Chapter 10 - Reward
"Mongshil-i. Dig a hole right now."
"What? A hole? But if we try to run away now..."
"It's fine, just dig, you brat. There's no time to explain."
All the work had to be finished before the smoke cleared.
"Hurry, hurry!"
The smoke began to thin.
Any later and there would be no future.
I practically shoved Mosilian.
Following her instincts, Mosilian began to dig.
Her digging speed was incredible.
She had burrowed a long tunnel even before the smoke dissipated.
However, the reason she couldn't escape from Rankol even with this ability was also clear.
"That damn digging again! You should know it won't work on me!"
Rankol flared its nostrils.
It meant that even if she was underground, it could still smell her.
The effects of the Spicy Pepper Powder seemed to have already worn off.
"See? I told you it wouldn't work."
"That would be the case if you were alone. Now take off your clothes. And take this, too."
"Ah, what are you doing all of a sudden in a place like this? I heard that humans' reproductive instincts grow stronger in a crisis, but..."
"Shut up."
I gave her a knock on the head and wrapped the Goblin Shaman's Jewel in Mosilian's leather armor. Instead, I put a necklace around the real Mosilian's neck.
[Gnoll Chieftain's Tooth Necklace (Common)]
[A necklace made from the molars of warriors killed in battle.]
[A symbol of the Gnoll Chieftain's glory, the number of teeth directly shows its power.]
[The foul smell of the gnoll masks other odors.]
[Possessing it will earn you the fear of gnolls.]
[If you resemble them, you might even earn their respect.]
Mosilian didn't resemble a gnoll, but she could at least benefit from the scent-masking effect.
A single black orb rolled down the tunnel.
Rankol was still flaring its nostrils, following Mosilian's scent.
When its nose drew near the tunnel, Rankol slammed its large sword down.
"Here you are!"
It was the very moment I had been waiting for.
"That's right, this is the place where you'll die. Gorakurak!"
[The Goblin Shaman's Humble Jewel emits a brilliant light.] [Uses: 2/3 → 1/3]
The spell the Goblin Shaman had created to protect its tribe.
But also the spell that had led to the goblin's complete downfall.
Gorakurak erupted.
"Kuaaargh!"
Rankol, which had plunged its arm deep into the ground to catch Mosilian, was engulfed in flames.
It was a blast powerful enough to kill even the Goblin Shaman instantly.
"F*ck, it's still alive after this?"
Sizzling flames.
The smell of cooking flesh.
Even amidst all that, its blood-red eyes were gleaming. Now, only the instinct for death and attack, transcending reason and life, remained in this place.
'I'll show you. What an assassin is.'
Gorakurak wasn't just for burning Rankol.
The obscured vision from the flames, the smell of burning, and the dust clouds kicked up from the underground explosion. It was perfect for hiding my form.
A situation where I was seen, yet unseen. In moments like these, an assassin was the most fearsome existence.
"Just die already."
I swung my dagger with all my might.
"Geureuk… Human! A mere human!"
Rankol's arms went limp. Its neck, slashed from both sides, was already in tatters. It truly didn't have the strength to lift a single finger now, but that didn't matter. I wasn't the only one with a grudge against Rankol.
"Blow it away, Mongshil-i."
Before I finished speaking, the being with round ears and a round tail leaped from a tree. The mace, large and thick for its body, swung down and struck Rankol's bizarrely dangling head.
Rankol's head, like a large bowling ball, detached from its body and rolled away.
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has risen.]
[Your level has....]
The status window flashed in an instant.
"Is this what they call a come-from-behind grand slam?"
That day, for the first time in my life, I experienced fainting.
***
"Nnghh..."
It was a dugout smelling richly of sawdust.
The rustling bedding was far from a comfortable place to sleep, but compared to sleeping on the roadside, it was quite cozy.
To feel cozy in a place like this. I really am adapting well.
"You're awake, Hero!"
It was a strange sight.
Grandma Mongshil-i.
Uncle Mongshil-i.
Auntie Mongshil-i.
Baby Mongshil-i.
Mongshil-i Mongshil-i.
All of them, with their fluffy-wuffy ears and tails, looked even softer than the sawdust.
There's a story that when humans die, their pets who passed on before them come to greet them.
It seems that story was true…
"Get a grip, Hero. Hero!"
Such impoliteness, shouting right in my ear.
This wasn't my Mongshil-i.
It was the Golden Mogu, Mosilian.
"My ears are going to fall off, you brat."
"Hero. You're safe! Phew, I'm so glad."
