Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: The Smuggler's Toll
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The desert days were unforgiving.
The blistering sun felt like it was cooking the scalp, and skin burned by its rays stung relentlessly.
For a moment, they worried their shoes would melt on the scorching sand.
But the desert travelers soon realized something else.
More brutal than the desert’s nature were the unannounced visitors.
‘Hmm?’
Hwen, with his sensitive fox nose, sniffed the air, then practically buried his head in the sand to get a better scent.
Soon, Hwen recognized the owner of the scent his nose had caught and shouted.
“Sandworm! There’s a sandworm nearby….”
Before Hwen could finish his sentence, a giant worm burst from the sand.
It was the tyrant of the sands, a sandworm.
As the sandworm swam through the sea of sand, undulating waves of sand rose and crashed down on the smugglers.
But their panic was brief. Like the desert experts they were, the smugglers navigated the sandy waves like swift otters.
Hwen, the first to overcome the wave of sand, stretched out both hands and summoned his ‘Incarnation.’
A red fox appeared before Hwen's hands and let out a sharp cry.
*Kyaaaa!*
Incarnation.
This magical lifeform, created by the Demon Country—a dominant power on the central continent—to keep the threatening empire in check, could only be used on the central continent. This was because the Demon Country, which held the license for Incarnations, had configured them not to activate on other continents.
Incarnations are born from the desires and wishes of their summoners.
For instance, if a summoner desired great physical strength, an Incarnation with a powerful body would be born. If they harbored a desire to win over the opposite sex, an Incarnation with the power of seduction would appear.
Of course, this didn't make Incarnations omnipotent.
The abilities and level of an Incarnation varied wildly depending on the 'quality of the desire.'
“Bewitch it!”
The moment the sandworm that had burst from the sand met the red fox's eyes, it thrashed its head wildly a few times, then charged off in a completely random direction.
It had been bewitched by the red fox and lost its senses.
After rampaging through the sand in every direction for a while, the sandworm gradually moved away from the group.
Having easily dealt with one of the most dangerous beasts in the desert, Hwen grinned.
‘In the desert, there are few Incarnations as useful as my Fox of Bewitchment. Hehe, I may not be good at much else, but I summoned a damn good Incarnation.’
Hwen had created his Incarnation, the Fox of Bewitchment, based on his desire to smuggle safely.
Of course, his greatest desire was for money, but the problem was the quality of that desire.
Perhaps because his personal reasons for wanting money were sordid, the quality of his desire was low, and the Incarnation of money he summoned was pathetically weak.
On the other hand, the quality of his desire to smuggle safely was surprisingly decent, likely because his desire to live and his desire to earn money were appropriately mixed and balanced.
Perhaps for that reason, his Incarnation, the Fox of Bewitchment, was of the red grade, equivalent to a 5th-Circle mage.
The colors indicating an Incarnation's grade were the same as the colors of the robes worn by mages according to their Circle.
‘But this is strange. Sandworms are tricky because they usually appear in packs… Why was there only one?’
Sandworms typically appeared in groups of four to five.
That was why, when he first caught their scent, he had thought that while the smugglers would be fine, the humans would inevitably suffer casualties.
But only one?
Something was off.
While Hwen was lost in thought, Rex, annoyed by the loud smacking sounds leaking from his shadow, lightly stomped his foot.
“Ahem, I told you not to smack your lips while eating. It’s unsightly, isn’t it?”
At Rex’s gentle scolding, the smacking sounds from within the shadow slowly subsided.
Pleased with the creature’s cautious demeanor, like a son being scolded by his mother, Rex smiled softly.
***
After the sandworm, there were a few more monster attacks, but thanks to Hwen's excellent handling and his Incarnation, the smugglers' party was able to safely welcome the night.
Unlike the day, which felt hot enough to cook their skin, the night air was cold enough to see their breath. The smugglers took out furs from their inventories and distributed them to the humans.
They even boiled hot soup and offered it to them, seemingly worried that some might fall ill and die.
After all, each and every one of those lives was their property, their asset.
Hwen sat down next to Rex, who was warming his hands by a large heater in front of a tent.
“How’s the desert journey? Anything uncomfortable?”
