episode_0007

Starting from elves to various demi-humans and individuals who appear to be mercenaries, and even a fellow with the air of a swindler.

Behind the Union Leader stood an enormous notice board where beings from all races gathered from every direction for one purpose without discrimination.

What they were aiming for was the flood of requests pouring in from all over. Among them were missions lucrative enough to sustain a living solely through rewards.

[Belderos. Subjugation Reward 400,000,000,000…]

One of the atrocities of the Demon King, the only absolute powerhouse yet to be sealed. It is said that efforts are being made to awaken him once again after being sealed for countless ages.

“…So, this terrifying-looking fellow is some kind of atrocity or something, right?”

“Yeah.”

This world… I couldn’t believe it at first, but there really is a Demon King. It’s such a cliché setting, but at least they seem to have succeeded in sealing him.

I thought things were peaceful here. Is everything going haywire again recently?

No matter how exceptional Mary’s abilities may be, facing a boss from the start is nearly impossible.

The fact that there are probably so many zeros attached to that guy’s name indicates he’s practically untouchable. Since it’s the beginning, we should find something more appropriate for a balanced match.

“For example, something like this.”

[Looking for a hero to subdue the wild dogs invading Elise’s farm.]

If it’s just a family-run farm in the village, dealing with a mere pack of wild dogs is perfect for a beginner.

Although it’s a bit tucked away at the end of the board, it shouldn’t matter.

In fact, there might be a hidden gem that no one else has discovered.

“Alright. This looks good.”

“…The woman’s name.”

It seems the gender of the client is a concern.

“Just in case, don’t do anything weird if the client happens to be a woman.”

“……”

“If you behave, I’ll let you hold hands as much as you want.”

“Really?”

Other than their first encounter back where they used to live, Chae Seol-A knew very little about Mary.

What she realized after coming to this world is that her physical abilities are better than expected.

Considering how she kept up with me, who did track and field in my younger days, her stamina had been proven.

That means cooperating with him would lead to a safer life in this world.

Perhaps until she can return home, she will have to toughen up and survive, as running away won’t make things better.

A strategy of giving in and gaining strength.

“…Not right now, but after the mission is over.”

“I’ll manage somehow! So, shall we start now?”

Did he know she could smile so brightly?

Anyway, starting with the mission to defeat the farm’s wild dog, she opened the door to a full-fledged life in this new world.

Tearing the request paper and tucking it into her pocket, she set off towards the Union Leader, feeling a mix of tension and excitement.

But that hopeful heart soon turned into regret.

As she rented a carriage through the permit she received the day before and embarked on a two-hour long yet short journey.

The scenery unfolding beyond the city limits was desolate.

If the village seemed barren, this area felt like it could dry up and die any moment.

Building a farm on land where it seems neither humans can live nor animals survive.

She didn’t know who the farm owner and client were, but as the carriage ventured deeper, his figure became clearer.

By the time the horses pulling the carriage let out a loud neigh, they arrived at their destination with everyone’s energy depleted.

“If the map is correct…”

Yesterday, she purchased a special spider silk thread from a store and also obtained an additional map. It’s a bit worn and sparse in places, but it’s undoubtedly accurate.

The continent ‘Teia’ is one massive landmass divided into 11 countries.

“Sernium” was a country mentioned in the letter from La Rune, right in the middle of “Behimos.” Essentially, we found ourselves visiting “Erma,” slightly to the right of Sernium’s center.

In this outskirts area, a signboard boldly stating “Erma” caught our eyes.

“Behimos is a whole different story from this place. There are no passersby, and it feels ambiguous to call it a village.”

“Hey.”

Chaeseol pointed beyond the signboard to a guidepost.

It divided the main locations of the village into seven parts, with arrows pointing in various directions on a tall wooden statue.

Among them, one stood out with something previously painted over in black, and on top of it was written ‘Alice’s Farm.’

It could be that they were too lazy to make a new guidepost, but an uneasy feeling crept in somehow.

Moreover, judging by what was listed as the main places of the village, it implied either not on a family scale or quite large in size.

“Anyway, since we’ve come this far, we should go. Dealing with a few stray dogs is all there is to it.”

“Yeah.”

Following the arrows, we soon felt the ground becoming damp.

It was a stark contrast to the desolate village we had just passed through, almost as if saying that from here on, it was the path to the farm.

Soon, vast fields and a few buildings that seemed like barns came into view. And a house that seemed to oversee all of this.

“We’ve really come all the way…”

“Oh my, are you the heroes from the Union?”

Looking closely, a man who seemed to be the client was already approaching us. It was clear he recognized us right away, probably due to the headache he had been dealing with.

A bit peculiar with a mountain-like build that didn’t match his rugged face and tone.

And a faceless suit of armor.

He introduced himself as Alice and explained the details.

“Have you seen our village? If you saw it on your way here, you’d know that it’s a place where not even ants can survive, and people are gradually leaving.”

“…Yes, it seems like even the farms are suffering.”

“That’s right! The land is already tough for anything to thrive, and those creatures are devouring everything in sight, making it impossible to live.”

