Chapter 250: Gnometree (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 250: Gnometree (4)
At first, I thought it might be the GM again, but if it was, he wouldn't be using a face he'd already used before to approach me again. Also, the vibe being given off by the knights and the man himself was completely different. Simply put, this guy was the real Hans I, not the GM pretending to be him. And so, I had just one option.
"I must apologize—"
Holding my breath, I gritted my teeth and pretended I didn't hear him.
Dash.
"W-Why are you running away?!"
"Ooh! I just felt like running!"
"Th-that's...!" When I took off in an oblivious sprint, (True) Hans I was extremely startled, but that wasn't going to stop my feet from moving.
"Behel-aaah!" Our distance widened instantly and he didn't follow me, either. Thankfully, it seemed he didn't have that much tenacity.
Did I lose him?
Quickly arriving in front of our inn, I tried to calm my pounding heart. I'd only heard his voice—I didn't even see his face. Thanks to that, no eye contact was made, and since I held my breath, the possibility of airborne contamination was low.
...This should be enough. Yes, I should be fine.
"Welcome back." As I was taking a breather in front of the door, a servant greeted me. I followed him inside.
"Nyaha, Bjorn is herrre!" A very red-faced Missha greeted me. She was in High Energy (Alcohol) Mode.
Erwen, who was sitting gracefully next to her, was in a similar boat. "Mister... hehe, hehehe!" She called out to me in an eerie tone and promptly burst into a creepy laugh.
What's going on here?
Our surroundings were full of empty bottles and the smell of alcohol was wafting through the living room.
It hasn't even been an hour since I left...?
Just what had happened here in the meantime? Putting on a detective's hat and scanning the room, it was then that I noticed that Ainar was nowhere to be found.
"Where's Ainar?"
"The lady warrior got drunk and fell asleep a long time ago." The person who answered my question was one of the building's servants. When I asked for her location, I was directed not to a room but a yard in the middle of the building.
Honkkk!
Ha, honestly.
I tossed Ainar into her bed and headed back down. Missha was drinking from the bottle, seemingly overjoyed about something. "Mm...!"
Sensing some sort of danger, I cautiously approached Missha. "Did something happen while I was gone?" There were occasions when she took small sips of alcohol and got drunk, but I'd never seen her knock back entire bottles like this.
"Happen? Nyaha, nothing happened!"
"Then why are you drinking like that?"
"I was just in a good mood!"
"I-I see?"
Drinking because she was in a good mood? I guessed I was worried for nothing. After a refreshing dip in the hot spring and with free drinks on tap, there was no real reason not to drink.
"Yeah, at firrrst." Missha wiped the alcohol from her lips with her sleeve, all traces of laughter disappearing from her face.
I subconsciously turned my head to avoid her gaze. Naturally, Erwen's disheveled form on the sofa caught my eye. She was staring out into space and for some reason kept giggling to herself. "Hehehe..." Was she a giggly drunk or something?
Missha suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Hey, Bjorn."
"Yeah, speak."
"Your rrrejection that day."
Uh... you're going to bring that up now?
It was an uncomfortable topic, but the mood wasn't right for me to avoid it. As soon as I shut my mouth and waited, Missha bit her lip and asked, "Is it because I can't give birrrth to a barbarian?"
Huh? What? Did Ainar say something weird?
My brain malfunctioned for a moment, but a barbarian's body was good in a crisis. "Of course not." My mouth opened without an inkling of hesitation. It wasn't exactly a lie. The reason why I had rejected Missha that day wasn't because I didn't feel any attraction to her or because she was a beastwoman. There was a reason that was mine and mine alone.
"I see..." As if to discern whether I was lying, Missha stared straight into my eyes before opening a new bottle and pouring it down her throat. "Then it must be..." She looked into my eyes again and then avoided them, her lips opening and closing before she finally, quietly continued. "You... one day, disappear... disappearrr..." Missha trailed off before her head finally dropped. "Nyahang..."
No wonder she seemed far past her usual drinking limit. I let out the breath I had been holding and picked her up. Then I took her to her room and laid her on the bed.
When I returned to the living room, Erwen was looking at me with the corners of her lips quirked up. "Finally, everyone... is asleep..."
What was this kid saying? "Go to sleep if you're drunk."
Neck slice.
"Kehk—"
I knocked her out and tossed her next to Missha.
***
It was slowly approaching midnight. I wondered if I should clean up the bottles rolling around but decided to just leave them alone. This wasn't even our home. I was sure they'd take care of it once I left the room.
