Chapter 105: PK (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 105: PK (1)
The one who had opened the rift—in other words, the mafioso in this game of Mafia we were playing. Who could it be? This was a question that had been on my mind ever since I had entered Glacier Cave. To me, the mafioso was a wild card. Whether it was a positive or negative one was what I had to figure out. So, without just assuming off the bat that Mr. Bear was the mafioso, I opened my mind to every possibility and collected clues.
So, it was them.
As a result, I had discovered the person I believed to be the mafioso. However, that was all I knew right now. I had no idea what they wanted.
Hah, I can't just kill them, either.
Because I couldn't figure out their intentions, my sense of discomfort only grew. Rightfully so, because if that person really was the mafioso, there was a significant chance that they'd become a problem in the future.
I'll have to keep an eye on it for now.
The mafia was one person, and that person hadn't made a move yet. If they died, that'd be a problem in itself.
Whoosh!
Unless, of course, I planned to keep the other two quiet.
***
"Michelle, how are you feeling?"
"...Me? I'm fine?" Missha answered casually, but in reality, yesterday's fatigue was probably ravaging her body. Unlike Jenson and Mr. Bear, we had only gotten three hours of sleep thanks to being on watch.
"Don't worry. This is still better than the Witch's Forest."
"That's... trrrue."
I chuckled and brushed aside my concerns. The same kid who had endured all that wouldn't buckle under the weight of something like this.
"Stop chatting and get ready to leave," Mr. Bear commanded a moment later.
Missha ran back to her original position, the rearmost part of the formation. That position would allow her to immediately identify any funny business. If it weren't for her, tank or not, I would have been uncomfortable being at the front.
Step.
As soon as I took the first step forward, the team followed along at my pace.
So this is how it looks in real life.
It was a dark cave of ice. The frost on the ground was slippery and the overall terrain was more three-dimensional than that of Crystal Cave. There were steep sections as well as places where the path cut off in the middle and had to be climbed over with a rope.
"Still, it's fortunate that there seems to be only one path."
Even without a scout, there was no getting lost. It wasn't that there weren't side roads here and there, but when you went down them, it was never long before you reached a dead end. All you had to do was follow the main path while smashing the monsters that appeared from over the ice wall.
Smack!
The monsters that spawned here were Wormstones, Saber Tigers, Frost Wolves, Ice Golems, and Owl Bears. Unlike the Bloody Citadel, where the rank-seven monster Bone Knight appeared, most of these guys were rank eight.
But the actual difficulty is higher here.
The status effect Hypothermia was a debuff field effect that reduced a character's agility by up to thirty and doubled the amount of cold damage you took if you didn't have any cold resistance.
"Miss Nephrin, be careful. Perhaps it's because my body is stiff, but their attacks are more painful than they were earlier."
"Oh, no wonder! So that's why!"
As the journey continued, Jenson, who was in the second row on either side of me, began to moan in pain. Of course, I didn't slow down for them. The two of them had almost no stake in this, anyway.
Smack!
In fact, as Mr. Bear, Missha (who was protecting him), and I paved the way, we slowly reached the end of the stage. It took maybe four hours to get here. As we walked through the winding passage, a wide cavity appeared.
"Wow, what a spectacle."
Three monsters were trapped in a pillar of crystal-clear ice.
"Those must be Ice Orcs. Their skin is white."
"...Ice Orcs?"
"They're only rank seven, so don't worry."
Each orc held a different weapon. One held an axe, another a hammer, and the third a wand.
"...Do we have to fight those too?"
"They wouldn't be here for no reason," Mr. Bear cynically replied to Jencia's muttering.
Riiip!
Right at that moment, the ice pillars that imprisoned the Ice Orcs began to crack and crumble all at once.
"No time to even look around?"
Mr. Bear's relaxed reaction aside, I hurriedly shouted at the anxious Jenson. "Don't panic and stand in formation!" It'd be easier for Missha to keep an eye on them that way.
"Ah, okay!" Soon, Jenson stood to my left and right, and Mr. Bear stepped back and took a sniper position.
Crack, tu-du-du-du.
Ice shards fell and the three Ice Orcs woke up, exhaling ferocious snorts to prove they were mini bosses.
Chhh!
One sorcerer and two warriors; they had a pretty well-balanced team comp, and with Hypothermia, they were pretty tricky opponents—if you didn't know the right strategy to handle them, that was.
"Whew..." I let out a long breath and raised my shield. This was pretty nerve-wracking. Not because of the orcs, which I could take down any time, but because of something else.
If they're going to pull something funny, now would be the perfect time.
There was a mafioso on the team. Of course, I didn't know what their objective was. It could simply be that they wanted to clear a rift and had no intention of hurting anyone. However, I needed to be prepared for the other scenario.
Kwang!
