Chapter 115
Chapter 115
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Ruined World (7)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“I took care of 100 of them, just like you said! You’re going to tell me how now, right!?”
When I returned to the spot we’d agreed to meet at after clearing out the beasts in the area, Harrington was leaning against a rock, exhausted.
Resting like that would make it difficult to react if a beast suddenly appeared.
Had he not felt threatened enough yet, or was he just that confident?
‘An A-rank is definitely not weak.’
Of all the players, only 100 of the first generation had reached S-rank.
There were only about 1,200 A-ranks.
Even on a global scale, A-ranks were considered main combatants.
Of course, that was just the ‘official’ count, so it didn't include those from unofficial guilds.
Even so, he was far too relaxed.
“Hey! I said I took care of 100!”
“I heard you.”
“If you heard me, you should respond…”
Harrington grumbled as he pushed himself up.
“But you might have to take care of more.”
“What!? Why!?”
He reacted as if he were having a seizure.
But it was the truth.
If Yurgan hadn't finished drawing the magic circle yet, we'd have to keep culling the beasts.
I infused the crystal with mana to check.
“Yurgan-nim. What’s the status of the magic circle?”
-I just finished drawing it! We can activate it anytime once you return!
Yurgan’s voice was buzzing with excitement.
It seemed his mind was completely filled with the thought of using dimensional travel magic, once considered impossible, with his own hands.
“I’m on my way. Harrington. Follow me.”
“On our way? To where?”
“To the place with the way back to Earth.”
“Oh, finally!”
“Can you even talk to the people here?”
“With this happening all over the world, it’s basic to have a translator ready since you never know when or where you’ll interact with people from other countries. I just never thought it would be another world.”
His expression immediately brightened, and a wide grin spread across his face as he followed me.
I held onto the crystal for a while longer, only putting it away when we were about to arrive at the lab.
“I’ve been waiting for you!”
“Yurgan-nim.”
“Honestly, I was half in doubt, but you truly are remarkable! Not only did you dispose of all those beasts, but you even defeated the Black Steel Dragon…! The death of the Black Steel Dragon alone will make many monsters feel threatened. It has lessened the burden considerably!”
So it wasn’t just the dimensional travel magic that had him excited.
For Yurgan, the mere fact that a significant number of the beasts, which were visible at a glance, had disappeared was a great joy.
A decrease in the beast population would lead to the stabilization of the barrier, which meant the survivors could hold out for longer.
‘…What I killed is just a drop in the bucket, so it won’t make a huge difference.’
But I didn’t want to pour cold water on his celebration.
“What are these?”
Instead, I naturally changed the subject as if I’d just noticed them.
On the table were several bottles of various kinds.
Each contained a liquid of a different color, emitting a strange light.
I wasn't asking because I truly didn't know.
They were various elixirs that raised stats.
I knew that after my performance, Yurgan would hand them over easily.
“Things I’ve researched and developed. They’ll have various effects if you drink them. That’s right. The dimensional travel is part of our deal, but you’ve helped me a great deal, so as a reward, would you like to have them?”
“Are you sure?”
“What attachment would I have to such things when we’re on the verge of ruin anyway? They’re yours.”
Yurgan handed them over willingly with a peculiar smile.
I offered a brief word of thanks and collected the elixirs.
Behind me, Harrington made a sound as he smacked his lips.
“By the way, who is that man?”
“He’s from the same dimension as me. We met by chance.”
“Hoh. A remarkable coincidence. And a remarkable situation as well…”
Yurgan stroked his beard.
Harrington tactfully bowed his head in greeting, but Yurgan’s expression soured.
“But I’ve never seen a human cross the barrier other than you. How could there be someone outside?”
“Ah, I was over on that side from the moment I got here. It’s been about 12 hours now?”
“You mean you were transported to a location beyond the barrier? It’s a miracle you’ve survived this long!”
Yurgan looked genuinely surprised.
Surviving after being suddenly dropped into a place swarming with beasts was a tall order.
If Harrington had been a B-rank instead of an A-rank, he might have died before he even met me.
Perhaps he had already sacrificed a few others, like the young man who had drawn the Black Steel Dragon’s aggro.
“What’s the status of the magic circle?”
“I’d say it’s about half-drawn. It’s incredibly complex, and with magic circles, even the slightest mistake can prevent activation or lead to disaster, so I’m proceeding with caution. Are you in a hurry?”
“Not at all. It’s better to be certain. Your current pace is fine. It’s not like the other materials will disappear. I have them safe with me.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that.”
As I conversed with Yurgan, I subtly checked Harrington’s reaction.
Since the conversation was about how to get back to Earth, he seemed to be listening intently.
After this much talk, I could assume he had taken the bait.
“Trust is important in these matters. For now, you should see for yourself.”
Waving his hand for us to come closer, Yurgan closed his eyes and concentrated.
Blue mana spread from his fingertips over the magic circle, and the circle, inscribed with all sorts of figures and letters, began to glow with a dreamlike light.
“Whoa…! This is real fantasy magic! Wonderful!”
…Maybe when I get back, I should suggest to the angels that they stop using translation apps.
“The pattern is quite complex.”
“Such is the nature of high-level magic.”
Yurgan let out a hearty laugh and withdrew his mana.
The light from the magic circle faded, and the lab fell silent again as if nothing had happened.
