novelraw Chapter 163 : Chapter 163
Chapter 163 : Chapter 163
Chapter 163
As soon as the notification ‘You can now return’ popped up after I left the conference room, I clicked return, and felt my sense of reality gradually returning as if waking from a dream.
‘Phew... that was dangerous.’
The look in the eyes of the humans sitting in the conference hall was anything but ordinary; I had a gut feeling that if I made a single mistake, I might never be able to return.
Recalling the killing intent I felt back then, the pressure of having to participate in the Community again outweighed the relief of returning to reality.
‘Tsk, I really don’t want to go back if possible.’
The purpose of exchanging information itself is quite attractive, but the Community is not.
The forced transfer at a set time, the inability to use abilities from reality within the Community, and the inability to protect one's ethereal body are all riddled with risk factors.
Among them, the most dangerous point is becoming defenseless in reality.
‘Once I enter the Community, I lose all sense of reality.’
Being unable to sense reality means that regardless of what level one has achieved in reality, during the time spent in the Community, one essentially becomes a vegetable.
In other words, even a powerhouse surpassing the 8th star could be killed by a passing servant.
Even if it’s only for an hour, it was dangerous.
The hour spent in the Community isn’t an hour of my choosing, but a fixed time on a fixed date every month.
‘Sharing information in such a dangerous space; what on earth are other players thinking?’
It wasn't easy to understand, but thinking it over, it wasn’t impossible either.
I was just unprepared because it was my first time, but those accustomed to the Community would have established their own countermeasures.
‘Since they know it’s a fatal weakness, they must have set up their own defenses.’
From the perspective of someone who swallowed poison from the day of possession, it seems recklessly dangerous, but players would have found it hard to resist the temptation.
Because the Community is a space where one can feel nostalgia for Earth and simultaneously the only space where players can communicate.
‘Actually, I don’t need any of that though.’
It would be a lie to say I’m not curious about other players, but I’m not curious enough to risk danger.
I don’t think there would be much to gain from interacting with people who emit killing intent at a first meeting anyway.
The players, Earth’s food or culture, and even items purchasable with CP points didn't feel particularly attractive.
However, there is a reason I cannot give up on the Community.
‘Strategy guide.’
More precisely, information written by someone other than me.
Until I verify that, I have no choice but to participate in the Community.
‘Well, once I gather a certain amount of points, I should be able to just stay in the waiting room…….’
My thoughts on the Community end here.
Thinking that others must be asleep, I slightly spread my mana to check the surroundings, and a small presence was heard near my ear.
- Squeak?
- …Human?
Sensing my mana, Calua stumbled up.
- Human, still sleep time……. Can’t eat if wake up too early…….
Then he wriggled closer and buried his body between my legs.
- Squeeeak!
Following him, the demonic beast squirrel approached irritably and lay down on top of Calua.
Puffing out its cheeks as if resentful of waking up, the squirrel soon grasped Calua's cool scales with both hands and fell asleep.
‘Umm…….’
They are cute, but.
Why are they doing that between my legs?
Watching the two monsters breathing softly as they slept, I didn’t feel like moving.
Since busy days where I can't even sleep properly will follow for the next few days.
‘Right, I should sleep a bit now while I can.’
Not long after lying down again, Ian opened his eyes from a nightmare where he crushed Calua and the demonic beast squirrel.
* * *
Crunch.
Tyrant, upon returning to reality, immediately grabbed his axe.
- In the end, Moner wins.
The words of the guy wearing the unlucky mask rang in his ears like an ominous prophecy.
“Huu…….”
There is no way the dark green army he created would be defeated by mere humans.
Not even by the Reime Kingdom, but by a rural domain with only two masters at most.
“Impossible.”
Orcs are a superior race.
A race of great warriors who wield axes six months after birth and awaken their fighting spirit before turning one.
No matter how many times I think about it, it's impossible for such Orcs to lose to humans.
Those gathered here are not the in-game Orcs who waged endless tribal warfare and attrition under the staffs of shamans.
A Legion.
A Legion that will dedicate their lives to bring victory under his command, the King and Tyrant.
Mere humans, even if tens of thousands were brought, would not withstand their axes.
Getting up and leaving the tent, he looked at his Legion.
“Hmm…….”
Through the crude tents, the unique nasal sounds of Orcs echoed, and chaotic screams and the sound of axes were heard.
“If the opponent is human, I won't lose.”
Even if there is a hateful traitor in Moner, I was confident I wouldn't lose.
Unless the robed Master or the Magic Tower makes a move, the others were just empty talkers.
The problem is White Mask.
It was that ghost-like guy wearing the pasty white mask.
That guy, whose origins were unknown, looking straight at him and warning him came to mind.
Was the emotion seen through the mask ridicule or sympathy?
Even if he wanted to dismiss it as a madman's nonsense right away, he couldn't forget that gaze at all.
“Damn it, to think there’s another guy like that.”
Master’s mockery mixed with ridicule sounded like an auditory hallucination.
- Are you confident you can survive facing him in reality?
He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw might break.
To dare ask the King such a question.
“My King, I brought the Legion Commander’s body.”
He looked at the Shaman handing over the coldly cooled heart with shining eyes.
This guy might have the answer.
“Have you performed divination recently?”
“Pardon? Since the King forbade it, I dared not to.”
At the Shaman's answer, Tyrant snickered.
If the Shaman were an existence that truly listened, he wouldn't have killed all of them.
He was only kept alive because he luckily learned the common language; the fact that he was a Shaman didn't change.
