Chapter 21
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Lucia is Smiling (4)
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"Hoo..."
My stamina was recovering, and my mind was steadying.
Since I'd wasted so much time on that unexpected encounter with the princess, it was time to get moving.
...How much farther is it to the burrow?
There was a reason I was so fixated on that burrow.
Hidden inside was a hidden piece called the World Tree's Blessing, a trait that amplified physical abilities and regeneration.
Acquiring it wouldn't skyrocket my stats or anything. It was modest—maybe just a 2 or 3 point boost to physical stats.
But if you're asking why I still needed it so badly...
It was the regeneration effect, not the raw stats.
In this world with no healing magic, most wound recovery depended on those with innate healing abilities.
Innate ability users were rarer than mages.
And among them, healers were even rarer.
The Healer-exclusive academy Parthenon was considered on par with Carnea Academy just for having those abilities—no other conditions required. That said it all.
Bottom line: I couldn't always drag around such a rare healer, so I needed my own recovery method.
...But is this the right spot?
I'd been wandering for about ten minutes trying to confirm my position, but it felt like I was going in circles.
I'd only been focused on escaping the princess and hadn't checked the direction to the burrow.
Should I go back and check?
Heading back to that giant tree to reorient might be faster.
But I didn't have the guts to return to a place where the princess might still be lurking.
Her letting me live was just a whim.
Which meant she could just as easily kill me on another whim.
Sure, the World Tree's Blessing was important.
But not important enough to throw my life away right now.
This was all for survival, after all.
...Let's search a bit more.
In the game, it'd eventually show up if you wandered enough. I started out with that mindset, but...
Actually trekking through the forest was worlds apart from watching it on a screen.
The giant tree I'd used as a compass was unmistakable because it was so huge, but all the other trees looked the same.
How long did I wander like that? Finally, I spotted a place that matched my memory.
"...What the hell?"
Something was off.
The burrow, which should have been hidden by tree roots, was blatantly exposed. And blood was oozing out from inside.
I dipped a twig in the blood, and it clung stickily.
I have to go in there?
...The psychological pressure from that blood-soaked hole was intense.
Forcing myself to find a positive: the blood trail led off in another direction, so at least there was no wolf inside.
Still, I have to go.
It was scary, but I couldn't ditch the World Tree's Blessing just because of that.
Lucia would bring the professors soon.
I had to grab it before then.
Hoo... Alright, let's go.
I steeled myself and stepped into the burrow.
The burrow wasn't very spacious.
Width-wise, it was about as wide as my outstretched arms. Height-wise, it barely reached my chest.
Of course, I had to hunch over to move.
"..."
A little ways in, the tunnel was swallowed by perfect darkness.
I wished I'd brought a glowstone, but all magic tools were banned in the exam.
Maybe I should've borrowed a fire-attribute spell instead of wind...
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I shook my head.
I'd only practiced Wind Blade, and wind spells were the only ones I could use like telekinesis anyway.
I didn't have the time or talent to master another element to that level.
"...Ugh."
The deeper I went, the more the fishy stench of blood assaulted my nose.
It was now bad enough that I couldn't ignore it. I covered my mouth and nose with one hand and pressed on.
Thud, thud.
The path was uneven, and with my back half-bent, my footing was unsteady.
One slip and I'd be flat on my face...
The thought had barely formed when I nearly skidded.
Thump-
I barely caught the wall and steadied myself when something with dozens of legs crawled up my arm.
"Fuck!"
A scream burst out instinctively.
Some unknown bug crawling up my body in the dark was straight-up horrifying.
"Why... me... of all people... when does this fucking hidden piece show up..."
The protagonists in the possession novels I read cleared dungeons and snagged hidden pieces like it was nothing. And here I was, transmigrated into this trash game, jumping at bugs.
...I really wanted to cry.
How long had it been since then? An hour? Two?
Or maybe just ten minutes.
Time lost all meaning.
In this cramped, pitch-black tunnel where I couldn't even straighten my back, thick blood stench and swarming bugs wore down my sanity relentlessly.
-Keruk.
...Was my mind going? Now I was hearing weird noises too.
-Keruk, -keruk.
"...!"
It wasn't my imagination.
A real sound was echoing.
I held my breath and crouched low. The noise from ahead grew louder, and a faint light drew closer.
"Keruk...?"
Three lower demons—goblins—holding torches tilted their heads in what might've been a greeting. I wasn't greeting back.
There'd been no such event in the game...
"...Fuck... reality's a bitch, huh."
