Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Pluto's Descendant
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“Man, this thing is fucking impossible to get your hands on!”
Somnia shouted brightly, like a boy who’d just discovered something amazing, snatching the jar from my hand and slamming it down on the round table.
I tried to hold on to Luna’s jar, but her slender frame unleashed more strength than I could’ve imagined. All I could do was stand there dumbfounded, like a squirrel that’d just had its food stolen.
“Ugh, fuck, this shit tastes awful.”
Somnia scooped some of the elixir—which wasn’t even hers—into a small wooden cup, pulled her mask up to her mouth, and chugged it down.
“But it fills you with energy! This stuff really works, huh? Making something this fast-acting is no joke...!”
“Somnia, what the hell is this?”
“It’s an elixir that boosts your stamina in a short time! Can you believe we found this here? Talk about lucky! I couldn’t even make this myself. It’s killer!”
“It smells like it could kill you. Does this crap even work?”
“Of course it does. Tastes like shit, but once you get a taste of the effects, you can’t live without it. I’ve been dying without sleep lately. Ah, I feel alive again.”
She even extended her hand toward me.
“I’m Somnia, daughter of Ideope. A Silver Tier healer. Nice to meet you, you barbarian fuck.”
Was she asking for a handshake?
It didn’t seem like a bad sign that she was showing some goodwill, so I decided to go along with it. I’d bide my time, make a break for it, and report their hideout.
Then I’d turn this crisis into an opportunity, claiming the biggest credit for wiping out the cultists and becoming a hero named Sber Hassan!
An illegal immigrant who caught spies? That’s definitely headline news.
Wouldn’t that earn me a massive reward? A house with a yard? A sack of gold coins? Fuck if I know.
“I’m... Ouldol Valley from Samaria.”
“Ouldol Valley? Fuck, what a shitty name.”
Even I thought it was a shitty name. But saying my real name here felt like it’d bite me in the ass later.
Scrambling for something better, the only barbarian-sounding name that came to mind was Ouldol Valley. Sorry, Ouldol Valley bro.
“Well, Samaritans having shitty names isn’t new. Anyway, bringing us a precious gift like this? You’re a good guy.”
I grabbed the healer’s outstretched hand.
Ding—
『Ri Somnia Lv. ??
Status: Insomnia | Heshishi Addiction | ??? | ???』
All those question marks meant she was at least twice as strong as me. Everyone I’d seen with question marks had been powerhouses.
It was probably like how low-level folks can’t see details on high-level ones.
“More importantly, you’ve got some weird scars.”
The healer Somnia seemed intrigued by the sleeve of my rolled-up leather shirt. That’s where Luna had bitten me, and the tooth marks were still dug in deep.
She pulled her mask up to her nose and sniffed at the bite mark. Fuck, what the hell? Were Ideope folk just cool with sniffing people?
“...It’s faint, but that’s definitely the magic of night and darkness. What the fuck? Did you get a holy mark!? You’re one badass motherfucker!”
Somnia yelled like the bite mark was something incredible.
What’s a holy mark?
“Is that for real? Nox and Erebos are the primordial sources of hellish magic, right!?”
“Don’t show off—explain it simply, asshole!”
“If Somnia gets it, it means you’re an ally of the great Lord Pluto. And that makes you one of our allies too.”
Even the black mage Anxius, who’d been openly hostile toward me at first, raised his voice like it was a huge deal.
“Ouldol Valley, was it? Sorry for doubting you.”
He smiled neatly under his robe’s hood, looking genuinely amused and pleased.
To me, it was just a bite from Luna. Why make such a fuss? Cultists really were idiots.
Of course, who else would fall for such an evil religion?
Their vibe had intimidated me earlier, but now I felt a bit more confident. If I played them right and escaped, I’d be golden.
“Um...”
Just as I opened my mouth.
“Skizo! You eyeless fuck, you actually brought a real one! With this guy, we can fill Paranoya’s spot!”
The hyper-excited healer Somnia grabbed a massive bowl from the corner.
It was about the size of a rubber kimchi tub, with a weird hexagram drawn on the bottom in black ink.
She slammed it on the round table.
“Draw this fucker’s blood!”
“Y-Yes!? What!?”
Draw blood? Fuck, I pictured myself getting my throat slit like a butchered pig. Weren’t they treating me like an ally?
“You’re drawing my blood?”
“To use the ritual mist, we need a ton of magic mixed with blood and darkness power. Paranoya was a dumbass, but his mana reserves were the best among us.”
Shing.
Somnia drew a short dagger from her belt.
Short blade, long handle—not made for killing, more like for ceremonies or rituals.
Still, getting stabbed would hurt like hell and draw blood. Hit a vital spot, and I’d die.
Fuck, was she gonna stab me?
I tensed up.
Splash.
Somnia slashed her own palm with the sharp blade, blood dripping down.
The drops hit the bowl, sizzling and smoking weirdly.
Sizzle.
“See? It reacts to the karma and mana in the blood, summoning the mist.”
Her blood boiled, steadily producing faint mist. It looked just like dry ice on a stage.
“Anxius, your turn.”
