Chapter 206
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Japan
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'But they really gave me the dark attribute.'
[Handled Death (Common)]
Adds 5% dark attribute damage to basic attacks.
The Selection Process features a variety of attributes, each with counters and monsters tailored to them.
In other words, using the right attribute makes it easier to take them down, while attacks that clash with their counters might have no effect or deal drastically reduced damage.
'Among them, the dark attribute has some rather unique properties.'
The dark attribute deals consistent damage to all beings, even to fellow dark-attribute monsters.
Its downside is that the percentage isn't particularly high.
'The attribute system is a separate variable from defense calculations.'
So, to cut to the chase, dark-attribute weapons are the best in attribute-based combat. They might not multiply your damage output several times over, but they reliably deal damage in any situation.
The Destruction Dragon Galegos, in particular, possesses all attributes and has no elemental weaknesses, so only dark attribute pierces through it cleanly.
Thus, securing a dark attribute—another must-have element—marks this as a significant achievement.
"Here you go, Golden Goose."
As I mulled over these thoughts, Arkonn handed over his core and Varkus's to me.
[Soul Fragment].
"That's our hearts, right?"
"Exactly."
Without directly applying the Seal of Immortality to their corpses, the soul fragments wouldn't bond with the hearts and instead float around separately like this. It's like storing their hearts outside the body.
Thud. Thud.
"Hm? Where to?"
"I've prepared a storage spot for them over here."
I placed them in a small warehouse I'd built off to one side of the morgue.
"No one but me can enter this place, so there's no risk of them getting damaged."
"Impressive. As thorough as ever, past or present."
And as long as the soul fragments remain intact, the Death Knights won't die. Even if their bodies are pulverized in a burst of damage or reduced to ash by the Destruction Dragon's breath, they can revive good as new.
Of course, that's in theory. Carrying them across dimensions comes with various penalties.
Like lengthy resurrection times, for example.
'The issue is that to use the soul fragments indefinitely, you have to periodically recharge them with death energy.'
If the energy runs low, they could end up like that [Fallen High Priest Vardo] we faced in the [Lair of Evil Spirits].
Unable to recover at some point. Even Death Knights, deemed immortal, would meet their end.
'Well, I'll figure out how to replenish it step by step.'
Until then, leaving these orbs here should be fine.
This morgue had been steeped in death energy from the two corpses left untouched for so long. And their cores were already absorbing it to recharge.
So there shouldn't be any immediate energy shortages causing problems.
"Now, let's head out."
I dressed the two in clothes I'd prepared beforehand and we stepped outside together.
"Hm, what a beautiful place. So different from our Haran. Isn't it, Arkonn?"
"Indeed. Truly peaceful."
The lakeside view at dawn was shrouded in serenity. A light mist hung in the air, but it was gradually dissipating in the dawn light, lingering only around the lake's center.
That left plenty of open, expansive scenery to take in.
I said to the two of them,
"If you'd rather rest, that's fine."
"Hm?"
The Seal of Immortality is a forced contract. With their souls bound to me, they must offer absolute loyalty and can't take their own lives or escape their immortal fate. They seemed to grasp my meaning right away and smiled.
"Rookie, what kind of talk is that after breathing this vitality into an old man on his last legs? I feel overflowing with energy, like I've returned to my youth—life's purpose surging through me. Lead the way. If you've revived me, you must have grand plans ahead, right?"
"Yes, you'll be charging into countless battlefields from here on."
"Hah, perfect. That's just what I wanted. Old age was too stifling. Wasted years hunched over a desk doing administrative nonsense that didn't suit me at all."
Varkus laughed heartily and clapped my shoulder.
"So use me to your heart's content."
Arkonn nodded as well.
"Golden Goose, you're my brother. That necklace proves our bond. I'll aid you with all I have until my eyes close again."
Oh right, I'm still wearing this necklace.
"Want it back?"
Arkonn shook his head.
"I was just about to thank you for keeping it safe."