"Whew..."
I slumped down on the sofa, which was a bit small for me. My thoughts were all jumbled because of the last thing Missha had said.
"You... one day, disappear... disappearrr..."
It was obvious what she was trying to say in the end. Because you're going to disappear someday... She was probably going to ask if that was why I rejected her. Of course, I doubted she knew for sure that I was an evil spirit. No, rather, she probably considered it more likely that I wasn't. She saw me receiving a blessing in a city where evil spirits were known to be enemies of the gods. The idea that one of the said gods would help an evil spirit and bestow a holy relic on them was absurd. This was probably just a bud of anxiety that had been rooted in her mind for a while now and had come out thanks to the alcohol.
Still, what's fortunate is I don't think she'll hate me even if I am an evil spirit.
I was relieved by that fact. I was grateful and even pleased that I had not spent my time here in vain. But the greatest emotion I was feeling was shame.
What do I really expect?
When I first woke up in Bjorn Yandel's body, my greatest goal had been survival. After somehow surviving and adapting to this world, I decided to try to find a way to return to my original world. But.... Wasn't it all right to just live like this? Did I really have to go back there? To be honest, there was less to look forward to there than here.
Lately, this thought had been growing in my mind. Somehow, I was starting to understand why players called the residents of this world NPCs to differentiate them. There was a need to draw a line, to remind ourselves that this world was not the world we belonged to, that we had a place to return to.
Missha suddenly grabbed my wrist. "Hey, Bjorn."
"Yeah, speak."
"Your rrrejection that day."
Uh... you're going to bring that up now?
It was an uncomfortable topic, but the mood wasn't right for me to avoid it. As soon as I shut my mouth and waited, Missha bit her lip and asked, "Is it because I can't give birrrth to a barbarian?"
Huh? What? Did Ainar say something weird?
My brain malfunctioned for a moment, but a barbarian's body was good in a crisis. "Of course not." My mouth opened without an inkling of hesitation. It wasn't exactly a lie. The reason why I had rejected Missha that day wasn't because I didn't feel any attraction to her or because she was a beastwoman. There was a reason that was mine and mine alone.
"I see..." As if to discern whether I was lying, Missha stared straight into my eyes before opening a new bottle and pouring it down her throat. "Then it must be..." She looked into my eyes again and then avoided them, her lips opening and closing before she finally, quietly continued. "You... one day, disappear... disappearrr..." Missha trailed off before her head finally dropped. "Nyahang..."
No wonder she seemed far past her usual drinking limit. I let out the breath I had been holding and picked her up. Then I took her to her room and laid her on the bed.
When I returned to the living room, Erwen was looking at me with the corners of her lips quirked up. "Finally, everyone... is asleep..."
What was this kid saying? "Go to sleep if you're drunk."
Neck slice.
"Kehk—"
I knocked her out and tossed her next to Missha.
***
It was slowly approaching midnight. I wondered if I should clean up the bottles rolling around but decided to just leave them alone. This wasn't even our home. I was sure they'd take care of it once I left the room.
"Whew..."
I slumped down on the sofa, which was a bit small for me. My thoughts were all jumbled because of the last thing Missha had said.
"You... one day, disappear... disappearrr..."
It was obvious what she was trying to say in the end. Because you're going to disappear someday... She was probably going to ask if that was why I rejected her. Of course, I doubted she knew for sure that I was an evil spirit. No, rather, she probably considered it more likely that I wasn't. She saw me receiving a blessing in a city where evil spirits were known to be enemies of the gods. The idea that one of the said gods would help an evil spirit and bestow a holy relic on them was absurd. This was probably just a bud of anxiety that had been rooted in her mind for a while now and had come out thanks to the alcohol.
Still, what's fortunate is I don't think she'll hate me even if I am an evil spirit.
I was relieved by that fact. I was grateful and even pleased that I had not spent my time here in vain. But the greatest emotion I was feeling was shame.
What do I really expect?
When I first woke up in Bjorn Yandel's body, my greatest goal had been survival. After somehow surviving and adapting to this world, I decided to try to find a way to return to my original world. But.... Wasn't it all right to just live like this? Did I really have to go back there? To be honest, there was less to look forward to there than here.
Lately, this thought had been growing in my mind. Somehow, I was starting to understand why players called the residents of this world NPCs to differentiate them. There was a need to draw a line, to remind ourselves that this world was not the world we belonged to, that we had a place to return to.
Stop.
