Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Clumsy Cultist
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Rustle, rustle.
Something was stroking my face.
When I opened my eyes, Luna was tickling my face by shaking her own hair with her hand.
Swish, swish—.
Luna often woke me up this way, using her hair like a brush to tickle me. Was this some kind of Ideophe spell or voodoo ritual?
If I named it in Luna's style, maybe the Bright Morning Wake-Up Voodoo?
“Morning, Hassan.”
Starting the day seeing Luna's face was truly a joy. On the other hand, it was terrifying to think that morning had already come when I'd only closed my eyes for a moment.
I didn't feel like I'd slept at all. Later, I should spend a whole day doing nothing but catching up on sleep. How luxurious is it to sleep whenever you want?
I said to Luna,
“I can't get up. Help me sit up.”
“Okay!”
When I grumbled that the sleepiness hadn't worn off, Luna grabbed my arm and yanked me upright with all her strength.
“Luna, you've gotten pretty strong.”
“I think I've grown taller too! I must still be in my growth spurt!”
Luna held her body up against mine to check her height. She used to come up to about my solar plexus before. Now she seemed a little higher.
I hadn't shrunk, so she must have really grown. Do people in this world keep growing even after adulthood?
As I thought about that, I roughly tidied up the bedding on the first floor. Then I suddenly noticed how unusually quiet the cabin was.
“Luna, has Paranoya left?”
“She said she was going to pray at the hearth goddess's temple. She's busy making seven vials of stamina potion this week. I hope she comes back soon.”
Luna's reaction was pretty normal, making last night's events feel like a dream. It seemed Paranoya was keeping our promise and holding the secret tight.
“What are you doing today, Hassan?”
Luna asked as she ate the bread, dried meat, and cheap goat milk we had stored at home.
“Hmm. Nothing set in stone.”
“I'm going to the southern deer forest with Hippolyte this morning. We're gonna catch some huge mushrooms and tiger horsewasps. Maybe I'll snag a queen bee and try splitting the hive...”
“With Hippolyte to the deer forest?”
The name deer forest reminded me of when I first met the gold-tier adventurer Actaeon. It was also where Luna had been scammed and rampaged like crazy.
She had business there again. More surprisingly, she was going with Hippolyte.
“Gotta milk three silvers out of her.”
Hippolyte must have agreed to work off the three silvers she owed Luna. Or maybe the women had formed some kind of friendship without me knowing.
I had nothing to do, so I considered going along to the deer forest.
But Luna stopped me, saying, “The virgin squad's coming too. There are materials only women can get...!”
I couldn't join because the deer forest was supposedly a sanctuary of the virgin goddess of moon and chastity, Diana—a place no man could enter.
“It won't be dangerous, right?”
“Nope! Don't worry!”
With Hippolyte and the virgin squad there, nothing dangerous should happen unless a volcano suddenly erupted.
We quickly finished a simple breakfast together, then parted ways at the cabin entrance, heading in different directions.
Luna toward the south to meet Hippolyte.
I...
What should I do?
I'd left the house, but I had no idea what to do. Should I go back and sleep more?
What were the things I needed to do?
I decided to prioritize the tasks only I could handle. First and foremost.
Pick up the thank-you gift from the Venus temple. The saint said next week, so I couldn't do it now. On hold.
What else?
Then it hit me—I should test out that strange new magic I'd acquired: Necromancy.
I could use magic.
Sure, it was forbidden magic despised and feared in this world, but as a modern person wielding this bizarre power, it filled my chest with excitement.
I kept wanting to try it, to make use of it.
And honestly, it was pretty fun.
I grabbed a few bone piles from Luna's cabin and headed for the west gate.
* * *
“To Chel Plains for goblin extermination squad! Two spots left on the carriage. Female adventurers preferred.”
“Mercenary with elm bronze shield available. Will do any job.”
“Sirs and madams, before you head out by carriage, how about stocking up on some emergency ointments—.”
Sodomora's high walls. Among the four gates, the west gate was the noisiest and most chaotic.
It served as a gathering spot for adventurers starting guild quests, and merchants hawked their wares targeting them, filling the air with shouts.
Not just adventurers and merchants—bards, swindlers, weird cultists, and all sorts of oddballs swarmed the place, making it a total mess.
Like a marketplace in front of a train station?
I scanned the crowd and bought a dark red robe from a shabby stall.
Made for the small-statured people of this world, it was short—barely covering below the knees—but usable for a day.
It was the cheapest at 50 coppers.
Expecting to spend about one silver, I used the savings to buy a weird wooden mask for another 50 coppers.
The mask had jagged goblin-like teeth carved into it, reminding me of Luna's good-luck charm, so I went for it.
“Looks can be deceiving—you've got an eye for this. Unique shape, right? They say it came from Ideophe. With Sodomora's mask festival coming up soon—.”
The merchant rambled on. The only word that caught my ear was the familiar “Ideophe.” No wonder it reminded me of Luna—straight from Ideophe.
Rustle, rustle.
With the dark robe and mask on, I felt somewhat secure.
I was heading out to test my Necromancy, and I didn't want anyone spotting me.
Like it or not, my size and style stood out in this weird world.
“Damn, what the...”
“Thought it was a cultist or something.”
But a man a head taller than everyone, in a mask and robe? It was eerie enough to draw even more stares.
To avoid eyes, I quickened my pace and slipped out the west gate.
My destination was that forest where old man Platan, Malco, and Luna had first done the temple cleaning quest.
