Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Lessons in Survival
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Kuek! Ku-uu! Kuguk!
As Hwan-in mentally organized the details of the contract he would form with Isilite and climbed back to her room, he set down a basket of vegetables and fruits for the waiting Emergency Ration. No sooner had he done so than he faced an furious assault from the enraged bird.
"Calm down. What's gotten into you?"
Hwan-in blocked the beak pecks and wing slaps with his hands as he asked, but Emergency Ration showed no signs of relenting.
Kuguk! Kuek!
It smelled so good, but I held back like you told me! And earlier you gave me just a little bit—what's this now!
"Emergency Ration. Calm yourself."
Hwan-in grabbed the excited bird with both hands, hugging it close and stroking its back to soothe it. Only then did Emergency Ration finally rein in its anger, huffing indignantly.
Isilite, who had been watching from the corner of the room, spoke up.
=...Soul Shaman.=
"Don't call me that in the village."
Startled by the chilly tone, Isilite paused in thought before opening her mouth again.
=Master. Kue in their growth phase need lots of meat especially. If you only give them scraps of grass and fruit, they can't gather enough energy and either fail to grow or end up stunted.=
"... ."
=That's what it instinctively knows, and why it's angry. Feed it as much meat as it wants, and it'll grow up strong and healthy.=
Hwan-in was a bit shocked.
So it wasn't gorging itself uncontrollably out of gluttony and waddling around like a bloated chicken.
"You seem to know a lot about raising kue."
=Not quite expert level, but... when I was with the mercenary band, I helped raise and breed them sometimes.=
Hwan-in gazed at the dejected Isilite for a moment before setting Emergency Ration down and pointing at the bird, which was glaring at her discontentedly.
"I'll get you some meat, so stay put and behave."
Kuet!
At the word "meat," Emergency Ration spread its wings wide in delight and plunged its head into the basket of vegetables and fruits Hwan-in had brought first, munching away noisily.
"Isilite. You go downstairs and get some food too."
=Yes... .=
"You got money?"
=... .=
Hwan-in flicked a silver coin to the silent Isilite.
"Our final destination on this trip is the small city of Wayford. That's where we'll do a one-sided subordination spirit contract with the administrator. Until then, buy whatever you need for the journey."
In this world, one heat-treated iron coin—1,000 won—bought a hearty meal. The lavish dinner with Ssa earlier had run about 7 gold coins (70,000 won).
Packing his leather bag in Yulkam had cost him 7 silver and 10 iron (700,000 won).
He figured one silver coin would cover a meal and travel supplies, but seeing Isilite's expression—like 'This much money?'—he wondered if he'd overdone it.
'I can gauge her spending habits this way.'
Hwan-in sent off Isilite, whose face mixed relief and anxiety, then headed downstairs. He paid 2 gold coins for a spit-roasted suckling pig and carried it back to the room.
Kue~!
"...Tasty?"
Kuet!
As Hwan-in used his multi-tool knife to slice off bite-sized pieces, Emergency Ration wagged its tail feathers happily and snapped them up eagerly.
And Hwan-in was fairly astonished by Emergency Ration's appetite.
He'd ordered nearly three portions' worth, figuring he'd eat whatever was left... but
Kuek.
Not only did it devour all the meat, it polished off every last bit in the vegetable and fruit basket too.
"... ."
To wolf down more meat than its own body weight—did that little body have a bottomless gut?
Hwan-in mentally tallied the food costs.
His own portions had increased dramatically too. Emergency Ration ate like a beast. Together, they were nearly five people's worth. And now one more mouth...
'Can't use Federation gold coins, so actual spendable cash is 1 gold coin.'
He might need to look for work right away upon reaching Wayford.
As Hwan-in calculated his funds and future meals, he spotted Emergency Ration snatching the largest bone from the plate piled with them.
Kuet. Ku-uu.
Wondering what it was up to, he watched as it started gnawing the bone like a dog. Hwan-in gave up thinking about it.
'Smart bird. It'll handle itself.'
Emergency Ration could even distinguish what it could and couldn't eat on its own. It wouldn't stuff itself to bursting like a goldfish.
With that comforting thought, Hwan-in returned the plates to the inn's kitchen downstairs. Back in the room, he shed his hooded coat, leather jacket, and long boots.
A large wooden tub and brass basin had been left outside the door—probably by the inn maid—so he hauled them in, soaked a towel, and wiped down his face and body.
No shower was a shame, but the soap washed away the grime well enough to satisfy him.
Now comfortably dressed down, Hwan-in began drafting the subordination contract terms on the leather paper Ssa had given him.
'Top priority: No hostile actions against me whatsoever.'
