Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Black Scale and Instant Noodles
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Clang, clang-!
The sound of a hammer, loud enough to ring in one's ears, echoed ceaselessly from a blacksmith's forge.
Sari entered the forge.
"Oh my! Village Chief! What brings you all the way out here?"
As Sari waved, a burly figure emerged from within.
The man's name was Jukeui.
He was a middle-aged Gray Elf who ran a small forge on one side of the village.
"Jukeui, are you well? No aches or pains, I hope?"
"Of course, of course! Thanks to you, Village Chief, I'm always doing just fine."
"Jukeui, work is important, but you must take care of your health. I heard you closed up shop for a few days. I was worried, and so were the elders."
"Hahaha! Don't you worry! I'm still spry as ever!"
Jukeui grinned, flexing his bulging biceps.
Sari nodded with a gentle smile.
"Hoho. Stay healthy, Jukeui. The villagers depend on your sturdy weapons and armor."
Sari gazed at Jukeui with a refined air.
Watching her from a distance, Do-jae let out a small chuckle.
"Heh."
In front of Do-jae, a stranger, she spoke and acted like a teenage girl, but before the villagers, she was the perfect chief.
Do-jae found her image management rather cute.
‘Who knew a monster could seem cute? I guess a few hours together is all it took for me to adapt.’
Zing-!
Sari turned her head and shot him a sidelong glare.
Did she somehow read his thoughts?
She stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to Jukeui with a gentle expression.
"Now then, I'd like to see some weapons and armor. Do you have anything good?"
"Weapons and armor, you say... Was the bow you took last time not to your liking? I do have a lighter, sturdier one..."
Jukeui scratched his head.
Sari shook her head at him.
"No, it's not for me. It's for the gentleman over there."
"Oh? You have another guest? Let me see..."
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Jukeui stepped out from behind the door.
And when he saw Do-jae, he was so startled he dropped his hammer.
"Gasp! A... a human...! To think there was still a living human!"
Jukeui rushed over, out of breath, and examined Do-jae from every angle.
He squeezed Do-jae's arms and poked at his muscles.
‘Does this race just like to touch people?’
Do-jae subtly stepped back.
He didn't mind others, but having a muscular old man feel him up was definitely unpleasant.
"Enough..."
"Ooh! The human speaks our language!"
As Jukeui gaped in surprise, Sari explained it was because of magic.
After hearing the explanation, Jukeui crossed his arms and looked Do-jae up and down.
Then, as if his scan was complete, he rubbed his chin and spoke.
"Incredible, truly incredible. To think such a robust human has survived. Village Chief, where did this human pop out from?"
"Hohoho, I'll tell you later. For now, could you bring out something that man can use?"
"Understood. Human! Is there a particular weapon you're looking for?"
Do-jae answered Jukeui's question without hesitation.
"A sword would be good..."
When it came to weapons, a sword was always the first thing that came to Do-jae's mind.
With his skills restricted, it was wise to use the weapon he was most proficient with: a sword.
Thump, thump-!
"This is Jukeui! For over 600 years, I've put swords in the hands of countless warriors. I'll bring out a blade worthy of a human like you!"
Jukeui thumped his chest.
He started to head into the back of the forge, then came back out.
"Truly fascinating!"
With that, Jukeui finally disappeared into the forge.
Do-jae watched him go with amusement.
‘I guess I'd be just as fascinated if I saw an extinct Siberian tiger.’
Do-jae completely understood Jukeui's reaction.
He had heard many stories during his conversation with Arcturia.
Stories about this world and the history of the Great Cataclysm.
***
Arcturia's story began a very long time ago.
A thousand years ago, to be exact.
The continent of Tranpeion, after a long history of fierce conflict between the different races, had finally achieved harmony.
This was made possible by four humans and five non-humans.
Beings known as the Nine Ascetics.
They were supreme beings who had each attained divinity through their transcendent abilities.
Great ones who stood on a higher plane than lesser divinities like Arcturia.
