Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Arc 1 - Part 5 (6)
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A small cabin with smoke curling up from it.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary rural cottage in a peaceful countryside.
But at this very moment, it might just be the most important place in all of Zone 5.
Because inside that cramped cabin, a resident of one world and a seeker of everything in this world were staring at each other.
I paused for a moment upon hearing a non-human speak for the first time, but soon fixed my gaze straight on the child before me.
There was no surprise left in me anymore—just simple curiosity.
'A talking monster.'
The fact that it could speak was unexpected in itself.
But it wasn't strange that the monster spoke Earth's language. The system had already granted everyone the convenience of understanding all languages naturally.
I scanned the child's appearance while lost in thought.
Was this child a special mutant, or did all Abelians in Zone 5 possess intelligence?
Or perhaps it was some kind of quest-related NPC.
I couldn't even be sure if this child's form was the standard Abelian shape, or if it was truly an Abelian at all.
But the fact that it could speak meant I could extract information through conversation.
Even now, it gazed at me without fear, its eyes filled with pure curiosity.
It was time to answer the child's innocent question of who I was.
I chose a response that felt like casual conversation while serving my purpose.
"Where are the adults?"
Considering it took the form of a child, this was meant to summon an adult who likely held more knowledge.
Though it might already be an adult itself.
The child blinked at the stranger's question, glanced toward the door, and replied.
"Mom went out to work in the fields..."
At those words, I nearly ordered it to fetch the adult right away but stopped myself.
No need to say it outright.
I immediately tossed out another question.
"Do you know where the Haweshim River is?"
The child tilted its head.
"Haweshim... River? I don't know. There's just a stream out front..."
Maybe because it's young? It seemed clueless.
I followed up by asking about the key figure in the quest.
"What about Anillon?"
"Anillon? None of my friends are named that."
As expected, no useful information.
Its knowledge didn't extend beyond the vicinity of this tiny cabin.
Just as I decided there was no more use for this child,
a sharp shout rang out from outside the cabin.
"I told you not to play with mongrels?!"
An Abelian woman in dirt-covered work clothes burst into the cabin.
She clutched a farm tool of a shape I'd never seen before.
Like the child, faint scales covered her nape and forearms.
She hid the child behind her back and glared at me warily.
But as she examined me more closely, her expression gradually changed.
The wariness remained, but the disdainful contempt faded, replaced by puzzlement.
"...You're not a mongrel? ...A human?"
So this must be the mother.
I had already sensed someone approaching, which was why I hadn't ordered the child.
'They know what humans are, at least.'
After a brief moment of doubt,
I nodded at her words, confirming that yes, I was human.
"I am human."
Without delay, I fired off a question.
"Are you Abelians?"
The woman furrowed her brow as if I'd asked something obvious and replied.
"Of course. We're the only ones living on this land. Aside from those mongrels."
Their race confirmed.
I cut straight to the chase.
When I asked about the Haweshim River and Anillon,
she thought for a moment before shaking her head.
"Haweshim River... Never heard of it. We've lived our whole lives tending these fields and never gone far. First time hearing the name Anillon, too. Is he from around here?"
This Abelian didn't know either.
This place must be one of the most remote corners of Zone 5's outskirts.
While I stood silently, judging their value,
the Abelian woman eyed my attire and demeanor, then volunteered information without being asked, as if struck by some sense of inferiority.
"We live here, but we go to the nearby city sometimes. It's nothing like this place. Lots of people, lots to see."
But one word in there was worth noting.
City.
There was a city somewhere around this barren plain.
"A city. Which direction?"
At my question, she muttered to herself,
apparently concluding I was a traveler, and pointed with her chin.
"Keep heading west, and you'll find it. On foot, it'd take days."
West, then.
After that, she prattled on about things she'd seen in the city and its splendor, but it fell on deaf ears.
I tried conversing more with this Abelian, but there was little hope of advanced intel from lower-class folk who tilled fields in the boondocks.
I gazed at the chattering pair of Abelians with impassive eyes.
Information gathering complete.
Time for disposal.
I began condensing Unique Dreadflame at my fingertip, a tiny amount.
As the dark crimson energy flickered visibly to them, the woman stopped talking and stared at it in horror.
"Wh-what is that..."
The instant I flicked my finger,
the dark crimson energy engulfed both Abelians.
