Chapter 21

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

Translator: penny

Chapter: 21

Chapter Title: Spoils of War

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

"Sis, you feeling a bit better now?"

I flinched as the Saintess startled and burrowed into my arms. Thanks to Shin Seo-yeon taking the lead, she didn't fear me at all even when I threw my axe right beside her.

"Ah."

Shin Seo-yeon made a late realization of her mistake as she saw the Saintess clinging to me.

Sorry, but it was too late for regrets. The serial killer frame was already perfectly set. This was the classic case of the bear doing the work while someone else takes the honey.

"Ha-na, you okay now?"

"...Yeah."

"Can we move?"

A nod.

After a short rest, the Saintess had steadied herself enough to stand.

Once upon a time, the pathetic me who got called an ATM and couldn't even talk back had adapted. The Saintess from my first run had adapted too. It would just take time, but she'd get there soon enough.

"Alright, let's move out again."

Clack. Clack.

We stepped onto the stone floor, venturing deeper into the temple. I'd heard it was like a maze, and it really was.

Countless forks in the path appeared, and we had to pick one and keep going.

'She must've been pretty shocked.'

Thanks to the Saintess sticking so close she wouldn't let go, our pace had slowed considerably.

Hmm, Shin Seo-yeon, who'd been eyeing it with displeasure, suddenly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠plastered herself to my right side just like the Saintess.

"What's with you, Seo-yeon?"

"I'm wearing short sleeves, so it's cold."

"It's uncomfortable. Can't you at least walk separately?"

"So, where are we headed anyway?"

...Who was I even talking to?

I pointed to the sporadic bloodstains on the floor.

"Following the blood trail."

"Blood trail?"

It was the mark left by that human hunter who'd fled earlier.

"What, you didn't kill that guy? Can't you finish the job properly, Dickhead?"

"......"

"What? Why are you looking at me like I'm pathetic?"

Honestly, if I'd been in that situation, I would've blasted a fireball before the enemy could react.

No time for chit-chat. Hit 'em hard and fast, and all four would've gone down in one shot.

No need for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this annoying chase either.

"Well? Say something. Don't just glare at me."

But what was the point of arguing over spilled milk?

Since things had turned out this way, might as well make the most of it.

I started walking without a word.

"Dickhead, you listening to me?"

Soon, rounding the corner, we found the escaped human hunter dead on the floor.

A small stone chamber lay ahead. Inside, piles of loot were stacked against one wall.

"Whoa."

Shin Seo-yeon, who could rival a dragon in her love for shiny things, let out a gasp of admiration and rushed over to scoop up the jewels.

Right beside them, weapons were grouped with weapons and armor with armor. Judging by their habits, these were clearly stolen from other players they'd ambushed.

"You knew and let him live on purpose?"

Having already pocketed all the gems, Shin Seo-yeon turned to me with sparkling eyes.

"Not intentional, but animals instinctively head home when they're about to die. That guy's home was here."

I inspected the gear as I spoke. Twenty-one weapons and eleven pieces of armor.

'These guys robbed a ton of people.'

Every piece of armor was priest robes.

Same color, same design. Fewer than the low-drop-rate weapons, which puzzled me at first, but then I spotted the torn fabric scraps scattered around and understood.

'Used 'em as toilet paper, huh.'

It happened sometimes in Trial zones. Of course, using expensive items like that just made me chuckle bitterly.

"Ha, these bastards are real psychos. Min-jun, come here."

"?"

Her suddenly subdued tone worried me, so I got up and headed her way.

In the dark shadows beyond the light, a familiar figure caught my eye.

What the—? For a split second, that question crossed my mind before the stench hit my nose, and I immediately covered the Saintess's eyes.

"Eh?"

"Don't look."

It was corpses.

Eleven bodies, limbs severed, lined up like objects.

All naked, with torn wounds in their rears and dried fluids crusted in every orifice. I could guess their purpose.

'So this is what they meant by collection.'

I'd see this often from here on, but human-made ones were a rare sight after so long.

Monsters usually dominated the industry, leaving no room for humans.

