novel[11th Round] To the Western Continent
| ← Ch.174 | Ch.176 → |
Each continent had its characteristics. If the Central Continent located in the center was the most universal and simple, the Northern Continent had many monsters and magic focused on the snowy mountains. The Southern Continent had hot deserts, volcanic eruptions, and survival games all year round, and the Eastern Continent, where fishy freshwater mermaids lived, was hit by endless floods and tsunamis.
And what about the Western Continent?
"It's the worst here."
It wasn't as bad as the female hero put it. An insect called Lucifer lived in the Western Continent, which looked like a fly and was slightly larger than a human palm.
? Question: Slightly?
It's indeed slightly, Miss Trainee Teacher.
In the Western Continent, which failed to eradicate pests, Lucifer propagated outrageously. Although they look like disgusting pests, they are much more picky and elegant than a princess who lies about eating only dew.
After all, they only eat sunlight. That's why the Western Continent was always dark and cold. Lucifer may advance to another continent and turn the whole world into darkness, but the North Continent was too cold and the South Continent too hot. And the Central Continent was kept safe by the monsters living in Elf Mountains. After all, these guys didn't like living without light either.
The Western Continent, which had evolved into a unique ecosystem because only shady plants can survive there, was a tourist destination where you could feel the romance and elegance of the Fantasy World. But to say that it's the worst...
It would be great if the hatred toward Lucifer would stop. Wasn't it a much nicer bug than a mosquito that bothered you when you sleep?
"I worked as a security guard at the Victoria Factory, where only first-class heroes with no criminal record can get a job. Then I died in an alien raid and was reincarnated."
"Then?"
"Thanks to the strategy book that I read to my heart's content, I was able to proceed with the adventure easily. I've been steadily gathering allies and the Holy Sword. However, because of the Demon King who cowardly pushed his numbers, I've been going back for five years already. But this time, I started on the Western Continent instead of the Central Continent."
"I see!"
She was talking too much! If she weren't a lady from my beautiful hometown, I would have already grabbed her between the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae.
"There was a lack of information about the West Continent."
"Well, I guess so."
According to the explanation of hero Luke, the strategy book wasn't helpful except for the Central Continent, the starting point of the hero, and the Northern Continent, where the Holy Sword slept. Although the Eastern Continent's strategy book was worth reading for free, the Western and Southern Continents were blocked by the Elf Kingdom and the Demon King's territories, so only very few heroes attacked them.
And there seemed to be no need to move on. Under the assumption that there was no gender discrimination, even if you go around the Central and Northern Continents, you could easily have more than ten comrades. In terms of time, it's, anyhow, only three years of a hero's capability. When it's eventually the time to challenge the Demon King, there will be few heroes who have suffered in vain for ten years while traveling all Five Continents like me.
? Sob: It's a story that can't be heard without tears.
I'm fine now! Miss Trainee Teacher!
My memories of the 1st playthrough were boiled in a steamer called time.
"There are those ugly bugs everywhere, and dead bodies are farming in the fields. The dark, cold environment has twisted the hearts of the natives negatively...even the Lord who smiled while introducing those corpses as his family didn't seem normal."
"Ah, I think I know who he is. He's such a timid friend."
The foolish image of a handsome man who couldn't let go of his dead parents and wife was projected into my head. I wanted to recruit him as a companion. Still, it was canceled due to the opposition of my greedy colleagues in the 1st playthrough, even though they were the incompetent ones. Then?
"The mad Lord is timid...anyway, I was summoned from the Lord's castle. And the same goes with my wrecked boyfriend over there..."
"So he was your boyfriend, huh?"
Yeah. They were a very well-matched couple.
"It hasn't even been a day since we started dating. He suggested it first, but I accepted it because he knew how to get to the Central Continent that I was familiar with. He was very reliable as he persuaded the Lord, who wouldn't let me out of the castle, and got some money, but..."