I needed to focus on defense rather than attack. It was better to hide my combat power just in case. With that in mind, I had given Missha instructions to just watch and not join in.
"Haven't run off to your lover yet?"
"You never know what might attack from behind. And he's not my loverrr."
"Yeah, well, seems like it." Mr. Bear expressed his doubts about the position Missha had taken, but apparently, her reasoning was acceptable. "Tsk, those guys are useless, so I guess I'll have to exert some energy this time." With that, he whipped out an ability he had never shown before.
[Abman Urikfried has summoned the Iron Bear, Iradun.]
A gigantic bear jumped out of a portal that appeared in front of Mr. Bear. It was a Soul Beast.
"Miss Nephrin, be careful. Perhaps it's because my body is stiff, but their attacks are more painful than they were earlier."
"Oh, no wonder! So that's why!"
As the journey continued, Jenson, who was in the second row on either side of me, began to moan in pain. Of course, I didn't slow down for them. The two of them had almost no stake in this, anyway.
Smack!
In fact, as Mr. Bear, Missha (who was protecting him), and I paved the way, we slowly reached the end of the stage. It took maybe four hours to get here. As we walked through the winding passage, a wide cavity appeared.
"Wow, what a spectacle."
Three monsters were trapped in a pillar of crystal-clear ice.
"Those must be Ice Orcs. Their skin is white."
"...Ice Orcs?"
"They're only rank seven, so don't worry."
Each orc held a different weapon. One held an axe, another a hammer, and the third a wand.
"...Do we have to fight those too?"
"They wouldn't be here for no reason," Mr. Bear cynically replied to Jencia's muttering.
Riiip!
Right at that moment, the ice pillars that imprisoned the Ice Orcs began to crack and crumble all at once.
"No time to even look around?"
Mr. Bear's relaxed reaction aside, I hurriedly shouted at the anxious Jenson. "Don't panic and stand in formation!" It'd be easier for Missha to keep an eye on them that way.
"Ah, okay!" Soon, Jenson stood to my left and right, and Mr. Bear stepped back and took a sniper position.
Crack, tu-du-du-du.
Ice shards fell and the three Ice Orcs woke up, exhaling ferocious snorts to prove they were mini bosses.
Chhh!
One sorcerer and two warriors; they had a pretty well-balanced team comp, and with Hypothermia, they were pretty tricky opponents—if you didn't know the right strategy to handle them, that was.
"Whew..." I let out a long breath and raised my shield. This was pretty nerve-wracking. Not because of the orcs, which I could take down any time, but because of something else.
If they're going to pull something funny, now would be the perfect time.
There was a mafioso on the team. Of course, I didn't know what their objective was. It could simply be that they wanted to clear a rift and had no intention of hurting anyone. However, I needed to be prepared for the other scenario.
Kwang!
I needed to focus on defense rather than attack. It was better to hide my combat power just in case. With that in mind, I had given Missha instructions to just watch and not join in.
"Haven't run off to your lover yet?"
"You never know what might attack from behind. And he's not my loverrr."
"Yeah, well, seems like it." Mr. Bear expressed his doubts about the position Missha had taken, but apparently, her reasoning was acceptable. "Tsk, those guys are useless, so I guess I'll have to exert some energy this time." With that, he whipped out an ability he had never shown before.
[Abman Urikfried has summoned the Iron Bear, Iradun.]
A gigantic bear jumped out of a portal that appeared in front of Mr. Bear. It was a Soul Beast.
...Iradun?
To be honest, I was surprised. Since he was a rank-five beastman adventurer, I had been wondering if he had already signed a contract with a Soul Beast, but I never thought he would be a summoning type. I could now understand how he could play solo, even as an archer. With a tank for a summon, there was no need to make a point of forming a team.
"Gaaaaaa!" The summoned bear quickly ran in on all fours, then roared and reared up on its haunches next to me. Then it began to skillfully mark one of the warriors.
I'll have to resort to Plan B, then.
I chose my actions based entirely on logic. This changed nothing. It was because we were hiding our full strength that Mr. Bear had brought out his Soul Beast.
"Chhhhhh!"
For that reason, I allowed the Orc to swing its hammer at me. And since it'd be obvious if I pretended to be in pain, I just drove my head into it like I was making a header in a soccer game.
Bam!
In addition to wearing a helmet, I also had meaty Bone Strength stats, so the blow didn't crush my skull. It just shook my brain a little and made me a bit dizzy. But even that was healing thanks to my natural regeneration stats.
Slump.
However, I collapsed to the ground on a suspicion that if I took down the Orc trio too easily, I wouldn't be able to investigate the mafioso's true intentions.
"A-Are you all—!" Carlson ran up to me in surprise and ended up on the receiving end of the aggro.
[You have killed an Ice Orc Warrior. EXP +3.]