"Good thing. I wasn't planning to give it up even if you asked."
"Haha, I see."
We were chatting and laughing like that when—
"Eh? V-Varkus?"
A familiar voice rang out, and we all turned to see Inophe staring at us with wide eyes.
Even with skin like a corpse, it was unmistakably Varkus. Maybe that's why—Inophe dropped the hoe she was holding with a clatter.
"...Inophe?"
Varkus, reuniting with his daughter, looked mildly surprised. Then he glared at her sharply.
"Why is Inophe here?"
"She begged to be taken in, promising to live right from now on, so I had her farming here."
"I see."
Rustle. Rustle.
Varkus strode toward Inophe. She trembled violently, unable to meet his eyes, desperately averting her gaze—the atmosphere anything but parent and child.
In truth, Inophe had always feared her father her whole life, and Varkus, feeling guilty for the harm his late-bloom daughter had suffered because of him, could never bring himself to scold her harshly.
Years of growing distance between them had piled up. And it culminated in Inophe stabbing her father in the heart.
But after dying once, had his mindset changed?
"Inophe!"
"Y-Yes!"
"Well done."
"Pardon...?"
"Serving a good master is a blessing in itself. Farming was unexpected, but it suits you. Let's get along under the same lord from now on."
Varkus patted the stunned Inophe's shoulders. His strength made her wobble unsteadily, but that was it.
With those words, he simply walked past, curiously inspecting the crops Inophe tended and the Dracos rampaging through them.
As Inophe stood there dumbfounded, Arkonn approached.
Flinch.
"No need to fear. I'm this man's loyal subordinate now. He told me not to harm his retainers, so you're safe."
"Ah..."
Thud—she relaxed, tension draining from her face. Fair enough; even if her real dad let it slide, she'd brutally killed Arkonn—a total stranger and former rival.
She had no ground to complain if he tore her apart in revenge, so it was natural for her to breathe a sigh of relief.
Inophe's affinity toward you has greatly increased.
My affinity toward her rose too, naturally.
"Still, the infamous sea serpent of Haran turned farmer? Quite the sight. Looking forward to working with you."
"Uh, y-yeah."
Inophe sighed in relief. And inwardly, so did I.
No matter how much I'd told them not to touch her, actually facing their enemy up close without seeking revenge...
I'd worried they might snap and harm my group...
Like the Death Knights I'd seen through S-Rank Necromancer Mowen in the first playthrough, they seemed utterly incapable of defying their master's command.
No novel or shonen manga tropes where they break their chains and avenge themselves of their own will.
'That's how the Selection Process system works.'
So now I could relax. Though I'd keep observing a bit longer.
"Inophe!"
"Y-Yes! Varkus!"
"What are you standing around stupidly for? The soil's drying out. Water it."
"R-Right away!"
Good. With the Death Knights sorted, time to venture beyond the lodging.
Plenty left to do now that we've arrived at this new Rest Area.
After breakfast and checking on the mushrooms, I headed out into the streets.
Maybe because it was nearing 10 a.m., the streets were bustling with people.
"The atmosphere feels quite unique."
Yeah, how to put it. Before, it had that rundown medieval backwater vibe—a shabby frontier town. Now, it felt like a serene rural tourist spot.
The city itself buzzed with energy.
It wasn't just because it had been a while since the last Rest Area; the streets genuinely felt alive. The main reasons were the heavy foot traffic and foreigners.
"Whoa, it really feels like there are tons of Japanese people."
"Yeah. Like we're on vacation in Japan."
Japanese chatter echoed everywhere.
Even the trees sprouting sporadically along the Rest Area streets shed petals like cherry blossoms, amplifying the Japanese tourist vibe.
Of course, closer inspection revealed hints of Korea's cherry blossom-lined avenues, but people naturally notice the unfamiliar over the familiar.
This blend of both nations' traits signaled that Japanese were starting to flow into the Korean side in earnest.