The Saintess grabbed my hand.

"I wanna see too."

"Better not."

"I can't hide forever. I don't wanna be a burden."

Her voice was resolute, so I moved my hand. Predictably, the result was the same as before.

"Urk."

I rubbed her back again. Shin Seo-yeon stared silently before blasting fire to incinerate the bodies.

"Tch, those bastards died too easily. Should've made 'em suffer."

As the corpses crackled and burned, the Saintess gripped my hand tightly. Her eyes held a storm of emotions.

"Why are we even in a place like this? Can we really survive to the end...?"

Earth destroyed overnight, tumbling into this unknown world for migration.

It was a time for heavy thoughts.

Maybe some of those who vanished in the first Trial couldn't accept this horror and chose to end it themselves.

I stroked the Saintess's back.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you so this doesn't happen to you."

Only then did her frantic, trembling eyes steady. Trust overtook despair in her gaze.

"Thank you, Min-jun."

"No problem."

I could practically see her affection points skyrocketing.

That look saying she could trust me, at least. Very satisfying.

"What about me, Dickhead? You gonna protect me too?"

"You?"

"Yeah."

I retorted in disbelief.

"Protect yourself. You're stronger than me anyway."

"Hey, that's... Can't you at least say it?"

"Do I have to?"

"......"

Shin Seo-yeon scrunched her face and stomped off huffily.

"Where you going?"

"Bathroom!"

"S-Seo-yeon! Wait for me."

The two disappeared into a corner of the stone chamber. Left alone, I watched the burning corpses and suddenly spotted something, reaching out.

'There it is.'

Dead player corpses had a small chance to drop stat fragments. Extremely low odds, but one of the few ways to raise stats outside of leveling up.

'Even though uniting strength makes Trials easier, this selfish loot will cause countless human deaths ahead.'

Humans were peculiar.

Why was the desire to crush others and stand atop them stronger than the will to unite and survive?

I secretly absorbed it while the two were fixing their clothes.

"So, where to now?"

"Deeper in. And get ready to fight."

"Huh? Fight?"

Humans were intelligent animals. Even when succumbing to base desires worse than dogs, instinct drove them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to use their brains.

I looked up at the most useful legacy left by these human scum.

A map drawn on the wall above the burning collection.

It detailed the stairs to the depths and the path there. I memorized the smoldering map and copied it onto paper from the convenience store.

'Shortest path to the depths is this way.'

I exited the chamber immediately. We had no intention of staying in this [Lair of Evil Spirits] until death, so no reason to linger at the entrance.

'Bardo's remains are in the depths.'

The temple had three floors, each spawning different undead.

Naturally, deeper floors brought tougher foes.

'Of course, most die before reaching the middle floor.'

Clatter. Clatter.

Pressing forward, I halted abruptly. Something writhed in the darkness ahead.

'Prep is perfect. Plenty of food and supplies, and crucially, weapons to kill enemies.'

Clatter. Clatter.

"Blood... more needed... more... more..."

"What the hell is that?"

With chilling air, long-dead beings slowly took form.

"...Skeletons?"

They were skulls. But not the typical clean kind we imagined.

The eye sockets held unrotted eyeballs glistening with moisture, dark red veins twisting across the whites.

"Light... why forsake us...?"

The chattering jaw mumbled. An atrocious sound—speech or scream?—flowed not into ears but straight into minds.

Splat.

Even worse was their torsos.

Bones still clung with dark red blood and flesh, squelching wetly with each step.

"Pray... but the gods will not hear..."

Blood drops fell onto shattered stone, dissolving into smoke-like wisps.

Dozens of gleaming eyes scanned about before locking onto us.

Thudthudthudthud!

Nineteen skeletons raised weapons and charged us in unison.

"You will become like us!"

"Give me that body!"

Ha, didn't expect them to look this nasty. Way more gruesome than imagined. Sure enough, the Saintess screamed on the verge of fainting.

"Kyaa! W-what are those?!"

No doubt, murder was the last thing on her mind now.

"Seo-yeon!"

A fireball flew as if she'd been waiting.