For the next 800 years, they governed their respective races, striving for peace and alliance among them.
Their achievements were praised more and more with each passing day, and as a result, the original gods of Tranpeion, who were mere observers, gradually lost their power.
For a god's existence fades when they are no longer revered or praised.
- That was when it appeared. The seed of betrayal.
Whether they were incited by the gods, or simply grew bored of peace.
Or perhaps, they had intended it from the very beginning.
Three hundred years ago, a traitor emerged from the ranks of the Ascetics.
And of all people, it was the one considered the strongest among them.
- He was a fearsome being. Powerful enough to erase this entire world.
The remaining Ascetics joined forces to eliminate the traitor.
But even the eight of them combined could not defeat the single betrayer.
The once-peaceful continent was stained with blood as the war raged on for a hundred years.
But all they could manage was to seal the traitor away.
The medium chosen for the seal was the life force of humanity.
They burned the lives of all humans to seal the betrayer.
And as the key to that seal, the remaining Ascetics sacrificed their own divinity to protect Tranpeion.
- And no one, aside from gods like myself, knows this truth. The inhabitants of this world believe that humans went extinct in the war 200 years ago.
This was the reason for the humans' disappearance, the full story of the event known as the Great Cataclysm.
Afterward, before the wounds of war could even heal, a great change came upon this world.
Races began to disappear, an entire village at a time.
It was a phenomenon where, regardless of whether they were non-humans or monsters, they would vanish overnight as if the place had been emptied.
- The interference between dimensions had begun. I expended my divinity to prevent the interference in this area. And when I had little left, the great ones conveyed their will to me.
Arcturia, a minor god who ruled over a single mountain range, heard the will of the Ascetics.
They would send their avatars.
***
"Do-jae?"
‘So gods like Arcturia are what's left to sustain this world. The dimensional interference must be the races of this land being sent to Earth.’
"Do-jae."
‘In the end, the Gray Elves—no, all elves—are natives of this world. Though they may have once crossed swords, they've been allies for a thousand long years. But to us, are they just monsters...? If I return to my world, how am I supposed to see them? As monsters, or as people...?’
"Do-jae! Do-jae! Do-jae!"
Do-jae frowned at Sari's call.
"You'll burst my eardrums. What is it?"
Sari had climbed onto Do-jae's back and was shouting right next to his ear.
She hopped back down and asked with wide, round eyes.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"Just lost in thought."
"Ooh... What were you thinking about so seriously?"
"It was nothing. Don't worry about it."
"No way! Let me guess. You were staring really hard over there. Right! You want that, don't you?"
Sari pointed her finger at the forge wall.
The spot Do-jae had been staring at blankly while lost in thought.
A rather luxurious-looking greatsword was hanging there.
"No, I just... Huh?"
As Do-jae looked at the greatswords Sari was pointing at, his gaze fell on something below them.
A single dagger resting on a shelf beneath the greatswords.
It looked familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere before.
"I knew it! Do-jae, see something you want? Go ahead and pick. I can buy you one. A village chief is richer than you think, you know. Hehehe."
Seeing Do-jae's reaction, Sari chattered excitedly.
Then she went to the wall and struggled to take down a greatsword as tall as she was.
"Ugh... No good. It's too heavy, I can't lift it. You pick the one you want, Do-jae."
The sword Sari had tried to lift was an ornate blade embedded with all sorts of glittering jewels.
A single glance was enough to tell it wasn't cheap.
"Sari, even I can tell that's expensive. Are you sure?"
"It's fine, it's fine! I told you I have lots of money. Oh? Wait. Jukeui's coming out, let's see what he brought first!"
Sari hurried back to Do-jae's side.
In an instant, her expression completely changed.
"Human! I've brought out some things you might be able to use! Village Chief, as you can see, this was made for a woman, but for a human, this size and weight should be just right."
Jukeui presented the three swords he had brought.
They were swords of slightly different sizes and shapes.
