Chapter 166. Rain, Mud, and Fire (3)
Translator: Seven ED: Sasha PR: LightBrin
[Fire Painting] wasn't the only trait the goblins were in danger of losing.
'It's probably because they were suppressed by the snails for a long time.'
I thought of the second trait whose status window had changed.
[Greed]
Rank: B
Effect: The Goblin Race is filled with greed. Perhaps it is because of their shame for being too ugly. Or maybe the Goblin Race wants to be recognized for their possessions instead of themselves. 'Kerk! I just put on warm mud!', 'Kerk! I just covered myself with premium mud from the head of the stream!'.
They desire to be the most distinguished.
They long to be even greater.
In the hearts of the Goblin Race, their inferiority complexes, low self-esteem, and desires for greatness combine to create a powerful form of greed. Maybe the Goblin Race will crave shiny treasures. Or maybe they'll catch slaves and brag about whose slaves are prettier. The Goblin Race are greedy, and with this greed comes potential.
How their 'greed' develops will depend on you.
※However, this trait can change depending on how history progresses.
※Caution! After a long period of oppression, the Goblins have become aloof to their desires. They have given up on the thought of coveting things since they wouldn't get it anyway. If they continue to fail in 'gaining their desires', their greed will disappear.
'Hmm.'
Greed meant desire. Being greedy meant to covet something. Greed, desire, covet. Although these words all had negative nuances…
My thoughts were a little different.
'It's better than having no desires at all.'
-Well, that's just your opinion.
Bae Hu-ryeong scratched the back of his head.
-Desire is like a river. If you build a dam and block it, it will build up until it overflows, and if you cover it with a lid to prevent it from overflowing, it will become stagnant and rotten. Where will the rotten water go? It will seep into the ground around it and corrode it.
Bae Hu-ryeongs voice was very serious.
-You have to release the river. And if you're going to release it, then it has to be big. So that it all flows in one direction. I think that will determine the direction of their lives.
'This disciple's thoughts are the same. Teacher.'
-Hey, hey, who the hell is your teacher? I never had a disciple as stubborn as you.
'How do tadpoles learn to swim? They learn by watching frogs. Mr. Sword Emperor. You are my frog, and I am your tadpole.'
-Crazy bastard…
Side by side, we tried to devise a plan, like the perfect example of teacher and disciple.
'Now then. What is the best direction to direct their [Greed].'
I didn't have to think about it for very long.
Before I could find the answer, and even before Bae Hu-ryeong could find the answer, someone else found the answer and brought it to us.
Well, to be precise, not 'someone', but many 'someones'.
-Kekerkker!
It had been three weeks since we'd begun our journey home.
Behind me, the goblins began to make a fuss. The children, who had been following me obediently, urgently ran forward. I turned my head to see what was going on, and my eyes met Gorke's.
-There are soldiers behind us! Ker!
'Soldiers?'
I directed my aura towards my eyes and looked out over the horizon.
The first thing that I noticed was a cloud of dust. The weather was clear, but there was a large cloud of dust in the distance. This meant that it wasn't natural, and instead had been formed by a large number of animals moving together.
I enhanced my vision even further.
'Mm.'
Hundreds of hounds.
Were galloping across the plains towards us.
Regardless of whether dogs were pack animals or not, there was no way that hundreds of them would gather on their own. As if to prove this, it soon became clear that each hound was carrying something on their backs.
-It's the snails!
The snails were clinging to the hounds' backs.
-The snails are chasing us! Kerk! Battle formations! Battle formations!
-All the young ones get in the middle! Be careful not to step on them!
Horse riding soldiers.
No, dog riding soldiers* were currently charging at us. (TL: I will call them cavalry from now on… but you get the memo.)
5.
The snail cavalry reacted quickly.
-Rime!
-Drive them to the riverside! Keep your distance!
As soon as they saw the goblin's battle formations, the snails gave up their charge. Instead, they slowly began forcing their prey in the direction they wanted. By lightly pressing against the goblins' weak ranks, they were able to force them to step back.
-Kerrk…!
-Don't break ranks! Match your steps with those beside you!
The goblins had the advantage of numbers, but among them were young children and the elderly. They had no choice but to choose a formation that protected the weak and elderly. The goblins focused on defense, and the snails took the initiative to attack because of their mobility. Without rushing, the snail cavalry calmly began driving us to the riverside.
'They're pretty good.'
I thought while protecting the goblins from the front.
'I thought the military power of the snails wouldn't be a problem after the collapse of Rimepolis.'
-If they didn't have a good military, it would have been impossible for them to rule over the other six races. Didn't you win only because all six races rebelled at the same time?
'Well, that's true. It's well thought out.'
I had been on the frontlines of many battles on the 11th floor for the [Aegim Empire]. In other words, I knew a thing or two about battle strategy.
-Buuuuu.
The snails blew horns to control the speed of their march. Sometimes they slowly advanced and increased the pressure, and sometimes they rushed forward as if they were about to charge.
-Rime!
When the encirclement was completed, a snail, who seemed to be the general of this army, stepped forward.
This general skillfully rode a hound that was much larger than those of the other cavalrymen. Did the snails use their mucus as an adhesive? Unlike horse riding cavalry, the snails used neither saddles nor stirrups.
-I'm here to inform you mold bastards!
The snail general shouted.
-Your little 'slave rebellion' has been subjugated! Rimepolis has overcome its defeat and risen up. The twelve cities of our great empire have formed a massive army and are now hunting down the remnants. This is proof!
The general put a tentacle into its shell and withdrew something round. Then he raised it high into the air and threw it at us.
It was the head of a sprite.
But the general didn't stop there. Instead, he continued throwing one head after the other. Mermaid, vampire, human, elf. A head for each race rolled one after the other.
-Look carefully! Rime! This is the fate of the slaves that dared to rebel against our great Snail Empire! Our anger is large and fierce. These are not the first to be punished, and they will not be the last. Molds, if you don't want your dirty heads to become blood covered stepping stones, then surrender immediately!
-Ke-, kerr.
The goblins shrank back.
-Did they subjugate the other races already?
-That's a lie. It can't be. The snails' world is already over.
-I don't want to go back to hell, ker…
Mm.
'They are shaking our morale.'
-What are you going to do?
'I'll just expose that fraud over there.'
I stepped forward.
The goblins immediately stopped whispering and looked at me from behind. There was a small space between the snails and the goblins. In the middle of that, I stood, silently staring at the snail general.
[Purchased 'Oracle Message'.]
[20 Race Points have been deducted!]
[You currently have 50 race points.]
I'm sorry, snails of this world.
I'm one step ahead of your trick.
I used the oracle message and sent words directly into the head of the snail general.
[The White Lion sees through your deceit!]
Flinch.
The tentacles of the snail general, who was proudly riding his hound, trembled. I wasn't too familiar with snail physiology, but I could tell he was nervous.
It was simple.
'You couldn't have suppressed all the rebels.'
If the snails had won, the tower would have informed me with a message saying that the rebellion had failed. Or that the other races had returned to being slaves.
'I have received any notifications yet.'
The reason was obvious.
The snail general was threatening us with lies.
'Well. I have the benefit of the system, which allowed me to figure it out… So it's a matter of using whatever you can.'
I opened my mouth and took a deep breath.
Then I let out a loud lion's roar.
"Roaaar-!"
My roar rang out across the plains. Startled, the hounds' bodies squirmed and twisted. The snails didn't fall off only because of their excellent adhesion, but they still raised a fuss.
-Th-, the molds' god…
-It's one of the false gods that descended and brought calamity to the city.
-Those bastards did something disrespectful to Rime in Rimepolis. Idiots! There's nothing wrong with serving Rime and receiving his blessings.
From the snails' perspectives, I was an evil god. But an evil god was still a god. When they witnessed the goblins' god, they couldn't help but falter and lose their momentum.
'Good.'
