara while screwing her to get the Jeju Union exempted from work too.

"That's when the problems started."

I could predict the rest.

The 38 from Jeju Union slacked off, while the 15 from Cheongbang and 11 North Koreans worked themselves to death.

"Honestly, up to that point, it wasn't a huge issue."

They were supposed to work 12 hours straight anyway. Even then, they had overflowing stats and energy to spare.

So what do people with extra strength and time do?

—Ahk! Ahk! Hah...!

While the Versh Village men were out hunting and gathering, the Jeju Union started rubbing up naked against women at the bathing spot, seducing them, and eventually bedding married women and village virgins alike.

Earth guys were tall, and their dicks were bigger than the locals'. As expected, the village women fell head over heels.

By the next day after we left, you could hear married women panting in every house if you listened closely.

"That's when it all went to hell. Total debauchery."

'...Humans do stupid shit when they've got strength and time to burn.'

And what do you think the Chinese did when they saw that?

They were sweating buckets, working their asses off, while Jeju Union rotated through women house to house?

"They asked us if we wanted revenge. We said we'd sit it out. Our gut said it wouldn't end well."

—Then stay in your lodging and keep quiet.

"We said we'd do that much."

And then they saw it.

On a rare cloudy day, the Versh Village men returned from a distant foraging trip. The pissed-off Chinese told them everything.

The villagers' blood pressure shot through the roof, and they immediately stormed the village to fight the Jeju Union.

"But Jeju had numbers and unique abilities, so the fight dragged on and escalated."

In the end, both sides wiped each other out.

The Chinese, who'd watched it all, swooped in at the last minute.

They beat all the remaining men to death, took the village, and fucked every woman. Married or not.

Especially Kubara—they gang-raped her and beat her to death over 10 hours. A bitch you could kill in 10 seconds? Shows how much they hated her.

"That's around when it showed up. Some sinister shadow."

The North Koreans, holed up quietly per the deal with the Chinese, didn't notice at first.

It was so stealthy, and Kubara's screams mixed with the women's moans were deafening.

But when it passed their lodging...

Crunch crunch.

The ravenous eating sounds came with an evolution alert. By then, the monster they couldn't catch had been born.

'The blood scent drew it to the village.'

They rushed out too late to kill it. With its new tough armor, they couldn't touch it. And this was the result.

Massacre. Devoured 300 villagers and over 50 players.

Evolution. Evolution. Evolution...

'Damn, it really went apeshit.'

People die screwing around all the way to the late trials. No surprise there. But running an organization like that?

Unbelievable. I glared at the ground in disbelief when something caught my eye under the lodging debris.

I dug it out: a home run ball and soda.

"Ah. That's Hao Zifeng's. No idea why, but after work, he'd sit in front of Comrade Min-jun's lodging for ages."

"......"

"Even when we said it'd take two days, he waited there every time."

...Maybe that's why—because of what I'd told him that day—he held out for two days.

Then exploded, wiping out Jeju Union and the villagers.

'Thanks to that, the party got +51 stats each, and I snagged 43 magic stones. Profitable, but...'

Still a shame. If they'd been a bit more careful. No, I never imagined Kim Jin-woo would fuck up operations that badly.

Or that Hao Zifeng would snap like that.

"Dickhead, what now?"

"...We chase."

Before, forest monsters were stronger, so it hid. Now the tables turned. It's overwhelmingly stronger than forest beasts, so it'll devour anything in sight.

"Ah-hyun."

"Yes, oppa!"

Joo Ah-hyun used her ability to start the chase. But she frowned at the ground.

"What're you doing."

"W-well."

Perplexed expression.

Joo Ah-hyun stepped around and stopped at the village edge. A massive hole had been dug and refilled. Like a giant mole had tunneled through.

The tunnel was at least 30 meters wide.

Dracalon was about 50 meters, so it'd nearly caught up.

"Already this big? Makes no sense."

"...Something's wrong."

Yeah, way off. Everything deviated from the future I knew.

"Min-jun oppa, let's head out and resume the chase... Ugh?!"

Kugugugugugu.

Suddenly, the ground shook like an earthquake. The whole ancient forest trembled. Dirt and rocks rained from above.

Bam! Bam bam bam!

"Kyaaak!"

"Everyone, careful! The cave's collapsing!"

Luckily, we had five wind spirits, so no crushed skulls. But this was dangerous.

"To the entrance, run!"

Kugugugugu.

Dirt dust turned to ceiling cracks, rocks pouring like hail. Big boulders too.

"Hurry! Get buried if you're late!"

"Ha-na unnie! This way!"

"Yeah!"

Then—whoosh! Something huge barreled through the outer tunnel.

"Ugh!"

"W-what was that?!"

Instinct told me.

'It spotted Dracos waiting at the entrance and knew we'd returned.'

It'd watched us in the forest enough to know we were dangerous.

So instead of eating us, it rushed back to bury us under the mountain.

Kukwakwakwa—boom!

"Shit, too late! Entrance collapsed!"

"W-what do we do!"

"......"

Sealed in. Cave crumbling. Maybe a minute? Forty seconds tops before buried.

Kukwakwakwakwa—boom!

"Kyaaak!"

No matter our insane stats or S-rank abilities, getting crushed under this mountain ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meant death.

