Okay, so learning that I had been closed off from the world for two whole years, essentially trapped in a small box of my own mind was… not very comforting. How many other transmigrators had already reached an incredibly high level of power? Or… how many had been destroyed either due to misunderstandings, unfortunate accidents, or their own arrogance?
It was a chilling thought, for sure, though I had to admit that it did work out in my favor somewhat. Because the people of this world had had years to understand our situation, I was being treated far more kindly than if they had only just found out about us. I had been wondering why they always seemed so prepared when interacting with me, even though this should have been a largely unknown situation.
With that said, there was not much left for me to worry about, other than waiting for points to build up. Wesley had sent his message to the guild, and informed them that we would likely need more manpower soon. There was no telling how long it would take to come to a decision on that, but I was certain that something would change as a result of it.
Sylphy strapped on her armor, placing her sword at her side. Funds had started to run low for them, and Wesley had offered them a simple job. Explore the northern forest to look for any resources that could be used to improve life in the city. For the sake of her tavern funds, this was a job that Sylphy planned to take very seriously.
By the time she got downstairs, Brock was already waiting for her, similarly outfitted and ready to take off. “Ready to go?” he asked, and she gave a firm nod. Thankfully, she had already had a hearty breakfast at the tavern, so she was more than set to head out for the day.
The two of them walked towards the north, keeping their hands on their weapons to prepare for any sudden encounters. The majority of monsters in the forest were either D or C ranked, which meant that Sylphy and Brock had to be very careful when venturing into the forest.
Once they got to the forest itself, the air seemed to grow heavy, as if they had entered a whole new world. This was a common feature of monster habitats. Some claimed that it was the body’s instinctive reaction to a dangerous environment. Others said that it was caused by a passive release of magical energy from the monsters that called that place home.
Whatever the case, it only served to heighten their nerves. Their eyes flicked over every tree, every vine, and every flower. Normally, Sylphy would have been playfully talking about the food that she wanted to eat when she got back to the tavern, but she knew that this was no longer the time nor the place for joking.
“It’s quiet,” Brock said, speaking softly as his eyes roamed around. “I’m not seeing any of the normal monsters.”
Sylphy pursed her lips, but continued deeper. As they pressed on, the forest remained utterly silent around them, causing a sense of unease to rise in the two adventurers.
“We should report this back to Wesley,” Brock insisted. “It’s not normal for us to not find anything after coming this deep.”
However, Sylphy shook her head. “What’s he going to do if we go back now? File a report to the guild? The mission would just come back to us later. We need at least something to report.”
That was when she heard it, a distant sound, almost too faint to pick out. She lifted a hand to silence Brock, slowly creeping closer. As they moved closer, the sound became more discernible, like a wheezing, sickly laugh. At this point, any sane person would have hightailed it out of there like they were just told they’re in a horror movie.
Sylphy, unfortunately, was not a sane person. She was determined to complete this mission on the first try, so that she wouldn’t have to get sent back here again later. In her mind, she was going through all of the various monsters that she could think of that mimicked people’s voices. A swamp hag, a human-faced wolf, a weeping tree… she focused on each of these, trying to remember other characteristics that she could look out for to identify the source of the noise ahead.
Eventually, Sylphy stopped behind a thick tree, slowly peeking around it while Brock hid nearby. In the distance, Sylphy could see a dwarven woman with a thin, frail body leaning against a large boulder, blood splashed out behind her. Her first instinct was to go and help, until she took a closer look.
The woman’s right arm was gnarled and twisted, her hand replaced by a thick, sickle-like blade covered in red veins. The blade scraped against the boulder with each ragged breath that the woman took, seeming to suck up all of the blood it came into contact with. Scattered around the woman’s feet were various skeletons, all licked clean with some showing cut marks.
At this point, Sylphy’s survival instincts kicked in. She crept away from the tree with a horrified gaze, signalling Brock to back up without drawing any noise. She didn’t say a word, not until they had left the forest entirely.
“We need to let Wesley know… now,” Sylphy said, her voice shaking.
“What did you see, Sylph?” Brock asked, but Sylphy shook her head.