I forcibly stopped that speeding train of thought. Would I go back home? Or stay here? Neither decision could be made yet. Didn't I make a vow to myself after seeing those inmates on death row die for not being able to pay their taxes? I was determined to at least get to the sixth floor.
There's no use wondering about all that now anyway.
This wasn't just a matter of taxes. The Dragon Slayer, Clown, Noark, the palace—this world was full of things that could threaten my life. Like it or not, I had to become stronger. No matter what I wanted or decided to do, I needed to be alive for it to happen. So, on that note...
"Where are you going this late at night?"
"Oh, I'm going for a short walk. No need to wait for me." I let the servant know I was heading out and left the building. It was approaching a time when there would be no people around.
[02:37]
When I got outside, the cool night air filled my lungs. Perhaps it was because we were right under the mountain, but it was a little chilly.
Step, step.
As expected, the street was sparsely populated, but it wasn't completely empty. The brightly-lit gambling hall was still buzzing with noise. Well, that didn't really matter much to me because my current destination was outside of town.
It's dark.
As soon as I left the town, a darkness comparable to the labyrinth filled my field of vision. The countryside in Korea was like this too. If I moved even a little bit away from the light, nature's pitch-black embrace greeted me.
Anyway, it should be out soon.
I debated lighting a torch but decided to just walk carefully, just in case. I didn't know how long I was out there by the time the cave marked on the map the inn had given me finally appeared. This place was a tourist attraction here.
No one's guarding it.
As soon as I cautiously entered the cave, my surroundings slowly began to brighten up. That was because this place was similar to the first floor, a mysterious cave full of crystals on the walls that glowed with blue light. I moved without hesitation. There weren't any other paths—in the game, you just had to walk straight from the entrance.
Whooom!
Before long, a wide cavity appeared. At its center was a boulder that pulsed at regular intervals.
Rignaracia.
The map-slash-pamphlet from the inn said that the origin of the name was an ancient word which literally translated to "blessing of the land." Touching it brought good luck. It was probably a superstition. After all, the object that actually had a hidden feature here wasn't that boulder.
Slide.
I opened the sub-space bag and pulled out my mace. Passing by the boulder in the center of the chamber, I pressed the interact button on the wall where a mural was painted. Oh, and by that, I meant I hit it with all my might.
Banggg!
The wall collapsed as it was shattered by a macing with the power of an Ogre behind it, but I wasn't too worried about that. This cave had a self-repairing magic circle. It would fix itself after five minutes or so.
Let's go, then.
After that, I pushed myself into the passage that appeared behind the collapsed wall. Inside was a small space just like in the game.
Stop.
I forcibly stopped that speeding train of thought. Would I go back home? Or stay here? Neither decision could be made yet. Didn't I make a vow to myself after seeing those inmates on death row die for not being able to pay their taxes? I was determined to at least get to the sixth floor.
There's no use wondering about all that now anyway.
This wasn't just a matter of taxes. The Dragon Slayer, Clown, Noark, the palace—this world was full of things that could threaten my life. Like it or not, I had to become stronger. No matter what I wanted or decided to do, I needed to be alive for it to happen. So, on that note...
"Where are you going this late at night?"
"Oh, I'm going for a short walk. No need to wait for me." I let the servant know I was heading out and left the building. It was approaching a time when there would be no people around.
[02:37]
When I got outside, the cool night air filled my lungs. Perhaps it was because we were right under the mountain, but it was a little chilly.
Step, step.
As expected, the street was sparsely populated, but it wasn't completely empty. The brightly-lit gambling hall was still buzzing with noise. Well, that didn't really matter much to me because my current destination was outside of town.
It's dark.
As soon as I left the town, a darkness comparable to the labyrinth filled my field of vision. The countryside in Korea was like this too. If I moved even a little bit away from the light, nature's pitch-black embrace greeted me.
Anyway, it should be out soon.
I debated lighting a torch but decided to just walk carefully, just in case. I didn't know how long I was out there by the time the cave marked on the map the inn had given me finally appeared. This place was a tourist attraction here.
No one's guarding it.
As soon as I cautiously entered the cave, my surroundings slowly began to brighten up. That was because this place was similar to the first floor, a mysterious cave full of crystals on the walls that glowed with blue light. I moved without hesitation. There weren't any other paths—in the game, you just had to walk straight from the entrance.
Whooom!
Before long, a wide cavity appeared. At its center was a boulder that pulsed at regular intervals.
Rignaracia.
