Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Pathetically Weak Low-Level Vampire
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Low-level vampires must be pathetically frail.
[Thud, thud-]
"Ugh..."
I'd known it already, but after taking a few hits like this, it really sinks in.
My entire body throbs with pain and exhaustion—a totally different sensation from a clean slice. If recovery weren't so quick, this race would truly be hopeless.
'...Or maybe not? If I were human, I'd probably be dead several times over by now...'
...On second thought, maybe I don't have room to complain.
Anyway,
I endured the throbbing pain shooting through my body from every direction and walked for a good while until Hyun Tae-jin's figure came into view, sitting in the distant darkness.
"...Huh?"
"...You... came."
"Do-hwa? Are you all right?!"
A welcome face.
I wouldn't call him particularly handsome, but seeing him now, he looks pretty decent.
I weakly raised a hand in greeting and replied.
"...It hurts... a bit."
"It hurts...? What happened?"
"Cleanup's... done. Probably."
I'm tired.
More than that, I'm depressed.
My precious [Mana Arrow Staff] is gone, and I had to abandon all the loot in my bags—the gear we could've gotten from the goblins too.
I considered grabbing one of the two bags, but it was too heavy, so I gave up.
Asking someone to go back and fetch it would be ridiculous anyway.
At least I snagged three mana stones amid the chaos—small mercies.
Two from the warriors.
One from the slime slug.
"Um... should I carry you now?"
"...Just a sec."
"Pardon? Why all of a—oh."
After answering, I plopped down on the ground and started memorizing spells.
Hyun Tae-jin seemed to have caught on by now; instead of chatting, he quietly scanned the surroundings.
We'd taken out the rider, but we couldn't let our guard down.
Another pursuit squad might show up, unlikely as it was, so better to memorize when I could.
After spending some time refilling [Water Ball], [Lightning Strike], , and even <sharpness>, my mana had dipped below half.
'System, mana remaining.'
'...This is why I need a well.'
The mana drain had been severe, no doubt.
Even after replenishing with bloodsucking and potions, it was down to this.
And as a vampire, a race with heavy mana consumption just from breathing, I needed to keep at least 25% in reserve...
...Which meant only one more fight ahead.
And only if I minimized [Black Poison Mist] usage.
I finished my assessment and stood up,
"...Done already?"
"Yeah. Time to get moooo—bleurgh!"
[Splurt.]
"—Guh?!"
Blood suddenly gushed from my mouth.
...Damn this 'blood expulsion'.
I spat the black blood pouring from my mouth onto the ground, and Hyun Tae-jin cried out in shock.
"Do-hwa? You okay!? That just now...!"
"...No, this is fine..."
"Blood! Blood from your mouth!"
"..."
Oh. Right, he doesn't know about this.
...No wonder he's freaking out.
.
.
.
Explaining blood expulsion wasn't hard.
Whether the analogy of excreting useless blood instead of waste was apt, he seemed to get it quick enough.
[Step, step-]
"...Not uncomfortable, are you?"
And so.
I agonized a bit, but ultimately decided to let him carry me.
Walking hurt my chest and side, and it was a hassle besides.
I couldn't be the only one suffering like a dog—make him work a little too, right? But since I wasn't complaining, I just quietly let him piggyback me.
My chest pressed against his back a bit... but with his armor, he probably didn't feel much.
...Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse.
"What about the others?"
"They went ahead."
"...Went willingly, huh."
"No. They wanted to stay, but I sent them to clear traps ahead and mark the path, just in case."
"...Ah."
...Smart guy.
Truth be told, the others wouldn't have helped much if they'd stayed.
If the giant slime slug had survived, we'd have needed to bolt full speed—and having the rest waiting would've gotten us all killed.
"But Do-hwa, when you said 'handled'..."
"Killed them. Obviously."
"...I see."
"..."
A subdued reply.
But I didn't mind.
No point in getting shocked now.
We both knew what kind of world this was.
With the conversation over,
only our footsteps echoed in the dark silence for a while.
[Thud, thud-]
"..."
"..."
[Thud, thud-]
"...Hey. Footsteps..."
"Ah, sorry."
"...No need to apologize..."
...Whatever.
The pursuing squad was dealt with anyway.
No way another one shows up.
Unlikely, but these tribes on the edge of the alert zone, bordering the outer area, were particularly weak.
They wouldn't mobilize big numbers unless staking their tribe's fate...
Eh, it'll be fine.
'...Kinda sleepy.'
Maybe catch a quick nap.
The piggyback position wasn't comfy, but I was beat...
[Boom, thud.]
"..."
...I'd just closed my eyes for a moment when the sound hit my ears, drawing my attention.
I wasn't gonna complain about footsteps, but as I swallowed a sigh and opened my mouth,
"Hey, Do-hwa."
"...Yeah."
"What's that noise...?"
"......Pardon?"
—It hit me suddenly.
Of course.
Human footsteps wouldn't echo that deeply.
I yanked my drifting consciousness back and focused my ears again.
[Boom, thud-]
A deep, resounding noise.
