Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Nighttime Pursuit
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After being summoned to Pavarintos, the night of the second day.
[Whoosh-]
"...."
Under the hazy glow of the Divine Tree Lantern, an unfamiliar wind howled.
Sometimes like a scream,
sometimes echoing like a groan.
This sound was an element from the game version of Pavarintos that had received high praise.
They said it perfectly captured the stark terror unique to cave-background dungeons.
I remember being impressed by its eeriness when I first heard it.
'High praise my ass...'
I wasn't in the mood to compliment it now.
Usually, I was so used to it that I didn't think much of it, but on a night like this...
...what can I say.
Mixed with the cave's unique quiet mood, it sent chills crawling up my spine for no reason.
And so.
Sitting blankly in the center of the narrow cave clearing, listening intently, Hyun Tae-jin, who was sitting beside me, quietly spoke up.
"...You must be tired. Why don't you get some rest?"
"I'll sleep soon. Just... thinking about a few things."
"..."
We had set a night watch tonight.
The situation was completely different from last night's well.
We still hadn't escaped the goblins' territory, and since this was the border zone, we had to account for threats from giant ants and other demonic beasts as well.
It wasn't an environment where we could sleep comfortably by any means,
"Zzz... Zzz..."
"...."
but the others didn't seem bothered at all. They were sprawled out comfortably even in the cramped clearing, fast asleep.
Or maybe after trudging so hard all day, they didn't even have the energy left to feel uncomfortable.
"...Those guys are sleeping soundly."
"They're not kids. You can tell they're all grown up."
"True... but..."
"And strictly speaking, they're all just baggage."
"...For someone who says that, you've been taking awfully good care of them."
"...Me?"
...What nonsense was this?
Right now, things were manageable, so I was letting them tag along, but I was fully prepared to ditch them anytime.
This guy must have a way too favorable view of me.
Sure, I often did newbie grinding as a hobby, but...
...still.
I thought I drew my lines pretty clearly.
"I think you're a good person, Do-hwa."
"...Not exactly music to my ears."
"Ahaha. Is that so?"
"...."
Idle chatter.
No need to keep listening.
I nodded vaguely and turned my gaze back to the empty air.
'Now then...'
I checked the skill list in my [Status Window].
'...[Lightning Strike], [Black Poison Mist], [Full Body Guardian], plus [Mana Arrow], and [Water Ball].'
I'd gathered quite a few spells now.
Most were magic imprinted on items, of course, but firepower was firepower.
'Wish I could test them out...'
I had tested [Water Ball].
Water magic, unless made by some lunatic or idiot, was almost always designed with in mind.
Like that charged it with lightning,
or that cooled and solidified it,
or mixed with earth elements.
The combination I could use now was .
It charged a sphere of water with electricity to make it throwable.
It devoured spell stacks and mana like crazy, but used well, it could serve as a high-damage area-of-effect attack.
Normal physical water didn't have that function, but since Water Ball was a mana construct—an effect mana phenomenon rather than actual water—it had different properties.
So I'd checked that part in advance, but...
'The problem is [Black Poison Mist]...'
I hadn't tested this one yet.
The name was unfamiliar, and I'd never seen the blueprint.
Naturally, I knew nothing about its power.
I'd confirmed the duration was about 25 seconds, but that was it.
Couldn't exactly test it on people.
'Should've tried it on the livestock.'
I was regretting it a bit now.
Why hadn't I thought of that then?
I'd gotten too used to the game and hadn't thought realistically.
Even if I was game-fluent, I shouldn't narrow my thinking like that.
As I inwardly scolded myself, Hyun Tae-jin's voice came from beside me again.
"...Do-hwa."
"Yes."
"Um, out there. I mean, in reality... mind if I ask what you did?"
"Just chilled."
"...Ah."
A simple answer.
What else?
I pretty much just gamed my life away.
Made money from Pavarintos builder subscriptions, hobbies were gaming.
Spare time went to user custom builds in-game...
...wow.
Looking back, I really lived like a legend.
"What about you?"
"...Something similar, I guess. Worked at a company, retired. Job hunting again when..."
Life stories.
The kind of talk people stuck in a death game like this end up sharing sooner or later.
Chat, get friendly, hold hands, kiss, and escalate from there—that was the cliché.
...Not for me, obviously.
Didn't care to dive deep into real-life talk, and as a woman, I had zero interest in the perks of human relationships—
"...I thought I'd lived diligently, but somehow, I ended up like this—"
"—Quiet."
"...Pardon?"
"...."
—above all.
This faint ringing sound was bothering me.
[Rumble rumble rumble—]
"...."
"...Um..."
