Chapter 186
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 186
Chapter Title: The Shadow Merchant's End
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Jerry buried her head toward the ground to avoid meeting Karuna's eyes as she spoke.
"What the hell are you doing to me... why..."
Grind...
Jo Kyung-taek ground his teeth at Jerry's brazen attitude.
"You dragged a transferrer into this and hunted him down—how can you be so shameless?"
"Ah... it's about that dead transferrer? Your comrades were there too, weren't they? They weren't even that strong... I'll compensate you! Compensation should settle it, right?"
"Compensate... compensation!"
Jo Kyung-taek flew into a rage at her response and lunged to harm her. But his comrades grabbed his arms and held him back, preventing him from following through.
Jerry had no clue what was wrong with what she'd just said.
Her face said it all: 'Why are you getting so mad when I'm offering to compensate?'
Kang Seol looked down at her and asked.
"Lian Kurous. Why did you turn him into a shadow?"
"Lian? Oh, that pain in the ass... Is it because of a shadow that wouldn't even sell? Just take him! He's free!"
"No, I'm asking what happened. Why did you turn Lian into a shadow?"
Jerry racked her brain desperately to stay alive.
But the words she carefully chose only made Kang Seol's heart heavier.
"W-wandering adventurers cost less to keep around... No one comes looking for them..."
"This man had a home to return to."
"He did? I didn't know. That's a shame. Huh? How much? I'll compensate you."
As the merchant kept flapping her tongue, Kang Seol asked.
"How much do you think he's worth?"
She couldn't answer the question rashly—it carried a dangerous edge.
Kang Seol didn't wait for her reply and made another demand.
"Tell me everything you know about the Eternal Life Cult."
"Eternal... Life Cult?"
"Yes."
"Will you let me live if I talk?"
Kang Seol replied with a blank expression.
"No. I won't revive you."
"......"
Her death was sealed.
Kang Seol was already treating her like a corpse. After all, her life was as fragile as a fly's—one swat and it was gone.
Jerry didn't want to die.
But her wits couldn't conjure a way out of this hellish moment.
She had to buy time.
"W-what do you know about the Eternal Life Cult?"
"A cult gathered around its leader."
"Not wrong... Should I start from the beginning?"
Jerry thought that worked in her favor.
The more she talked, the more time she had to spot an opening. And maybe Seris Gatip would pull something off in the meantime.
The latter was a long shot, but in this situation, she was Jerry's only lifeline.
"The Eternal Life Cult traces back to the birth of a demon later called the Immortal. He became their leader and amassed a huge following."
"And?"
"Some were irredeemable scum, but even they bowed to the Immortal. As for the Eternal Life Cult rampaging across Pandea, that's mostly exaggerated rumor. Sure, they did bad things, but all under the radar..."
"Hey, you're dodging and weaving on purpose. What I want to know is what happened to the Eternal Life Cult after the Immortal left."
"After the Immortal left... You mean the recent stuff. Got it. After the Immortal departed to become a god, the cult splintered into four branches."
"Splintered into branches?"
Originally, the Eternal Life Cult had been one massive organism.
That unified power alone had turned the name into a symbol of terror.
Jerry glanced at him warily before answering.
"I-I'm not totally sure, but... With the Immortal gone, they lost unity. No central figure to hold the believers together."
"Right. And which branch are you tied to?"
"I've done business with Lady Bria, master of the Shadow Branch. I gathered shadows for her, and she rewarded me handsomely."
"Hm... Bria... But I hear this isn't how the Eternal Life Cult operates."
Jerry flinched and bowed her head.
"...The Eternal Life Cult's been focused on building power for quite a while now."
"Why?"
She looked up at Kang Seol.
And dropped a bombshell.
"Because... his resurrection... is imminent."
"...What?"
"The Immortal... ughhh..."
Jerry suddenly trailed off, drool spilling from her mouth. Blood vessels spiderwebbed around her eyes.
And then.
Splat!
Blood and chunks of flesh splattered across the group.
"Kyaaahhh!"
"......"