Right at that moment, an arrow pierced the Hammer Orc's head. As a result, the Sorcerer Orc's aggro shifted to Mr. Bear, but a rank-five adventurer was a seasoned one.
Dash.
Moving nimbly despite his height of around 6'3" to avoid the incantations, Mr. Bear loaded the crossbow and shot it perfectly.
[The Ice Orc Sorcerer has cast Frozen Iron Wall.]
The sorcerer's defenses were meaningless in the face of that powerful arrow. How could a rank-seven monster stop that?
Kaboom!
The arrow shattered the ice wall, then drilled through the sorcerer's head before exploding.
[You have killed an Ice Orc Sorcerer. EXP +3.]
There was only one Orc left now.
At this rate, he's going to take down all three with that bow.
Disappointment crept in. If the battle was too easy, it'd overshadow my plan to make it difficult and turn this into a one-sided performance.
Is this the power of a rank-five archer? Welp, the ground is getting cold. Should I pretend I just woke up?
Just as I was thinking that, I heard someone nearby mutter something. "So that's what a Soul Beast is." Their voice was cold. "I can proceed according to plan, then."
Mr. Bear, who had been loading up the next arrow, suddenly collapsed and vomited up blood.
Slump.
The mafioso had finally begun to make a move.
***
To be identified as a mafioso, several prerequisites had to be met: enough knowledge to know how to open a rift, excellent navigation to be able to return from the second floor in nineteen hours, and the ability to clear the rift alone. These factors could somewhat help reveal who it was. A scout with combat power equivalent to that of a rank-five adventurer was the mafioso's true identity. The problem was, though, that all three temporary team members had this potential.
1. Mr. Bear. Rank five, a mindset somewhat similar to that of a player, et cetera. There was no point in going into detail.
2. Carlson. He was the only one who had revealed his name during our introductions. He didn't even mention the essence he possessed. Also, his equipment was suited for the lower floors and well-maintained, almost like it was new. I had kept my eyes on him in case it could be a disguise, and he also made an excuse for not absorbing the essence of the Frost Wolf. That was more than suspicious—but not more than this girl was.
3. Jencia. She said she had been trained as a scout and was adept in it, and even added that observation was her specialty. To me, this information was all just a smokescreen, a disguise to make the lines that followed sound natural.
When we ran into the Yeti blocking the entrance to the cave: "D-Do we have to defeat that and head down?"
While we were in the second stage: "Oh! I touched it and it started glowing."
When the mini boss had cast Suppression: "It looks like they're not able to properly move...!"
Even before the last wave, when everyone had lowered their guards: "By the way... is it all over now?"
She continuously pointed out key points while pretending otherwise, as if she had a clear strategy. Of course, all of this would have been nothing compared to Mr. Bear or Carlson if it weren't for the dirt on her shoes.
The first thing I had checked upon entering the rift was everyone's shoes. To open Glacier Cave, you needed to go to the Den of Beasts on the second floor first. Jencia's shoes were the only ones that had dirt on them.
Well, she could have just not wiped them before coming in from the city, but...
"Now that I think about it, there was something strrrange. Jencia's scent changed after she fell into the water."
Missha's report convinced me. Although not as good as Rotmiller's, her Smell stat was on the higher side as a beastwoman.
"It was stinkier before."
"Like the Den of Beasts?"
"Ohhh! Now that you mention it, yeah. No wonderrr it smelled familiar!"
Jencia was the mafioso, and a bad actor that I had determined had plenty of room to become a malicious one. Thanks to that, I had been able to prepare for this in advance.
Stab!
The moment Jencia's sword dug into Mr. Bear's abdomen, Missha, who had been waiting, threw a vial right on cue.
Shatter!
The glass broke and its contents spilled out.
"Thanks, that should be about thirty million stones—Kyaaah!" While indulgently muttering something to herself, she got doused in a liquid and backed away in shock. "W-What the hell! What did you throw at me—"
I quickly got up. I guess the timing of her surprise attack had in part been brought on by my fainting act.
"Wha—what...?" Jencia looked even more baffled.
Instead of answering, I let out a shout. "Behelaaah!"
What do you think? From now on, this is all self-defense.
...Iradun?
To be honest, I was surprised. Since he was a rank-five beastman adventurer, I had been wondering if he had already signed a contract with a Soul Beast, but I never thought he would be a summoning type. I could now understand how he could play solo, even as an archer. With a tank for a summon, there was no need to make a point of forming a team.
"Gaaaaaa!" The summoned bear quickly ran in on all fours, then roared and reared up on its haunches next to me. Then it began to skillfully mark one of the warriors.
I'll have to resort to Plan B, then.
I chose my actions based entirely on logic. This changed nothing. It was because we were hiding our full strength that Mr. Bear had brought out his Soul Beast.
"Chhhhhh!"
