Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Capturing the Blue Ghost Knight
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Dun grabbed the Blue Ghost Knight's head and pressed down hard.
“Lee Yoo-hyun! Hurry up before this guy breaks free from materialization!”
Beneath Dun and the Blue Ghost Knight, Lee Yoo-hyun—who they'd thought was dead—had a breathing tube on his head that allowed him to breathe, and he was crafting a trap to imprison the Blue Ghost Knight.
Having finished the net trap, Lee Yoo-hyun hurled it at the Blue Ghost Knight.
Fortunately, at level 100 with a strength potion consumed, the trap reached the Blue Ghost Knight successfully.
[Damn it!!! Materialization!!]
The Blue Ghost Knight flew backward upon impact with the net trap. To pin it in place, Dun pulled out a harpoon and threw it at the trapped knight.
The Blue Ghost Knight's armor pierced through, fixing it to the wall. Its health was already halved.
“Hurry up and release the underwater prison while I'm being nice.”
Dun, harpoon in hand, pressed the arrowhead against the top of the helmet.
[Impossible……! There was no monster covering its head, so how is that guy alive?!]
“You look like you're dying to know how I did it. Want me to explain?”
Dun couldn't see its expression, but he could feel the Blue Ghost Knight's despair.
“I'll tell you if you release the underwater prison.”
The Blue Ghost Knight hurriedly dispelled the underwater prison. The water filling the space drained away until the bare floor was revealed.
“You should open the exit you closed too. No sense at all.”
As the arrowhead threatened to pierce the front of the helmet, the Blue Ghost Knight quickly recreated the vanished door.
“Wow, but Dun, you knew from the start that it wouldn't be the Dwarf Fellow waiting here, but this guy instead?”
[Wasn't he your ally? How does he not know your plan?]
Lee Yoo-hyun wrung out the discarded wet towel from afar, stored it in his inventory, pulled out a fresh one, and placed it on Dun's head.
Dun blocked Lee Yoo-hyun's mouth as he tried to respond to the Blue Ghost Knight, shook out his hair with the towel, and spoke.
“Curious?”
[Yes.]
“If you're curious, I'll tell you. You didn't know about my slime's abilities, did you?”
[I don't know why that matters, but…… no, I didn't.]
Hearing that, Dun flashed a bright smile.
“How many more monsters are currently plotting to kill me?”
[……I don't know.]
Dun kicked off one of the Blue Ghost Knight's legs.
[Gasp!]
“That's not what I want. Tell me all the info you suspect.”
[Ah…… ah! Got it, I get it. You've gotten taller and more violent. Recently, your bounty went up, so other Ghost Knights are targeting you too!]
“So others are tailing me besides you?”
[Probably!!!]
“Hmm. They're starting to crawl out again.”
There had been too little news lately.
“When's your cowardly monster boss coming out?”
[Don't call him a coward! You'll regret looking down on him one day!]
“Let me look down on him. Isn't that beneficial for you guys?”
[Our boss actually has no plans or thoughts at all.]
“That's some serious insubordination.”
[You……! You, you!]
Dun stroked his chin, looking at the easily provoked Blue Ghost Knight.
He needed to quickly catch and kill the boss of the monsters chasing him. Only then could he sleep soundly and live happily with Lihowel.
“Last question. Is your monster boss still chasing that kid from the Great Sacrifice, I mean Prim?”
[That child is powerless now. You're the more urgent fire.]
“I see. Got it. Thanks, my curiosity's satisfied.”
Lee Yoo-hyun was drying Dun's hair, eyes sparkling as he watched the interrogation.
Honestly, he still didn't fully grasp what was happening, but even the gist was incredibly entertaining.
[I've told you everything, so can you tell me now? How a nonexistent monster stuck to your head let you breathe, how the dead adventurer came back to life, or rather, how you knew my plan from the start?]
Dun smirked at the Blue Ghost Knight's request.
“Why would I tell an enemy? It's a trade secret, punk.”
Dun raised his fist, and soon a heavy thud echoed.
* * *
[Legendary] Fellow's Diary
“After all that trouble, I finally got it?”
“Yeah.”
After burying the fading corpse of the Dwarf Fellow, an item appeared atop the grave.
At first, he'd wondered if the Fellow job change was just nonsense he'd made up, but fortunately, it wasn't.
Geodungi, having completed all of Dun's requests, sang atop his head.
[Am I…… helping? I'm the best……?]
“Geodungi's the world's best poop dog.”
[Heehee…… heehee…… thank you…… I knew you were struggling…… you're struggling……]
“It was an act. I'm not struggling.”
Dun affectionately poked what he assumed was Geodungi's belly.
“Can't you explain it to me? What did you do?”
“How'd you think to make a trap to catch it? I didn't tell you anything.”
He knew Lee Yoo-hyun was quick on the uptake, but not this good.
“When you were about to suffocate, Geodungi stuck to me and shared its breath, which seemed weird.”
“And?”
“The moment I thought it was odd, I noticed details. You prepared something for breathing, and you kept the goggles on till the end.”
Lee Yoo-hyun offered water to Geodungi for its hard carry, but it was flatly refused.
“It seemed like enemies, but swinging a punch with no impact told me I needed to make a trap to catch that monster. Luckily, being a water monster, I could craft a trap with items from this area.”
Plus, capturing it alive makes extracting the goal easier than killing it outright, right?
Lee Yoo-hyun added.
“Anyway, thanks. I planned to kill it the moment I grabbed it. You surviving too—that was crazy luck.”