Since contracts were conceptual bindings, a "no hostility" clause would bar most betrayal-related acts.
'Details: Minor restrictions on attacks, ban on malicious acts causing injury.'
To cover accidents or mistakes, add specifics.
'Execute all orders regardless of success or failure. Details: Perform commands to the best of ability...'
Thus, multiple clauses banning betrayal and assassination, authority grants (without violating betrayal/assassination bans), obedience controls, and more.
By the time he'd finished 7 main clauses and 21 sub-clauses, Isilite returned—backpack bigger than herself slung on.
At least twice, maybe three times the size of his own bag? Hwan-in was mildly dumbfounded.
What on earth had she bought to fill that with just one silver coin?
=Here... the change.=
"... ."
And she'd brought back 5 silver and 10 iron as change.
On Earth, 500,000 won barely bought a decent bag. Yet she'd gotten the bag and stuffed it full?
Curious, he opened it: 80% low-grade dried meat, the rest brass utensils, three animal-skin waterskins, a cloak and spare clothes for camping, sharpening stone, whetstone, etc.
Not some greenhorn traveler, so no complaints about the contents.
"Keep the change for whatever you need later."
=Yes... .=
Isilite pocketed the coins hesitantly, glanced at Hwan-in, and moved to leave the room.
It was late. This was a single room, and she had no money for a fancy inn—planning to crash in a nearby alley.
But Hwan-in's voice caught her ankle.
"Where do you think you're going?"
=...Well.=
Hwan-in heard her out, went downstairs and back up.
"Paid extra. Sleep there."
=... .=
As he gestured to the rug, grim imaginings flitted through Isilite's mind.
As a child, she was too young and scrawny for men's attention.
When she came of age and awakened as a dark warrior, her strength kept her from being a sexual target, even if the mercenaries exploited her labor.
Lucky for an orphaned girl—but now it ended here, she thought, resigning swiftly.
She'd caught Hwan-in's gaze sweeping her lower belly several times.
An intense stare impossible to ignore. Sharing a room? Crystal clear why.
Once the slave-like contract was signed, her body wouldn't be hers anyway. Better to throw it away first than get mauled whining.
Isilite shed her breastplate and padded armor underneath.
Off came the shiny leather pants and boots too—down to underwear in seconds: thin side-slit shorts and chest wrapped in bandages, utterly devoid of allure. She stood before Hwan-in.
"...?"
=You're taking ownership of this body anyway. Do as you like.=
Long years as mercenary and bandit had seasoned her knowledge; she said it flatly. But Hwan-in's response set her face ablaze.
"Didn't I say I wasn't interested?"
=I-I admit I'm big for a woman! But this is still pretty good, right?!=
Feeling insulted as a woman, the flushed Isilite unwrapped her chest bindings dramatically, thrusting out her breasts.
Bouncing heavily, they were the kind utterly rare in Korea—stealing the eye.
Not "pretty good" by any stretch.
Sure, broad shoulders and muscled limbs for a woman as she admitted, but her height made it a toned, athletic female form—not masculine.
G-cup territory needing compression bandages, with nipples, areolae, and shape all top 5%.
"... ."
Hwan-in, eyeing the pale cappuccino areolae and nipples like his hair color, leaned on the table and rubbed his face with one hand.
To Isilite, he looked deeply troubled—sparking wild thoughts.
=Master... are you maybe gay?=
"I'm perfectly straight."
If normal, why refuse her? As she puzzled to ask again—
Rap rap rap rap rap! The door flew open after frantic knocks, Ssa bursting in.
=Hwan-in! Big trouble—...?!=
=Get out, you bastard!!=
=Gyaak!=
Ssa yelped in multiple senses, dodging flying brass bowls and whetstones as he fled and slammed the door.
And as a fellow man, respect bloomed for Hwan-in's prowess.
To tame that lioness—fierce and brash—in half a day?
It took him two years to make Brillit her girlfriend. Persistent courtship leveraging tribal kinship.
Yet Hwan-in, no such advantage, from half-hostile...
Amid endless inner admiration, Ssa realized this wasn't the time and cracked the door to shout through.
=Hwan-in! Disaster! Monster wave incoming outside. We must leave the village now!=
Suddenly, the door yanked open; a pale hand seized his collar.
Ssa, grabbed by the now-padded-armored Isilite, gawked wide-eyed.
=Get in!=
=Whoa!=
Yanked hard with feeling, Ssa tumbled onto the rug, rubbing his sore head in protest.
=Isn't that a bit rough?!=
=Be grateful your head's still attached after glimpsing an unmarried woman's skin!=
Stung by the fiercer wrath, silenced Ssa shot Isilite a resentful glare.