“My blood’s precious, you know.”
“Shut the fuck up, moron. We’re late. We obscure vision with mist, grab what we can, smash what we must.”
“Yeah, right. Fine.”
The black mage Anxius took the dagger from Somnia. He lightly cut his palm, and red blood trickled into the bowl.
Sizzle.
Like Somnia’s, the blood hit the magic circle and smoked white, spewing mist like oil on a hot pan.
Now the sealed room was filled knee-deep with thick, creepy fog.
“Not bad, Anxius. Mana increased?”
“I don’t rely on superstitions or luck like some people. Still, filling the whole city would be tough. Guess we really needed Paranoya.”
“Let’s trust in the power of the holy mark!”
The dagger that had cut the healer and mage’s palms was now handed to me. I took it in a daze and stammered.
“Already my turn? That one hasn’t bled yet.”
“Skizo has zero mana. He’s great in a fight but useless for this. Anyway, tough it out.”
“Uh, I gotta hit the bathroom...”
“What’re you stalling for!? Scared of a little cut!? Big guy like you acting like a pussy? Gimme!”
Somnia suddenly exploded, yanking the dagger from my hand and slashing my left palm with a vicious swing.
“Argh!”
The sharp blade tore through flesh in agonizing pain, and a good amount of blood sprayed from my hand.
Siiiizzle.
A few drops hit the bowl, producing white smoke.
“Oh, nice effect! That’s some insane karma!”
Somnia cheered excitedly, but I could only clutch my throbbing palm, trying to stop the bleeding. Seeing your own blood freaks anyone out.
Whoooosh.
“...Somnia. Isn’t the mist too much?”
“Fuck, I just thought that! We’re screwed! Did the ritual go wrong!?”
Billowing clouds poured from the bowl like a fire was raging inside. It was endless—so thick you couldn’t see an inch ahead.
Like a dam bursting, it flooded the space terrifyingly fast. I exaggerate a lot usually, but this was no joke.
“Too much! We’ll get caught like this! Anxius, do something!”
“Rituals aren’t my thing!”
The cultists’ panicked voices cut through the fog. Was this my chance? Fuck, time to bolt!
I flailed my arms, found the door.
Groooan.
Yanking it open with all my strength, uncontrollable smoke and fog billowed out.
No time to care—I sprinted down the hall, up the stairs, and escaped the cultists’ meeting spot.
Fuck yeah, freedom! Stupid cultist bastards!
* * *
The whole city was blanketed in fog—you couldn’t see shit.
But I made it to Luna’s house thanks to the glowing palm I’d picked up recently, which parted the haze just enough.
Clank, clank—the sound of armor seemed to chase me, like my ass was on fire. I ran like hell.
“Luna! Open the door!”
I pounded on the wooden house. The door flew open, Luna frowning hard inside.
“Hassan! Fog’s this thick and you show up now? Where the hell were you? I was worried!”
Sniff sniff.
She sniffed me.
“Didn’t do anything stupid... But what happened to your left hand!? Blood! It’s bleeding!”
“That’s not important right now! The cultists are here!”
“C-Cultists!? We gotta report it!”
“But the guards shut everything down! Fog’s everywhere, can’t see shit! What do we do!?”
“No idea!”
Luna and I were panicking, clueless. We were total ragtags. Fuck, I was just some nameless scrub, not even Ouldol Valley!!
“Any way to call for help?”
Wish this world had phones. Fuck, no phones? Shitty world. How do I summon Hippolyte or other adventurers? Even guards would do.
I was seriously considering torching Luna’s wooden house for a signal fire.
“I-I could send spirit energy with my ritual to call people!”
“Seriously? Do it! Anyone strong!”
“But I need part of their body. Hair, nails...”
Suddenly, I thought of Hippolyte—the closest person I could call.
Maybe some hair or pubes stuck to me from our wild romp? Her curly bush on my leg?
I frantically scratched my shin—nothing but my own leg hair. Fuck, must’ve washed too well!
“Wh-Why’re you checking there!?”
Luna slapped the back of my head as I bent to check my calf.
Whack!
“Ow!”
It hurt more than expected, a yelp escaping me. Did she figure out I was hunting Hippolyte hairs? Freaky sharp.
“S-So what now?”
As I stomped around in frustration, I spotted a bunch of ‘hair.’ Right, fuck, that’s it.
I grabbed it and held it high.
“This!”
“Wh-Why the deer carpet Hassan...”
“Hair! Fuck, it’s hair! This work!?”
It was like the shed skin from that Gold Tier adventurer Aktaion or whatever who’d saved me from deer form.
Kinda stingy giving his own hairy hide as a reward, honestly.
“Let’s summon a Gold Tier adventurer quick!”
Hope surged at the thought of turning this treasure into a sturdy ally.
Clank.
Then, a massive metal chunk stopped in front of the cabin.
“Fog or no fog, it matters not to one forever cloaked in darkness. Come out. I know everything here.”
“Fuck...”
I drew my two swords from my belt. Time to fight for real.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter title... Hassan's Funeral #1.... just kidding......
Always thankful for recommendations and comments...!!