Jerry's head burst open like a watermelon.
[You have defeated Merchant Jerry.]
[Jerry's valuables have been generated.]
[Adventure goal fulfilled.]
[The adventure can be concluded once the time limit expires or a reward is selected.]
Urga spoke as if troubled.
- So that ominous feeling I had earlier was because of this? Not a bad curse, all things considered.
'Should I revive her?'
- You've heard everything worth hearing, haven't you? And like I said before, your shadow space has zero room right now. Better not even think about new summons for a while.
A person's head exploding like a bomb right in front of you wasn't something you saw every day, so Kang Seol couldn't play it entirely cool.
'Resurrection, huh... So the Immortal's coming back?'
- Immortal? You know the guy?
'Yeah.'
He couldn't say he didn't.
The Immortal had been Kang Seol himself, after all.
"Anyway... for now..."
Shhrrk...
Suddenly, a shadow leaked from Jerry's corpse.
It was the shadow of a different woman.
"What are you? What did you do to my cute little minion?"
"...And who the hell are you?"
- Ho... That's no ordinary curse. No wonder...
The shadow woman twisted her face in fury.
"I see... You're the one who killed my kitten."
"You Bria?"
"...I'll track you down and turn you into a shadow."
Kang Seol bared his teeth in a grin.
When it came to matters of the tongue, he occasionally let a hint of madness slip.
"I'll find you first."
"Hmph..."
Splat!
Kang Seol shook the blood from his hand, dismissing her appearance like it was nothing.
[Your influence on faction: Eternal Life Cult has increased.]
[Your relationship with Eternal Life Cult has turned hostile.]
[You may now clash with Eternal Life Cult.]
[Eternal Life Cult has taken a deep interest in your movements.]
- Feels like we'll be bumping heads a lot...
Kang Seol didn't bother replying to Urga. What would happen had happened.
More importantly, crucial business remained.
Nearly all the shadows had met their end at Karen's hands—practically annihilated.
But one shadow still lingered.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
Lian, still mumbling incoherently—his shadow.
Kang Seol approached Lian, who hadn't emerged from the iron cage.
Lian's limbs were mangled beyond recognition, and shadows endlessly dissipated from his body into the air.
Even with his master Jerry dead, the breakdown accelerated.
Crack...
Lian's right foot crumbled away.
Thud...
He lost his balance and collapsed.
- This guy's... one step from total decomposition.
'...Can that happen?'
- Not impossible if even a shred of ego fiercely rejects becoming a shadow. The signs of breakdown probably started long ago.
'Any way to stop it?'
- None.
'I see.'
Kang Seol met Lian's eyes.
"Ugh... ughhh..."
Kang Seol felt like he understood.
"You... want to go home?"
Lian, with barely any ego left, nodded desperately.
Kang Seol bit his lip and said.
"Let's go home."
Heh-heh...
Lian finally smiled wide.
And then.
Shhh...
The shadow scattered away.
Kang Seol reached for the spot where he'd vanished.
But all he could grasp was lingering regret and pity.
[The inheritance of 'Lian Kurous' has begun.]
Lian's memories flooded into Kang Seol.
This was Lian's memory.
"Lian, what's got you grinning like that?"
"This adventure's my last one. I'm really quitting for good."
"I've seen a lot of folks in this line of work, but no one's as gifted as you... and yet you always talk about quitting."
"Everyone's cut out for certain things. I'm not the type for good deeds. My vessel's too small, and I bungle the job anyway."
"You're getting better, aren't you? Isn't that enough?"
Lian grinned and replied.
"On one hand, maybe I'm just getting numb to it. Sorry, but this job and I really don't mix."
"Hmph... Can't be helped. But you've always talked about quitting without saying what comes next."
"Wanna hear?"
"Can't stand not knowing. Spill it."
At his fellow adventurer's urging, Lian shared his plans.
"I'm gonna buy a field near home with all the money I've saved."
"Huh? That's it?"
"Yeah. Before this gig, I couldn't even dream of it."
"Hmm..."