They didn't even have time to scream.
Under the power of Unique Dreadflame, the two Abelians—two monsters—were utterly annihilated.
Not a speck of dust or drop of blood remained. Perfect erasure.
This cabin would now echo with eternal silence.
Just to check, I glanced at the system messages and let out a hollow chuckle.
'EXP is just 1.'
Weaker than mongrels.
Abelians seemed to have vast disparities in power between individuals.
Plain Abelians like these, who farmed for a living, held no value as prey.
But surely there were stronger specimens elsewhere.
I stepped out of the cabin and resumed walking.
Toward the west, where the city lay.
Soon enough, I encountered an Abelian hauling cargo by the roadside.
Stats below 5.
I approached the one who looked like a young man and blocked his path.
The Abelian set down its load
and shot me a wary glare.
"What do you want?"
"Where is the Haweshim River?"
At my question, the youth made a ridiculous face.
"Haweshim River? No idea. Move, I'm busy."
He answered with pure irritation.
I pondered this.
Was geographic info truly hopeless from average Abelians?
And,
"I see."
With that short reply, I reached out my hand.
As Unique Dreadflame swept by, the young Abelian vanished along with his cargo.
3 EXP.
A bit better than before, but still barely worth more than bugs.
After that, I spotted scattered Abelians one by one.
An elderly farmer plowing a field, a woman drawing water, children at play.
I questioned them all, but none knew of the Haweshim River.
Even with low odds, I had to ask before killing.
The time difference between asking then massacring and just massacring wasn't much.
By the time asking "Where's the Haweshim River?" instead of greeting became routine,
I stopped bothering to ask altogether
and simply erased every Abelian I encountered.
Average ones had virtually no chance of knowing anyway.
No point wasting time on low-EXP, info-less trash.
Better to move fast and hunt stronger-looking specimens.
Ones with power or knowledge.
Only they might give proper answers.
I accelerated, cutting across the paddies and fields.
All the while, I didn't stop thinking about Zone 5.
'Even in Zone 5, identical-looking monsters give different EXP.'
Previous zones had similar cases with same-level monsters varying in EXP.
But their appearances differed clearly then.
Here, even identical-looking monsters yielded different EXP and gold.
Probably due to their trait of wildly varying individual strength.
Stronger ones giving more EXP was consistent across zones.
And I knew why they recognized humans.
Though no human tribes lived here, travelers occasionally lodged in cities, as the woman in the cabin had mentioned before dying.
Heading toward the city like that, as I swept through local monsters,
I briefly used the dormant Unique Dreadflame in my body to lift a three-tailed red squirrel passing through a field, and thought.
With this massive scale,
down to such minute details implemented.
'You've created an entire world, System.'
Of course, artificiality seeped through in places.
But it wasn't overwhelming.
I cut my admiration short and picked up speed.
How long had I run?
Something appeared on the horizon.
Unlike the scattered cabins,
Dozens of small houses clustered together into a village.
As soon as I entered the village gate, the Abelians on the streets turned their gazes to me in unison.
"A human!"
"Why's a human here?"
Eyes mixed with curiosity, wariness, and hostility toward the outsider.
Some gripped farm tools or crude weapons.
Definitely less innocent than the isolated ones.
I ignored their stares and headed straight for the village center.
One goal.
The two-story mansion in the center, clearly larger and finer than the others.
Likely the village head's or some authority figure's home.
I stood before the mansion's grand gate and walked forward without hesitation.
I didn't even kick the door,
but simply walking made the heavy gate crumple like paper and fly inward.
Abelians in guard attire in the courtyard startled and rushed out.
But before they could draw weapons.
'Domain.'
Skill [Domain 4th Grade]
Activated
Domain erected, instantly crushing the entire mansion under heavy pressure.
The charging guards froze in place,
unable even to twitch a finger toward their weapons.
Those inside couldn't scream, petrified.
And in the middle of the courtyard grass, a middle-aged Abelian in fine clothes trembled violently.
Unlike his appearance,
this one had stats over 10—the strongest in the village.
I immediately began gauging his strength more precisely.
Seconds later, I pegged it at around 15 stats.
Extremely weak by my standards, but compared to others here maxing at 4-5,
at low levels where one stat difference mattered hugely, he was a monster no dozens could match.
