Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Mushroom House Deal
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A mushroom slightly smaller than my house. Stepping inside the green mushroom, I saw Jo Younggi lying there with his knees half-bent.
“……Kim Cheonjae?”
“Why are you lying like that?”
“The house is small. How’d you get into Elf Helm?”
“Through story progression. Come out for a sec so we can talk.”
“Sure.”
Jo Younggi stepped out of the mushroom house and lit a cigarette.
Sizzle. Szzzt.
Suuup. Puff—.
I told him everything I’d been through so far. Whether he believed it or not was up to him—my goal was just to make a request.
Jo Younggi flicked his cigarette ash as he spoke.
Tap. Tap.
“So, you want me to help you out?”
“Yeah. It’s nothing tough—just back me up from the side.”
“Sounds like you could handle it solo. You sure this isn’t a trap?”
“Trap my ass. What do I gain from trapping you?”
“Maybe you wanna kill me?”
“If I wanted you dead, I’d have done it here. This place doesn’t allow PK anyway, and there’s no bounty.”
“Hmm……”
“You in or what?”
Jo Younggi winked and formed a circle with his thumb and index finger.
“Pay?”
“……One thousand Jenni.”
“That’s not bad.”
“It’s a walk in the park—thousand Jenni’s plenty, right? I’ll throw in extra if shit hits the fan.”
“……Alright. Deal.”
I opened the trade window and handed him a thousand Jenni as an advance.
[‘Jo Younggi’ has received 1,000 Jenni from player Kim Cheonjae.]
Jo Younggi grinned and said to me,
“So. You’re dragging me along for just one frog?”
“It’s not ‘just’ a frog. It’s a massive, ugly amphibian.”
“……It’s just a big frog.”
“You could see it that way. I have an extreme phobia of frogs……worse than zombies.”
“Weird guy.”
I shrugged.
“Think of it like hating cockroaches more than horror movies.”
“……Yeah, that makes sense right away. So when do we head out?”
“Right now. I know the spot. Just north of Elf Helm a bit—”
Flutter.
Suddenly, leaves rustled overhead, and Kim Yeonhui dropped down.
Thud!
“Take me too!”
I replied to Kim Yeonhui, who was sitting there awkwardly.
“……Why you?”
“Staying cooped up in Elf Helm is boring.”
“Could be dangerous. There are orcs in the woods.”
“Then I can hunt ’em too. Right, Uncle Younggi?”
Jo Younggi gave her a wry look.
“Yeonhui. Orcs are kinda dangerous.”
“But to survive from now on, I gotta be able to handle orcs, right?”
“True, but—”
“It’s fine. If I die, I die! If I live, I live! Nobody’s died yet, right? If we die, maybe we respawn like in a game?”
Her casual words hit me hard. Would we really respawn like in a game if we died?
The answer was simple. If we could, all the dead so far would’ve come back, and new stories would’ve played out.
‘……Hold up. Respawn and start a new story?’
My mind suddenly grew complicated.
I shook my head to clear the useless thoughts.
Then I swung my fist hard into Kim Yeonhui’s stomach.
Thwack.
“Urk!”
Drool leaked from her mouth.
“Dying hurts way worse than that. Still wanna go?”
“Sniff…. Y-yeah…. You psycho, why the gut shot!”
I’d meant to scare her off.
But she had more grit than I thought.
“You’ve never even been in a real fight. You sure you’re good?”
“F-fuck off…. I killed a bunch in the first round……”
Fair point—surviving the first round wasn’t normal.
Kim Yeonhui whipped out a knife and slashed at me fast. I dodged easily and knocked it away with my knuckles.
Clang.
The knife flew and stabbed into the ground.
“Too slow. Assassin should be faster than a necromancer.”
“Ugh…. Uncle Younggi! Kick this guy’s ass!”
Jo Younggi raised both hands.
“Can’t win. He’s stronger than me.”
“Still!”
“No point fighting a losing battle. Well……if the pay’s good, maybe.”
Kim Yeonhui’s eyes sparkled.
“Ten thousand Jenni to beat him up?”
“Not staking my life on ten thousand. Hundred thousand, I’d consider.”
“Where am I gonna get that kinda cash!”
“That’s why you suck it up. No money, no fight.”
“Ugh……”
I patted Kim Yeonhui’s back and said to Jo Younggi,
“Let’s head out now. No point dragging it.”
“Yeah. I’ll watch Yeonhui, so let her tag along.”
“……Whatever. Don’t blame me if she dies.”
Jo Younggi nodded.
* * * * *
We reached the waterfall near Elf Helm. Clear water pooled like an indoor pool, with a massive cascade crashing down, its roar cooling my head.
Roooar—.
I scanned the area.
Looking for the bear Silvia mentioned.
Didn’t we say no eating?
Yeah.
Just no eating.
As long as I don’t eat it.
“Extra pay: five hundred Jenni per bear spotted. Dead or alive, doesn’t matter.”
Jo Younggi replied.
“And the frog?”
“Kill it on sight, like promised. Keep it outta my sight.”