I saw an opportunity.
An opportunity to revive the goblins' [Greed].
[Purchased 'Oracle Message'.]
[20 Race Points have been deducted!]
[You currently have 30 race points.]
Despite clearing the 31st floor, participating in the great escape on the 32nd floor, liberating the slaves, and finding a way to continue the [Fire Painting] heritage, I had not received any race points.
The reason for this would be explained in the future, but now was not the time.
'This is enough.'
I used some of my remaining points to buy another Oracle Message.
Then, I sent another message to the snail general.
[The White Lion proposes an honorable duel.]
The snail general flinched again. He must have been afraid because an evil god was talking to him.
However, that didn't prevent the general from asking a question.
-Rime. An honorable duel…?
"Krrr."
Hearing it a thousand times couldn't compare to seeing it once.
I turned around and walked towards the goblins. While the goblins all looked at me in confusion, I stopped in front of a certain one.
'Hey.'
It was Gorke.
'Get on.'
-……
Gorke's expression darkened.
-L-, Lord Kekerkker. It is a great honor for you to stand in front of a humble servant like me. I hope that Lord Kekerkker will continue until you find what you want.
'I did.'
I bent my forelimbs and took a position that would make it easier for him to climb onto my back.
'Get on.'
-Kerup!
Gorke hiccuped.
He looked at me with eyes that were pleading for mercy.
-I, I don't know why the Great White Lion is doing this in front of me. It's very strange. Can any of you guess what the White Lion is trying to say, ker?
The other goblins looked at each other and whispered.
-I think he wants him to ride on his back…?
-No matter how you look at it, it looks like he wants him to get on.
Gorke opened his mouth desperately.
-Kerurup! How could believers like us ride on the back of the White Lion? Blasphemy! There must be some other holy meaning that we cannot even begin to understand!
I bent my hind legs.
Then I tapped my back with my tail.
The goblins thought deeply.
-As expected, it seems that he's telling you to ride him…?
-If you don't ride him, he might become angry…
-Wouldn't it be blasphemous to not obey the White Lion's command? Gork?
Gorke sobbed.
'Brat.'
I used the last of my points to directly send an Oracle Message to Gorke.
[The White Lion says to get on his back quickly, otherwise, he will kill you.]
In the end, the sobbing Gorke got onto my back.
When they saw Gorke's tears, the people around us cheered.
-Look! Kirukerup's grandson, Gorke, has obtained the favor of the White Lion!
-He's so moved that he even began to cry! Gor!
-He's crying! But he deserves to cry! This is an honor that will be passed down to his later generations!
-How lucky!
Gorke sobbed harder.
-Kerr… It's not that. You're wrong… Kekerkker isn't the God you think he is… He's not a god, he's more like a big brother. A very bad big brother…
Of course, Gorke's voice was buried by the cheering of the others cand couldn't be heard.
Untruthful cries always went unheard.
Without anyone understanding the tears he shed, Gorke was carried on my back until we stood in front of the snail general.
-……Indeed.
The snail general looked at me, then at Gorke on my back.
-So that's what you meant by honorable duel. I understand.
The general waved his antennae.
-I heard that you molds didn't participate in the slaughter of my compatriots in Rimepolis. Rime. It is your destiny to rot in the salt mines, but we will take into consideration the fact that you didn't participate in the massacre.
This might also be Rime's will, the general muttered under his breath.
Then, he turned his head and shouted towards his army.
-The dirty molds and their god have offered us a duel! It's funny that a slave who used to break rocks in a pit thinks it can fight us! Men! Is there any soldier in my army willing to break this mold's nose!
-……
-I swear on my antennae that I will give the soldier who wins the duel a glorious life! Wealth! Slaves! Honor! No matter what it is. All you need to do is break this mold's nose!
There was a stir among the snail soldiers.
And after a while, a snail strode out with its hound
-Rimu! I would be honored!
It was a large hound indeed.
In all honesty, I wasn't sure if it was fair to call it a hound. This beast, which was as large as a lion and had three pairs of feet, seemed a bit much to be called a dog.
It wasn't just the dog that had a lot of legs.
-The Helix Apostle's heir has stepped out!
The snail on its back also had more tentacles than the other snails. Four tentacles held four swords at the same time, and each time the tentacles swayed, the swords cut through the air. Swish! Swish! All the snails were awed by the brilliant swordsmanship.
-Ohh. A high ranking noble!
-Wow… The Helix Apostle's heir is terrifying…
-He must have received the blessing of Rime!
They were a funny species.
'Do they judge nobility based on the amount of tentacles they have?'
-Seems like it.
'It's pretty weird.'
-Right. It's really exotic.
'Huh?'
-Huh?
As Bae Hu-ryeong and I judged the strangeness of the snail race, the snail soldier, the heir of the Helix Apostle, approached us.
-I am from one of the seven families that govern Canyon City, a member of Lekamurime, and the heir of the Helix Apostle! Seimsalam! Servant of the evil god! Name yourself!
Gorke was intimidated by the dazzling self introduction.
-G-, Gorke, grandson of Kirukerup…
-Are you the priest?!
-Kerr. The priest died.
-A noble?!
-We do not have nobles, kerk…
-So a lowly slave.
The snail soldier twisted his tentacles.
This was probably a gesture that was made to mock the other person.
-Today, I will show you the dignity of those loved by Rime! Heeya!
The snail charged forward with his hound.
His four swords clashed in the air, making noisy clanging sounds. It seemed that he was using the sound to build his momentum before the fight. I wondered who would be frightened by such a ridiculous sight, but the coward on my back immediately showed me.
-Ker! Kerrrr!
Gorke grabbed my mane and cried.
-Why me?! Why did it have to be like this?! You demon! As I expected, I was deceived by a demon!
"Krrrng."
Hey. Don't worry.
Trust this big brother!
I'll make you a hero!
~~~
(TL: Hey guys, so I noticed that quite a few people are asking for more chapters. And after thinking about it for a while, I think I have the time to increase the rate a bit. So I will be doing 2-3 chapters a week (Mon-Sun) starting from this week.
Most of you should be aware of it by now, but I am from a third world country. A consequence of this is that I'm a frequent sufferer of power cuts and loss of internet connection. This is on top of other issues like being busy with work or being sick.
I'm saying this to say that there might be times when I miss releases because of those reasons. I always feel like I 'owe' it to everyone to keep the release rate I set, so in the event I miss a release, I usually do my best to make it up in the following week, or whenever I have the time.
So if by chance you notice that there weren't as many chapters as you were promised, just know that you will get it.
Thank you all for reading.)
PR: LightBrin here, just warning you all in the discord, don't ask for chapters please. Seven might not mind it, but people need to pick up the habit so that they don't do it for other series. Translators have a life that comes with problems you know. Take care and I hope you continue to enjoy this series. ?
ED Sasha: I can't agree more with what light said. I have some experience translating and let me tell you it ain't easy at all. Least of all with the proficiency of translators at Woopread and with such speed. So please just keep in mind and thanks for your support.
Chapter 167. Rain, Mud, and Fire (4)
Translator: Seven PR: LightBrin ED: Sasha
-Rime! I'll cut off your nose with a single slice!
The noble soldier rushed in without any hesitation.
'Oh?'
Nevertheless, he looked pretty interesting.
He didn't use one or two swords like a human would. Instead, as if he were using the Four Swords Style(1), he swung four swords at the same time, slicing towards the top, bottom, left, and right at the same time.
'Heh.'
This was a feat that could only be performed because he was a snail who had extra tentacles.
I'd been in many battles before, but [this] was my first time seeing [that] kind of swordsmanship.
'The top and bottom are fake. They're just bluffs.'
I quickly grasped the intricacies of the opponent's sword attack with a single glance.
'The left and right are real… The left is an attack. But the right is the true attack. The sword on the left is faster. Okay. If the left sword is blocked, the right would dig into the other side.'