I approached, looked down, and asked.
"Do you know the Haweshim River?"
The middle-aged Abelian's teeth chattered in terror.
He instinctively sensed the overwhelming power gap.
"Y-yes! I'll tell you right now!"
Finally, one who knew.
I nodded in satisfaction and extended my hand.
"If you have a map, hand it over."
"Y-yes... Right away."
He crawled toward the study, rummaged a drawer, and pulled out a worn parchment.
Now, this middle-aged Abelian, the village's power holder, thought to himself.
'A criminal from foreign lands... Better tread carefully. Give him what he wants and send him off.'
He handed me the map with shaking hands.
I unfolded it.
Not a precise map of the Haweshim River—it covered the entire eastern region.
But rivers were marked.
Haweshim River lay northwest from here, spanning the northern and eastern regions of this small nation, by the looks.
I traced the river.
East marked as downstream meant upstream was inevitably north.
'Upstream is north.'
Information acquired.
Special quest destination clarified.
I pocketed the map in my inventory and looked down at the groveling, forced-smiling fool.
Business done.
I flicked my finger, pointing at a maid-attired Abelian beside the head.
Domain's shockwave erupted, instantly killing the maid.
At that, the village head's eyes rolled back.
Terror vanished; murderous intent surged as he drew a dagger from his robes.
"You demon!!"
Not just him.
Domain's pressure had already lifted.
The nearby guards glared with death-resolved eyes and assumed combat stances.
I analyzed them as I watched.
Aggressiveness... far higher than humans.
Humans mostly fled when survival was at stake.
They usually begged or submitted before overwhelming power.
But at this extreme, Abelians bared aggression.
Fury at a kin's death, feral defiance against the strong.
Of course, some fled.
Like that one.
I gestured at the one bolting through the gaping gate.
He vanished without a scream.
That instant, another Abelian who'd been biding its time roared and charged.
"Die!!"
The one exceeding 10 stats.
Utterly non-threatening.
I neither dodged nor blocked.
Instead, I activated a title I usually kept off.
An ability maximizing backlash on attackers who try to breach my defense.
The moment the head's dagger touched my chest.
BOOM!!
My body was unscathed, but the attacker exploded from the arm holding the dagger, shock ripping through his entire form.
The attack's impact returned to him intact—no, amplified.
The following guards met the same fate.
Each time a weapon grazed me, their bodies burst from the shock.
I stood motionless, not twitching a finger, watching them self-destruct.
'Convenient.'
This title shone against small-fry mobs.
Though I couldn't use it often.
For mass slaughters, Domain was superior.
Though Domain consumed demi-god power, this cost nothing.
The massacre ended swiftly.
Moments later, nothing moved in the mansion but me.
All basic monsters—no items dropped.
And even if materials appeared, they'd likely be unrelated to combat.
In other zones,
virtually all monsters were combatants,
but most here didn't look the part.
After clearing the mansion, I tidied up the village too.
Then I gazed north, toward the Haweshim River.
But instead of heading straight north, I turned west, toward the city the woman mentioned.
Now that I knew the Haweshim's location, the quest could wait.
Time for serious hunting.
A city would have far higher monster density and stronger individuals.
I kicked off the ground and dashed.
My over-50 stats unleashed near-full physical prowess,
blasting past scenery at explosive speeds.
Traveling at such velocity, soon
a massive wall appeared at vision's edge.
Drawing near revealed the city.
Smaller than Zone 0's transformed city, but the grandest structure I'd seen otherwise.
Sturdy walls encircled it, packed with countless buildings inside.
Far off, the main gate in the walls.
Wagons laden with goods and merchants queued to enter, armed guards inspecting them.
No interest in the hassle of the gate.
From dozens of meters from the wall, I took flight.
Precision Enhancement and Domain combined for flight.
I soared up, over the wall.
Guards atop scanned around, sensing something pass, but couldn't match my speed.
I halted above the city airspace, past the wall.
Looking down, the vibrant cityscape unfolded at a glance.
Markets teemed with haggling Abelians, streets lined with open shops and taverns everywhere.
Bustling noise, brimming vital energy.
Gazing at the scene, I thought.
Like the tournament arena packed with crowds.
But with one crucial difference.
The arena's people were unc-killable rivals.
These countless beings below...
were all monsters that could become EXP.