Kranol never left behind any loot from his hunts.
The red robes worn by the followers of the Black Serpent Cult had special effects woven into them.
[Name: Red Robe of the Demonlands]
[Grade: Rare]
[Effect: A robe woven from the fibers of unusual plants that grow in the Demonlands. The wearer can maintain their physical and mental strength even in regions saturated with demonic energy. However, the effect weakens with prolonged use, requiring the robe to be replenished with magical power.]
[+Allows unrestricted activity within demonic energy for up to 72 hours.]
Kranol stripped every robe from the fallen corpses and collected them carefully.
After excluding those that had been burned or severely damaged, he was left with seven robes in total.
‘I don’t know whether I’ll be able to sell them anywhere. At worst, I can still get paid for the fabric.’
He needed to collect anything that might possess value.
Kranol also looted the other possessions carried by the Black Serpent Cult’s followers.
They had roughly five silver coins in cash, along with various dried fruits, black crosses, scriptures, iron swords, and other miscellaneous objects.
For the moment, he stuffed everything into the hatchling’s Subspace Storage.
“SKRREEE?”
“Even worthless junk can make money if you collect it. That is how I’ll be able to buy your dried meat.”
“SKREE!”
The hatchling, which had initially looked doubtful, wagged her tail and nodded vigorously.
Kranol then began returning to the Birsi Territory.
As he walked, he examined the various parts of the formerly corrupted region.
He could no longer detect demonic energy anywhere.
‘It must be because the connection to Morgon, the Lowest-Rank Demon, was completely severed.’
Kranol had driven the demon back into its own realm.
That might have increased the likelihood of becoming entangled with Morgon under unpleasant circumstances during Act Three, but it did not matter.
Kranol had no intention of setting even a single foot in the horrifying Celestial Realm.
‘Saving this world is the original protagonist’s responsibility.’
He had no desire to grind himself into dust to save complete strangers.
His own future and health were far more important.
As he returned to the territory, Kranol checked his Status Window once more.
[Name: Kranol Wizar]
[Species: Human]
[Title: Escapee of the Iron Monastery]
[Exclusive Skills: Invisibility (Lv. 1), Black Lightning (Lv. 1), Demonic Beast Hunter Swordsmanship (Lv. 3), Basic Shieldsmanship (Lv. 1), Basic Archery (Lv. 3)]
[Traits: Catastrophe Affinity (??), Madness (Legendary), Heavenly Martial Physique (Heaven-Wrought Body) (Unique)]
[Stats: Strength (Lv. 3), Agility (Lv. 3), Magic Power (Lv. 2), Luck (Lv. 2)]
[Special Notes: A haggardly handsome man with ash-gray hair and red eyes. His severe madness has left him utterly devoid of brightness. He suffers from chronic headaches, nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and several other overlapping conditions. His excessive abuse of medicinal herbs is gradually eroding his body. Just as he did before transmigrating, he does not believe happiness has any place in his life.]
‘It has become rather impressive. For the first three months after transmigrating, my Status Window was endlessly pathetic.’
The headaches that constantly felt as though steel needles were scraping against his skull.
The deranged fits of madness that struck without warning.
The grotesque monastery where his entire body had been bound because he was considered a dangerous patient.
Looking back now, Kranol could not understand how he had endured everything and made it this far.
‘What has passed is already behind me.’
Kranol assessed the results he had achieved in the corrupted region.
Previously, all his stats had been no higher than Level 1 or 2.
Now, however, his stage had risen at least slightly.
The results were satisfactory.
Kranol tapped the luxurious black leather gloves.
‘There is a limit to how much these can increase my stats. They are only Two-Star equipment, after all.’
Raising a single stat beyond Level 4 would require a mountain of demonic energy.
Naturally, he could find that much in a place like the Demonlands, but doing so would be both inefficient and dangerous.
He was not even certain he could survive there using Demonic Energy Absorption alone.
‘Even so, these results are not merely acceptable. They exceeded my expectations.’
Demonic Beast Hunter Swordsmanship and Basic Archery.
Both combat skills had reached Level 3.
Above all, he had even obtained an Act Three item far ahead of schedule.
‘But this is not the end.’
As he returned to the Birsi Territory, Kranol looked forward to the new profits awaiting him.
***
The lord’s castle.
When Kranol returned, the lord welcomed him with open arms.
The joyful news that the corrupted region had been completely purified had already spread.
The sight of Kranol returning from the region alone and unharmed filled everyone with astonishment.
“Truly remarkable! You aren’t called Mad Dog Kranol for nothing! I never imagined you would complete the task this quickly!”
“Give me my rewards.”
