Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Roughly Another World's Sexiest 111
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"Groan!"
"Ugh!"
Groans erupted from the bandits here and there.
"Don't try to force a move. It'll hurt."
The gazes of the kneeling bandits converged on me.
"Was that you?!"
"That's right."
No need for them to mistake someone else.
After owning up to it myself, I turned my eyes to Rufus.
"Rufus."
"...Y-yeah, what is it?"
"You're on our side. Why look at me like that's weird?"
"You're right.... But I don't even know your name. Why'd I decide to join your side?"
"My name's Decal.
Help us wipe out the bandit gang. Then I'll let you go."
"Got it. I'm a collaborator for the hero candidate. I'll help with anything."
That wrapped up the talk.
I glanced at the village chief and the terrified young women.
"Head home.
Lock your doors and stay inside."
"Lord Decal! Please come back safe."
The chief bowed his head low.
"No worries. Let's go, Rufus."
"Right."
"You bastard!"
"Rufus, you traitor scum!"
"You do this to us and think you can just leave?"
"Damn it! My body won't move!"
Rufus and I pushed past the clamoring bandits and left the village.
Outside stood a forest thick with underbrush.
The other three, minus Ava, were already waiting.
"How'd it go?"
"I knew Oppa could handle it...!"
Karen's voice rang bright.
"Can't believe it, even seeing it."
"Is that even possible? Eight at least, and you took them down in no time flat."
Stia sounded stunned,
while fierce curiosity blazed in Diana's eyes.
"What exactly did you do?"
"Already with the grilling?
Let's finish the job right first. No backing out now."
"And the guy with you?"
"Collaborator.
Don't get too wary. He betrayed them for us. No patching things up with the bandits now."
"That's the truth.
Name's Rufus. Guaranteed my life in exchange for helping you wipe out the bandits."
Everyone eyed Rufus with unease.
Couldn't hear the words from that distance, but he'd been gleefully tormenting villagers moments ago, then abruptly turned coat—only natural to find it odd.
Still, no one pressed him on it.
We'd passed that point.
Solving the problem was all that remained. That alone had them tense.
"Decal! You good?"
Ava, our lookout, came running up late.
If anything happened to me, she'd signal—that was the plan, so she'd hung back hidden.
But nothing had.
Hypnosis proved terrifyingly effective once more.
"Rufus. How many in the bandit gang?"
"Little over ten. Don't remember every face."
Diana scowled.
"We can trust this creep?"
"We'll see soon enough."
Right there in front of everyone, I calmly grilled Rufus.
Base location? Route there? Midpoint guards? Armament?
Trap spots, types, counters?
Questions flowed like data entry.
Rufus spilled it all without pause, not even weighing if he should.
Diana started skeptical but shifted to convinced as details mounted.
"Not all true maybe, but plenty useful.
No faking this much."
"Exactly—no lies. I'm the hero candidate's collaborator. All facts."
Rufus even snapped at doubting Diana.
"Shut it! I'll judge. Grateful I bother listening to trash like you."
"Huh? What big shot missy? Tsk, feisty one. Brother Decal's in for it."
"You—! Die?"
Rufus threw up his hands in alarm.
"Whoa, easy. Breaks the deal, yeah?"
"Diana'd do it."
My side warning had Rufus shrug.
"Info's legit."
"...Mm."
Stia broke her thoughtful silence.
"No one neared forest entrance while Decal fetched Rufus.
They don't know what hit. Ambush works. Man's info checks out? Game-changer."
"Got a side path just for us.
Skirts the traps, hits guards from behind. Win-win."
Bewildered stares pinned shameless Rufus.
Hypnosis overkill...?
「Protect hero candidate with body if needed」 went too far maybe.
「If needed」 hinged on his call.
Handy against bandits, though.
Rufus acted like he'd forgotten his own villainy—pure collaborator now.
Zero wariness toward us.
Diana might've sniffed out the hypnosis.
Guesswork? Harmless.
No proof I puppeteered him.
Easier to buy him as base trash.
"Rufus. Final question.
How many in your gang in rough shape?
Humans who absorbed a 「Red Soulstone」."
"...Red Soulstone?"
Rufus faltered—first time.
Like he'd never heard.
"Not sure on that.
Weirdos? Yeah. Don't pry, don't buddy up—just let 'em be."
"How many?"
"Two. Acted dim, nearly ditched 'em, but fought like demons.
Endless rape stamina too. Boss took a shine, kept 'em close."