“I know you’ve been doing divination behind my back, so speak the truth.”
As Tyrant raised his aura, the Shaman promptly prostrated himself and begged.
“I have seen fleeting omens, but I haven't read the future. It hasn't been long since I looked!”
‘Right, those omens.’
The Shaman's divination is quite accurate.
Especially when divining the fortunes and misfortunes of the tribe.
Even in the game, the reason Shamans, not warriors, led the tribes was thanks to their talent for vaguely reading the future.
To a primitive race, the existence of Shamans reading the future must have looked like a miracle of God.
“Tell me the recent divination.”
“Only glory lay in the King's path.”
When the Shaman answered without even breathing, Tyrant raised his aura further.
“I'll give you one last chance. If you lie in front of me once more, I will cut off your head.”
“Grrrk!”
The Shaman, crushed by the aura, opened his mouth with a face drained of color.
- Kruk! The soul of a great warrior spoke.
Unaware that he spoke in the Orc language instead of the common tongue, the Shaman continued speaking to survive.
- Run, run away before you are eaten by the ominous warrior…….
After shouting with his last bit of energy, the Shaman rolled his eyes back and collapsed.
“…Warrior, huh.”
Hearing the words ‘ominous warrior’, White Mask’s face came to mind.
“Certainly, if such a monster blocks the way personally, war would be inevitable defeat .”
Conversely, it means victory is possible as long as such a monster doesn't appear.
“If we only fight in the forest…….”
If a powerhouse of that level enters the forest, even the Witch of the Forest wouldn't sit still.
If it’s confirmed that the two are cooperating, escaping then would be enough.
“I can't give up on humans like this.”
To the Orcs who incurred the hostility of the inhabitants of the depths, the human continent was too attractive a land.
To the point where they had no choice but to challenge it, even if they were defeated.
“Though I feel anxious about going against Master's advice again…….”
Picking up the heart from the Shaman's hand, Tyrant took a large bite and thought.
Even if White Mask exists, humans alone won't be able to stop the Legion.
* * *
“Gasp!”
Bolting upright from a nightmare, Ian exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Was it a dream…….”
It was the worst nightmare.
To dream of crushing Calua and the squirrel at the same time.
As he wiped off cold sweat and got up, the demonic beast squirrel and Calua stumbled closer.
- Human! Good morning. I slept well!
After asking if he slept well a few times, saying 'slept well' has become a morning greeting.
Is it a greeting that reveals the self-centered nature of a dragon well?
- Squeak!
Following that, the demonic beast squirrel standing on Calua's head offered a greeting.
“Good morning to you both.”
It's still a chilly dawn to call it a good morning.
Above all, light doesn't enter this forest.
Morning in this forest can hardly be good.
“Are you leaving now?”
At my question, Calua wagged his tail vigorously.
- Yeah! Decided to go with small species!
- Squeak!
They look happy as if going for a walk, but the two have a grave mission.
Strictly speaking, it was a task asked of the demonic beast squirrel.
“Calua doesn’t have to go.”
- Huh? No! Small species is weak, so I must protect!
Protect? Who? Whom?
Don't tell me, the one who digs a hole in the tree here with its claws?
Questions poured out momentarily, but I held back and handed over the prepared jerky and low-grade magic stones.
“Okay, eat this whenever you're hungry. Take care.”
- Yeah!
As if this was the goal, Calua quickly snatched the pouch and followed the squirrel, wagging his tail.
“That one, no matter how I look at it, seems to walk well on his own now…….”
Watching the lizard run better than the squirrel, despite complaining that his legs hurt when Reina or I were around, I looked for Jeremy.
“Ah, Young Lord.”
Seeing gray smoke coming from his nose and mouth, Jeremy nodded his head, looking like he was dying.
Thinking about going back because he looked much worse than expected, I awkwardly greeted him.
“Good morning.”
“Yees. Good morning. It's a damn good morning today as well. The weather is so fine that lightning might strike from a clear sky, heh heh heh…….”
The reason Jeremy became like this is absolutely not my fault.
- Weak. Wizard. Search.
I don't know what their relationship is, but the Sword Demon is helping with his training morning and evening.
“Ah, come on! Yesterday evening too! And this morning too! A person should know moderation!”
- I, not, person.
“Good for you, yeah! Must be niiice not to be a person! Young Lord, please stop him! The training is tougher now than at the hut! Does it make sense to have training even when out on a training exercise?”
Scratching the back of my head at Jeremy's sorrowful voice, I looked at the Black Noble Troop and Special Mission Unit who were in the middle of training.
“No, those guys over there are knights! I’m a wizard, a wizard!”
“Being a wizard doesn't mean you won't get cut by an axe…….”
“Then at least give me magic training!”
Screaming in frustration, Jeremy stomped back to the training ground, muttering that there were only crazy people here, and the Sword Demon nodded his head.
- Thanks, human, help.
“Ah, it’s nothing. Mr. Doll.”
Since he said he likes dolls the best no matter how many times I asked, everyone is calling him Mr. Doll.
“More importantly, I have something I want to say…….”
After visiting the Community, I became certain.
The world is wide and there are plenty of powerhouses like the Witch.
To survive in this world, becoming strong is important, but there is something more important.
‘Using the cards in my hand well.’
Whether it's hired heroes, wealth, or power.
Using the cards one has is most important.
Even if the card in hand is the seed of a Bad Ending, and a potential enemy.
“Since you decided to help anyway…….”