-Kuh.
Behind me, Bae Hu-ryeong sighed as if he was moved.
-I had heard that even the dog at a street stall could learn to cook ramen after three years. Kim Zombie. You're finally starting to understand a thing or two.
'I am the Young Master of the Demonic Sect. Uncle.'
-Who are you calling uncle?
In any case… I had to say…
'It's weird that simple race differences led to a completely different swordsmanship.'
-Huh? Isn't that natural?
'Yeah. But it's the fact that it's natural to develop different arts depending on your body that's interesting. Hmmm. This reminds me of the Demonic Path's martial arts. I wonder if it would help me refine my Infernal Heavens Demonic Art…'
-Dude, are you really gonna study snail swordsmanship now?
'I'm just taking a look.'
I skillfully leaned down and pierced through the opening in the attack pattern. Then I used my feet to gently knock the swords from the snail soldier's tentacles.
-Rime?!
The snail spread its antennae in shock.
'I'm sorry, guy.'
This was never going to be a fair fight.
'There's a clear difference in skill.'
The snail soldier didn't know how to use aura, nor did he know how to coat his tentacles and swords with it. I, on the other hand, had received the evaluation of [Having talent for Naegong(2)] from Bae Hu-ryeong. So it was impossible for the soldier to keep up with me.
No matter how amazing a cavalryman's horsemanship was, it would never be faster than a plane, even if it was piloted by a novice.
Even though I said he was a novice, it wouldn't be long before he graduated.
-E-, Evil God! Great Rime! Give me strength!
The snail swung his swords with even more enthusiasm, but it didn't make a difference. He was unable to cut even a single strand of my hair. As though I was playing a rhythm game, I occasionally tapped on the snail's swords.
-Kerrp?! Ker!
Of course, I was only explaining it leisurely from my perspective.
For Gorke, all he could see were swords flying towards him.
-Spare me! Spare this goblin! Kekerkker, save m-… Isn't Kekerkker the demon? I'm screwed! Gorke is screwed!
'Tch.'
It was pathetic.
I'd even given my all to prepare the perfect stage in his dreams. I taught him aura. No matter how scared of death he was, shouldn't he at least show a bit of bravery at this moment? Let's say he really was in danger of dying. This was the time when he should be trying to help himself.
-Hey. Zombie.
'Yeah?'
-The way you treat this goblin is very um…
'Um? Um what?'
-It reminds me of when someone was teaching someone else… I can't tell who the someone or the other someone is, but I think I knew the someone and someone, or maybe I'm mistaken? (TL: sentences like this… T~T)
'I don't know what you're talking about. If you're gonna keep reciting nonsensical rhymes, then just watch.'
-Huh… Fine… I just feel sorry for the goblin. I never felt sorry for a human in my entire life, but the day has come when I felt sorry for a goblin…
What the hell was this ghost saying?
"Krrng."
I focused on defense. I just hit away the snail soldier's swords with my claws, but I didn't attack him at all.
It wasn't me who had to defeat this snail.
It was up to Gorke
'This is for the Goblins.'
I waited patiently.
-Ker. kerrk…?
I wasn't sure how much time passed.
But when Gorke seemed to finally realize [there was no threat to his life, he began to relax a little. He stopped begging, and instead looked at what was happening in front of him.
-…gerrp….
'That's right.'
Face it.
The first step was to look at what was happening in front of you.
'That's it.'
This time, I was more aggressive in hitting the sword of the snail soldier away. My claws pushed the blades back hard.
-Rime?!
In an instant, the snail's body was full of openings.
If I was to swing my claws again, that would be the end. Without any time to block, the soldier would be directly cut in half.
But I didn't do it.
I stayed still.
-……!
The snail noble's face turned red. The skin of the snail race was fairly transparent, so it was obvious that the change of color was because of blood rushing to his head.
The snail swung his swords more fervently.
-Y-, you're insulting me!
I was not.
-I will not bring disgrace to my family! Rime!
If I had to pick someone here who was being disgraced, it would be me.
'Gorke was a slave not so long ago, but now he is fighting against a noble. You are a warrior who is bravely fighting against an Evil God. Regardless of the outcome, you deserve to be praised.'
But what about me?
I was like a god in this world, but now, I was toying with a noble soldier.
The act of picking on the weak when you are strong didn't go against the doctrine of the Demonic Sect, but it still wasn't very mature.
'Sorry.'
But it can't be helped.
'I'm responsible for these children.'
A good parent didn't mind being insulted on behalf of their children. A good teacher wasn't afraid of being mocked for the sake of their students. Those who believed that there were things more precious than themselves wouldn't hesitate to accept disgrace.
Then what about a god?
'I am now a Constellation who watches over an entire race.'
I didn't care if I would be insulted for taking care of these children, and I could tolerate being mocked. I could bear the humiliation of putting down my sword for a while for these little ones who had been imprisoned as slaves.
'Now, Gorke!'
I would even enjoy being insulted.
'And the other little goblins as well! Look! These are the snails you were afraid of. He is a member of the nobles who lorded over you. This is all they are.'
With a loud 'clang!', I hit the noble's swords away once again. And again, the snail's tentacles spread, revealing an opening. It was similar to the opening I'd created before, but Gorke had only stared blankly.
'Is he not confident that he can face him one on one?'
But this time was different.
'If you're not confident, then I'll make you.'
As if something had possessed him, Gorke swung his arm.
A red aura covered the goblin's thin arm.
Thud!
-Ah?
An unexpected groan was heard.
The snail noble looked down at his body in confusion, and the young goblin looked at his fist with a blank stare.
A fist mark.
A bright red mark had been engraved on the snail's body as if it was stamped.
'Nice shot.'
I smiled inwardly.
'That's enough.'
In the next moment, the snail bent over and vomited.
-Kuek! Cough, cough… blek!
Digestive fluids poured onto the head of the hound that carried the snail. Fortunately, the snails' diets consisted mostly of soups and stews, so there weren't any solids in the vomit, but the hound wasn't very pleased nonetheless.
-Wa! Kiking, wahr!
The giant hound struggled to get the slimy vomit off of its head. It shook like a mountain during an earthquake and ran towards the snail army. Clinging tightly to its back, the noble soldier was also carried away.
-Gueeek!
Even as it was carried, the iridescent vomit continued to flow.
Gorke opened and closed his fist with an expression of disbelief.
-Gorrk…
After that, the challengers continued to come.
Not only the nobles of the snail race, but also the private soldiers of the nobles, soldiers who were confident in their fighting ability, and soldiers seeking riches. A total of 11 snails came forward requesting to duel.
But none of them were able to get past my claws.
As I'd said before, it was impossible for them to fight me in the first place.
-……
The longer he fought, the less Gorke spoke.
-Gorke! Gorke! Gorke!
But as his winning streak increased, the goblins behind us went wild.
'How is it?'
I deliberately paused between each match. Instead of accepting the duels right away, I walked leisurely in front of the goblins.
Like a victorious fighter, Gorke sat proudly on my back.
'Isn't he cool?'
He caught the eyes of the other goblins.
'Aren't you envious?'
It tickled the hearts of the goblins.
'You want to be like this too, don't you?'
It painted their hearts with desire.
'Fire Painting isn't the only beautiful thing in the world. Mud isn't the only thing that smells nice. Achieving victory in a fight. Facing a challenge and overcoming it. These are also as beautiful as Fire Painting and smell as nice as mud.'
It was clear that the goblins had already fallen in love with the beauty of a duel and were intoxicated by the scent of victory.
If that wasn't the case, their eyes wouldn't sparkle like that.
It was exactly these smiles and sparkling eyes that I wanted to see the most in this world.
'Accept your envy as it is. Long for more. Dream of it. Life only becomes vivid when it flows in a direction. Envy will whisper the direction of that flow to you. Be the water that flows to your dreams, not the alcohol that stagnates and rots.'