I stretched and spoke.
“Then I’ll go back out and clear out some more beasts. Please focus on drawing the magic circle, Yurgan-nim.”
“Mm. Understood.”
“What? We have to work again?”
“If you don’t want to go back, feel free to slack off.”
“N-No. Who said I didn’t want to? Damn. You’re so impatient.”
Harrington groaned, scratching his head vigorously as he followed me out.
Judging by his reaction, it seemed no one else from Pentagon Eagle had come over with him.
“By the way, you’re really amazing.”
As I was cutting down the orcs that had already approached the barrier, Harrington struck up a conversation.
“When we get back, have you thought about joining our guild? With your skills, we could give you preferential treatment. What do you think? Not a bad offer, right? Like I said before, we’re the number one guild in America.”
He was annoyingly persistent.
Pentagon Eagle was the guild that held the undisputed number one spot among the powerful guilds in the United States.
The offer itself was indeed incredible.
‘Even so…’
It was just a guild that would soon fall to ruin.
All shiny on the outside, but a corpse already rotting from within.
Unaware of my internal scoffing, Harrington began to subtly reveal his intentions.
“So, what’s this about materials? You mean that magic circle isn’t enough to get back to Earth?”
“Dimensional travel is never that easy. It requires rare materials. I’ve already gathered them all. So once Yurgan-nim finishes the magic circle… Ah, shoot.”
I stopped mid-sentence, feigning that I had just remembered something I’d forgotten.
“I forgot. This could be a big problem.”
“W-What is it? Why are you being so ominous?”
“Look at this.”
I held out the chipped dimension stone to the anxious Harrington.
He gave me a look that demanded an explanation, so I sighed and spoke.
“This is the medium that supplies the power needed for dimensional travel. The problem is, a stone of this size can only transport one person.”
“Only one person?”
“Unfortunately.”
Harrington’s face crumpled into a frown.
He started stealing glances at me, sizing me up.
It was obvious what he was thinking.
I scoffed inwardly and continued.
“So we’ll have to find another way.”
“Right. We definitely have to find a way. I have no intention of staying in a place like this.”
The look in Harrington’s eyes changed.
It wasn't the look of someone truly motivated to work.
It was the look of someone ready to backstab at any moment, the eyes of a man who had already resolved to betray.
People with eyes like that have similar patterns of behavior.
They soon start setting the stage for their betrayal.
“Ah, speaking of which.”
Sure enough.
After we had walked a bit further, Harrington clapped his hands and brought up a new topic.
“The place where I first arrived was a little suspicious.”
“Suspicious? In what way?”
“You know, like a hidden dungeon. The kind of place where you’d expect an incredible reward to be waiting.”
I wondered what he was on about.
He was planning to lure me somewhere else with a story that was bound to pique my interest.
“You want us to push through this massive horde of beasts? I don’t see any reason to do that.”
“Hey, now. It’s treasure from another world. There’s a high chance it could be something amazing that you’d never find on Earth! Besides, we were going to deal with the beasts anyway, right?”
“Hmm.”
I gently stroked my chin.
He wasn’t wrong.
And it didn’t seem like he was lying about there being something there.
After a moment of thought, I nodded.
“Alright. Lead the way.”
Harrington grinned and took the lead.
I had only known Harrington for a few hours, but I had already determined he wasn't a trustworthy person.
But Harrington was cunning in his own right.
The words he used to persuade me were undoubtedly true.
“…A place like this really existed.”
As I looked down into the steeply sloped mine-like tunnel Harrington had led me to, I couldn't help but be impressed.
My Extreme Eye could clearly see a massive source of mana deep inside.
“See? Looks like there’s really something there, right?”
Harrington exclaimed confidently.
There was no way Harrington could have detected that mana source.
A barrier surrounded it, preventing any energy from leaking out.
But the area was littered with structures that just screamed that something was hidden there.
‘Was it originally a hidden place that was exposed by seismic shifts?’
I pondered for a moment before asking a question.
“You said you woke up here for the first time?”
“That’s what I said. The moment I came to, beasts were swarming me from all sides, and this place looked like it was full of traps. So I just ran for it. Then I ran into that Jewel Dragon and all hell broke loose.”
As he spoke, Harrington subtly reached a hand behind his back.
The mana gathering in his hand… it was the ‘Steal’ skill.
I had a rough idea of what he was trying to do, but I pretended not to notice and let him be.
“It’s worth exploring.”
“Right?”
As I straightened up, he naturally hid his hand in his pocket.
What Harrington had stolen was the small dimension stone I had shown him earlier.
The way he swiped it so naturally suggested his skill rank wasn’t low.
“Then I’ll stay here and take care of the beasts in the area.”
“You’re not coming with me?”
“I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t have the guts to go in there, nor do I have the strength for it.”
“If you don’t come, I won’t be sharing any treasure I find.”
“I can live with that. You’re the one who’s getting me back to Earth, it’s the least I can do.”
He grinned and turned away. I kept my gaze fixed on his back.
I could practically see the excitement and anticipation bubbling up to the top of his head.
And trailing behind him was a single black shadow.
I lowered my gaze to the ring on my right ring finger.
What a fool.
I never said that only ‘one’ material was needed.
I let out a light laugh and turned my steps toward the inside of the dungeon.