"Clue when they turned odd?"
"Who knows. We're not pals. No origin chats. Bandit life."
"..."
Two.
Hypnosis stick on Red Soulstone humans?
Doubt it. Combat-only for those.
Info tapped dry.
I scanned the group.
No homesick faces.
"Shortcut it is."
Calm words.
"Rufus. Lead on."
"Sure."
Rufus up front, we filed into his shortcut.
Pulled prepped lanterns—one to Ava, one for me.
"Stia. Red Soulstone absorbers? Tough to stop normally, right?"
"They forget pain."
Drug-crazed crook vibe.
"Not everything... but way tougher."
Trickier, then.
Drugged pain-ignoring thugs need multiple shots even.
Our sword crew burdened.
"Combat? Keep simple—no overthink.
Red Soulstone 「monsters」 show? Ava, Stia, Karen—buy time."
"Like Black Forest team-up?"
"Yeah. Hobgoblin style."
"Got it. I'll guard Oppa."
Karen: rock-solid.
Countless scraps together?
Since we met, yeah.
Hypnosis-sparked party...
Focus now. Nerves taut.
No flinch, whatever.
"Almost."
Rufus whispered.
Ava lowered her lantern.
"Douse it?"
"Nah. Fine lit. Their path—dark's fishier."
"Brother Decal's right."
Rufus backed; my call stuck.
Slipped into bandit base smooth.
"Base"—fenced abandoned building.
Ex-rich getaway? Posher than bandit dive.
"Now douse, sneak in."
"Yeah."
Lantern to storage.
"Patrol squad due soon."
Rufus crouched cocky.
"..."
Eyes confirm his intel now.
No real doubt, but group check key.
Raid clean.
Home sweet.
But...
Even I hadn't foreseen.
Legs numb squat—no show.
"Huh? Off..."
"..."
Stia slashed sharp glare, blade to Rufus.
"What'd you pull?"
"N-nothin'! No post abandon now.
Defy boss? Caught=instant death."
"..."
"Stia. Sword down."
Quiet.
"No yapping here. Scout ourselves."
No choice.
"Karen. With me."
"Yeah!"
"You lot wait. Patrol check, back soon."
"...Fine."
Stia sheathed.
Diana bored holes in Rufus's nape.
"Decal. Suspicious move? Dead."
"Magic loud—Stia or Ava handle."
Karen and I curtain-ducked to patrol path.
Trudged base perimeter trail.
"Eek..."
Karen shuddered gooseflesh.
I gulped shock.
Patrol path: impossible sight.
Corpse.
Bandit shreds strewn trail-center.
Bandit kill? Normal.
Pre-us kill? Not.
What gives?
Nausea surged—stifled.
"Closer look."
"...Yeah."
Someone beside: blessing.
Held Karen's hand tight. Hers clamped mine.
Coward jabs? Whatever. Tremors hit us both.
"..."
Steady breaths, neared corpse.
Gruesome.
Truly.
Whoever: no dealings ever.
Deserving scum or not.
Patrols two-man, intel said.
Scanned surrounds.
Mute—lest killer clock us.
Another stiff nearby.
Butchered savage.
Trail victim clueless; this prone-back-showing...
Flee fail.
Killer human...? Ruthless.
Ripped runner too.
"..."
Karen's breaths heaved.
Hand-grip led corpse-escape.
"Hoo..."
Silent deeps.
"What... was it?"
"Dunno. ...Not human work."
"Yeah..."
Bear? Maybe.
Human power? No.
Gut screamed human first glance.
Abused look.
"Back to group."
"Yeah."
With Karen, returned.
"...You two.
Trouble? Faces pale."
Darkness hid zilch—Stia fretted.
"Patrol: dead. Something got 'em."
Stia's eyes narrowed fierce.
"Corpses... how bad?"
"Bad. Mangled pathetic—words fail."
"Soulstone rampage kicked off."
"..."
Led party solid till now, thought I.
Hypnosis maxed gains, min risk.
Worked.
Real pinch? Nada.
No grit, no spine.
"Rufus. Patrol sighted pre-depart?"
Nod.
"Idle chat exit.
...Alive then."
"So..."
Inside now—what?
Mid-thought: agony scream pierced.
Froze solid.
No flee call, no hold.
Terror gripped all.
One exception.
"...Go."
Stia sword-hilt low-voiced.
We trailed Stia's lead, infiltrated bandit lair.