I'd felt it when I saw them fighting in the colosseum.
Every goblin had fighting spirit sleeping within them.
The goblins considered 'Gyari', who'd died in the colosseum as a strange exception in their race. They'd even mentioned her strangeness at her funeral. But if Gyari loved to fight, then there were definitely other goblins who were the same.
"Krrk!"
I slapped away the sword of the eleventh challenger.
'The White Lion is by your side.'
Although I was only a fake constellation, I wanted to be remembered as the being they believed in.
I hit the twelfth challenger's sword away.
[The Goblin Race has opened its eyes to the beauty of dueling.]
The tower's voice sounded in my head.
[The Goblin Race desires the honor of victory.]
[The Goblin Race yearns for the spirit of challenge.]
Perhaps the tower had its own set of aesthetics and procedures, so it always sent notifications, but at least in this case, it was unnecessary.
[The trait of the Goblin Race 'Greed' has changed!]
After all, I could tell just by looking at the goblins' fanatical expressions.
[The Goblin Race has gained the trait 'Competitive Spirit'!]
Words appeared before my eyes.
[Competitive Spirit]
Classification: Guided. Collective Subconscious.
Origin: [Greed(B)]
Description: The Goblin Race is greedy. But this greed does not come from vulgarity, but rather the deficiencies in life. In the eyes of every race, Goblins are ugly, so from the moment they opened their eyes, they were plagued with deficiencies.
'Life is only life when it flows into the world.'
From now on, the Goblin Race will not blame the world for their deficiencies, but will challenge the world instead.
'If it must flow, I'd rather it be a stream.'
The Goblin Race believes that they too can become strong. They believe that their desires can be achieved. The sword is a symbol of their faith, dueling is a process of their faith, and victory is the proof of their faith.
'More vehemently!'
The Goblin Race will be endlessly greedy.
A more honorable duel. A more glorious victory.
The Goblins will constantly try to obtain tokens of their faith, and perhaps this tragedy will never end. But it doesn't matter. The Goblins are willing to shed tears for this tragedy and applaud those heroes who failed
※However, Aura users might be treated as a privileged class.
※This trait can change depending on how history progresses.
Thump.
As the thirteenth challenger was defeated, a drop of liquid fell onto my mane.
-Gorr, krr. Gor.
At first, I thought it was sweat that Gorke had shed. After all, in the first duel of his life, Gorke, who was covered in sweat, had already faced thirteen different opponents. He was slowly reaching the state of mental exhaustion before becoming physically exhausted. He had already been pushed to the point that it was becoming difficult to even use his aura any more.
But it wasn't sweat.
It was rain.
-Gor?
-Ke?
The goblins looked up at the sky in disbelief.
Tuk, tuk, tuk…
It began to rain. The raindrops fell onto the goblins' large noses and bounced off. Unable to withstand the force of gravity, the drops that landed on their bodies slowly rolled down.
-Rain.
-It's kerkke…
-It's rain.
-It's really water falling from the sky…
The goblins opened their mouths and drank the rainwater. Compared to when they saw the Fire Painting in the cave, or when they first left the cave and saw the sunset, the goblins were much more excited when they looked up at the rain.
-Gorrup. Gor, Gor!
-Kerkke! Kerkke!
The goblins spread their arms wide as though they wanted to hug the sky. They stomped their feet. The small puddles of water forming beneath their feet splashed, and the mud splattered as well. Some goblins even directly dropped to the ground and rolled in the mud.
It would be wrong to call it sacred.
But it would also be wrong to not call it that.
-……
The snail general picked up his horn.
-This is troublesome. I assembled a unit as quickly as I could in the city and rushed over here but the river will overflow because of the rain. The dirty molds will easily be able to cross the river… But the water is too rough for the hounds to swim. Rime. How can mere mortals stand up to an immortal? Is this the doing of the evil god?
The general muttered as he turned his hound around.
-Or is this the will of Rime?
Then he shouted to the hundreds of cavalrymen behind him.
-We'll stop chasing the molds here!
-But we're the tentacles of Canyon City, that…
-Rime. This is my decision. We shouldn't sacrifice our lives to the immortals here. Instead, we should join White Mountain City in their pursuit of the humans. Soldiers, move out!
Buuuu-
The sound of the horn pierced the rain. The snails patted their hounds with their tentacles, and the hounds kicked their hind legs, soon disappearing behind the curtain of rain and leaving nothing but a long shadow.
Buuuu…
The horn's sound continued for a little longer than the shadow before finally fading as well.
Now, the only sound they could hear was that of the rain falling.
"……"
I looked in the direction that the dog cavalry had disappeared in for a while. As expected of cavalry, they came like the wind and left just as quickly. Looking at that army, I could see why the Heretic Questioner was so confident, even when it appeared that he was losing to us.
"Grrr."
I turned back to the goblins.
Those children were happily playing in the rain and rubbing mud on their bodies.
'I did everything I could.'
After leading them to Guru, I would have fulfilled all of my responsibilities.
'The time to wrap this stage up is slowly approaching.'
But before that.
I watched the goblins running around in front of me.
'Cute things.'
And smiled inwardly.
~~~
(Note:
1. The Four Swords Style(四刀流) is the sword technique used by Kaku in One Piece.
2. Naegong, also spelled nei kung, neigung, or neigong, refers to any of a set of Chinese breathing, meditation and spiritual practice disciplines associated with Daoism and especially the Chinese martial arts.)
Chapter 168. The Gap Between Master and Friend (1)
Translator: Seven ED: Sasha PR: LightBrin
1.
About a week after we chased away the snail army, the goblins finally arrived at their destination.
[The Goblin Race has returned to their homeland.]
[Quest Clear!]
[You have safely rescued the Goblins from Rimepolis.]
[As a reward for completing the quest, you will receive race points…]
Since it was the reward for completing the 32nd floor, I thought the points would be quite generous.
I only had about 100 race points when combined with what I had before.
'At least I can find some use for it.'
After thinking this, I looked at the goblin's homeland.
Guru.
The homeland that the goblins had missed dearly… wasn't in a very good state.
To be honest, it would be better to call it a ruin.
-Well, that's natural.
Bae Hu-ryeong shrugged.
-With no one living in it, the village would be covered in weeds in an instant. After my hometown was destroyed, I went back a while later, but it had already become a jungle.
'Eh, that kind of thing happened?'
-Of course. I'm a man with a great past. If I were to write an autobiography, it would be a masterpiece with 39 volumes in the first book, 22 volumes in the second, and 13 side stories.
'I feel like those numbers are strangely specific…'
-Even after dying and becoming a ghost I could still write a glorious three part masterpiece. And after you die, when I possess someone else, I'll add some more side stories.
'Please stop there!'
I looked back at the old village. And all I could see were weeds. Plants had completely taken over Guru.
Traces that someone had once lived here had all disappeared. Now, only a few crude pillars and statues that the goblins had made a long time ago remained with moss covering them.
-Oh.
Among them was a statue that was vaguely familiar. I wasn't familiar with the statue because I'd seen it before, but because I knew what it had been sculpted after.
White stone. A mane carved by clumsy hands, large fangs…
-They even made you a statue?
It was me.
-You picked a white lion, so they used white stone to create it. Hey, that's a lot of work. They did their best.
'I know.'
I looked around slowly, wondering what was so good about this overgrown place. The goblins had put down all their belongings and were prancing about happily. There were even goblins who used the hammers they got from Rimepolis to knock down trees. They seemed eager to make a place to live in as quickly as possible.
'I'm not their master.'
The boundary between master and friend. Among all the people closest to a person, I think only their parents had the right to choose.
Parents could act as masters or friends. But that choice was probably not up to the children, but their parents.
'There's something I should tell them before I leave this stage.'
That night.
Using the 100 points I had left, I bought an item from the store.
[Purchased 'Dream Appearance'.]
[100 points have been deducted!]