The map-slash-pamphlet from the inn said that the origin of the name was an ancient word which literally translated to "blessing of the land." Touching it brought good luck. It was probably a superstition. After all, the object that actually had a hidden feature here wasn't that boulder.
Slide.
I opened the sub-space bag and pulled out my mace. Passing by the boulder in the center of the chamber, I pressed the interact button on the wall where a mural was painted. Oh, and by that, I meant I hit it with all my might.
Banggg!
The wall collapsed as it was shattered by a macing with the power of an Ogre behind it, but I wasn't too worried about that. This cave had a self-repairing magic circle. It would fix itself after five minutes or so.
Let's go, then.
After that, I pushed myself into the passage that appeared behind the collapsed wall. Inside was a small space just like in the game.
Seeing as it's hidden like this, the one outside is probably fake and the one here is real.
I placed my hand on the boulder in the center. Unlike the one outside, it was an ordinary rock that didn't vibrate at regular intervals or give off a mysterious vibe. But as time passed, another feeling came.
[The energy of the Earth Dragon dwells within you. (1/3)]
A feeling of satisfaction flowed into my body through my fingertips.
[Your Soul Power has increased by +10. Your Earth Resistance has increased by +20.]
It was a rather sweet hidden feature. Although it came with the condition that you had to become a noble and be able to come and go within Gnometree, it gave you almost thirty stats for free.
Most people who played the original version even a little bit should know about this, because they would have hit the interact key everywhere they went.
This was my guess, but I suspected quite a few players knew about this hidden element. I was sure they didn't know about this particular part of it, though.
[The blessing bestowed on your soul has resonated. Additional stats have increased 30%.]
Upon receiving the Earth Dragon's blessing, the stat buff was upgraded from 20 percent to 30 percent.
I didn't think that I would be the first to unlock it, though.
It was definitely a far cry from a normal playthrough. Becoming a noble at only level five? If this were the game, I would've thought this was a bug.
Anyway, I should head back soon.
Now that I'd gotten everything, I turned to the exit, at which point I froze.
Swoosh.
In front of the hole in the wall, which had begun to repair itself as if in defiance of time, stood a man.
"Wow, so you really were a player?" It was Baekho Lee.
All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind. Why was Baekho here? I hadn't seen a hint of him since that day. Could it be that he'd been following me this whole time? The truth, it turned out, was far simpler than that.
"This is a strange coincidence. I came here because I thought the GM was here in disguise, but to think you'd show up."
It all went back to Hans. Baekho had run into Hans I by coincidence at Gnometree and while following him, discovered me.
From then on, he must have followed me around.
I was able to piece together a rough timeline of events. So, how should I act now? There was pretty much only one option.
"There you go again. Aren't you tired of saying that?" I didn't think it was a good idea to reveal my identity to Baekho. He was clearly a volatile guy. Even if we stayed friendly, he'd probably pull out a knife and force me to make a choice the minute shit hit the fan.
"Looks like that cat's noticed it too. Wouldn't it be better to kill her?"
Yeah, like that. I felt like I'd been cornered, but I stubbornly pretended to have no clue what he was talking about. "I see now why the chieftain calls evil spirits wicked beings."
"Wow, I admit you have a good head on your shoulders. To think you'd even try to weasel your way out of a situation like this."
I used all the acting chops I possessed to put on a questioning look. "Situation like this...?"
Baekho chuckled like I wasn't fooling him. "Yes, a situation like this. The fact that you're here is proof that you're a player, right? How else would you know this was hidden here?"
Okay, I thought you'd ask that, asshole.
I replied on cue, cleverly remixing the truth. "I am a benefactor of the dragon race. After returning the Dragon Sword to their people, I became close with the Primordial Dragon, Lapir. Even the dragon priestess, his daughter, gets along with me well." This reply neatly implied I would have heard this information from them.
As soon as Baekho heard this, he tilted his head. "...What the hell? You're telling the truth."
Of course I am. Because I didn't lie.
"Then were you the one who messed up that dragon bastard? Wow, this is epic!" Baekho exclaimed, apparently finding this somewhat interesting.
I sighed internally. Although I'd had to reveal some of my secrets to get out of this mess I was in... to be honest, it wasn't really a loss.
Yeah, the ring broke off anyway.
Now that the holy relic was no longer active, like it or not, the day would come when I ran into the Dragon Slayer again. That meant I had no reason to guard that information with my life like before.
"Yes."
Baekho studied me for a moment and then nodded. "Makes sense. Yeah, with an accomplishment like that, it makes sense they'd tell you about this. This is nothing special."
