Chapter 18

[Would you like to sign a contract with D-rank mercenary Ruen?]

▶ Contract terms may be amended by mutual agreement.

Ruen firmly grasped Woojin’s outstretched hand.

[The contract has been signed.]

“Take this.”

Woojin handed her the [Ancient Mana Stone].

“Can this really... cure Mana Vessel Disease?”

“It won’t cure it completely, but it should help somewhat. We’ll have to keep looking for more remedies.”

“R-really?”

“Of course, that depends on how you perform. If you don’t pull your weight, you can forget about treatment.”

“Th... thank you! I’ll do anything you ask, my lord!!”

The haughty elf was nowhere to be seen. Watching her bow so low she looked ready to prostrate herself, Woojin thought she might be easier to handle than he had expected.

“None of that ‘my lord’ business. Just call me Master,” he said, hauling her upright by the scruff of her neck.

“Yes, Master!”

Ruen nodded with a bashful smile.

“Brace yourself. We have to reach the central continent. This is an investment toward that.”

[Ruen uses the Ancient Mana Stone.]

Looking nervous, she cupped the mana stone between her hands.

WHOOOOSH...!!

The stone emitted light and instantly sank into her palms.

[The Ancient Mana Stone thickens the mana vessels.]

▶ Magical Power increases significantly.

▶ Magic of one class higher is now available.

[Limit Break!]

▶ Potential increases dramatically.

▶ Level cap increases. (39→49)

[A new Trait awakens as a result of the Limit Break.]

▶ Trait awakened: Descendant of Uldin.

▶ This Trait will be enhanced upon the next Limit Break.

Trait: Descendant of Uldin

▶ Marksmanship increases by one rank.

▶ Spirit affinity increases by one rank.

▶ Vision increases by a factor of 1.5.

▶ Agility increases by a factor of 1.5.

“Oh...”

Ruen could not hide her delight, apparently feeling the changes within her body.

“Look! My Magical Power went up!”

‘I don’t think the Magical Power increase is the important part.’

Woojin let out a disbelieving chuckle as he watched Ruen smile like a child, so unlike the elf he had seen at the Mercenary Association.

‘Descendant of Uldin... How can a Trait be this broken?’

She certainly lived up to her royal blood.

His own Traits were overpowered, but Ruen’s was every bit their equal. Considering that it would grow stronger with every Limit Break, it could even be called more impressive than his.

“Ruen. There’s something I want to ask.”

“Yes. Go ahead!”

“Do you have any experience?”

“... Huh?”

Her gaze wavered.

“E-even if you are my employer...”

“I mean hunting experience.”

“Oh, yes. O-of course! Haha.”

Her earlier embarrassment was understandable, but the way she was hesitating now was hardly a reassuring response.

“Well...”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never hunted before.”

“... I’m sorry.”

Hearing the very answer he had hoped not to hear, Woojin frowned slightly.

“Then what have you been doing all this time? Before you joined the Mercenary Association, I mean.”

“Nothing much...”

For some reason, she hesitated as though reluctant to answer.

‘Looks like she isn’t going to tell me easily.’

A descendant of a fallen royal family. Her life probably hadn’t been particularly happy.

‘I suppose it’s not time yet.’

[Evil Tale] had no numerical affinity scores, but that only made building trust with NPCs harder. It was just like forming relationships with real people.

That was why most people who hired mercenaries tried to settle everything with money rather than emotion.

“You don’t have to tell me now. But I’d like you to tell me someday. I want to know more about you, because I want us to stay together as companions.”

“... Stay together.”

But Woojin knew perfectly well that money alone could not forge every relationship.

Just as he had expected, Ruen mulled over his final words several times before nodding.

“We’re heading to the [Alchemist’s Laboratory] in the western part of the Dark Forest.”

The [Alchemist’s Laboratory].

One of the three instanced dungeons in the Dark Forest, it wasn’t particularly difficult, but clearing it required one thing.

‘Elemental attacks.’

Unlike other dungeons, the monsters summoned there had to be attacked with the appropriate elements.

‘I thought I might have to skip it, even if I could do a time attack...’

Now he no longer needed to.

* * *

“I don’t know if I should accept so much...”

Just before they left Parta, Ruen trailed off, overwhelmed with gratitude.

“Think of it as an investment. Having a properly equipped companion makes things easier for me, too.”

“Thank you...”

She looked quite different from when they had first met. In place of her filthy old armor, Woojin had given her the best armor and bow available in Parta.

‘It’s still only ordinary gear... Royal blood or not, getting this excited over it really shows her lack of experience.’

But that didn’t matter. Experience could be gained; Potential wasn’t something you could acquire simply by wanting it.

Woojin trusted in her bloodline.

“Make sure you learn the spells properly, too, so you can use them as soon as we enter the dungeon.”

“I’ve already learned them all.”

“... Really?”

And that trust was already bearing fruit.

“If you’ve never hunted, I assume you’ve never killed a person, either?”

“A p-person? Murder...?”

“Yes.”

“Murder is a bit...”

Tension crept across Ruen’s face.

“I’m not telling you to get used to it, but you’ll have to be prepared to do it someday.”

“But...”