‘This one and this one are just okay... The one on the left is the best of the lot.’
How many swords had he seen during his life as a hunter?
From magical swords rarely found in dungeons to blades forged by artisans with blacksmithing skills, he'd seen plenty.
Not only that, but even after gaining the Eye of the Golem, he had taken every opportunity to observe other people's weapons.
Although he couldn't see a status window for detailed information, his experience allowed him to tell a good sword from a bad one.
"Sari, I'll take this one."
Do-jae chose the sword on the far left.
Its overall size and length were similar to the Harpy Queen's Plume he had used before.
Lifting it, he found it a bit heavy, but the balance was excellent, and he liked the faintly engraved pattern.
Above all, its unique black sheen captivated him.
"Hmm... To be honest, I wasn't going to bring this one out... Human! You've got a good eye! I was entrusted with this blade by a human 200 years ago, but he never came back for it. Or rather, he can't come back for it? Kuhaha. Anyway! It's a waste to let such a fine sword rot here, so I was thinking of selling it to you."
"What's the sword's name?"
"Um... what was it again? Black Scale? I don't know, it's your sword now, so you can name it whatever you want."
Do-jae swung the Black Scale.
The sharp sound of it cutting through the air was appealing.
Seeing Do-jae's satisfied expression, Sari spoke to Jukeui.
"Jukeui, how much is this sword?"
"Well, it's been a long time since I've seen a human, and the Village Chief came in person, so I'll take just two thousand gold for it!"
"Whaat?"
Sari was shocked.
She soon looked crestfallen and pulled Do-jae outside.
"Do-jae... how about a different sword? The one next to it looks nice, too... Hehehe. Or, maybe we should pick one from over there?"
Sari pointed to a corner of the forge.
Several swords were haphazardly tossed into a wooden barrel there.
"How much is a thousand gold worth?"
Do-jae asked Sari, who was smiling sheepishly.
"A thousand gold... My monthly living expense is about 10 gold... and a Gray Elf family of four can live for a month on about 100 gold..."
Sari took a pouch from her clothes and showed it to Do-jae.
Inside the seemingly heavy pouch was one gold coin marked '10' and several dozen gold coins marked '1'.
‘At most, that's probably 30 or 40 gold...’
Two thousand gold was equivalent to twenty times a family's monthly living expenses.
He didn't know the state of the economy here, but that sword was clearly not cheap.
‘On what basis did she claim to have a lot of money...?’
Do-jae glanced back and forth between the Black Scale Jukeui had shown him and the swords crammed in the corner.
"Sigh... Sari, wait a minute."
He patted Sari's shoulder and went back inside the forge.
Jukeui was waiting.
Do-jae made a request.
"Do you happen to have any boiling water?"
"Boiling water? I can boil some in a jiffy. But why do you need water?"
"To buy that sword."
Jukeui tilted his head at Do-jae's request.
Then, with a puzzled expression, he briefly went inside and soon returned with a pot.
The water in the pot, placed in the furnace, came to a rolling boil in the blink of an eye.
"Here you go. I don't know what you can do with boiling water, though."
Without a word, Do-jae opened his subspace.
Sari and Jukeui flinched in surprise.
But now used to such reactions, he paid them no mind and took something out.
Riiip-.
He peeled off the plastic with his fingernail.
He opened the lid halfway.
After precisely pouring the boiling water up to the line, he placed the wooden chopsticks he'd also taken out on top.
"Four minutes."
Faced with Do-jae's resolute expression and controlled movements, Sari and Jukeui couldn't bring themselves to speak.
Silence fell, and four minutes later.
Gurgle-.
He drained all the water.
He squeezed the crimson liquid soup over the noodles.
"Try it."
Do-jae wore a triumphant expression.
That's right.
What he had taken out was a cup of instant noodles.
And not just any instant noodles, but spicy chicken stir-fried ramen, one of the best-selling brothless varieties in all of South Korea.