Chapter 53 – The Fairy, Nyongmom

&R;êa&d; o​n Kａ&t;​R​eaｄin‌​ǵCаf​ｅ

After Han Chan-sung, now the fairy knight Nyongmom, joined our permanent party, we set out on our first party hunt.

The monster we were hunting was called the [Red-Horned Deer], a monster around level 20.

The party’s average level and equipment were strong enough to take on monsters much tougher than the Red-Horned Deer, but we deliberately chose a lower-level monster to accommodate Nyongmom.

People who suddenly find their bodies changed need time to adjust. On the first day in this world, most players experienced this, and so did I.

From a tall, lanky man’s body to a tiny girl’s. Nyongmom needed time to adapt to her new body.

Whoosh—

Nyongmom stepped forward with confidence. With her small shield and short sword, she looked more like a kindergartener at a talent show than a reliable knight.

“Red-Horned Deer. I used to hunt these alone since they’re non-aggressive. It’s been a while.”

As if recalling old memories, Nyongmom nodded and swung her sword. With her gesture, a terrifying sound emanated from the short sword.

Her appearance had changed, but her stats remained the same. The strength of a level 46 knight hadn’t disappeared.

Nyongmom took a stance as if to charge at the monster, then asked me.

“So, how many should I gather?”

“Gather?”

“Yeah. They’re only level 20 monsters, right? Plus, we have a mage, so even if I gather about ten, we should be able to handle them easily.”

I shook my head. Nyongmom was the girl who had just fallen out of bed this morning. If she recklessly gathered monsters while still struggling to control her body, what would happen?

The deer’s red horns would mercilessly pierce her small body.

“Let’s not push ourselves. Take it slow.”

“Hmm.”

Nyongmom tilted her head at my answer. She then nodded and dashed toward a deer grazing on grass.

Gladie, Isolin, and I quickly drew our weapons and prepared our skills. But it wasn’t necessary.

“Haah!”

With a short shout, she swung her sword. The slash from the short sword drew a crescent moon in the air, leaving a deep gash on the deer’s neck.

What followed was Nyongmom’s shield bash.

Crash—!

The deer was sent flying by a force unbelievable for such a small girl. The deer died instantly.

“Uh, well…”

Considering Nyongmom’s level, it wasn’t surprising. A level 46 player easily defeating a low-level monster was expected.

Even Isolin, who had just reached level 30, could take down a Red-Horned Deer with a single skill.

What was astonishing was Nyongmom’s agility. Just this morning, she could barely walk without stumbling.

Her movements, incomparable to before, showed she was quickly adapting to her new body.

However, Nyongmom, who had just shown such an incredible display, frowned as if something was bothering her.

“Ah, my arms are too short now. The sword doesn’t hit as well as before. If it were like before, it would’ve been a one-hit kill.”

As if regretting her shorter arms, Nyongmom stretched out her sword-wielding hand. The frustrated girl swung her sword at the air.

“But it’s fine now. I’ve got the hang of it.”

As time passed, Nyongmom quickly grew accustomed to her body. Watching from behind, I could see it.

During the battle, Nyongmom’s posture was being adjusted in real-time.

Her strides grew longer, her movements more fluid. If necessary, she would leap into the air to swing her sword. She used her shield as a weapon, striking and sliding between the monster’s legs with her small body.

Nyongmom didn’t need much help. With the priest’s buffs, she quickly slaughtered the deer she had gathered.

“Phew…”

Nyongmom sighed, standing atop the fallen deer. Red blood dripped down her soft cheeks.

“That’s amazing…”

“I didn’t expect this…”

Gladie and Isolin shared their impressions. Both seemed impressed by Nyongmom’s skills.

Seeing their reactions and Nyongmom’s prowess, my shoulders lifted with pride. My decision to recruit Nyongmom wasn’t wrong.

I had intentionally been kind. I had intentionally avoided proposing a permanent party. Pretending not to care about recruitment, I took care of Nyongmom when she was alone.