Does that mean I'm in the clear? No, of course not. It's too early to let my guard down.
I waited patiently for whatever he said next, remaining alert. After what felt like a year, Baekho grinned and asked, "But hey, why are you answering all my questions?"
My mind went blank.
"Last time when I asked if you were a player, you stubbornly refused to answer. So why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"
That damned prick.
Seeing as it's hidden like this, the one outside is probably fake and the one here is real.
I placed my hand on the boulder in the center. Unlike the one outside, it was an ordinary rock that didn't vibrate at regular intervals or give off a mysterious vibe. But as time passed, another feeling came.
[The energy of the Earth Dragon dwells within you. (1/3)]
A feeling of satisfaction flowed into my body through my fingertips.
[Your Soul Power has increased by +10. Your Earth Resistance has increased by +20.]
It was a rather sweet hidden feature. Although it came with the condition that you had to become a noble and be able to come and go within Gnometree, it gave you almost thirty stats for free.
Most people who played the original version even a little bit should know about this, because they would have hit the interact key everywhere they went.
This was my guess, but I suspected quite a few players knew about this hidden element. I was sure they didn't know about this particular part of it, though.
[The blessing bestowed on your soul has resonated. Additional stats have increased 30%.]
Upon receiving the Earth Dragon's blessing, the stat buff was upgraded from 20 percent to 30 percent.
I didn't think that I would be the first to unlock it, though.
It was definitely a far cry from a normal playthrough. Becoming a noble at only level five? If this were the game, I would've thought this was a bug.
Anyway, I should head back soon.
Now that I'd gotten everything, I turned to the exit, at which point I froze.
Swoosh.
In front of the hole in the wall, which had begun to repair itself as if in defiance of time, stood a man.
"Wow, so you really were a player?" It was Baekho Lee.
All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind. Why was Baekho here? I hadn't seen a hint of him since that day. Could it be that he'd been following me this whole time? The truth, it turned out, was far simpler than that.
"This is a strange coincidence. I came here because I thought the GM was here in disguise, but to think you'd show up."
It all went back to Hans. Baekho had run into Hans I by coincidence at Gnometree and while following him, discovered me.
From then on, he must have followed me around.
I was able to piece together a rough timeline of events. So, how should I act now? There was pretty much only one option.
"There you go again. Aren't you tired of saying that?" I didn't think it was a good idea to reveal my identity to Baekho. He was clearly a volatile guy. Even if we stayed friendly, he'd probably pull out a knife and force me to make a choice the minute shit hit the fan.
"Looks like that cat's noticed it too. Wouldn't it be better to kill her?"
Yeah, like that. I felt like I'd been cornered, but I stubbornly pretended to have no clue what he was talking about. "I see now why the chieftain calls evil spirits wicked beings."
"Wow, I admit you have a good head on your shoulders. To think you'd even try to weasel your way out of a situation like this."
I used all the acting chops I possessed to put on a questioning look. "Situation like this...?"
Baekho chuckled like I wasn't fooling him. "Yes, a situation like this. The fact that you're here is proof that you're a player, right? How else would you know this was hidden here?"
Okay, I thought you'd ask that, asshole.
I replied on cue, cleverly remixing the truth. "I am a benefactor of the dragon race. After returning the Dragon Sword to their people, I became close with the Primordial Dragon, Lapir. Even the dragon priestess, his daughter, gets along with me well." This reply neatly implied I would have heard this information from them.
As soon as Baekho heard this, he tilted his head. "...What the hell? You're telling the truth."
Of course I am. Because I didn't lie.
"Then were you the one who messed up that dragon bastard? Wow, this is epic!" Baekho exclaimed, apparently finding this somewhat interesting.
I sighed internally. Although I'd had to reveal some of my secrets to get out of this mess I was in... to be honest, it wasn't really a loss.
Yeah, the ring broke off anyway.
Now that the holy relic was no longer active, like it or not, the day would come when I ran into the Dragon Slayer again. That meant I had no reason to guard that information with my life like before.
"Yes."
Baekho studied me for a moment and then nodded. "Makes sense. Yeah, with an accomplishment like that, it makes sense they'd tell you about this. This is nothing special."
Does that mean I'm in the clear? No, of course not. It's too early to let my guard down.
I waited patiently for whatever he said next, remaining alert. After what felt like a year, Baekho grinned and asked, "But hey, why are you answering all my questions?"
My mind went blank.
"Last time when I asked if you were a player, you stubbornly refused to answer. So why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"
That damned prick.