[You currently have 0 race points.]
[All other race points have either been invested or are currently unavailable……]
I entered Gorke's dreams.
"Hey, brat. Long time no see."
-Kirrrr?! De-, demon!
I received a warm welcome.
"Huhu. If you treat me that nicely, I'll feel shy… You must have missed me after not seeing me for so long. I'm sorry that I can't read your mind."
-If you're really sorry then please stop entering my dreams!
Gorke jumped up and down.
-I thought I was going to die last time while fighting those snails!
"Hey, you didn't die, did you? Everything that can't beat you will eventually be beaten by you. Gorke, don't get beaten up by the world, you must live a life where you beat up the world."
-Y-, your mouth is still filthy. How can you say such filthy things? Ker. Whether you're a god or a demon, I wish you'd speak nicer… You're so cool when you're a lion, but you become like this in my dreams….
Gorke muttered to himself, an expression as though his fantasy had been broken on his face. I didn't deny what this little guy said, instead I said something else.
"That's it!"
-Gork?
"The goblins are currently filled with sweet fantasies. You have this fantasy that I am your savior, wonderful and perfect, and that I'll take care of you unconditionally. But the real me is a bit devilish as you said."
-A bit…?
Gorke made a philosophical expression at that moment. Perhaps the first philosopher of the goblin race was about to be born. If he ended up leaving words like, 'All things are made of kerk!', then students in the future would certainly suffer.
"You are the only one who knows who I truly am. I am not the god you think I am. Instead, I am more like a helper and an advisor. Gorke, you have the responsibility of spreading this truth to your friends and family."
-Ke! I don't want to. That sounds annoying!
"In the last fight, your aura was still unrefined and didn't reach a satisfactory level. Let's restart your training in your dreams from today. Perhaps a year would be enough time for you to learn."
-Gorke loves the truth! Gorke will definitely share the truth!
Gorke was brimming with passion. I was happy to see it.
-B-but I have a question.
"Mm?"
-If you are not our god, then why does Kekerkker take care of us? Why do you care about us? Why did you save us from the calamity in the beginning, and why did you rescue us from the snails? I don't understand why Kekerkker would do that…
"First of all, it's because you guys are really adorable…"
-Ker? Are your eyes broken?
This bastard.
"Actually, it's because I'm not very different from you guys. There's almost no difference. So if I had to pick a reason… It's because you guys are a bit like me."
-Like you? That's strange. Kekerkker is not like us at all.
"I'm not talking about looks."
I scratched my head.
"I'd be worried about people who thought they look like you guys. To put it simply, I see myself in you. See my greed in your greed, and see my situation in your situation."
-Gor…?
"I care about you, because I care about myself."
I rubbed Gorke's head.
"Nevertheless, if you wish to serve me, think of me more as a close friend than a god. I would rather be treated with friendship than reverence. Trust is much better than faith."
-Friendship instead of reverence, trust instead of faith…
"Right. Think of me as a close friend that accompanies you from time to time. Wouldn't it be nicer to say 'I am a friend of god' than 'I am loved by god'?"
Gorke stared blankly at me.
[There are signs that the belief of the Goblin Race is changing!]
[The primitive religion 'White Lion Faith' is likely to gain a new doctrine.]
I smiled.
"I wish you the best of luck. I have to go away for a while. Make sure to teach the other children how to use aura. And let them know that I want to be your friend."
-Y-, you're leaving?
"That's right. I brought you to Guru, so I've already done my job. Next time I return, I'll be upset if I find that you were beaten up by the snails again."
I pinched Gorke's cheeks with both hands, causing funny 'gork, kerk' sounds to come out of his mouth.
"You have to teach the other children aura and what I'm really like. Oh. And I forgot to say this before."
"You did good in that last fight. It was pretty cool."
I tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"All the best."
Gorke opened his mouth to say something, but I swiftly left his dream. The longer the farewell carried on, the more regrets would follow, so it was better to leave as though we would see each other soon.
[Item usage has ended.]
I woke up from my dream.
As soon as I woke up, I ran out of Guru as quickly as I could. It was the middle of the night, and the goblins, who had returned home after weeks of travel, were all exhausted.
None of the children should have been able to follow me.
'Mm.'
Unexpectedly, I found a small presence trying desperately to follow me.
'Gorke.'
He'd called me a demon, but it seemed that he really liked me.
'I treated him roughly to avoid this…'
Feeling the heaviness of the bond between people, I moved a bit faster. Gorke persistently followed me, but he was unable to keep up with my speed. The distance between us just grew wider.
After running in the forest for a while, I could no longer feel his presence.
'Now then.'
I shook my mane with a soft 'krrng'.
'The other hunters should be thinking about it now as well.'
-Worried?
'Yeah. The Heretic Questioner already showed his crazy behavior of staying in the stage. And the tower allowed him to. Other people might think [isn't this better than going out?] too.'
A so-called battle of wits.
'The problem is, only the Heretic Questioner would do something that crazy.'
Lasting hundreds of years like this?'
Hundreds of years could become thousands of years, couldn't it?
'Only someone who is 130% a pure psycho like the Heretic Questioner would do something like that.'
Furthermore, the Heretic Questioner had been eliminated from this stage.
Because he couldn't stop the great escape of the slaves.
'In the end, everyone will have no choice but to give up and declare [Stage Clear]. I'm only hesitating because I might lose out if I declare clear first.'
-I see.
Bae Hu-ryeong nodded.
-Then what will you do?
'What can I do? In the end, someone will have to be first, and everyone else will follow.'
When I was far enough away from Guru, I muttered to myself.
'I declare stage clear.'
Swoosh!
White light enveloped my body.
[Stage Clear!]
[You have cleared the 32nd floor.]
[Your compensation will be settled after entering the 33rd floor.]
[Chain layers in progress—you will be sent directly to the 33rd floor!]
2.
The next moment, I found myself standing in a white space.
Before moving to the 33rd floor, it seemed that I would be staying in the waiting area again.
There was a hunter who had arrived here earlier than me, who declared [Stage Clear] first.
"Aha. You're here!"
The Heretic Questioner.
The only one who failed to accomplish his quest, who failed to clear the stage, waved his hand.
"I was waiting for you! Death King!"
"……"
"Although Rimepolis fell, the rest of the Snail Empire is still intact, but it seems that I automatically failed after failing the quest. It's too bad!"
"Hah."
I sighed.
"…I had a hard time in this stage because of you. No. Come to think of it, I've suffered a lot because of you before. It was the same in the [Tales of Somerwin Academy]."
"Huh? I was pretty calm at Somerwin Academy, wasn't I?"
"I'm sure you think so, but that wasn't the case from my perspective…"
The image of the Heretic Questioner laughing loudly as his ego was eaten by the evil lady was still etched in my mind.
"Mm. It was a long time ago, so maybe I don't remember the details correctly."
The Heretic Questioner put his hands behind his back. Flap. His blonde hair fluttered a bit.
"I worked non-stop for 200 years. I did my best! I assure you, even if I reach the top of the tower, I will never work as hard as I did for the Snail Empire. Do you understand, Death King? I used my ability to the fullest!"
"……"
"Nevertheless, I still lost to you in the end."
"That wasn't my intention."
I said.
"It's a loss for all of us"
"It doesn't matter!"
The Heretic Questioner shook his head adamantly.
"From rank 1 to rank 7, you are the one who united our companions. I dare to say that the odds were not in my favor for even a second! I won't embarrass myself by doing a full evaluation."
The Heretic Questioner chuckled.
"In the end, this is the limit of my skill! My judgment is worse than yours. My ethics are worse than yours. And my competence can't compare to yours. I'm relatively incompetent when compared to you."
"……"
"The judgments of the incompetent will lead to ruin. The deeds of the incompetent causes destruction. I don't want to be the one who presses the buttons of ruin and destruction! It is better to leave the judgments and deeds to someone more competent than I am."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's simple logic, Death King."
