Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: Horrors of the Mana Mine
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'How is this even...'
Woojin couldn't help but feel flustered by the man's utterly unexpected appearance.
"S-Sorry..."
Instead of responding to Woojin's words, the man waved his hands frantically as if to say no.
"Aah... ugh...! Bluh..."
The man kept mumbling incomprehensible words before finally bowing awkwardly, picking up the dropped box, and hurrying away.
"You okay just letting him go like that?"
Peron asked cautiously.
"He didn't do anything wrong, so sure..."
"A tongueless NPC, though... I've seen all sorts from bandits to vagrants, but this is a first for me. That shocked me."
"Let's head into the village first."
"You sure? Entering declared private property will trigger an alert right away."
"That's exactly why I'm going in. You stay hidden."
Woojin strode forward purposefully.
As soon as he stepped into the village, a red warning light blared.
Eeeeeeng―――
A siren-like wail echoed simultaneously, and soldiers emerged from a building just inside the entrance.
"Halt!!"
One of the soldiers aimed his spear at Woojin and shouted.
"This is private property! You can't enter—turn back now!"
At that moment, a strange smell tickled Woojin's nose.
Different from the acrid stench of the mine.
'...Booze?'
He sniffed again, and sure enough, the smell was coming from the soldier who'd just yelled.
'These guys... they're a total mess.'
Guards drinking in broad daylight...
It was probably because no one ever came to the village anymore.
Everyone knew it was Genesis Unit territory, and with the private property declaration on top.
'High freedom means crap like this happens.'
Ridiculous as it was, it was lucky for Woojin.
"Sorry about that. Is there someone named Lea here by any chance? I'm here on a request."
"...Lea?"
The soldier tilted his head at Woojin's words, then glanced at his comrade nearby.
"No idea. One of the mine workers?"
"Why are you looking for her?"
"I have a message to deliver. Her son asked me to pass it on."
Woojin pulled a single gold coin from his pocket.
"...Gasp."
The guard held his breath involuntarily at the sight of the gold.
"It'll only take a moment."
"Well, now, can't do that."
Woojin slipped the coin into the guard's pocket. The man cleared his throat awkwardly and glanced around.
"I get your situation, but it's declared private property, so I can't let you in. If we get caught slacking... Ugh, it'd be a nightmare."
"Then just bring her out here. That's fine."
Woojin slipped another gold coin into the guard's pocket.
"Heh heh... Well..."
The guard nodded reluctantly and said,
"Wait here. Lea, right? I'll check if there's anyone by that name."
"Thanks."
'A guy who drinks on guard duty...'
Bribery worked just as expected.
"Hey! Wanna have a drink while you wait?"
An older soldier in the guard shack beckoned Woojin over.
'This is a full-on booze fest...'
Woojin could tell from the guard shack just how abysmal the village security was.
"I'd love to, but... you sure it's okay to drink like this?"
Woojin asked as he accepted the cup from the guard.
"Don't worry. This place is abandoned anyway. The overseers inside are probably already wasted."
"...Really?"
"Come on, come on. Grab a seat."
The remaining guard, bored drinking alone, tugged at Woojin's arm.
"The overseers are in the village too?"
"The actual owner isn't here, but his underlings are. What were they called... Genesis Unit? Yeah, those guys bought the village."
It matched what Peron had told him so far.
"So Genesis Unit's running things now."
"Yep."
"Then why call it an abandoned village? They bought it and all."
"Heh heh. You don't know squat about mana mines, do you?"
"Uh? Oh, yeah. Not really."
"Makes sense for outsiders. You've got the shrine's blessing and all. You know mana stones carry poison, right?"
Woojin nodded.
"That poison's strongest right after mining them from the mountain. That smoke ain't just smoke—it's venting the toxins from inside."
Chiiiik...
As if responding to his words, steam billowed from the mana mine's chimney.
"What do you think happens if you breathe that in every day? You just wait to die."
The guard let out a bitter laugh and downed his drink at Woojin's reaction.
"What about the overseers? They'd have complaints living in a dump like this..."
"Complaints? They'd call this heaven."
"Why's that?"
"Know what you get if you collect and refine the steam from the mana mine?"
He pulled a small pill from the table.
"No way..."
"Yep, hallucinogens. Normally made by grinding mana stones for demon beasts, but this is purified using just the steam. Safe for humans."
"..."
Peron had once mentioned drugs were possible in Evil Tail.
Woojin hadn't thought much of it then, but seeing it actually happening was absurd.
And right out in the open in the village.
"...Wouldn't it be better to just leave the village?"
"Leave? Heh heh... If we could, we would've ages ago."
"Hey, is this the person you're looking for?"
At that moment, the guard who'd gone into the village returned with a woman and called out to Woojin.
She wore a cloth mask and soot-stained clothes, her face pale as she stared at Woojin.
Her eyes lacked focus.
Woojin felt a twinge of unease but asked anyway.
"Are you... Raoul's mother, by any chance?"
Her eyes flickered at that.
Still lifeless, but she lifted her head in response.
There was a reaction.
"Aah..."
Her parched lips moved.
Woojin's expression hardened.
He'd heard the same slurred voice as the worker earlier.