"Oppa, the spirits are struggling!"

No escape. So what now?

"Tch, damn it. Hey, Kang Min-jun! Make a call! I won't blame you no matter how we die!"

Shin Seo-yeon grabbed my collar and shook. In the crunch, I spun around.

"Everyone, this way."

"Where?!"

"Sanctuary."

The sanctuary, infused with divine power, wouldn't collapse easily. Sure enough, the entrance and interior were intact.

"Inside, quick!"

Kugugugugu!

We barely made it in before the whole village vanished under rocks.

Thud!

"Hah. Haah."

"W-we survived..."

"I-if it weren't for Min-jun-ssi, we'd be goners."

"Yeah."

The party patted their chests in shock.

"We're alive for now, but what next?"

I picked up the letter envelope briefly.

Seven envelopes left. Eight of us. Call Im Ah-rin to fetch me, summon the rest—numbers match.

...No, not quite. The five North Koreans would stay behind.

"Dickhead. Gotta decide."

Seo-yeon was right. Before oxygen ran out.

"Gimme a sec to think."

And it's not just that. Honestly, letting that thing go sucks. The rewards it drops, and this trial's prizes.

Fleeing means losing it all.

'But if we're fleeing, now's the chance.'

It's stronger than expected, so unlike the plan, the risk is too high.

So what to do.

I pushed past the party, heading deeper to the sanctuary.

"Ah?"

Ran into a woman.

"Who?"

Petite. Versh villager, obviously. But weird. Didn't they say Kubara got beaten to death?

"W-well..."

Unlike flat-nosed Kubara and villagers, this girl had a perky, pretty face standing before us.

"I-I'm the priestess."

"Voice is different."

"Th-that's because I was acting..."

Ah, got it.

Doesn't matter anyway. What matters is if this risk is worth it. Then—

"......"

Like offering everything it could, the options from sacrificing magic stones all appeared as rewards.

All at once, too.

No one else got the hidden quest— the party just stared blankly at me.

'Last follower means this Kubara lookalike twin.'

Kugugugugugu.

"Dickhead, what'll it be?"

No need to hesitate now.

"We fight."

"How?"

"Gotta get out first."

"How? The envelopes..."

Seo-yeon knew. Even pretending otherwise, she guessed my backups. But I had a hidden item.

"Everyone, get ready."

I pulled out an item: a chunk like torn from a stone tablet.

A bluish circular portal opened in the sanctuary. The veil parted like a window, revealing the other side.

"What's this?"

"You know portals from games? Step through to outside Versh Village."

The party's faces lit up.

"As expected of Min-jun-ssi!"

"Oppa best!"

"You truly are... a flawless man without gaps."

Not true. I have tons of gaps, so I insure everything.

Selection process—you can't see a step ahead. Habit from those 10 years.

"Heh, right? No man beats our Dickhead."

Starting with Shin Seo-yeon, they checked gear fast. I did too, then stood at the portal.

Kugugugu.

"Fair warning: outside's a warzone. Either it dies or we do."

Nod.

It was still evolving, devouring nonstop. Time to stop it and end it.

"Let's go."

Kukwakwakwaku.

I led, entering the portal one by one.

Stepping out, the vibrations hit different—way worse than in the sanctuary. The massive forest screamed and shook like a typhoon or quake.

Crack!

Kugugugugu!

"Kyak!"

"W-what?! Why's the ground shaking so much?!"

Small mercy: this shaking meant it'd grown so huge it couldn't hide anymore.

Kukwakwakwa—boom!

"Tch."

The dirt floor waved up and down like ocean swells. Once it calmed, Han So-hee yelled.

"What now?!"

"We move!"

"How?!"

I thumped a still-standing tree hard.

Thud. Thud. Thud thud thud.

Damn, all dead?! Again!

Thud. Thud. Thud thud thud.

Dracos swarmed in like arrows.

"Whoa, you guys are alive!"

Kiruk! Kiruk!

Best mobility in the forest—they wouldn't get eaten. Even ownerless ones joined our flock.

"Everyone, hop on!"

We mounted skillfully. North Koreans and Kubara-lookalike priestess each grabbed one.

Kugugugugu.

"Dickhead, chase right away?!"

"No, this way!"

I recalled 1st round intel, skirted the cliff where Versh was, then climbed gentle slopes to the peak.

Tadadot!

Safest spot in ancient forest: mountaintop. Bigger than the giant dragon.

Dracos whisked us up. We saw it: bigger than 40-meter forest trees.

"Ha, that's dragon-slayer size, right?"

"...Looks like it."

"W-what do we do? Too big."

"Yeah."

But closer look, I shook my head.

"Not quite yet."

"Not?"

"Scales and evolution marks sloppy. Just bulking up fast by devouring. Bigger means easier hunts."

Explains the insane growth speed.

'Pretty smart bastard.'

"So what's the plan."

I scanned the party. Spotted the smallest kid.

"You, Kubara lookalike..."

"Ku-Kumora. That's my half-sister."

Got it.

"Anyway, you stay with Ha-na. Ise-ra and Ah-hyun guard Kumora. So-hee and Yu-rim protect the Saintess."

Nod.

"And us?"

"What else."

I cracked my neck side to side, swung my right arm, stared ahead.

"Time to hunt a dragon."