“……Got it. Let’s start searching.”
Jo Younggi and Kim Yeonhui began scouting around the waterfall.
Dragonflies bigger than birds and ladybugs the size of watermelons popped out everywhere.
No idea the species, but the ants around the waterfall were only puppy-sized.
I rode Daeho, strolling leisurely while checking surroundings.
“……”
What’s that?
An unknown aura from the waterfall. Couldn’t tell if strong or weak, but it wasn’t from the living.
The soul power only a necromancer could sense.
‘……Something in the waterfall?’
Mid-thought, I spotted a group of orcs approaching the waterfall not far off. About a dozen. I pulled Jo Younggi and Kim Yeonhui into the bushes.
If not for the waterfall roar, they’d have heard us.
Wouldn’t be a big deal if caught, but I didn’t want unnecessary fights.
Report that, and orcs would swarm here.
Jo Younggi whispered just loud enough for me.
“Send in the troll squad.”
“Nah. Trolls are on another mission.”
“Mission?”
“Yeah.”
Sent ’em back to round four for fast leveling.
Necromancer’s life is levels, after all.
“By the way, why do you keep switching between formal and casual with me?”
“……Guess I’ll drop the formal now.”
“Huh? Who said you could?”
“It’s been over a month since we met. Time to drop it, right?”
Jo Younggi furrowed his brow.
“How old are you?”
“Thirty.”
Lie, of course.
“Thirty? Older than I thought.”
“And you?”
“Twenty-nine.”
Twenty-nine?
That weathered face, like it’d seen every storm and entered old age, was twenty-nine?
“Twenty-nine?”
“Yeah.”
“……You look old for it.”
“Been through some shit.”
“What?”
“Rough youth.”
Looks plenty young now……
“Anyway, let’s drop formal. Cool?”
“……Sure. You’re older, so I lose nothing.”
I bit my lip and nodded.
‘Yeah, sure.’
The orcs by the waterfall gripped spears and jabbed at the falling water.
Splash!
Seemed like fishing to lure bears, but no luck. Not one catch while we watched.
Frustrated, they chatted.
-Fuck! When we gonna catch fish to lure the bears?
-Hey, why’s Kabata obsessed with catching bears?
-Dunno. Says it’s for some ritual, bring ’em back.
-We ain’t priests, what ritual? We got plenty food.
Turns out, they were doubting their chieftain Kabata.
Their talk was suspicious.
First time hearing orcs do a ritual in round five.
Rituals in the Land of Ruin usually summon demons.
Did Kabata finish a demon summon spell during those hidden five years?
‘……This is bad.’
Collecting bones of the guardian bear god suggested a powerful medium.
For my plan to go smooth, stop him before he pulls it off.
The orcs griped on.
-Shh, shut it! He’s finding ways to block demons that might come.
-Damn…… Can he really find a way to kill demons?
-Gotta be. He faced those demons alone and led us here.
-……I dunno.
Trust in Kabata was rock bottom.
No clue what happened in the orc fortress, but morale was shot.
“Jo Younggi.”
“Yeah.”
“Wanna scout the orc fortress with me?”
He shook his head.
“Nah, I came for frogs. Not trekking to the fortress.”
“I’ll up the success pay.”
“You think I’m some merc for hire?”
I nodded.
“Jenni plus share of this round’s hidden reward.”
Jo Younggi eyed me, then pinched thumb and index.
“How much pay?”
* * * * *
I took down the orc group by the waterfall.
Revived three as summons.
Had them loosely bind our hands and feet with vines,
And marched single file like slaves.
At the fortress gate, guards asked.
“Huh, told ya to catch bears, but ya brought humans? Kahahaha!”
My controlled summon replied.
“No bears.”
The guard eyed our group slowly.
“How’d ya catch humans? Those two look tough.”
“……Ambushed ’em hunting by the waterfall.”
“Yeah? Where’s your group?”
“Got got by these guys.”
The orc guard tsked.
“Tsk tsk tsk. Kabata’s in a shit mood, so toss ’em in jail first. Report later.”
“……Why?”
“Stars started falling on the hill today.”
Stars falling, and Kabata’s pissed?
No idea what it meant, but something was up with him.
My orc replied.
“Got it.”
We shuffled in with heads down, entering the orc fortress.
Once away from the gate guards, Jo Younggi whispered.
“Didn’t think you’d go this far.”
Kim Yeonhui added.
“This is suicide, right? Way too risky!”
I grinned.
“Scared? Run now. Still time.”
Jo Younggi hissed through his teeth.
Tsk.
“You think I fear orc scum?”
“Perfect. Chance to protect your precious elves…… Give it your all.”
“……Damn. Feels like I got played.”
Kim Yeonhui nodded in agreement.
I smiled faintly, then glanced up at the fortress rear.
-Kieeeek!
A skeleton bird swooped from the sky,
Whoosh—whoosh—
Thud.
Landing on a building.
Between animal-hide tents sat a massive log cage prison.
As we neared the prison, I whispered at the ground.
“……Everyone ready. Execute the plan the moment we enter the prison.”
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