That was the right move.

Then, Nyongmom asked.

“It seems we’ve cleared this area. Should we move to a higher-level hunting ground?”

As she said, all the deer in the vicinity had been slaughtered. We could wait for the monsters to respawn here, but for the party’s overall growth, moving to a higher-level area was the right decision.

However, I shook my head.

“Let’s stop here for today.”

“Huh?”

Nyongmom’s eyes widened at my answer. Her gray hair fluttered in the night breeze, and her fairy eyes glowed softly under the moonlight.

I pointed to the sky and replied.

“It’s late. Time to sleep.”

“Ah…”

Nyongmom nodded at my answer. She looked regretfully at her sword, then sheathed it on her back.

I knew Nyongmom’s playstyle well. He would cut down on sleep to focus on hunting monsters.

But now that he had joined our party, Nyongmom had to adapt to our playstyle.

If he was dissatisfied, he could leave. If he adapted, he would stay.

The reason I hadn’t handed over the unique item [Frostbite], obtained in Parna, to Nyongmom was also for this reason.

Of course, if it became clear that he was truly one of us, I would give it to him. Just not now.

“Let’s go eat!”

I said to the party members. No one refused.

The four girls ran toward Foxtail under the moonlight.

Whoosh—

Dinner time became a time for conversation. From trivial matters to important topics, the conversation flowed.

Even if there was nothing to say, eating delicious food and drinking made the words come naturally.

Nyongmom was no exception. The drunken fairy knight chattered away with her small mouth.

“So, back then…”

Most of the stories were about battles with monsters. The experiences and lessons he had learned through fighting poured out from his small mouth.

The stories weren’t boring. In fact, even Isolin and Gladie listened intently. Knowing the traits and weaknesses of strong monsters increased our chances of survival.

During the conversation, the topic of the Return Guild came up. I had been curious about something, so I asked Nyongmom.

“Chan-sung.”

“Yes…?”

Nyongmom looked at me with a flushed face, seemingly having drunk too much. Her unfocused eyes swayed weakly.

“The Return Guild’s goal was to defeat the ‘Bird that Sings of Destruction,’ right? Exactly what were they planning to do after killing it?”

“They said they needed to obtain the bird’s authority.”

“What authority?”

“Hmm… I don’t remember that part. It was just something I heard in passing…”

Nyongmom said this and emptied a large beer mug in one go. Enjoying the refreshing fizz, she swung her short legs under the chair.

I fell into thought. The condition for the Bird that Sings of Destruction to appear was the destruction of this world. Or something close to it.

To defeat it, it had to appear first. This meant that the goals of the Return Guild and the Singing Cult somewhat aligned.

I asked Nyongmom, just in case.

“Hey, do you know about the Singing Cult?”

“Singing… Singing Cult…? Huh, are they people who sing well…?”

Nyongmom, too drunk, slurred her words. A deflating laugh escaped through her slightly raised lips.

“No, the Singing Cult. A religious organization created by NPCs.”

“Hmm… We were told to avoid conflicts with religious groups if possible… I don’t remember which one it was…”

With that, Nyongmom planted her soft cheeks on the table. Roll roll— Seeing her snore, it seemed she had fallen into a deep sleep.

I brushed the little fairy girl’s hair back and fell into thought.

According to Nyongmom, the Return Guild and the Singing Cult didn’t seem to be in a cooperative relationship.

Nyongmom had said. The Return Guild’s goal was to defeat the Bird that Sings of Destruction and take its authority.

Take its authority.

Seize.

Plunder.

Absorb.

A few words flashed through my mind, triggering a chain reaction. With a sense of foreboding, I looked down at my right hand and asked inwardly.

Have you contacted any other players besides me?

[Denial]

One possibility was denied. It was time to propose the next possibility. I looked at the large eye engraved on the back of my right hand and asked again.

Is there a possibility that another deity exists in this world?

[Affirmative]

The moment The Knowledge Seeker affirmed my possibility.

My vision turned gray

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