Kaboom!

In one strike, seven skeletons shattered in the explosion and burst into flames.

'Fire is one of the few attributes that deals real damage to undead.'

Undead's terror was endless regeneration, but fire symbolized destruction.

Especially Shin Seo-yeon's [Primordial Flame], top-tier in raw power.

As expected, the engulfed skeletons couldn't regenerate.

"Th-they're closing in!"

"How are these boneheads so fast?!"

But the survivors closed the gap instantly, weapons raised.

Shin Seo-yeon hesitated to throw another fireball.

Firing now might spare her as the caster, but me and the Saintess would get caught in the blast.

"Damn, switching to flame breath instead of fireballs! Cover me!"

"No need. Take Ha-na and fall back."

"Huh?"

I gripped my sword hilt and stepped forward.

-Thirty-one of us stuck together, but fourteen died in the first encounter, scattering the rest.

Old memories flickered. The sole survivor here lived the rest of his days haunted, drowning in booze.

-No matter how many times you killed them, they wouldn't stay dead. Break an arm, sever a leg—they'd crawl with broken backs and bite ankles.

"You too will become like us! In this cursed place!"

I drew my sword. Two skeletons closed in, weapons high.

-Facing immortals, my only choice was abandoning comrades and fleeing...

'These ugly bastards not dying? Yeah, horrifying.'

But now was different. Whoosh—I swung horizontally. The two, mid-strike, were bisected at the waist and crumpled.

'Two down.'

"Need blood! More!"

Three more charged. I swung again, prioritizing and slicing them one by one.

"We are not dead! We... live!"

No respite from the foes, pure killing intent prickling my skin, hairs standing on end.

Yet oddly, swinging back cleared my mind, calming my heart.

Strange. More relaxing than laughing, chatting, or joking.

'Eight.'

Like watching a YouTube Short on my phone. So effortless, a smile crept unbidden.

'Twelve.'

Slicing the last one, I lowered my sword and exhaled slowly.

Looking around, no more movement.

'Good weapon and high Strength make it easy.'

Normally it'd take ten-plus hits per one, but a casual swing halved them dead.

'This is weapon power, burst damage fun. All-Strength build is the way.'

As I thought that, surprised voices came from behind. Turning, the two gaped at me.

"Dickhead, what the..."

"?"

"M-Min-jun, did you learn kendo as a kid or something?"

"Nah, never learned."

Was that even a fight needing technique?

No blocking, dodging, or parrying.

Just stat power swinging first, weapon power one-shotting.

A kid could do it.

"A-amazing."

The Saintess's eyes sparkled. Our Saintess always meant her praise, so healing. Hard to find someone whose words matched actions so perfectly.

"Let's check the loot then."

Rummaging, I noticed it was quiet. Looking up, I was alone.

"What're you doing? Check it yourselves."

"......"

"They're all dead, confirmed. No worries."

But the two stayed put, and soon I got why.

"M-Min-jun, do we have to touch them to reset?"

Ah, hard to touch bones caked in blood and flesh.

Repulsed expressions. Understandable—I'd been shocked by their looks too at first.

Still, couldn't do mob cleanup solo every time.

What choice was there?

"Yes, gotta touch. I'll do nine, you each do five. No leaving till quotas met, Ha-na."

"B-but."

My firm tone left the Saintess tearing up but complying. Shin Seo-yeon freaked.

"Hey, d-do we really have to?"

"Gotta loot to earn."

"No, why me too? I'm the party's top DPS. Can't I skip chores?"

Not wrong. Her and me on damage, Saintess looting—ideal setup.

But I made her anyway because,

"Just pisses me off."

"What?"

Whoops, inner thoughts slipped. I hurriedly amended.

"If you do it, all future gems from these go to you."

"For real?"

"Of course."

Her eyes lit up, and she accepted eagerly.

"Dickhead, no take-backs later. No whining for shares or anything."

"Yeah, yeah. You too, don't beg to undo it later."

No chance I'd renege, so no worries. Shin Seo-yeon gleefully started resetting the skeletons by touch.