The Heretic Questioner smiled.
"I will take you as my master from now on."
Chapter 169. The Gap Between Master and Friend (2)
Translator: Seven ED: Sasha PR: LightBrin
Master.
"……"
I calmly looked at the man standing in front of me.
The fact that the Heretic Questioner wasn't using the word 'master' as a figure of speech was clear just from his smile. This man, who sometimes felt like an innocent child, did not know how to make a joke.
I couldn't help but ask.
"Just so we're clear. Heretic Questioner, by saying that you want to take me as your Master, does that mean you'll…"
"I will obey all of your commands."
The Heretic Questioner responded before I could finish my question.
"I will kill anyone you tell me to kill. And I will spare anyone you tell me to spare! As I said before, your judgment will be my judgment, and your actions will be my actions."
The Heretic Questioner lifted his hand and placed it on the right side of his chest. Then, he gave a slight bow which reminded me of a butler.
"I will be your most useful tool!"
"……"
"The best part of a good tool is that they [have a performance that remains consistent]. I don't mean to brag, but I do not believe there is a tool more useful than me when it comes to purging warlords, supervising the internal situation, and keeping the group together! Death King. You will always be able to count on my performance!"
To put it differently.
The Heretic Questioner was basically saying one thing.
[I will never change].
"You can count on me!"
The Heretic Questioner said these words with a bright smile.
When I saw him being so confident in his own inability to change, my heart ached for some reason.
「I feel like I've become a mischievous child after regaining my emotions!」
Because I knew the Heretic Questioner could change.
「I think I'm becoming addicted to feeling emotions.」
「Have you always lived with these emotions?」
I was the only one.
The only one who knew a side of him that even the Heretic Questioner had not experienced.
Beneath the white blossoms of the magnolia tree, the Heretic Questioner muttered.
「If I had done it like that back then. Or if I had done it like this. I wonder if I still would have lived a wandering life like this, filled with drifting thoughts.」
「This is why you all are so beautiful, and so lovely.」
「If I were like you all……」
I couldn't forget the words the Heretic Questioner had spoken at that time.
And I could guess the words he'd swallowed at the end.
[If I could feel emotions like you, I wonder if I could have lived a different life?]
I could tell because I had met many psychopaths.
The boundary that determined whether someone was a psychopath or not was usually connected to a small phrase.
'If only I could be like you.'
From the moment he could say those words.
For me, it showed he wasn't just a psycho, but a man who had unknowingly ended up living his current life.
"……Name."
I opened my mouth.
"Huh?"
"Your name. Not your title, your real name. The old man's name is Marcus Calenbury, and Venomous Snake's name is Liao Fan."
And the Count's real name was 'Nisha'. The Crusader had accidentally called the Count by her real name before. However, since the Count had never told me that directly, I pretended to not know.
The Sword Saint and Venomous Snake were the only two people among our group who told me their real names.
"Heretic Questioner. I would like to know your name."
"Ah."
The Heretic Questioner blinked.
"Is that an order?"
"Can you not tell me your name if it's a request and not an order?"
"That's right!"
"Why?"
"I. No. We made a pact with the Black Dragon Master a long time ago. [We were abandoned by the outside world. We are strangers who have thrown our nationalities, properties, ties and everything else into the dead sea. So let's also throw away the names we received from the outside world. From now on, when we refer to each other, let's use the names given to us by the Tower]"
Indeed.
'I didn't know they had such a pact.'
It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't a part of the original group that came to the Tower.
"The Black Dragon Master has complicated feelings about the outside world. She hates it, despises it even, but still longs for its approval. Hahaha. She's probably the most emotional out of all of us!"
The Heretic Questioner tilted his head to the side.
"In any case, the Sword Saint withdrew from our group. So he doesn't need to be tied down by our pact! And Venomous Snake wasn't a part of our pact in the first place. Nevertheless, I value promises. So, Death King, if you really want to know the name I had in the outside world…"
The Heretic Questioner narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Please order me to tell you."
"……"
"I will obey you."
I could tell.
This wasn't a question of whether he wanted to say his name or not.
It meant that he would prioritize my [orders] over his [pact] with the original members.
It was a pledge of his loyalty towards me.
'……can I take responsibility?'
I thought about it.
'Could I give this person a different life? Could a psychopath really be put in charge of another psychopath? I had the desire. And I had the greed. However, was I capable enough?'
I looked at the Heretic Questioner.
Without saying a word, the Heretic Questioner simply waited for my response.
'I had the opportunity to reform the Heretic Questioner in [Tales of Somerwin Academy]. But I failed. I missed the chance. I was so focused on doing my best to help Raviel that I didn't even pay attention to this child.'
If only I had one more chance.
At that moment, I was wondering if I could provide a better life for the Heretic Questioner.
'I can do it.'
I found my answer.
'I want to do it.'
I nodded.
"Yes."
Although the second chance hadn't come around yet.
For the time being, I would take care of this child in front of me.
"Tell me your name."
The Heretic Questioner chuckled.
"My real name is Bambolina."
His laughter caused his blonde hair to bounce.
"Strictly speaking, it's hard to call that my real name. It would be better to say it was a nickname!"
Nickname.
"I was raised by the Mafia as a child. The mafiosos always called me 'baby doll' and that's where the name comes from. Ah. Bambolina means doll! I was also called Kykna."
The Heretic Questioner smiled brightly.
"The organization that imprisoned me was based in Bulgaria. It was a very large organization with many branches that stretched in different directions. I was trained to be used in the business of one of those branches."
"The reason you're using past tense is because…"
"They don't exist on earth anymore!"
The Heretic Questioner smiled gently and took out a small lock from his pocket. Like a coin spinning trick, the lock bounced around the fingers of his left hand.
"I was held captive for 11 years. Usually, after training, I would lay on my bed and wonder. [If I can open the lock on the door to my room, is there a reason to not open it?]"
Click.
With a soft sound, the lock in the Heretic Questioner's hand opened.
"But after thinking about it, I realized there was none!"
So he escaped.
"I couldn't find a reason to not kill the person watching over me. And I also couldn't find a reason to not kill the boss too!"
There were people who wouldn't do things without a reason, and there were people who would do things without a reason. The Heretic Questioner was definitely the latter.
"Because of that, there was a feud between the two high ranking officers and the four lower ones. I also manipulated the scene a bit so that their suspicions could grow. Half a year later, they seemed to have begun to suspect that it was actually my fault, but ahaha. By that time, half of the organization had already been destroyed!"
The Mafia's Baby Doll then entered the Tower.
And the Tower had acquired a terrifyingly capable beast.
"…why do you want me to be your Master?"
"The first reason is, of course, because the Death King is more competent than I am."
The Heretic Questioner paused for a moment after saying that.
"The second reason is…… because I started hesitating."
"Hesitating?"
"Mm. Yes… How can I say it so you can understand?"
The Heretic Questioner furrowed his eyebrows as if he didn't know what to say, a rare phenomenon.
"After we cleared [Tales of Somerwin Academy, I felt a bit… strange. Even if I punished terrorists as usual, I couldn't execute them as quickly as before. To others, there might only be a one second difference, but for me, that one second difference was strange…"
The Heretic Questioner was deep in thought.
"Because in that one second, I seemed to recall the scenes in the Somerwin Academy that I shared with the Death King."
"……"
"Is that weird?"
No.
It wasn't weird at all.
Instead, I was just surprised.
'The influence is still there.'
The route where the Heretic Questioner had been completely enamored with the Lady of Golden Silk had disappeared. It was gone. However, even in the new route that I took, the Heretic Questioner must have felt some feelings for the Lady of Golden Silk, albeit slightly.
Even if the immersion rate was less than 10%.
No, even if it was only 1%.
The baby doll must have experienced 'emotion'.
"Death King. You are the reason for my hesitation."