"Gack… I'm about to die right now, you brat. Won't you get off me?"
Mosilian's embrace was certainly soft, just as a Mongshil-i should be.
The only problem was her immense strength. My whole body, beaten by Rankol, felt like it was shattering.
"We heard the story. That you saved us."
"Thank you, truly. We don't know how to repay this kindness..."
Unlike the childish Mosilian, the adult Mongshil-is bowed respectfully.
To me, who came from a Confucian society, the sight was rather uncomfortable.
"It was nothing. Please don't praise me so much."
"Hey, what do you mean it was nothing! You could have run away at any time, but you fought for us, Hero! A stab with the dagger at that Rankol! And then a boom with magic! It's hard enough to master just swordsmanship in a lifetime, but to be good at magic too. As expected of a hero, Hero!"
Mosilian chattered on excitedly.
Regardless of the little one's reaction, it was a strange experience.
To do something and be thanked for it.
It was an experience I'd never had, I who had always taken a step back and watched everything unfold.
You know, it's not so bad.
Not that I have any intention of risking my life to help someone in the future.
Not.
At.
All.
Anyway, their gratitude didn't end with just words.
"They are but humble things, but please accept them."
The Mongshil-is presented me with a pure white mask and brown fur clothes.
[Golden Mogu's Shamanic Mask (Rare)]
[The Golden Mogu's mask is imbued with a spell that hides one's identity.]
[It will be helpful when you wish to hide your identity.]
[However, you must not trust it blindly. In this world, there are many beings who can easily see through a spell of the Golden Mogu's level....]
[Golden Mogu's Fur Clothes (Rare)]
[The Golden Mogu's fur clothes are imbued with a spell that hides one's identity.]
[It will be helpful when you wish to hide your identity.]
[However, you must not trust it blindly. In this world, there are many beings who can easily see through a spell of the Golden Mogu's level....]
"This is..."
"These are items containing the lost magic of our tribe. They are the items that have allowed our tribe to survive until now. I don't know much about it, but I've heard that items from us beastkin are treated as quite valuable by humans."
"Thank you. For items like these..."
Two Rare grade items.
Considering they were the same grade as the Goblin Shaman's Jewel, they were tremendous items.
"But Hero. Aren't these items not very useful to you? Your abilities are far superior to our tribe's greatest spells."
"Does an item have to be used by me to be an item?"
"Hoooh… you intend to bestow them upon the weak?"
"Well, something like that."
I should bestow them upon the weak.
For a price, of course.
You can never have too much money.
Having neatly pocketed the gifts, I left the dugout. A lot of time had passed just fighting Rankol.
There's no precision in a world without clocks, but there wasn't much time left if I wanted to get back before sunrise.
"So where did you put that Rankol thing? I saw its head get separated."
No matter how busy I was, I had to take what was mine.
Rankol was a formidable enemy, incomparable to the likes of the Goblin Shaman, Kobold Champion, or Gnoll Chieftain I had hunted before.
It would surely give a great reward.
"That?"
Where Mosilian pointed, Rankol's body, its head and neck having parted ways, was hanging like a decoration.
"Jeez, you scared me. Why would you display a corpse like that?"
"Because the rights to that corpse belong to you, Hero. The corpse of a monster like Rankol is also valuable. From the hide to the meat, there's nothing to throw away."
"Was there anything else?"
"Anything else? There was nothing much. Except for this."
What Mosilian had set aside was Rankol's sword.
[Beast Rankol's Dagger (Rare)]
[The dagger used by the beast Rankol.]
[This sword is the secret that made Rankol the last survivor and the strongest warrior of its clan.]
[The thorn-like blade does not let go of prey once it has bitten.]
[Bleed +10]
Rankol's sword was Rare grade.
The same grade as the Goblin Shaman's Jewel.
For that, it didn't seem to have any special effects, but it seemed there was still something left in this sword.
[There is still an undiscovered secret.]
[Its true power will awaken when the secret is revealed.]
"There's a secret in the weapon? How do I reveal it?"
I looked closely at the blade and the hilt, but I couldn't find any hints.
"A secret in the weapon? I wouldn't know about that. I'm not a blacksmith."
"Do blacksmiths know?"
"Of course. Their job is to stare at lumps of metal all day, so they're bound to know something."
"Alright. In your tribe, is there a blacksmith..."
I recalled the Mongshil-is I had met earlier.
None of them looked like they'd fit the role of a blacksmith.
"Ahem… I guess I'll have to look for one in Carroty Village."