"Uuuaaaaaah! Mom, I miss you. Mom!"
"...He became like that."
The female hero glanced at her boyfriend and sighed.
"What about the other heroes?"
"I think there were about fifty people. We vomited together when we saw the dishes made with those giant flies. Some people didn't mind eating, but...they said they'll raise their level by catching the flies all over the land from tomorrow on. The dead bodies followed one by one as an escort and watchman."
"I have a rough idea."
Lucifer was a staple food in the Western Continent. Hunting was suicide because there were many powerful monsters, and in a land where it was difficult to raise livestock due to a lack of feed, you had no choice but to eat these flies. I also had a weak stomach, so I couldn't eat it raw, but I could eat it fried or grilled.
And each life was precious in that extreme survival environment. Because of this, all corpses were recycled. Women with relatively weak combat power were in charge of chores and farming, while men were in charge of security. The corpses that neither age nor wear out serve the living day and night. In other words, the residents live under the protection of their ancestors.
"Anything else special?"
"It's my first time in the Western Continent, so I don't know. Except that the monsters have become very strong..."
"Are you still trying to cross over to the Central Continent?"
"The Central Continent won't be like this."
"It's the same."
"...But I don't need to eat flies."
"That's right."
But wouldn't it be better to eat flies under the Lord's protection than to crossbreed with Goblins? I think so.
"A-am I going to give birth to a goblin?! Me?!"
"That's what I'm saying. Of course, it's only with a low probability. Either a big goblin or a half-goblin."
"Hck?!"
Hearing my explanation, the female hero went into a frenzy. I knocked her out, smashing her neck with the back of my hand as she was trying to hurt herself.
"What a high-maintenance hometown friend."
If she were pregnant, she would have Pregnant in her abilities' status. I didn't expect she would make such an elementary error like this.
? Justification: I understand this young lady's feelings. I would be out of my mind if I had an unwanted child.
Huh? Miss Trainee Teacher. Have you ever had a baby?
? Abrupt: I'm just saying!
Moreover, Miss Trainee Teacher. Will these heroes get better when they regress? The woman is a lot better, but I think a normal life would be too much for them.
? Depression: It's going to be difficult. Even if they regress, the memories remain the same. You may think that erasing memories is okay, but memories are closely related to the soul. It's different from normal memory loss. It's temporary oblivion that comes from bodily damage. Deleting memories also takes a serious blow to the soul. No matter how bad the memory is.
I see. I bent the necks of the two heroes beautifully.
? Confused: Cadet Kang Han-soo. You heard what I said, right?
Miss Trainee Teacher. I heard you. You told me regression wouldn't cure mental illness, right?
"When you regress to a safe place, do not wander outside and be quietly protected. Mollan."
I wished this couple a safe return in the name of the great Master Mollan.
"Just be honest, drug hero. You killed them because it was troublesome to take care of them, did you?"
The First Spirit tapped my head and asked.
"It seems your way of talking has changed a lot from the first time, too."
When I first met the First Spirit, I thought she was a noble goddess.
"I practiced hard, dreaming of a great hero who would save this poor spirit someday. Even if the hero didn't ruin my noble image with his fingers while checking to see if I was affected or not, I'm still...anyway; it's strange how you talk impolitely from the beginning!"
"It's a sign of friendliness."
"I like your drugs too. Heehee!"
The MAX-Class hero's party, who saved a humble couple from the goblins, crossed the Elf Mountains while enjoying some small chat!
*
As soon as I set my foot on the Western Continent, the world went dark. Although the sun was in the sky, it was shining brightly alone like a full moon. The main culprit was...
"Lulullu~~"
"Luuluu~~"
"Lululu~~"
Lucifer, the native creature that could be found anywhere in the Western Continent. Although it had the property to suck in the light around it, how many would it take to cover the sky of the continent? The hideout of the Five Great Disasters' Shakespeare was the westernmost tip of the Western Continent. And since I had just crossed over to the Western Continent, I was at the eastern end.