The Heretic Questioner continued.
"You took away one second of my life. It was my first time experiencing something like that. If it's you, I feel like that one second might become one minute, or even one hour!"
The Heretic Questioner smiled brightly.
"I understand now. Perhaps this is what humans call hope. Maybe people are always waiting to find someone else who takes up their time. So in that sense, you are my hope!"
"The fact that you can take away my time doesn't make it less. Yes. Somehow, without fully understanding why, I understand this."
The Heretic Questioner stretched his hand towards me and on it, was a small rusty lock.
"It will just add your rhythm to my melody. My monophony(1). I can barely imagine your tune blending with my monotonous humming."
I took the lock.
"Because of you, it might be possible for me to become music, Death King. Even people like me."
The Heretic Questioner smiled.
"Can I use you as my hope?"
"……"
I felt heavy.
I was afraid.
There was only a slight difference between heaviness and fear, so it was possible that I was just afraid of carrying the weight of the Heretic Questioner on my back.(2)
I thought of the weight of Preta. I thought of the weight of the cult members and Sylvia Evanail. I thought about the weight of the Constellation Killer. I thought about the weight of the goblins. And finally, I wondered if I could handle the weight of another person.
"Yes."
The Heretic Questioner was my companion.
"I will be your hope."
It didn't matter if the Heretic Questioner was a beast.
Humans were also beasts who envied others.
This child and I were on the road to becoming humans.
"Without my permission,"
I ordered.
"Don't kill anyone."
"Yes!"
"Without my permission, don't torture anyone."
"Yes."
"And without my permission, don't lock anyone up."
"Understood!"
"Please tell me if you have any concerns. I will always listen to you without judging you. I won't even look at you strangely. I'll always try to think from your perspective, Bambolina. Please think of me as someone like you."
"……"
The Heretic Questioner put his hands in front of his chest.
It felt like he was [saying a prayer].
"Yes. You are more capable than I am. Since you are my hope, I will work hard for you."
4th ranked. Ten Thousand Temple Master.
The baby doll swore allegiance to me.
"I was eliminated on this stage, so I can't accompany you to the 33rd floor. Even this is only a temporarily arranged meeting I got after asking [The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage]. It will soon end. I'll keep the Death King's orders in mind when I return to Babylon!"
"Yes."
I stroked the Heretic Questioner's head.
"Please take care of the house. Mr. Pseudo Sect Leader."
"Ahaha-."
The Heretic Questioner laughed.
"I will heed your orders! Gong-ja!"
With those words, the Heretic Questioner's figure faded.
[The Heretic Questioner failed to complete the quest.]
[The Heretic Questioner has been eliminated from this stage!]
And in the next moment, my other companions appeared around me.
Sword Saint. Black Dragon Master. Count. Venomous Snake. Crusader.
This group, who had successfully completed the quest, all looked at me in confusion
"…have you been here for a long time after you declared stage clear?"
The Black Dragon Master responded.
"Death King. You were the first one to declare clear. Where have you been?"
I smiled.
"I was just saying goodbye to the Heretic Questioner."
The path we took was by no means meaningless.
Even if we couldn't say it or see it, someone, somewhere, was being influenced by us.
Holding the lock tightly in my hand, I said.
"Everyone worked hard. Let's head to the next stage."
Chapter 170. The Gap Between Master and Friend (3)
Translator: Seven ED: Sasha PR: LightBrin
3.
Everyone got together and talked about the stage we attacked, the 32nd floor. We talked about our escape from Rimepolis. And about how we evaded our pursuers…
Of course, we also talked about someone behind his back
"We have to do something about that dog Heretic Questioner!"
As if fed up, the Black Dragon Master spoke in an angry voice.
"I don't know what he was thinking. No, I do know. And that makes me even angrier! He doesn't usually do things like that."
"Well. That bastard is far from normal."
Venomous Snake spoke in a resentful tone. His expression also wasn't good. After learning that the Heretic Questioner had ruled on his own for 200 years, Venomous Snake's looked like he'd eaten dog shit.
"He's always been like that. There's no way he'd change now."
"……there's something more important than that."
I finally opened my mouth.
"It's our reward. Guys."
"Huh? Reward?"
"Right. You didn't get your reward for clearing the 31st floor, did you? The Tower said that we would receive our reward for the 31st floor on the 32nd floor, but on the 32nd floor they said we'd get our reward on the 33rd floor. Our rewards keep getting pushed back."
"……Hmm."
The Count touched the tip of her chin with her fan. Her eyes shined slightly. Among all the top rankers, the Count was probably the most perceptive when it came to money and rewards.
"That's indeed the case. As far as I know, the Tower has never owed a hunter before. I wonder if they are deferring it because they have nothing to give…"
"Huh! That's impossible!"
[The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage.]
Pop!
The Lady appeared with a ridiculous sound effect. But the sound wasn't the thing that stood out the most. Instead, it was the fact that the lady stuck her head up from the ground like a mole rat. Venomous Snake, who was beside her, jumped.
"What the hell?! That scared me!"
"Sorry, sorry. I was late because I had to do something upstairs. Ugh, it's really annoying to deal with talented people. It's so much better to just have average skills."
The Lady hurriedly climbed out of the hole in the ground. And after she'd fully extracted herself, the floor returned to its smooth, white appearance.
"Do something [Upstairs]?"
"Hmph, after all, I am a high ranking person. I have to participate in managing the Tower. Anyways, are you talking about the rewards?"
The Lady spoke as she brushed off her knees.
"It's not that we're being stingy with your rewards. We were just going to combine them and give you a big reward when you clear the 40th floor."
The Count lifted an eyebrow with a 'Hoh?'.
"So you're saying you intend to give us the rewards for ten floors all at once?"
"Hmph. There's a reason for that. You'll find out later."
The Lady turned to look at me.
The constellation was smiling.
"I think some of you already have an idea of what it might be."
"Hmm, but it would be too much of a pity if I stick to secrecy too much. How about this, although I can't give you your [Stage Clear Reward] yet, I can give you something. Ahem. I have at least that much discretionary power(1)!"
The Lady puffed up her chest proudly.
"Let's see. If I split up and distribute the points Hereticy had… huh, that's it!"
Ring.
A message appeared in front of us.
[The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage has allocated points.]
[You have received 9,160 race points!]
[You currently have 9,160 race points.]
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
"……What?"
The Black Dragon Master muttered in a low voice.
"H-, hey? Did you give me the wrong amount?…… Ten thousand points?"
Our entire group was stunned.
'Did she give more than intended?'
I was shocked as well. Looking at the Black Dragon Master's reaction, and everyone else, it seemed that we all had received 9,160 race points.
"It's right."
The Lady confirmed in a calm tone.
"I'm not doing you guys a favor or anything. Hereticy got knocked out. I just split the points he had by 1/6. It's a rule to give preferential treatment to the winners!"(TL: Yes, Heretic-y.)(ED: The things I keep adding to my google dictionary…)
"Wait a minute… You're saying, the Heretic Questioner had 60,000 points?"
"54,964 to be exact. There were 4 points left after the even split, so I just gave those to the Swordy. Think of it as consideration for the number one."
"……"
We were all speechless.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
The Lady tilted her head to the side.
"Hereticy controlled the floor for 200 years, 6 months and 21 days all on his own. It's natural for him to have accumulated that many points. All's said and done, you should be happy!"
Pah, the Lady clapped her hands.
"It's time to get started on the 33rd floor. Is there anyone who wants to use their points in advance before I speed up time in that world?"
The Sword Saint raised his hand.
"I have a question."
"Huh, Swordy. Say it."
"What do you mean by 'in advance'?"
"Exactly that. That world is still out there… Kuh. It's really annoying to talk about it since it doesn't have a name. In any case, the world that your races reside in is currently in stasis. Should I say it's paused? If you buy items now, they will have an impact on the future."
The Lady wagged her index finger.