It was a shame that all I had was a sword with an undiscovered secret, but it was a Rare grade item nonetheless. I carefully packed Rankol's sword away.
The next thing to check was the status window.
'I saw it flashing before I passed out...'
Levels became harder to gain as I progressed.
But when I defeated Rankol, the level-up notification had appeared several times.
I thought I had gained at least 3 levels.
"Heek."
"What's wrong?"
"Ah, it's nothing..."
The reason I was surprised was simple.
I had thought gaining 3 levels would be incredible.
But in reality, I had gained 5 levels.
[Lv.15 (Assassin) - Strength: 32, Agility: 43, Intelligence: 38, Total Combat Power: 930]
The most prominent change was in Intelligence.
Until now, it was a stat that didn't change much even when I leveled up. In reality, I didn't get any smarter just by killing a few monsters.
But this time, my Intelligence had shot up. If you ask if I got smarter, the answer was still no.
In other words, Intelligence wasn't a stat that meant intellect or wisdom. It was related to combat. Among those, if there was something that was greatly stimulated in this battle, it was, of course, my magic power.
Magic power, mana, MP.
The thing called by many names.
In games, it's what lets you use skills, and in this other world, it's something necessary to use magic.
I had clearly felt the existence of that something in the fight with Rankol.
The throbbing sensation in my chest was definitely from a lack of mana.
That must have been the stimulus that made the stat rise.
It was a good thing that realization was a precursor to stat changes.
It meant there was room for other parts to grow as well.
'And as for the skills, let's see.'
[Dagger Storm (New) - Assassin Exclusive Ultimate Skill]
[Daggers rage like a storm. The number of raging blades increases as proficiency rises.]
Upon reaching level 15, something called an Ultimate Skill appeared.
Considering the ultimate skills that exist in any game, it was bound to be an incredible skill.
"The hard work paid off a little. So, what to do about the hide?"
It was less important than the loot and levels, but there was no need to leave behind something that could be turned into money.
But there was a problem.
I couldn't use a smartphone here.
That meant I couldn't search You-Tube for how to skin an animal.
"Heeh… You don't know how to skin an animal?"
"Do you?"
"Of course, I do."
I thought she was useless aside from being cute because she looked like Mongshil-i, but this kid was also a resident of this other world. It meant she could do all the basic things necessary for survival.
With practiced skill, Mosilian peeled the hide off Rankol. It would be difficult to get a high price for a hide that was burnt here and there, but what was important was that I would get money for it.
[Beast Rankol's Hide (Rare)]
[It is a good quality hide.]
[It has been skinned with skilled hands. It is easy to process.]
[There are burn marks here and there.]
[The grade will decrease.]
[Rare → Common]
[The unburnt parts can be used to make items.]
Tsk… A Common grade hide wasn't bad, but it felt quite disappointing for it to change from Rare to Common.
I guess I shouldn't use fire next time if I want to get hides.
This time it couldn't be helped, though.
"It's amazing that there's something even you can't do, Hero."
"If you want to get technical, there are probably more things I can't do."
"It's okay. From now on, I can do all the hard work."
"You?"
"Yes. I told you, the Golden Mogu tribe is a race that never forgets a debt. From now on, I will follow you for the rest of my life and become your excellent squire!"
I wasn't a hero, and Mosilian didn't look like a knight in any way, shape, or form.
"Get lost. I'm not interested in playing babysitter."
"What? I'm not asking you to take care of me, I'm saying I'll help you."
"You're obviously not fully grown. What do you mean? Stay here and take responsibility for your Golden Mogu tribe."
"Th-that's. A Golden Mogu who doesn't repay their debts can't even be called a Golden Mogu. How can you give me such a trial..."
Hong-seop would have taken Mosilian in.
Not because she was strong or weak, but because he was a kind person.
But I wasn't.
Knowing how to skin an animal is useful, but how many times would I need to skin something in the future? If it was that often, I could just learn it myself.
I couldn't be carrying baggage around now when I haven't even fully adapted to this world yet.
"You said I was a hero, right? You should listen to a hero. Live well here. And let's never meet again."
"But..."
"Smoke Bomb."
A thick gray smoke billowed out. I never thought I'd use it like this, but I hid my body in the smoke bomb. As expected, having no presence is helpful for survival.
But on that day, I did not know. How different a being a beastkin was from a human. And among them, how strong the obsession of the Golden Mogu tribe was.
"This is another trial. To become the Hero's companion, I must of course overcome a trial of this level! Please wait, Hero. This Mosilian will become a subordinate worthy of you!"