He'd anticipated they'd target the weak Lee Yoo-hyun first, but how exactly was uncertain.
Assuming water attacks, he'd attached Geodungi to him. It hit the mark; the Blue Ghost Knight created an underwater prison with a water cube to attack Lee Yoo-hyun. Thus, hidden Geodungi rapidly absorbed water as taught, expanding to mimic the prison and fake his death.
Later, when Geodungi returned to Dun, it used the breathing aid item he'd prepared to extend his life.
“Your turn now, Dun.”
“I'm actually a wanted criminal in a place called Montjihel.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, that. When I was young, I unintentionally ruined several of their plans. Yeah…… so I got tense and made a plan.”
“Huh?”
“It's complicated to explain. Something like that.”
On the way up to Genesis, monsters trying to kill him had quieted down, making him tense. Then a merchant dropped incredibly tempting info on 'Fellow' out of nowhere.
Having nearly killed Lihowel by accident multiple times due to rampaging strength, he'd scoured everywhere for items to weaken it.
That's when he heard about the legendary craftsman Fellow, who made custom items.
Getting exactly the info he needed right when he needed it felt suspicious. So Dun proceeded cautiously.
Planning and executing weren't his strengths. He usually thought preemptive strikes were key—act first, think later.
But with time and leeway now, thinking of Lihowel made him want to be more cautious.
He recalled what Seol Do-yoon said when plotting to oust the former association head.
‘Enemies always exploit weaknesses. Their schemes are always where my weaknesses lie.’
Dun's three weaknesses, despite immunity to physical attacks and top world combat power:
He dies without air.
His strength is too much to control.
And his first family, Lihowel.
Pinpointing weaknesses, the craftsman living in the water nation Ulr suddenly seemed highly suspicious.
Even if hiding from pursuit, a dwarf from dry lands settling there for years? Unlikely.
Ulr aside, plenty of great hiding spots—why there specifically?
Naturally, the Blue Ghost Knight came to mind. Among Ghost Knights, the one freely wielding water.
High chance he'd set a trap.
So he pre-trained Geodungi: come to him on middle finger signal, match shown water color to body, etc.
Doubts solidified entering Yenz and Gray territory.
Yenz and Gray were terrified. Meant something far stronger lurked inside.
Gaining Domination to use monster abilities was lucky. Becoming an NPC to command players was too.
All lifeforms were puzzle pieces. Protrusions mean indentations; strengths mean weaknesses.
One piece can't complete the picture. To draw your picture, gather pieces wanting the same and build big.
Dun's picture was the peace he now enjoyed.
Lihowel, people he cared for, monsters he was responsible for.
They let him feel greater joy in small things.
Dun wanted to protect what made him feel alive henceforth. Unlike his past life dying trying, he needed more tension for a different end.
“If you'd told me beforehand, things would've gone smoother. Why didn't you?”
Dun scratched his head at Lee Yoo-hyun's question.
“You're already scared of water, and telling you a level 400 monster might appear? You'd freak. Like with Remiring, but worse.”
“Ah, aha. Yeah, I'd probably panic—embarrassing. Thanks for always looking out so carefully, Dun. Helped me overcome some trauma too.”
Living with Dun, he realized Dun had a huge, subtle caring side.
Seeing him handle everything alone, even small things, made his chest tighten warmly……
“But what if you blabbed and ruined my carefully laid plan.”
“Almost touched, but your red ears say I can be.”
Dun glared at Lee Yoo-hyun and covered his ears.
“Ah, damn. You've been on about ears lately—what's that got to do with anything?”
“Now your face is flushing too.”
Childlike one moment, mature the next.
Lee Yoo-hyun was truly grateful to Dun.
From worrying about his and his sister's lives, Dun got him through the crisis and overcame trauma. Recalling all Dun's help, it was a lifelong debt.
“Dun, you're actually an angel.”
“Fuck, cut the bullshit.”
Ah.
Oops. Dun swallowed. He'd promised Lihowel no swearing.
Lee Yoo-hyun, knowing why, burst laughing at Dun's reaction.
“Enough chit-chat. Time to move. Still stuff to handle.”
“Ah…… right.”
Dun had gathered all following monsters in one spot.
Swimming there, countless monsters lined up before a hole.
[Dun! Dun! Dun! Dun!]
[Dun! Dun! Dun! Dun!]
[Burdensome. Be quiet.]
[Love. Like. Respect. Love. Respect.]
Monsters big and small dominated in Ulr clung to Dun. Result of spamming skills to level Domination.
[We prepared a little choir.]
[And a small dance.]
Ulr monsters had prepared something while Dun was away.
[Dun—great and overwhelmingly strong one—]
[Dun—legendary one to lead us—]
[Dun—Dun—Dun—Dun—]
“I'm changing my name.”
Yenz's fluorescent pink wings fluttered chaotically before Dun.
Reminded him of that Little Mermaid animation from his past life somewhere. Fishes there sang well; these mixed screeches and ultrasounds—horrific. Lyrics worse.
[We prepared food for the boss.]
On a wide rock, sea insects piled high, seaweed-decorated dish.
A scavenged human arm mixed in.
[How could you bring that to a human boss!]
[Remove it, remove, hide.]
[Forgive us!!!]
[We committed a mortal sin!!!]
[You scum!! Whose doing is this!!]
[Kill the one who brought human remains!!]
[No more urges to slaughter humans! We'll lick water bugs and moss obediently!]
Worse spectacle than Tiarin.
[We'll serve and follow till death, boss!]
“Ah.”
[Ah?]
“Ah, headache.”