Then purple letters appeared in the air
[The Invention of Bronze-Grade Technology(Draw)] – 1,000 points
[The Invention of Silver-Grade Technology(Draw)] – 3.000 points
[The Invention of Platinum-Grade Technology(Draw)] – 6,000 points
"If you were to pick any of these items now, they would be reflected in history and appear in the next stage. Although there is the disadvantage of not being able to control history in real time, from your perspective, these items would still be very beneficial to you, wouldn't they?"
"…Indeed."
The Sword Saint Stroked his beard.
"Even if we can't manipulate history, we would still be able to alter its flow to an extent. Last time, we skipped the stage without having this opportunity…"
"Ahh-. Huh. I guess I owe you guys an apology since Hereticy did that to you."
The Lady sighed.
"Hereticy took advantage of a loophole in the system. It's my fault for exposing the loophole in the first place. Seriously, like the Death King, he doesn't leave the system alone."
"Hmm."
While the Lady grumbled under her breath, everyone slowly became lost in the Civilization Store as we decided what items to choose. As I looked from the Lady to my companions, I couldn't help but ponder.
'……she brushed over talking about the stage rewards.'
My companions didn't seem to notice anything strange, but, having experienced the future, I knew. The fact that they were deferring our rewards was a kind of [hint].
As soon as I started mentioning it, the Lady appeared and changed the subject
'I was naturally going to give a clue to my companions… Is the Lady intentionally restraining me?'
My eyes met the constellation's. The Lady smiled and waved. There was no animosity on the constellation's face, but I couldn't figure out her inner thoughts either.
[The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage asks for your understanding.]
My understanding.
'Well.'
I looked at the Lady and silently nodded.
'If I tell them everything from beginning to end, I'll take away their opportunity to grow.'
Until now, I had guided my companions using the knowledge I gained before my regression. It was a privilege of knowing the future.
But that privilege would soon expire
'The Flame Emperor only cleared up to the 40th stage.'
Beyond that was an unknown area.
I knew the [concept] of the 40th to 49th floors. I also knew that the 50th floor was a world shared by all Towers. But that was it.
I had no knowledge from the 51st floor onwards.
'At that time… it would be hard to move with subordinates who only knew how to do as they were told. I need companions who can fill in the parts I didn't even think about, and defend the points I can't. '
Taking everything for yourself and keeping everything to yourself.
Eating alone is as harmful as poisoning oneself.(2)
It might be useful to deal with the difficulties right now, but in the end, it would eat away at [Our Tower]'s power.
'I can't follow Yoo Soo-ha's footsteps.'
I accepted the Lady's intentions.
I'll leave my colleagues to realize the truth on their own.
They're all people who suffered like me, and they're all way cooler than me. They'll definitely figure it out in time.
'The question now is where should I invest my points…'
I looked closely at the [Civilization Store].
In fact, it didn't take me long to decide on what item to buy.
'There's a reason that I invested so much of my spare time on the 32nd floor.'
I read the item's description.
[Race Evolution]
Rank: Undetermined
Effect: Certain races have the capacity to evolve. But in a world where magic power exists, the ecosystem is very complex, and because of this, evolutions can sometimes be quite dramatic! Aura is the ability to materialize will, and changing according to one's will is much faster than evolution through natural selection.
There is no guarantee that the direction of the evolution will be a good one. It's possible for a race to rely on the wrong thing. A race that relies on destruction might evolve into a race wholly focused on slaughter, and a race that relies on seclusion might choose to completely isolate themselves from the world. Please choose carefully!
Price: 8,900 race points (the current investment has been calculated to 1,100 points…)
Unlock Conditions: Your race must have at least three traits.
※The Goblin Race satisfies the evolution conditions.
'I originally invested because I thought it would be possible to obtain this on the 34th floor…'
There was a twinkle in my eye.
'But I can buy it now.'
Race Evolution.
This was the reason why goblins were able to fight against the [High Elf] civilization the Flame Emperor had created.
Before I returned, the Flame Emperor chose the distinguished Elf Race.
The elves had innate talents for aura and magic, so they were able to progress quickly under the Flame Emperor's guidance.
But in the end, the goblins were the ones that made the elves lower their heads in defeat.
To be precise, it was the Goblin Race's [Final Evolution].
-Huh?
Bae Hu-ryeong made a sound to match his blank expression.
-What the hell? Did something like that really happen?
'Of course. Do you think I chose the goblins for no reason?'
-I thought it was because you felt they resembled you, so you felt pity.
'I did feel it. I do feel it. But I told you, didn't I? They will soar one day. I really meant that the goblins will soar.'
-You were serious…?
'Tch. I wouldn't lie about that.'
-Your whole life is a lie. You soothsaying bastard.
Those were just white lies.
"Milady."
"Hmm?"
"I'd like to buy this."
I pointed at [Race Evolution] as I said that. My other colleagues couldn't see it, but the constellation could definitely see the hologram in front of me since she let out a soft 'heh' sound.
"Death King, you should really use your points more wisely. Isn't that a waste? With that much, you could buy several [The Invention of Bronze-Grade Technology] or [Nation-Grade General]s."
"No."
No matter how much technology was invented, it was meaningless if they couldn't use it well.
Even if an outstanding talent did appear, it would also be meaningless if they failed to succeed because of jealousy or envy.
On the other hand [Race Evolution] was something that the entire race could enjoy.
"I'll stick with this one."
"You won't regret it?"
"I won't. Why do you keep asking? Do you really want me to pick something else?"
"This is why cheat players…"
The Lady let out a soft sigh.
"Thank you for your purchase."
Clink, a sound effect like coins falling filled the air.
[Purchased 'Race Evolution'.]
[8,900 points have been deducted!]
[You currently have 206 race points..]
Okay.
The item was activated immediately.
[An upheaval of times! The Goblin Race is evolving!]
[The status of the Goblin Race will change.]
[You won't be able to see the evolution of the Goblin Race until you enter the next stage.]
I smiled happily.
'Okay. There's just one more step before they can achieve their final evolution. I'm growing closer to my goal.'
The day would soon come when the goblins stood tall as the masters of the world.
'Ahh. The time is approaching when the shouts of 'kerk' would come from every corner of the world. A fire has been lit in my cold, lonely heart, and it's slowly beginning to pound.'
-Crazy bastard…
The others also made their purchases. Some spent all their points, some saved for the future. Even though the points had been distributed easily, there were still many variations.
"Is that everything? Nothing else?"
The Lady looked around before nodding.
"Good. You better not regret it. From now on, the history of this world will change. How many years will it be this time… Heh? Uhh. Huh?"
The Lady blinked.
"A lot more time passed than last time. It's been 660 years since the fall of Rimepolis."
660 years.
Compared to when the Heretic Questioner had forced the progress along, the years had flown by.
"The losers of the last era… the snails. How unfortunate."
"What happened to the snails?"
"Huh. Well, go in and you'll see for yourself."
The Lady Who Walks Through the Mirage spread her arms wide.
"I'll open the 33rd floor now!"
Paaht!
The light we had grown accustomed to blinded our eyes for a moment.
The sensation of my brain juices swirling around in my head was a bit more bearable now.
-Oooooooooo!
The next moment.
Sounds that seemed to shake the heavens hit our eardrums like a truck
-Kill them! Cut off all of those dirty snails' tentacles!
-Charge! Charge! Don't allow the enemy to get away! Stick to them till the end!
We found ourselves on a battlefield.
~~~
(Note:
1. "Discretionary power" means a power which leaves an administrative authority some degree of latitude as regards the decision to be taken.
2. 독식(獨食)만큼이나 독식(獨識)도 해롭다. This one was a bit harder to decipher since I'm not very good at hanja… but I tried my best. I believe it means 'being greedy is the same as harming yourself'. If any of you have a better grasp of the phrase/better wording, ping me on discord, I'd love to see it.)
:)