It was perfect for testing my abilities away from prying eyes.
I'd been there before, so I knew the way roughly, it was sparsely populated—ideal for shady stuff. About half a day's walk.
So I walked.
Each step made the bones in my backpack clatter loudly.
It felt like advertising my Necromancy, giving me chills.
But as Sodomora's massive walls faded, the signs of life thinned out—no worries.
Rustle.
After walking a while, I parted the trees and brush to enter the forest, pushing deeper inside without relaxing.
Sodomora outskirts forest. The abandoned solar shrine.
Finally there, I confirmed no one around before dumping my backpack's contents on the ground.
Crash—.
Bones scattered everywhere, along with dried rations, jerky, and a leather waterskin.
I hadn't done anything yet, but goosebumps prickled my back like all the blood drained from my body.
“Rise.”
Clatter, clack.
At my command, the jumbled bones began assembling. I'd seen this scene four or five times already, but it never got less weird.
Crunch.
Scrape.
Soon, three small bone goblins were complete.
Had everything in my bag been goblin bones? No, it was mixed stuff. Why did they standardize into this form?
“Dismiss.”
I repeated summoning and dismissing the bone piles. Each time, identical bone goblins revived.
Maybe with my Necromancy skill level, this was the smallest I could manage.
“Whew—.”
I sighed under the mask. Maybe guilt from the bad deed—my limbs tingled, chest tight, breathing hard.
No, not just emotions.
Necromancy seemed to drain mental strength and stamina.
Like running laps on the track full-out—head oxygen-starved. Was this the mana depletion mages talk about?
New knowledge filling me felt like fluffy blankets stuffed in my chest—fulfilling.
Fun.
Like sneaking dad's lighter from his drawer as a kid.
A kid with a lighter inevitably looks for something to burn.
I scanned around for what my three bone goblins could do.
Only then did I take in the scene.
Swoosh.
The breeze slipped between robe and mask, cooling my sweat-soaked body—felt great.
But...
My brow furrowed.
Damn, what a filthy mess.
This rundown, abandoned shrine made our previous cleaning pointless—leaves everywhere, beast droppings, spiderwebs, rolling stones. Disgusting.
Probably no one had come since we cleaned.
“Hey, clean this place up first.”
Clatter, clack.
The three bone goblins sprang into action. How did they move so well without muscle or flesh?
They swiftly cleared the leaves, squishy droppings, and horrifying spiders and webs, stuffing them into ground pits.
They grasped my intent well—smarter than expected. Because they moved as I thought?
Free slaves ignoring filth no human would touch. Start a cleaning business—jackpot.
Thinking of them as obedient minions made the creepy skeletons feel familiar.
Dad's clinic always had bone models as references, so bones weren't alien to me.
Damn, this is fun.
I'd about finished experimenting with the new power and was about to dismiss them.
Chit, chitter.
Rustle, rustle.
The bushes rustled, revealing small creatures blinking red eyes.
Green-skinned imps draped in ragged cloth and leaves—goblins.
Shit, six goblins.
Remembering how they'd beaten me senseless here before, old aches flared up. You little bastards.
But that was then—this was now. I had a damn strong club and titanium gauntlets.
Gaaahhh!!!!
Thud thud thud.
One goblin spotted me, screeched weirdly, and charged. Didn't know monster language, but hostility was clear.
Half my size, but that stick looked solid—would hurt if it hit. Monster. Nothing to sneeze at.
“Get lost, you punk.”
I roundhouse-kicked its torso full force. Toe to solar plexus.
Meant to halt it, but it flew like a soccer ball punted by a goalie, vanishing into the brush.
Eeeek—!
Last time, struggling with one at a time was tough?
My strength had skyrocketed. Really feeling it now.
“You little shits beat the crap out of me last time.”
Confidence surging, I grabbed the heads of charging goblins one per hand and lifted.
Gek! Grreek!
Chit, chitter!
They clawed and bit to escape. Only hurting themselves.
Four gold for two gauntlets—worth every coin.
Gear and power worlds apart from before.
In this abandoned shrine site, I was top predator. The mighty hell archduke Hassan.
“You guys aren't ready yet.”
Crunch.
Squeezed, and they went limp with sick sounds.
Three left.
They backed away, terrified by the slaughter.
Chitshii...! Sh, shitshii!
“What the fuck? Go get 'em. Beat their asses!”
Clack, clatter.
My three waiting bone goblins lunged. Time to test Necromancy in combat. Three goblins vs. three bone goblins.
Perfect numbers for the best test.
No flesh or muscle, so probably weaker, no match for real goblins.
If they caught one, it'd be a win.
Grraa!
Gek!
Kreeeek!!
My amateur Necromancy creations stabbed with hand-bones as spears, piercing goblin bellies.
Then ripped them left to right like curtains.
Shraaak—.
The skeleton monsters, blue soulfire eyes flashing, let out horrifying roars.
Raaargh!!!
Mine, but damn scary. What merciless bastards?
Stronger than expected.
Like playing with a flamethrower instead of a lighter. Flamethrowers aren't toys.
“All of you, now—.”
About to dismiss them.
Ding—.
『Settling minion combat.』
[Author's Note]
I think I need to... bake some rice cakes...
With Hassan's current abilities, it's hard to get the rice ration to pound into cakes...
At this rate, it'll be no rice cakes, just burnt rice...
I'll try harder ㅠㅠ.....