I had no choice but to cross the Western Continent to defeat him.
"Drug hero, are you going right away?"
"No. I'm going to learn a new skill today."
"I thought I told you that you, favored by nature, don't need your abilities."
"It's just your subjective judgment."
There were a lot of monsters with ZZZ-Class skills around, but I didn't have any. And there was a skill that I wanted to see the end of.
? Type: Skill
? Name: Gifted
? Grade: ZZ (35%)
? ZZZ:???
? ZZ: Reconstruct from the source.
? Z: Breaking the limit becomes slightly easier.
? SSS: Dexterity increases significantly.
? SS: Success rate increases significantly.
? S: Proficiency increases significantly.
? A: Experience increases significantly.
? B: Dexterity increases slightly.
? C: Success rate increases slightly.
? D: Proficiency increases slightly.
?E: Experience increases slightly
?F: Appears extraordinary from the first impression.
It was a skill that dramatically changed me, who had been completely dependent on Divinity, Dark energy, and the Black Box. So why not run it to the end? Fortunately, the environment was optimized. The entrance exam center, where everything was upgraded, was perfect for raising the level, but it also made it very easy to improve skill proficiency.
Production and assistance skills. I planned to meet an outstanding expert and raise it quickly. If I can afford it, even the Fabrication Skill too.
"Humans seem to be very busy, while Elves put off their work today until next year."
"Why did you take the mermaid out?"
They were stupid fish that didn't care about anything but mating.
"Drug hero, it's good not to underestimate the mermaid. They are a diligent race that pulls tomorrow's mating to today."
"..."
I didn't know that!
"So, which skill are you going to learn first?"
"Command."
"I can't believe you're going to learn the art of fooling around with the spirit's soul...is it possible because you're a human who enjoys torturing your people?"
"You complain a lot, huh?"
"Huh! Drug hero, you must understand. For all these years, my only conversational partner was the evil female elf. Just think of it as helping a neighbor in need."
It was no coincidence that the hero couple could safely reach the Elf Mountains in just one day. As such, the castle of the Lord and the Elf Mountains were close. This was also due to the characteristics of the Western Continent. The center, where many Lucifers lived, had less sunlight than a second every year. So it was very cold, like a freezer.
On the other hand, the outskirts of the Western Continent were relatively easy to live in due to the warm sea and the high temperature of other continents. So all human settlements were attached to the coast and the mountains. The starting point of the heroes.
"Let's go see him right away."
There was no country on the Western Continent. Magicians who specialize in dealing with corpses take on their respective territories and people, acting as lords. That authority was absolute. Therefore, the land became like hell or paradise according to the tendency of the ruler. The place I was visiting now was close to paradise.
"..."
"..."
The corpses stared at me while passing by. I didn't ignore it and waved lightly.
"Drug hero, why are you giving them greetings?"
"The corpses here deserve respect. They work unpaid for their descendants until their cartilage wears out and they can't move."
I wasn't blocked even when I entered the Lord's castle. After all, there was no place in the Western Continent to run away even if you were to commit a crime, and the punishment was so heavy that they wouldn't commit a crime unless they were crazy.
Therefore, they must be crazy.
"Aaaargh~?!"
"Kyaaaaaaargh~?!"
Naked men and women, hanging on wood planks set in an X shape, were screaming nonstop. The floor was full of their filth. I placed my hand on the cervical spine of Villager A, who was throwing stones among the people who watched the scene.
"Excuse me. I am Hero A, who is passing by. Let me ask you a question."
"Khueek?!"
"Why are these heroes being tortured?"
"F-first, please put me down—?!"
Villager A, who was released, answered while rubbing his neck.
"It seems they were trying to kill the Lord. I thought it was suspicious from the start! Seventy 'chosen' legendary heroes? In what reality is there a hero who is weaker than the villagers?"
| ← Ch. 174 | Ch. 176 → |