For that reason, I allowed the Orc to swing its hammer at me. And since it'd be obvious if I pretended to be in pain, I just drove my head into it like I was making a header in a soccer game.
Bam!
In addition to wearing a helmet, I also had meaty Bone Strength stats, so the blow didn't crush my skull. It just shook my brain a little and made me a bit dizzy. But even that was healing thanks to my natural regeneration stats.
Slump.
However, I collapsed to the ground on a suspicion that if I took down the Orc trio too easily, I wouldn't be able to investigate the mafioso's true intentions.
"A-Are you all—!" Carlson ran up to me in surprise and ended up on the receiving end of the aggro.
[You have killed an Ice Orc Warrior. EXP +3.]
Right at that moment, an arrow pierced the Hammer Orc's head. As a result, the Sorcerer Orc's aggro shifted to Mr. Bear, but a rank-five adventurer was a seasoned one.
Dash.
Moving nimbly despite his height of around 6'3" to avoid the incantations, Mr. Bear loaded the crossbow and shot it perfectly.
[The Ice Orc Sorcerer has cast Frozen Iron Wall.]
The sorcerer's defenses were meaningless in the face of that powerful arrow. How could a rank-seven monster stop that?
Kaboom!
The arrow shattered the ice wall, then drilled through the sorcerer's head before exploding.
[You have killed an Ice Orc Sorcerer. EXP +3.]
There was only one Orc left now.
At this rate, he's going to take down all three with that bow.
Disappointment crept in. If the battle was too easy, it'd overshadow my plan to make it difficult and turn this into a one-sided performance.
Is this the power of a rank-five archer? Welp, the ground is getting cold. Should I pretend I just woke up?
Just as I was thinking that, I heard someone nearby mutter something. "So that's what a Soul Beast is." Their voice was cold. "I can proceed according to plan, then."
Mr. Bear, who had been loading up the next arrow, suddenly collapsed and vomited up blood.
Slump.
The mafioso had finally begun to make a move.
***
To be identified as a mafioso, several prerequisites had to be met: enough knowledge to know how to open a rift, excellent navigation to be able to return from the second floor in nineteen hours, and the ability to clear the rift alone. These factors could somewhat help reveal who it was. A scout with combat power equivalent to that of a rank-five adventurer was the mafioso's true identity. The problem was, though, that all three temporary team members had this potential.
1. Mr. Bear. Rank five, a mindset somewhat similar to that of a player, et cetera. There was no point in going into detail.
2. Carlson. He was the only one who had revealed his name during our introductions. He didn't even mention the essence he possessed. Also, his equipment was suited for the lower floors and well-maintained, almost like it was new. I had kept my eyes on him in case it could be a disguise, and he also made an excuse for not absorbing the essence of the Frost Wolf. That was more than suspicious—but not more than this girl was.
3. Jencia. She said she had been trained as a scout and was adept in it, and even added that observation was her specialty. To me, this information was all just a smokescreen, a disguise to make the lines that followed sound natural.
When we ran into the Yeti blocking the entrance to the cave: "D-Do we have to defeat that and head down?"
While we were in the second stage: "Oh! I touched it and it started glowing."
When the mini boss had cast Suppression: "It looks like they're not able to properly move...!"
Even before the last wave, when everyone had lowered their guards: "By the way... is it all over now?"
She continuously pointed out key points while pretending otherwise, as if she had a clear strategy. Of course, all of this would have been nothing compared to Mr. Bear or Carlson if it weren't for the dirt on her shoes.
The first thing I had checked upon entering the rift was everyone's shoes. To open Glacier Cave, you needed to go to the Den of Beasts on the second floor first. Jencia's shoes were the only ones that had dirt on them.
Well, she could have just not wiped them before coming in from the city, but...
"Now that I think about it, there was something strrrange. Jencia's scent changed after she fell into the water."
Missha's report convinced me. Although not as good as Rotmiller's, her Smell stat was on the higher side as a beastwoman.
"It was stinkier before."
"Like the Den of Beasts?"
"Ohhh! Now that you mention it, yeah. No wonderrr it smelled familiar!"
Jencia was the mafioso, and a bad actor that I had determined had plenty of room to become a malicious one. Thanks to that, I had been able to prepare for this in advance.
Stab!
The moment Jencia's sword dug into Mr. Bear's abdomen, Missha, who had been waiting, threw a vial right on cue.
Shatter!
The glass broke and its contents spilled out.
"Thanks, that should be about thirty million stones—Kyaaah!" While indulgently muttering something to herself, she got doused in a liquid and backed away in shock. "W-What the hell! What did you throw at me—"
I quickly got up. I guess the timing of her surprise attack had in part been brought on by my fainting act.
"Wha—what...?" Jencia looked even more baffled.
Instead of answering, I let out a shout. "Behelaaah!"
What do you think? From now on, this is all self-defense.