“It should be a cursed weapon possession. The local monsters have been cleared out by her, sucked dry, and devoured. It’s even devouring its host.”
When Brock and Sylphy returned to the settlement, they quickly found Wesley. The elf looked at the two in concern, seeing their pale faces. However, when they heard their report, his face turned grim. “I’ll need you two to lead me to the area,” he said as he went to his own house, grabbing his bag. This chapter was copied from novelping . com without permission.
The two adventurers looked at each other uncertainly, but eventually nodded in agreement. As they moved towards the edge of the settlement, Wesley saw Prim watching them, and called out for her. “If we’re not back by nightfall, send Briar back to Leonin, and tell him that we need an immediate Red-level dispatch. The guild will know what it means.” After saying that, he took his bank card out and threw it towards her.
Prim caught the card and furrowed her brow, but ultimately agreed as they left. Sylphy looked at Wesley in surprise as they walked towards the forest. “You sound like you’re not expecting to make it back?”
“I’m certainly going to try,” Wesley assured with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “However, from what you described, this is a weapon that is actively fusing with its host, and absorbing the flesh and blood of monsters. Moreover, you said that all of the monster corpses you found were in the vicinity of the target, correct?”
When Sylphy confirmed this, Wesley’s eyes grew firm. “That means that the weapon has intelligently developed a monster lure. This isn’t a normal cursed item, it should be an awakened item. One that is inherently malicious, given how it has fused with and disfigured its host. It’s probably trying to unlock an ability to take on a human form.”
The other two fell silent when they heard that. Given that the Land itself was an awakened item, they weren’t entirely sure what to think about this. “What’s the plan?” Brock asked calmly, clutching his hammer.
“You two, don’t leave my side. This thing has slaughtered at least a wide section of the forest’s inhabitants. That means that it should possess power equivalent to a B-ranked adventurer, if not higher. If you run back after leading the way, I won’t be able to guarantee that it doesn’t break off from fighting me to chase after you.”
The two quickly agreed to this, with Sylphy continuing to lead the way through the forest. However, after a few minutes, her eyes narrowed. “I don’t hear the laughing anymore,” she pointed out. “Last time we were here, we could just barely hear it at this distance.”
Wesley nodded his head, reaching for his wand at his waist. With a flick of his wrist, swords slowly began to rise up into the air, mingling with the branches of the trees to remain out of sight. “Both of you, keep an eye on the surroundings. It may be hunting again.”
Eventually, the group came upon the clearing where Sylphy had seen the woman earlier. Though, now the scene had changed. There were no bones, no blood on the boulder. Just a near clearing with a large, cracked rock in the center.
Sylphy was about to speak when Wesley held a hand out to silence her, creeping forward to inspect the boulder. He crouched down, finding several small cuts on the surface of the rock, white marks that just barely dug into the surface. “Chain hound, track any dwarven presence that left this area in the last two hours.”
As soon as he said that, a rattling chain emerged from his bag, coalescing into a vaguely canine shape. It turned on the spot, staring towards the west. However, a moment later, it seemed confused, shaking its head.
“Not fully recognizable as a dwarf, then?” Wesley asked, looking towards the west. This chain wasn’t an awakened item, but it had a special tracking feature, allowing it to detect and track presences based on given criteria.
Still, it had first pointed to the west, so Wesley made his way there. His eyes often glanced at the ground, spotting the small footprints leading the way ahead. At various points, there was a small line cut into the ground, like a blade dragging against the dirt.
Prim stood near the northern border of the territory, watching and waiting for the trio to return. Eventually, she saw movement from the road to the north. An elderly dwarven woman in ragged clothes walked along the road, looking haggard from a long journey.
When the woman saw the settlement, a weary smile crossed her features and she made her way over. Prim, seeing her, looked as calm and composed as ever. “Welcome to the village. May I help you with something, miss…?”