“I’ve already killed someone at the Orc Citadel. And it could happen again at any time.”

She nodded, but her expression remained reluctant.

Woojin had a reason for warning her. Just before they left Parta, people who appeared to belong to the [Genesis Corps] had begun gathering in the square again, one by one.

‘Players level 50 and above can’t use the Shrine of the Revived if they die in the Dark Forest. They probably revived on the central continent.’

Even if the officers came here for revenge, the journey would take at least two full days.

‘I don’t need to worry about them just yet, but...’

One problem remained. He had to avoid being tailed by the [Genesis Corps] members still here until their officers arrived.

‘One, two, three...’

Sure enough, he sensed several suspicious movements as they passed through Parta’s gates.

‘I’d actually be grateful if they attacked.’

Given the city’s size, the Shrine of the Revived was quite far from the forest. If he could deal with them cleanly just once, that would buy him enough time to slip out of their sight.

“...”

At that thought, Woojin glanced at Ruen. The time to put her resolve into practice might come sooner than expected.

“Follow me.”

He headed back into the Dark Forest.

* * *

[You have slain an Orc Warrior.]

[You have slain an Orc Warrior.]

...

“Left.”

“Yes!”

CRRREAK

The sound of the bow being drawn was crisp.

THWANG!!

The sound of the arrow flying free of the string was crisper still.

[“KREEE!!”]

Ruen’s arrow struck the orc squarely between the eyes.

“I’ll take the one on the right...”

After confirming that the orc had fallen, Woojin was about to charge the one on the opposite side when it collapsed with a scream.

[“KECK!!”]

“Ah... Did I do something wrong?”

Left without a target, Woojin looked at her, prompting Ruen’s hurried question.

“No. Good work.”

At his answer, she grinned happily like a child praised by her teacher, then gathered the loot without being asked.

▶ Unblemished Orc Hide x 2

▶ Crude Potion x 1

▶ 2 silver

...

‘This is no joke.’

Woojin looked rather sheepish as he watched the items steadily accumulate in his inventory.

‘There’s nothing for me to do.’

That was honestly how he felt.

An elf who had been undervalued for her abysmal Magical Power, she had become a completely different fighter after awakening her new Trait.

‘How many level-20 archers could kill these orcs with one shot apiece?’

You would need to be at least level 35, if not higher, to pull that off.

She had an elf’s natural reflexes, plus the advantages of her bloodline.

His original plan had been to hunt orcs until Ruen reached at least level 25 before entering the dungeon.

“We’ll reach the [Alchemist’s Laboratory] a little farther ahead. It’s a dungeon for level 30 and up, but the two of us should be more than capable as we are.”

After watching her hunt, however, Woojin had made up his mind. There was no need to waste time.

“What about your magic?”

“Yes. I’ve learned every spell in the book you gave me.”

“Good. The monsters’ elements should be obvious at a glance, so apply the appropriate enchantments without waiting for me to tell you. That’s your top priority.”

“Understood.”

She nodded, looking a little nervous.

“Let’s go.”

It happened just then.

As Woojin started forward, she hastily grabbed his arm.

“Ah, um... I’m sorry!”

Startled by her own action, Ruen released his wrist.

“What is it?”

“Traps. There weren’t any before... but they’re suddenly everywhere from this stretch of the forest path onward.”

“Traps?”

Woojin examined the area around the path, but he couldn’t see anything.

“How many?”

“Hmm... It looks like they cover the whole area for a hundred meters ahead.”

She could scout that far ahead... She really was an elf.

“Can you disarm them?”

“No. I don’t have the Disarm skill, so I can’t. But I can avoid them. Should I lead the way?”

“No. There’s no need.”

Ruen nodded, her shoulders drooping apologetically, but she had nothing to apologize for. Even the Thief class had to reach level 50 and unlock its second skill tree to learn Disarm.

‘That’s why traps like these don’t normally exist in the Dark Forest.’

Someone had deliberately set them.

He had a fair idea who.

‘The Genesis Corps, no doubt.’

“That’s a relief.”

“Pardon?”

Ruen tilted her head in confusion.

‘They set traps instead of attacking me.’

If they had a high-level player with them, they would have attacked immediately rather than going to all this trouble.

They were trying to buy time. The officer’s death at the citadel would have been reported immediately.

‘It’s been a day since we left Parta.’

If they intended to take revenge...

‘They’ve probably just come over from the central continent through the portal.’

He had one full day left. He needed to clear the dungeon and move on to the next area quickly within that time.

“Ruen. Can you sense anyone around us?”

She nodded at his question.

“Five people.”

“How far?”

“About... a hundred and fifty meters?”

The elven vision that let her detect people so far away was astonishing, but something else stunned Woojin even more.

“Only five?”

He gave an incredulous laugh at the number of [Genesis Corps] members watching them.

That wasn’t even enough to stall him.

“Are you prepared?”

It was the question he had asked her before.

“I-I have to do it, don’t I?”

She gulped and nervously nocked an arrow.

Her arrows had never once missed their mark, but now the one in her bow was trembling like a leaf.

“Why? Can’t you do it?”

“If I can’t... do I not have to?”

She looked at Woojin with hopeful eyes.

“No.”

If he told her to do it, she damn well had to.