Something heavy slamming the ground.
"...?"
"What is this...?"
"...Dunno."
...No clue.
First time hearing it in the cave.
.
.
.
The heavy footsteps boomed from straight ahead.
[Boom, thud-]
"..."
A faint rumble.
The rest of the group should be up ahead, so this noise meant...
"...Wh-what do we do?"
"..."
I thought for a moment, then asked Hyun Tae-jin.
"...No screams?"
"Screams...? Oh, yeah. Haven't heard anything yet..."
"..."
Couldn't fully trust that.
Not that he was lying—human hearing just wasn't reliable.
...Especially with those footsteps.
They were getting closer, bit by bit.
Heading this way from afar?
"...Turn back?"
"..."
Another question from Hyun Tae-jin.
I pondered briefly, then answered.
"...Let's go see first."
"Huh? But..."
"It'll probably be fine... probably."
"...Why repeat 'probably'?"
"Just be ready to run, you know."
"..."
If I'd heard the same sound yesterday, I wouldn't say this.
But after what Lee Chae-hwa told me today, I had a guess.
'Troll, ogre, ent...'
'Probably a bipedal giant monster... or a heteroclite of that level.'
'...Neither should be in this zone.'
No chance of either.
Trolls were deep-zone 'Goblin City' fare, ogres didn't even spawn in cave maps.
...Unless.
A player chose 'heteroclite'.
"...This really okay?"
"Yeah. Probably... Chae-hwa's survivor group."
"Huh? Group... oh."
Hyun Tae-jin must've heard too.
He might not know Pavarintos ogres, but anyone who's gamed knows ogres.
"...Or what then?"
"Dunno. What to do..."
"..."
"Kidding. We'll hear voices once we're close. Judge from that."
"...Ah, you had a plan!"
...Not really.
Still, it was a decent way to tell.
A clan wouldn't be solo.
Voices before sights—easy to judge.
But...
'...Why's it wandering?'
No clue why an ogre that should be lounging in clan territory was out here.
...Already reached their zone?
Faster than expected.
If not...
[Rumble-]
[Moooo-!!]
"Hey, Do-hwa."
"..."
"That sound just now..."
"...Let's go see."
...Yeah.
If not that, only one possibility.
A case needing ogre muscle.
Looks like we weren't the ones who pissed off the goblin tribe.
.
.
.
In Pavarintos, ogres were treated as civilized.
They invented writing, built societies, lived in communities.
—Or integrated into those of others.
Ogres leaned toward the latter, but anyway.
Essentially, like humans or goblins, they were heteroclites—subhumans.
....Yet players remembered them as beasts or monsters, probably due to their overwhelming presence.
Towering height.
Massive frame bulging with muscle.
In-game, ogres felt less like creatures and more like walking houses.
Not flawless, but their raw power was arguably the strongest of all races.
And...
[Thud-]
...Not through a monitor, but face-to-face in reality, the ogre was utterly overwhelming.
At the tunnel's end lay an open clearing with forks.
As expected, a battle raged.
But...
Under the dim blue glow, it looked more like a massacre.
First to catch the eye: a giant twice human height.
Shabby attire.
A rough sackcloth of stitched hides, a log club in hand.
But.
That shabby ogre's power was catastrophic.
"Mrooo-!!"
[-Crunch.]
The log smashed a charging giant slime slug's head.
The slug's neck snapped, teeth spraying from its maw across the clearing.
"Mrooook-"
The slug twisted in rage and charged again. The ogre countered, swinging the relatively thin—ogre standards—log like a bat at the beast.
After a brief clash, a victor emerged.
[Thud-]
"Mrooook-"
The ogre ripped out the eyes on the slug's antennae, then slammed the log's blunt end into its fallen head.
[Squelch-]
The massive beast's skull pulped, pale fluids splattering everywhere.
"...Ga, Garta..."
Hope crushed?
The goblin rider atop the slug and his tribesmen paled.
Over twenty goblins in the clearing, but none stepped up.
They muttered in their unintelligible tongue, then backed away hesitantly.
—What followed was a one-sided slaughter.
...Or not even that.
More like squashing bugs for fun.
[Whoosh-]
[-Crack]
Each ogre swing sent 2~3 goblins flying into walls.
A couple lunged in mad screams, spears glancing off thick hide with mere scratches.
It didn't take long to wrap up.
Kicking, stomping, clubbing the horde—done in about two minutes.
"..."
"..."
After that brief span,
the clearing fell into eerie silence...
"Urp—bleeegh!"
...Until the seemingly fine ogre hunched over and vomited.
"Hyun Yoon-hyung!"
"Bro, you good?"
Two people emerged from the clearing's rear, patting the ogre's back.
"...Ugh, stomach's churning... queasy... urp."
The ogre retched again, hand over mouth, as people emerged one by one, grimacing at goblin corpses.
Staring at the bizarre scene, I met Hyun Tae-jin's eyes.
"Do-hwa. This is..."
"...Looks like we found them."
Seems we'd come to the right place.