Rex, who had been enjoying the warmth of the heater, which ran semi-permanently on mana stones, replied in an indifferent tone.
“Thanks to you, no.”
“If there’s anything you need, just say the word. I’ll see to your convenience anytime.”
“I appreciate the thought.”
Was it obvious that Rex was intentionally ending the conversation to maintain his distance, despite Hwen’s friendly approach?
Hwen smiled slyly.
“I’m not going to eat you, so you don’t have to keep your distance like that.”
“…I haven’t particularly kept my distance.”
“Yes, you have. It’s plain to see. Anyway… how about half?”
“Half of what?”
“You’re not getting it. Half of what you have. Just hand that over, and I’ll protect you.”
Rex tilted his head and asked back.
“Weren't you already protecting me?”
Hwen chuckled.
“Ah, that’s protecting you from the desert and the monsters. Not from us.”
“Are you… planning to rob me?”
“That’s it. Now you’re getting it.”
“Hmm, I heard the credit of desert smugglers isn’t bad… and I’ve already shown sufficient goodwill.”
“Our credit? It’s not bad, no. And your show of goodwill was excellent. But…”
Hwen grabbed a fistful of Rex’s hair.
Forcibly pulling Rex’s head down to his chin, Hwen murmured in a low voice.
“Our credit doesn’t apply to human bastards. Why should we accommodate vermin like you? You’re walking treasure chests. Open wallets, the lot of you.”
Even with his hair being pulled, Rex showed no signs of agitation and spoke in a calm voice.
“How many more days until we reach the Demon Country?”
Displeased by Rex’s calm demeanor, Hwen slapped him across the cheek.
“Still don’t get the situation? Huh? I said hand over half of what you have. Before I rip your head off.”
Rex caressed his reddened cheek and twisted his lips into a smile.
“I should rephrase my question. How many people need to survive for us to cross the desert without issue?”
Only then did Hwen’s eyes waver as he sensed something was wrong.
A normal human would have been scared by his threats and would have started trying to negotiate immediately.
But this man was different.
His attitude was not just calm, it was arrogant.
Like a tiger looking down at a puppy tugging on its whiskers.
*Swoosh.*
Rex’s gentle hand grasped Hwen’s left hand.
Hwen flinched and tried to pull his hand away, but Rex’s grip was so strong he couldn’t break free.
Hwen swallowed dryly, realizing the grip far surpassed his own as a beastman.
‘Damn it, I’m screwed. This guy… he’s not human!’
Hwen spoke in a hurried voice.
“Wait! I think I made a mistake. So, let’s talk… Hmph!”
*Crack.*
Hwen’s index finger was mercilessly bent backward. As sharp pain shot through him, Hwen tried to scream, but Rex’s hand had silently moved to cover his mouth.
“Shh. Everyone’s sleeping. It’s not polite to be loud, is it?”
*Crunch.*
This time, Hwen’s middle finger was torn off. The agony of bone and flesh being separated made Hwen arch his back like a bow, his body trembling violently. A faint scream escaped from between Rex's fingers, and the corners of Rex’s eyes curved into a crescent shape.
“Hmm, I think we can have a proper conversation now… I’ll count to three and then remove my hand. So don’t be loud. Understood?”
Amid his daze, Hwen nodded his head with all his might.
Rex quietly counted to three, then removed his hand.
Immediately, Hwen screamed like a madman.
“Everyone, help! This bastard is trying to kill me!”
But alas, the only one who responded to Hwen’s desperate cry was Rex.
Rex let out a low laugh.
Hearing his laughter, Hwen shouted for his comrades with even greater volume, but no one answered.
No, not even the humans sleeping on the other side turned their heads toward them.
It was as if the sound from here couldn’t reach them.
“This is fun. Go on.”
At Rex’s encouragement, Hwen glanced back and forth between his broken index finger and the severed middle finger lying on the ground.
As Hwen stared in disbelief, a translucent silver crown glowing on Rex’s forehead came into view.
“A silver… crown?”
A silver crown floating on his head.
At the same time, the story from the spy, Kern, flashed through his mind.