Kranol went straight to the point.
The man had promised him two rewards.
The Unique-grade Sky Boots and one request within the lord’s ability to grant.
“Hahaha! As direct as one would expect from an exceptional mercenary. Attendant! Bring it here!”
“Yes, my lord.”
A servant approached with an object resting upon a luxurious cushion.
It was a pair of shriveled brown boots covered in bloodstains.
Kranol immediately appraised the item.
[Name: Sky Boots]
[Grade: Unique (Incomplete)]
[Effect: Footwear created for amusement by an Aberrant Being from the Outer Lands. Wearing them grants access to astonishing movement magic, but their quality is severely compromised by their poor workmanship. Their power is restricted, allowing the wearer to teleport only ‘into the sky.’ Misuse can easily result in death from falling, so caution is advised.]
Kranol was not even angry.
He had expected something like this.
The lord had not lied.
‘They truly are Unique-grade. Their craftsmanship is simply horrendous.’
He now understood why rumors claimed that their previous wearer had traveled to the moon in the night sky.
The ability to teleport only into the sky was nothing short of absurd.
The gruesome bloodstains seemed to reveal the fate of the previous wearers.
‘It never made sense. This request was nowhere near difficult enough to offer a genuine Unique-grade reward.’
The heart of a Rot Dragon, a superior undead species, had possessed that grade.
There was no possibility that another treasure of equal caliber could be obtained so easily.
‘Still, taking everything into consideration, this is a fairly good reward.’
Kranol possessed knowledge of the original story.
He knew exactly how to exploit the boots’ dangerous effect.
Without saying anything, he accepted the incomplete Sky Boots.
“You must now fulfill your second promise.”
The second promise had always been Kranol’s true objective.
The lord nodded as though that were only natural.
“I acknowledge that those boots are a poorer reward than you anticipated. Name your request. Naturally, I cannot grant anything that would harm my family or territory, nor can you demand my person. Those possibilities were never included in the terms of our Oath of the Star.”
“I had no interest in any of that.”
“Is that so? What a relief. There is no shortage of people who try to exploit others the moment an oath is written.”
The lord lowered his voice and whispered,
“Have you considered working exclusively under me? It would be a waste for someone of your talent to remain a mere mercenary. For you, I would offer twice the usual salary.”
The Birsi Territory was not a major city, but it was large and prosperous.
Working under its lord would naturally provide stability and generous compensation.
Kranol nevertheless shook his head.
He had already decided what he wanted.
“You previously said that you intended to establish a trade route through the region I purified.”
The reward he sought was simple.
Kranol made his demand without hesitation.
“Show me every trade good you have prepared. I will take whatever I want.”
***
After collecting his reward, Kranol left the lord’s castle.
The Lord of Birsi stood with his hands clasped behind his back and watched him depart.
“He truly is no ordinary man.”
Once again, the lord understood why Kranol Wizar was called the Mad Dog.
‘I never imagined he would demand the trade goods I had prepared for the territory’s future expansion.’
It was not a fatal loss, but it had cost him a considerable sum.
Kranol had demanded only trade goods available in limited quantities.
They included various herbs and medicinal salves that had been intended for sale during the Alchemical War.
“....”
The corners of the lord’s lips rose slightly.
The expression did not last long.
His previously amiable face abruptly changed.
‘How amusing. He must have taken me for a fool. He rejected my offer and placed absolute faith in the oath’s terms.’
The lord had naturally honored the Oath of the Star.
He had given the Mad Dog everything he requested.
Whatever happened afterward, however, was unrelated to the oath.
Establishing the new trade route would require an enormous budget.
It was only proper to eliminate unnecessary expenses.
“Once the sun sets, retrieve the boots and trade goods I gave him. Dispose of the Mad Dog as well.”
“Yes, my lord!”
The assassins he regularly employed moved to carry out the order.
A mad dog that had served its purpose was no longer useful.
***
Kranol placed all the trade goods he had received into Subspace Storage.
Afterward, he kept only the robe he might eventually wear himself and sold the rest of the cultists’ robes.
The territory’s commercial district was filled with experienced merchants, and negotiating prices with them made his head throb.
Naturally, they attempted to offer far less than his initial asking price.
However, he also handed over the miscellaneous items as part of the deal, persuading them to accept.
In the end, he managed to obtain a respectable sum.
“Wow! So this is where humans live? It’s incredible!”
Kranol summoned the girl in a back alley of the territory’s shopping district.
Her black-and-white wings attracted far too much attention, so he deliberately concealed them beneath a cloak-like cloth.
As previously stated, the Birsi Territory was on an entirely different level from an ordinary provincial village.