He hadn't even seen her front—just her back! Well, a side-boob glimpse from the flank.
...Were they that big? Twice Brillit's size, easy.
"A monster wave, you say?"
Ssa snapped from stray thoughts at Hwan-in's voice, jumping up with a grave nod.
=Yes. My mistake. The beasts we met after leaving Yulkam weren't monsters—they were heteromorphs. Not ones chased out by overflow from the labyrinth, but ones that came out of the labyrinth itself!=
=Hah. No wonder there were so many around. How incompetent are those central region idiots? Didn't notice till the labyrinth burst. Brain-dead?=
Ssa groaned wordlessly at iron-breastplated Isilite's sarcasm.
=Urgh. Not incompetence—this area's villages and cities are sparse by nature. With rank-6 and 7 forest and lake labyrinths everywhere, even having settlements is a feat, no?=
"So the overflowing labyrinths are fixed ones."
=Yes. Open-terrain labyrinths blend with nature and... no no! Not now! We gotta go! They're prepping downstairs—Hwan-in, hurry down!=
"Got it. Coming right away."
Hwan-in donned his leather gear, grabbed Black Club and stone axe, reached for his bag—Isilite already had it slung.
He nodded at the sight, scooping up the stuffed, waddling Emergency Ration that couldn't fly.
Outside the inn was chaos—people fleeing the village. Travelers staying short-term caused the jam.
Villagers dashed home anxiously.
=Hwan-in! Over here!=
Hearing Ssa amid shouts, they pushed through.
=Hop on quick!=
The empty cart was ready; Brillit and Dinte held the kue reins.
As Hwan-in took the passenger seat, Isilite tossed the bag in back and grabbed a porter's offered rein.
=Let's roll!=
The inn on the main road hit the avenue fast; the cart joined others heading north gate.
Escorts mounted kue stuck tight, picking up speed.
Boom... grumble...
...Waaaaah...!!
Explosions and battle cries echoed faintly from the south.
Hwan-in glanced: flares shot up over the stone walls.
=Damn! Already here?!=
Others sensed crisis too—carts ahead and beside accelerated. Ssa whipped reins harder.
Soon, the cart passed the wide-open gate out the north.
Kwaaang!
A heavy thud; iron-reinforced lattice gate crashed down, sealing it. Thick killing intent from flanks.
=...Shit! Run, you lot! Run if you don't wanna die!!=
Ssa bellowed desperately, lashing reins.
Kuu~!
Kuet!
Amid uproar, strange beast cries—krueng, kyeng—rang out.
Growing nearer. Faint ground-shaking thud thud thud. Glancing back: torches swarmed the walls encircling the village.
Hwan-in realized they'd been bait to draw eyes.
'No wonder the north gate stayed open.'
Monster wave? Seal gates, fortify defense. Especially with south fighting.
Yet north gaped—like 'escape quick.'
"... ."
Hwan-in felt no resentment or rage.
Obvious ploy for any thinking person. He'd have done the same to thin attackers.
Problem: they were the rearmost escape group.
Yip yip yip yip!!
Dozens of gleaming beads bobbed in darkness behind.
This way, they'd sacrifice while carts ahead fled farther. Hwan-in unleashed Spirit Possession on the two pulling kue.
Kue~t!
Ku-uuut!
=Whoa!?=
Kue sped up; Ssa grinned, whipping wildly. Front carts neared.
Shakier ride at higher speed, but Hwan-in braced one hand on seatback, calmly turning to aim staff at empty rear.
=Hey hey! Head, watch your head!=
=Luda! Head down! Make way!=
Aimers flinched aside left and right.
Soul Vision pierced dark: foam-mouthed black beasts charging. Hwan-in hurled soul orbs one by one.
And.
'Bang.'
Pfbt pfbt boom! Kwaang!!
Six orbs delayed-detonated per intent, engulfing the pack.
=Woooah~!=
=Hahaha!!=
=Soul Shaman's the best!=
Lead beasts tumbled in blasts, tripping followers; porters and escorts cheered.
=Quit cheering—shoot those bows!=
=Yes sir!!=
=Eat this, you bastards!!=
Arrows flew at flanking beasts dodging the tangle.
=Keep shooting! Don't stop!!=
Porters and escorts loosed volley after volley; Hwan-in mixed in soul arrows. Soon, pursuers gave up, turning back.
=Monsters ain't following anymore!=
=They're heading back to the village!=
Those beasts would rejoin the village assault, but Hwan-in didn't care.
'Mutual exploitation anyway.'
No reason to fret.