"、！？" (Wow, smells delicious! What should we eat?)
"？。" (Wanna try takoyaki? There's a stall over there.)
"、。" (Alright, let's go!)
The Japanese voices ringing out from all directions were proof.
'Around this time, the Kyushu region starts merging.'
If memory served, this Rest Area involved Fukuoka joining up.
Fukuoka had a population of about ten million; I didn't know exactly how many survived the Trials.
But Japanese were definitely plentiful on the streets—nearly half and half with Koreans. Meaning Japan had fought less internally during the Trials.
Like Jeju growing peacefully, they'd cooperated through four rounds of Trials, overcoming crises with ease.
Of course, while admirable, that's why Japan—despite a larger population—had few S-Ranks. Just one, in fact.
"They don't seem to get along, though."
"Yeah."
If one side of the street was claimed by Koreans, the opposite was Japanese.
Both glaring warily.
"Look at these filthy Chosunjos swarming again."
"Hey, your girlfriend's pretty cute. Lend her to me for a bit? I'll have my fun and return her."
Skirmishes broke out here and there, with Japanese dragging around multiple slaves, leering at the Korean side.
In our country, the Saintess and her followers had massacred the [Human Hunters] with their death spears, pushing them near extinction. Japan, however, hadn't cleaned house yet.
"Nice! Crush the Koreans' spirit more!"
"Make sure they don't dare come near our side—break their morale completely."
Interestingly, [Human Hunters] were a blight on Japan too, yet here they were cheering them on.
"Can those Chosunjos even fight properly?"
"Show 'em Japanese grit right here so they don't act up in the Trial zones!"
In short, humans band together against common external enemies, even if they're threats at home.
We foreigners were their foes.
Thus, Japan's [Human Hunters] strutted bolder, picking fights with Koreans and eyeing their women.
But Koreans—who'd already purged them once—were indifferent.
"Hey, ignore 'em."
"Why bother with small fry like that."
No Japanese crossed to the other side for direct confrontations either.
Mess up, and it'd spark all-out war—with the instigator 100% dead.
Hence the Cold War standoff, streets divided, just flexing at each other.
Shin Seo-yeon snorted at the sight.
"But what's the point of drawing lines in the dirt like that? Our lodging's over here anyway."
"No, they have lodgings over there too."
"Huh?"
From now on, lodging buildings multiply.
Koreans get Korean lodgings, Japanese get Japanese ones. Bigger countries have multiples; smaller ones merge or share with larger ones.
"Whoa, so that's a Japanese lodging building?"
"Pretty much."
"No wonder the foot traffic's so high—leads right to the lodgings."
"Yeah."
Maybe because it's a Rest Area? Plenty wore what looked like yukatas, adding an exotic flair to the streets.
I scanned the crowds and nodded.
'That said, Korea and Japan are small fry. No Chinese in sight.'
Close to Japan, so proximity to China too, but no sign of them this round either.
'No contact with China until Korea and Japan fully merge.'
China's vast land and population mean it takes ages to consolidate before linking up.
They fight among themselves for a while first; by then, Korea and Japan will be one.
North Korea, with its small population, sorted itself quicker.
"So, where to first?"
"Guild first. Grab our rewards."
"Ooh, smart."
As I tightened my full-body robe and headed for the guild—
"Um, excuse me!"
A mild-looking boy in glasses approached with a notepad. He stopped right in front of us and said,
"Are you all together?"
"We are."
"Nice to meet you! I'm Jang Yu-jin from the West Wind Guild!"
West Wind?
"If it's okay, would you participate in our survey? Your small help could lead to big public good!"
'...Right around now, we start running into these guys.'
The so-called [Scribes].
Those chronicling the Selection Process's history over ten years.
"Even just one party leader would be great!"
"Jang Yu-jin?"
"Y-Yes!"
The 13-year-old boy—who'd later lead them—stared at me clutching his little notepad.
A great lord rivaling the Golden Castle Lord in influence.