A faint noise mixed in with the eerie wind.
Just in case, I placed my hand on the ground, and felt a subtle vibration.
It might be my imagination, but...
"...Wake the others. We need to move now."
"...What's going on?"
"Probably... goblins."
"Goblins... so, we fight?"
"No."
"?"
I shook my head at Hyun Tae-jin's question.
"We run."
Probably,
this wasn't a scale we could fight.
.
.
.
"Ugh, ugh...?"
"Huh...? Where...?"
"...Morning... already...?"
I woke the babbling women and explained the situation.
"We need to leave right now. Goblins are chasing us."
"...."
Maybe thanks to getting caught in that hut once before.
Their sleepy, dazed expressions froze instantly as reality sank in.
Han Se-in moved the fastest.
She jumped up and grabbed her backpack.
Seeing her, the other women fumbled for theirs too, but
"Grab just the biggest ones and leave the rest."
"...Pardon? But..."
Lee Chae-hwa's short objection.
In that gap, faint footsteps echoed.
[Thud, thud—]
"...."
The sound was clear now.
No longer intermittent, the footsteps steadily approaching froze everyone,
[Rustle—]
when Hyun Tae-jin quickly caught on and whispered lowly.
"Let's move fast."
No time for a leisurely march.
For some reason, they were heading straight here.
Pity about the gear from the hut, but it wasn't more precious than our lives.
"Everyone, let's go."
"W-what? Are we in danger right now...?"
"So Hye-jin. Shut up and just follow if I say so—"
Bickering as they moved toward the passage I pointed out.
Watching their backs, I picked up the Mana Arrow Staff from the corner.
"...Do-hwa?"
"Go on ahead. I'll buy some time and catch up."
"What? But..."
"Even if we all run together, they'll catch us. I have enough spells left to escape myself."
"...."
"Watch your step so you don't hit any traps on the way."
Calmly replying, Hyun Tae-jin's face hardened.
Did he think I was planning to sacrifice myself?
As if.
"Relax your face. I'm not the only one staying. You have a job too."
"What? Me?"
"Yeah. Run for about five minutes, then wait for me there. I'll handle things and slip out, but if it goes south, you'll need to carry me and run."
"...Ah."
Hyun Tae-jin had a solid build and the Inner Force Activation skill.
He could probably carry me and flee.
"...Couldn't we fight together instead?"
"No. Fighting with you now would just hinder me, not help."
"....."
"See you soon, then. If you ditch me and run, I'll hunt you down later and kill you. Got it?"
Was that too much?
I'd tossed it as light banter to lighten the mood, but Hyun Tae-jin replied dead seriously.
"...You have to come back."
[Nod—]
...Now I felt awkward.
It was like I'd made some death vow.
A bit embarrassed, I nodded instead of answering and turned away.
[Thud, thud, thud—]
'This is the narrowest path...'
Soon, the sound of the group moving away.
Instead, confirming the goblins' approaching footsteps, I surveyed the terrain.
'This should buy a little time.'
The terrain wasn't bad.
Memorize was in top condition, mana full.
'Potions too.'
Plus, spare mana.
The gourd at my waist held mana recovery potion.
I'd thought it a hassle to make at the time... but apparently not entirely useless.
Still, one thing puzzled me.
'...Why the hell are they wandering around?'
During the day too, and now.
The goblins' group movement was abnormal.
They didn't move this well normally.
Game vs. reality difference?
Or some other reason?
'No way it's because of what we did...'
A bit unfair, but thinking it over, I had some guesses.
'Raided a bit of their food storage, took out two scouts there. Killed one Butcher in the hut...'
'...But isn't that forgivable?'
No.
Petty bastards, outnumbering us.
They'd breed more anyway—call it preemptive borrowing.
Even as shameless thoughts crossed my mind, I reviewed my plan again.
'With half Telekinesis, flight time is about three minutes.'
'Once Telekinesis Memorize drops below half... retreat immediately.'
'Level 1 Raiden... max three charges, right?'
Obviously, I had no intention of heroically buying time and dying.
If my info was right, using Telekinesis for levitation would shake off most pursuers.
However.
Among the goblin tribe's pursuit squads, there was one I couldn't lose.
[Rumble rumble rumble—]
"...Knew it."
Figures.
That familiar sound.
Bad premonitions never lie, huh.
...At least I noticed early.
Letting out a sigh, an unfamiliar roar followed.
[Mooooooo—!!]
I knew that sound.
The nightmare of the Ominous Cave.
The newbie shredder, the terror even veterans feared.
It was the cry of the [Enraged Slime Slug].
'Goblin Slime Slug Rider.'
The identity of our current pursuers.