“Cynthia. Cynthia Greyholme,” the woman answered in a raspy tone. “And… if it’s not too much trouble, could I bother you for a meal? My carriage was attacked by goblins up the road, and I was lucky enough to escape. But, as you can see, I wasn’t able to bring any of my belongings with me…”
Prim nodded her head, leading Cynthia towards the tavern. “Of course, right this way. We happen to have an automated tavern, a new creation that is being tested here.” She pulled out a single gold coin, placing it in Cynthia’s hands gently. “That should be more than enough to cover your meal.” Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
Cynthia’s eyes widened briefly at the mention of an automatic tavern, following Prim inside and sitting at a table. Her eyes widened in delight at the menu that appeared in front of her, before quickly looking around. “Who created such a wonderful tavern like this?”
Prim simply smiled, her hands in her lap beneath the table. “A transmigrator from another city created the various buildings in the settlement. He apparently has some ability related to architecture, and we are simply helping to test out the effects in an area away from prying eyes.”
“There’s more of this?” Cynthia asked in surprise, already ordering a large dinner of fried chicken with assorted fruits and macaroni.
“Of course,” Prim nodded calmly. “There is a general goods store across the street. If you’d like, I can get you some basic supplies there so that you can settle in for the time being. At least until you’ve regained enough strength to continue your journey.”
Cynthia hesitated, looking out the door of the tavern and seeing the building across the street. “Sure, that would be lovely, dear,” she said with a bright smile, watching as Prim left the tavern and calmly walked into the general store before ravenously devouring her meal.
A few minutes later, Prim returned carrying a large backpack, and set it down beside the table, not interrupting Cynthia’s meal. Once Cynthia was able to talk again, Prim spoke up. “I took the liberty of purchasing some soap, fabric, bandages, and a blanket. There is also a large bottle of soda, since that is a rather popular drink here.”
Cynthia quickly nodded her head at that as Prim continued. “Once you’re done eating, I can guide you to an empty house to stay the night? I’d let you stay in the tavern itself, but the rooms only open after a fee has been paid, whereas the houses are free to use.”
“That makes sense,” Cynthia answered absentmindedly, quickly finishing her meal. After a few minutes, she set down her silverware, a satisfied expression on her face. “Ah! That hit the spot. Thank you for this, miss…?”
“Prim,” the rabbit-eared woman introduced herself. “My name is Prim, and I work as the overseer of this testing site.”
“Prim, then,” Cynthia said, standing and grabbing the bag. She easily lifted it over her shoulder, smiling and gesturing for Prim to lead the way.
Prim did so, walking out of the tavern as Cynthia followed behind, her right hand slowly morphing into a grotesque blade. A wicked smile spread across her lips as she crept closer.
Until suddenly, her body went stiff. A rattling chain flew in from behind, tightly binding her in place. Looking back over her shoulder, she spotted two people behind her, having just come out from behind the general store. “That’s far enough,” the first said, a muscular woman standing barely four and a half feet tall with red hair. She tightly held a chain in her hand, which was extended to wrap around Cynthia’s body.
Next to her was a trembling human wearing a blacksmith’s apron, holding a warhammer in his hands. “Leonard, if you’re going to strike, now’s the chance!” the dwarf urged, snapping the blacksmith out of his own thoughts and sending him forward.
Leonard could clearly see the grotesque blade emerging from Cynthia’s arm, and knew that she was no ordinary person. Besides, the Land had personally created this new dwarven woman in front of him to explain the situation, and provided the funds for both of their weapons.
“Let me out of this, or I’ll kill you!” Cynthia hissed her face disfiguring as jagged, metal edges seemed to pierce through her flesh.
Leonard brought his hammer up high, slamming it down on Cynthia’s skull. The hammer, which had been purchased with the ability ‘Swordbreaker’, shattered the blades as well as Cynthia’s head, causing her body to go limp in the chains.
“Don’t stop there, man!” the dwarven woman urged. “That sword’s not dead, yet! You have to smash her arm-sword-thing!”
Gulping, Leonard shakily lifted the hammer again, swinging it to smash the blade protruding from the woman’s arm. The blade itself seemed to scream in pain, cracks forming along its edge. With another swing, it shattered completely, drips of blood leaking out of the pieces.
Leonard took a step back, dropping his bloodied hammer and falling to the ground, a spattering of red covering his body. The newly created dwarf, however, simply sighed, relaxing the chain and pulling it back to herself before walking up and tapping his shoulder. “You did good, kid. Sorry to have to spring this on you.”