"I used to tenant-farm from the landlord... One day, my kid came home after scrapping with the landlord's son."
"Oh no... And then?"
"I scolded the boy. Didn't even ask why. Turns out the landlord's kid had been mocking mine as the spawn of poor trash."
"......"
"Couldn't say a word. It was true."
Tears welled in Lian's eyes.
"Because we were poor."
"Lian..."
"Poverty's scarier than any plague."
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't just hurt you—it drags everyone around you down. Poverty... spreads like that."
"So that's why you became an adventurer."
"Yep. Made a killing, too. Haha!"
Gazing toward his distant hometown, Lian said.
"Gonna tend my own field. Not someone else's—mine."
"Hahaha... Interesting."
"Pumpkins? Or maybe grapes..."
"Whatever you like. But you know something?"
"What?"
"The guy who's always moping lights up like a lantern talking about his family."
"......"
"More than shaking off poverty, you miss your family."
"Maybe."
"Go home. You can be a proud father now."
Not long after that conversation, Lian was ambushed by mysterious assailants. He collapsed, blood streaming from his head.
"G-go... home..."
His vision blurred.
Regrets swirled.
"Gotta... get home..."
With the memory's end came relief from the headache. Kang Seol ground his teeth.
Lian's raw emotions stabbed straight into his heart.
"Urp..."
Nausea hit.
"H-hyung? You okay?"
"Hah... hah..."
Hyo-min from Jo Kyung-taek's group gaped at Kang Seol's face.
"Look at that cold sweat! Something..."
"I'm fine... really."
[You have inherited the 'Will' of 'Lian Kurous.']
[Inheriting the ability of the deceased.]
[Innate Talent: Traveler's Compass inherited.]
[Traveler's Compass can now be used in adventures.]
[Destiny: Things to Reclaim content has changed.]
'So this power's come full circle back to me.'
Lian's innate talent, the Traveler's Compass—a game-changer among such abilities, incredibly valuable.
Its power was straightforward.
It visually displayed the direction and distance to an adventure's goal.
And right now, the adventure where Kang Seol could use this compass was...
[Using Traveler's Compass on Destiny: Things to Reclaim.]
[The compass trembles.]
Rumble rumble rumble...
A massive arrow appeared in his vision.
'Far away... southwest? No way...'
Judging by the mental map, one location sprang to mind.
'Not certain, but... gotta check it out.'
With the Traveler's Compass in hand, Kang Seol could now hunt down the traces of his scattered horses across Pandea.
He'd reach that endpoint far quicker than before.
Urga spoke up once the inheritance finished.
- Ho... Neat. I felt some mysterious power settle in you just now. Yours?
'Eh, long story...'
Unaware of the conversation with Urga, Jo Kyung-taek asked Kang Seol out of concern.
"Hyung? You good?"
"Yeah, Kyung-taek."
"Glad to hear. Anyway..."
"Kyung-taek, mind giving me a minute?"
"Huh? Oh, sure."
"Yeah. Step back from me a bit."
Having witnessed Kang Seol's power, awe among his comrades was only natural.
Jo Kyung-taek's group shuffled back, pressing against the wall. Guessing why Kang Seol had sent them away, Urga chuckled.
- Heh heh... To think you'd gather this much shadow essence so quickly. Lady Luck must favor you.
Coco's revival still loomed.
'How do I wake Coco?'
- Simple. Picture your crow's creation in your mind. But grip the origin tight.
Kang Seol pulled Coco's origin from his pocket.
- Begin.
Eyes closed, Kang Seol focused. The black orb pulsed.
Thump...
Thump...
The black mist around them—the shadow essence—began swirling furiously around Kang Seol.
Whoooosh!
"W-what's that...?"
"...What the hell's he doing?"
Rumble!
Lightning flashed through the black mist, wolf-like shapes flickering into view before vanishing in an instant.
- Revival's imminent! Wake him up!
Inappropriately grinning amid the tension, Kang Seol clutched Coco's origin tight.
"Come here, Coco... Time for that walk you missed."
Whoooosh!
The shadows shuddered violently at his words.