It was as large as a respectable small city and possessed far more sophisticated civilian infrastructure.
The girl’s mouth hung open as she stared around with enormous eyes, unable to look away from anything.
“Choose whichever shop you want. I will buy you beautiful clothes worthy of you.”
“Hee-yaa!”
The girl did not hesitate.
She entered the most expensive and beautiful clothing shop she could find.
“Welcome. Oh my!”
The shop assistant smiled when she saw the adorable girl.
A charming child could make anyone smile.
“She is truly precious. Is she your younger sister?”
“Ah... she is my niece.”
“My goodness! Her uncle is also remarkably handsome and youthful. We happen to have some newly arrived clothing....”
The girl wandered around the shop with a delighted smile.
“What do you think, Mister? Which one would suit me? All these clothes are so beautiful and adorable!”
She ultimately selected a yellow dress that made her resemble a little chick.
Compared to when she had worn nothing but a roughly folded cloth, she now looked far more elegant and beautiful, like the young daughter of a noble family.
She also wanted a sweet dessert, so they stopped by a bakery in the territory.
Kranol bought her crème brûlée, which she ate happily while smearing it around her mouth.
“I truly like you now, Mister! I’m so glad I met you!”
“Wipe your mouth before clinging to me.”
“SKRREEE....”
The hatchling following behind them let out a dejected cry.
Unlike the girl, who could pass for a human once her wings were concealed, a dragon would attract far more attention.
The other two could walk around together openly, while she alone had to remain invisible.
She appeared deeply upset.
To lift the hatchling’s spirits, Kranol presented her with a reward.
“SKREE?”
“This is cured ham. I don’t know whether it will suit your tastes.”
In a deserted place, he held out a thick piece of ham.
The hatchling released her Invisibility and sniffed it.
“SKRREEE?!”
Her eyes immediately widened.
She lunged at the ham in a frenzy and began tearing into it.
Kranol was not surprised by the predictable reaction.
‘Every child goes mad for ham and sausages.’
The two children greatly enjoyed their time in the Birsi Territory.
However, they could not remain in one place forever.
It was time to leave.
‘I must find a miracle capable of curing my madness.’
As previously stated, miracles that could accomplish the impossible existed throughout the world.
The first miracle Kranol sought was—
‘The Philosopher’s Stone.’
It was a mysterious stone said to possess the power to reconstruct all things.
It was one of the miracles most likely to cure his madness.
It was also the one he could reach soonest.
‘But reaching a miracle is impossible through ordinary methods.’
Even Kranol, who had transmigrated into this world, would have to risk his life.
The road leading to a miracle was that dangerous.
Therefore, he took out the loot he had obtained from the Lowest-Rank Demon.
‘Loot that should only be obtainable during Act Three. This should prove useful.’
It was a black sphere.
As befitted an Act Three item, its information remained inaccessible.
[Name: Malformed $@#@$.]
[Warning! Access to this item’s information is restricted.]
[This object cannot be interpreted at your current stage.]
Kranol nevertheless knew exactly what the item was.
Its true name was the ‘Orb of the Malformed Future.’
Its method of use was simple.
“Chubby. Come here.”
“SKREEEEE!”
The hatchling thrust a forepaw at him indignantly.
She clearly still hated the name.
Kranol lightly tapped the orb against the hatchling’s head, eyes, and snout.
[Examining the various possible futures of ‘The Abandoned Hatchling.’]
[Stealing a powerful technique from one of this calamity’s malformed futures.]
[Exercise caution, as this may create an uncontrollable power.]
That was the effect of the Orb of the Malformed Future.
It selected a twisted outcome from among the target’s countless possible futures.
Then it stole a powerful secret art from that future.
Since it could not be used on the same target more than once, the decision had to be made carefully.
‘Of course, if the target has no remarkable future, the item may be exhausted without producing anything valuable.’
That did not apply to Kranol’s companions.
Every one of them possessed the potential to become something horrifying.
The result was therefore easy to predict.
‘The hatchling’s malformed future is far too obvious.’
Sure enough, the result was extraordinarily savage.
[New knowledge has been implanted into ‘The Abandoned Hatchling.’]
[She has learned the Exclusive Secret Art, ‘Summon the Berserk Dragon (Lv. 1)’!]
[This item has ‘2 uses’ remaining.]
As previously stated, ordinary methods would never allow him to confront a miracle.
He needed to become far more powerful than he had been until now.
However, Kranol did not have time to spare.
He therefore chose the most irrational and radical path available.
‘The final boss of Act One, the Black-Gold Dragon.’
A colossal demonic beast that would determine the fate of the continent.
Kranol intended to use it.