"W-Wait a sec..."
Woojin shot a questioning look at the guard who'd brought her.
"Oh, she can't speak. Tongue's been cut out."
"What the...?"
"Nothing to be shocked about. All the workers here are the same."
The guard said it casually, but Woojin felt like he'd been hammered in the head.
"I told you earlier. If we could leave, we would've."
The older guard clicked his tongue at Woojin's expression.
"These folks are no better than slaves. They rack up massive debts and mine mana stones till they drop dead."
"What do you mean? Debts?"
"Nothing major. When the mana mine was found and they hired villagers as workers, they handed out byproducts for free."
"...Byproducts?"
"This."
The guard pointed to the pill on the table.
"But then the overseers started selling it. No more freebies."
Crunch.
The guard popped a pill in his mouth and chased it with booze.
"They slapped huge taxes on anyone not taking the drugs. Half can't leave because of addiction, half because of debt."
"But... why cut out their tongues?"
"To keep the village secrets."
"...What?"
"The drugs made here? They go to nobles too. Believe it or not, one pill rakes in as much as a small kingdom's worth."
Crunch―!!
The guard boasted proudly, but Woojin's rage boiled higher with every word.
"No point sticking around long. Finish your business and get out."
"Aah... u... u..."
Hearing her son's name, perhaps.
Lea flailed her hands at Woojin, mumbling nonstop.
"Tsk tsk, poor woman. Five years ago, her boy ran off to be an adventurer, leaving her alone."
"Ahh... hngh..."
Tears welled in her eyes.
She collapsed to the ground, clutching Woojin's pants and babbling incoherently.
"You do what they say without knowing better, and boom—you end up here. Started off avoiding the drugs... but surviving this hell? No choice. Heh heh..."
Maybe the drug kicking in—the guard started grinning like a maniac.
"Well, me and everyone here's the same... heh, heh heh..."
Thud.
Ignoring the guard, Woojin helped the woman slumped on the floor.
"Your son once helped me. I heard you were in this village and came to relay his message."
He knelt on one knee to meet her eyes.
"Ugh..."
Slowly, clearly.
Even through her foggy mind, she'd hear it plain.
"Raoul worried about you a lot."
Woojin's eyes grew misty.
"He said... to be careful with colds..."
Why were those simple words so hard to say?
He knew she was an NPC, knew this wasn't another world—yet he barely managed it.
Swish.
Then he draped his cloak over her shoulders.
"Peron."
"Yes, Master."
"Watch her for a bit."
Woojin marched straight into the village.
BAM―!!!
He kicked the door open roughly, revealing players high on drugs inside.
Genesis Unit members.
"What the...? Who the hell are you...? Where're the guards...?"
A man with his face smeared in drool or booze staggered toward Woojin.
"You little shit... didn't you see the sign...?"
Slash.
The man's head hit the floor.
"Heh... heh heh..."
"That guy's dead?"
"For real?"
"Kee hee―."
Despite their comrade's death, the others giggled like it was hilarious.
BOOM―!!!
Woojin's sword slammed into the floor.
"I'll spare one who snaps out of it."
Splash―!!!
He hurled water pitchers from the table into their faces.
"This little shit...!!"
Whoosh―!!!
In that instant, an arrow pierced the head of a man charging at Woojin.
"Didn't you hear the Master?"
Luen glared at them with teary eyes and a voice thick with emotion.
"I'll wait till three."
"That psycho...!!!"
"One."
Whoosh―!!!
"Gah!!"
A Genesis Unit member rising from his seat writhed as an arrow lodged in his throat.
"Two."
Swish―!!!
The next arrow buried into another member's heart.
"A-Arghhh!!!"
As the last one grabbed a sword from the floor and charged,
"Three."
Thwip―!!!
An arrow struck his thigh.
"Argh!!"
He stumbled forward,
Splurt―!!!
And the next nailed his skull.
Thwip―! Thwip―! Thwip―!
BOOM―!!
Luen kept firing relentlessly at the fallen man.
"Guh... heuk..."
The Genesis Unit member, arrows sticking out like a porcupine, shuddered in agony.
"Enough."
In seconds, only one remained.
"H-Hiiik...!!"
Now sober with fear, he glanced around cautiously and reached for his waist.
Crack―!!!
Woojin's fist smashed his cheek.
"Kugh!!"
"Don't even think suicide."
Sching―!!
His sword arced, severing the man's limbs in a flash.
"A-Arghhh!!!"
"You said there's a separate overseer. Who's your boss?"
"E-Eeeek...!!!"
Stab―!!
"Guek!!!"
Woojin's sword plunged between his ribs.
"S-Spare... me..."
The Genesis Unit member, desperate to flee, grimaced at the red alert window before his eyes.
Grind...
Woojin twisted the sword sideways, making the man convulse in pain.
"Arghhh!!! C-Colson, sir!!!"
"...What?"
Woojin doubted his ears.
"Colson?"
"Y-Yes!! Lord Colson manages the entire mana mine operation!!"
Lucky or unlucky...
Out of all the Genesis Unit, it had to be that bastard.
Woojin let out a hollow laugh.
"It was that fucker after all?"
He growled.