Complaining changed nothing.
This spot was narrow vertically but wide horizontally—perfect for short goblins.
And that wasn't all.
Location, numbers, gear—everything was against me.
...So before they figured it out, take out the front one's head.
Activated
Splat! The lead goblin's head exploded.
"Keruk! Kerruk!"
The other two drew weapons and split left and right.
Target: Right Goblin
I didn't stop, firing telekinesis at the one on the right again.
Kerruk!
But the goblin was sharp—it dodged as I launched, so I only severed one arm.
Meanwhile, the left one hurled a dagger at me.
"Gahhh!"
The dagger sank deep into my left shoulder.
First real injury like this—it hurt like absolute hell.
I wanted to roll on the ground screaming.
"You... fucking bastard!!"
One-armed Goblin finished
Thwack-!
I gritted through it and finished the one-armed goblin with another telekinesis blast.
One left.
Pop!
A small dart shot from its blowpipe.
I flung myself aside in surprise, but it lodged in my right thigh.
...If this damn tunnel were taller, I could've dodged better. The restricted movement was torture.
Keruk!
The goblin cackled, mocking me.
"Shut your fucking mouth and die!"
Activated
Shraa-!
The condensed blade of wind cleaved the last goblin's head.
"Haa... fuck..."
Low-level demons or not, their numbers and the terrain nearly got me killed.
Slumping down, I checked: the dart in my thigh and dagger in my shoulder throbbed worse than ever.
"Gotta... pull 'em out...?"
Per Academy's Tamer lore, goblin darts were poisoned.
Scary to touch, but I had to yank it before the poison spread more.
Schlop-!
I stuffed cloth in my mouth to avoid biting my tongue and ripped the dart out in one go.
"Guh... ughhh!"
Even with the cloth, my teeth felt like they'd shatter. Ripping bare flesh without anesthetic was insane.
The shoulder dagger stayed—I wasn't touching that.
"Fuck... fuck..."
Curses spilled out.
I tore my uniform into bandages and wrapped up.
...Worst-case scenario, but one silver lining.
...Almost there.
Too dark before, but now with torches, it was clear.
The soil here was unusually oily.
Even I, clueless about farming, could tell. Proof the World Tree's Blessing was near.
Grabbing a torch with my dagger-pierced arm, I tapped the opposite wall with the other.
Tap-tap- tap-tap- tap-
"...Please."
Tap- tap- tap-
Too late to turn back now.
For survival, I needed that World Tree's Blessing.
"Haa... haa..."
Poison kicking in or blood loss? Vision blurring as I kept tapping.
...Not even to a wolf, dying to goblins? The injustice brought tears.
Tap. Tap. Thump.
A different sound. I tapped again—definitely not the same.
Here!
Wall Destruction
Full Power
Boom-! Boom-!
All my remaining mental and mana power into shattering the wall.
No time to conserve now.
If I didn't get the blessing, it was over anyway.
Crack-!
Already wrecked body, mana and mind plummeting—pure agony.
Please...!
Final Burst
Boom-!
The wall crumbled at last. My stumbling body tumbled through.
Thud!
Dizzying impact wracked me, and blood surged from my mouth. Internal damage from the fall, probably.
"Guuuh..."
Misery like death, but hope glimmered.
Ahead, a seed emitting faint light.
I bit my lip and clenched my fist.
Grab that, and I'd survive.
...Fuck, leg broken? Couldn't stand.
Everything else too. Only the dagger-pierced left arm moved.
"Guuugh!"
Propping on one arm, I crawled.
Each motion burst vessels in my head from pain, but I dragged across the floor.
Mind over matter had limits.
Seed inches away, agony surged up my arm—it went limp.
Just a bit...!
Desperate finger stretch...
...Fell short. By the tiniest margin.
That was it.
Vision blacked like a blown fuse.
Die with World Tree's Blessing right there? This anticlimactically?
Recovery right in front, can't use it—too cruel.
This... fucking... trash game...
Pathetic last words, then total blackout.
.
..
...
....
A miracle from refusing to quit till the end?
A drop of blood from the dagger wound trickled down Eugene's outstretched fingertip onto the seed.
Wriggle-
The seed absorbed his blood, shuddered...
Fwaaah-!
Blazed with light filling the chamber.
The floating seed settled on Eugene's body.
Absorbed, his body glowed next—wounds healing one by one.
After long radiance, the light faded from Eugene's body. Silence and darkness returned to the burrow.
"..."
It happened unknown to anyone.