—*A half-wrecked white ship was docked at the port, you see?*
Hwen squeezed his eyes shut as three words that shook the Infinite World came to mind.
‘Crown! It’s Crown…!’
The owner of the white ship and the master of the Decapitators clan.
And the one who brought down the ‘City Marauders’ clan, which had been notorious throughout the Infinite World and the central continent.
Crown.
Although he had never shown his skills on the central continent and thus wasn't on the battle rankings, no fool thought he would be inferior to the high-rankers of the central continent.
While it was still debated whether he had faced them alone, it was Crown who had taken the life of Orion, a formidable warrior ranked 30th.
‘At the very, very least… Crown is within the top 50 of the battle rankings. That means he’s at the level of a head of a noble family in the central continent, or the master of a magic tower. Crazy… who, who did I just try to shake down?’
No one in the Infinite World knew Crown's true identity.
It was a well-known tale that he lived as a demon one day, an elf the next, and a human on another.
Due to his ever-changing race, people merely speculated that he was a mutant with a special Talent.
However, his defining feature was widely known.
A few survivors had reported that a translucent silver crown would form around his forehead when he used his physical abilities.
Seeing Hwen’s grave expression, Rex spoke as if surprised.
“Oh? You recognize me? Well, I suppose you would, being a smuggler. You’re quite sharp.”
“P-please spare me. I won’t tell… I won’t tell anyone.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. It’s well known in these parts that only desert smugglers have the skills to create forged identities that can pass through immigration. Still, after getting slapped, I can’t just let it go….”
Rex continued.
“I’ll ask again. How many people are needed to cross the desert without any problems? Ah, and please don’t think of lying. I have quite a few interesting Talents.”
Hwen spoke in a trembling voice.
“F-four is enough….”
“Hmm, there are thirteen right now… that’s a bit much. Let’s reduce the number. Orca?”
As if in response to Rex’s call, a being from within his shadow let out a low growl.
*Grrrr.*
“It’s mealtime. Eat nine foxes, no more, no less. If you eat any more, you’ll be in trouble.”
The moment Rex finished speaking, his shadow spread out like ink.
The shadow, swallowing the light from the heater and the brilliant starlight of the Milky Way, grew until it covered their entire camp.
A lake of shadow devoid of any light. A massive mouth emerged from within it and devoured a portion of the camp.
Hwen fell on his rear, watching the scene unfold like a giant whale feeding at the ocean's surface.
Rex pinched Hwen’s chin, which was trembling as if attached to a vibrator.
“Well then, I’ll be counting on you for a safe and comfortable bus service from now on, driver. Oh, I left the one with the whip alive… please tell him to go easy from now on. He was getting on my nerves.”
The darkness on the ground, which had expanded to the size of a lake, soon returned to the shape of Rex’s shadow, and smacking sounds leaked out from within.
But the gluttonous eating sounds were brief; the being inside the shadow seemed to remember Rex’s earlier scolding and began to chew timidly.
Hwen closed his eyes.
The darkness behind his eyelids, where he couldn't see an inch ahead, felt just like his future.
***
Five days later, as the smuggler’s bus neared the border, Rex summoned Hwen and requested a forged ID.
“Is there a specific identity you desire?”
At Hwen’s cautious question, like a mouse before a snake, Rex handed him a piece of paper.
“Ten people in total. The race and name for each are written next to them, so please proceed with those identities.”
“Ten people… that’s quite a lot.”
“And the IDs must not only pass through immigration but also have no issues with entry into the Graves Family estate.”
“Yes. Well, that shouldn’t be a big problem… Wait! Wait a minute! The Graves Family? The most prestigious family in the Demon Country?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“It’s impossible. Even for us, creating an ID that can evade the eyes of the Graves Family is impossible!”
“I know. I know it’s difficult under normal circumstances. But… what about this?”
Rex’s face twisted, his kind features melting away into a gloomy, timid expression.
Perhaps because his sturdy build had also become frail, his entire image became unimpressive.
The white-haired man who was Rex, who was Alma, who was Lee Si-woo, grinned and said.
“What if I am Alma Graves, the youngest son of the Graves Family? If they’re the secretaries of a direct blood relative, don’t you think security might be a little more lenient?”