“Just ordinary stray dogs?”

“Well, yes, but there’s quite a large number of them roaming around the village, so if you’re not careful, you could get seriously hurt.”

“We’ll step in first. Let’s try to solve this before they cause more harm.”

“Oh, how courageous. Your arms are thick too…”

Chaeseol seemed ready to confront anyone, regardless of gender, but she seemed to hold back, perhaps recalling a promise made earlier.

Just by looking at her face, which seemed to be carefully considering something, I could tell what she was thinking.

According to the map he handed us, the most vulnerable and crucial supply point of the farm located to the right was the chicken coop.

Especially considering their blatant focus solely on the chickens, it was evident that they would undoubtedly attack the coop today as well.

The plan was to start with the basics since we didn’t know what would happen. Two heads are better than one. We would take position a bit away from the coop and observe the creatures from afar.

Then, when they inevitably attacked, we would threaten them appropriately and drive them away.

Of course, things wouldn’t be resolved so easily. Hence, the second plan involved the leftover special spider silk.

If they felt threatened and ran away, we would attach the silk to one of them and let go until they ran far away.

After some time, the silk would stop moving, presenting an opportunity to track down their leader.

Then it would be simple. We would counterattack the leader and finish the mission.

“By the way, is that a chicken over there?”

Come to think of it, this was another world, and the horse we saw yesterday was not ordinary—it was a unicorn.

Even the carriage we rode in looked different from what we were used to.

Perhaps that’s why the chickens on the farm also seemed unusual.

“…It looks like a phoenix. To think that a phoenix is laying eggs in a chicken coop.”

Lost in the mystical sight for a moment, as the sun began to set gradually, cries could be heard from somewhere.

Simultaneously, the phoenixes in the coop, startled, ran around in confusion without regaining their composure.

Seems like they are frightened by the predator’s sounds.

Thankfully, they are signaling heavily while approaching.

Once they enter the encirclement, we must definitely ensnare them with spider webs.

Carrying stakes and wooden shields just in case made me feel more secure.

“They’re here…!”

Suddenly, they appeared like arrows.

Swift movements filled with tension. Rough breaths and drooling at the sight of prey.

They roar deeply as if declaring this as their territory.

After finishing their declaration, they immediately started surrounding the phoenixes to aim at them.

“Wait, something’s different.”

An ordinary wild dog.

Far from being a mere wolf.

A body comparable to a tiger seen in a zoo when young, with tusks protruding long and sharp like an elephant’s ivory.

The rugged appearance and fierce claws indicated that he was no ordinary creature.

Moreover, there were not just one but twenty of such creatures.

An unexpected situation.

Regardless of their numbers, they looked more ferocious than anticipated.

Especially, those spear-like tusks seemed so imposing that once pierced, it would be impossible to escape. Jumping into that would be nothing short of suicide.

“…Chaeseol, this doesn’t seem right.”

Gone.

The one who was beside me just moments ago is gone.

And now, standing right in front of me.

Facing a pack of giant wild dogs.

Their blatant appearance has already exposed our presence.

“Hah, this feels too easy somehow.”

If someone were reading our story, they wouldn’t understand.

Jumping into a perilous situation without even knowing what abilities the person gave us.

It would be quite incomprehensible.

However, time was on our side.

Before leaving for Erma.

Deploying into real action without any practice beforehand doesn’t add up.

We found the forest where we first landed before heading out on our mission.

It was to confirm if we truly received extraordinary abilities.

I quickly scanned the surroundings and focused my mind.

Since I didn’t hear any specific spells or rituals, concentrating on drawing out something from within seemed to be the right approach.

Visualization.

Clearing my mind of distractions and solely focusing on visualization.

Even if it’s vague, it’s fine. Just hoping for something to come out, I concentrated endlessly.

The subtle flow of unfamiliarity felt in meditation.

Converging that flow into a single point, branching out into dozens, hundreds of directions.

As time passed.

Finally, something began to flicker in my grasp.

“Honestly, I thought you were not just extraordinary but a trickster.”

Suddenly, a lightning bolt as bright as molten metal streaked past before my eyes, leaving a massive trail behind.

The thunderous sound of the powerful lightning struck a tree, engulfing it in darkness as if it had been bombed.

‘Visualization.’

Chaeseol’s ability, after numerous thoughts, turned out to be visualization.

Without using any special weapons or techniques, she condensed pure magic to release it, a kind of explosive magic.

Black as her hair, accompanied by immeasurable high-voltage current, was its significant feature.

She could grasp it, wield it, and even throw it freely, truly a ‘trickster-level’ ability.

On the other hand, my ability…

“This is way too unfair.”

“Hold my hand.”

“Sure. It’s a promise. But more importantly, since the operation didn’t go as planned, it might be difficult to eliminate them.”

When the smell of gunpowder fills the vicinity of the chicken coop.

From the bushes at the back of the farm, similar yet distinct sounds could be heard.

The moment the figure revealed itself, its identity was unmistakable without a word.

The ship was massive, with the size of a large fang, scars covering its entire body, and a completely different aura.

It referred to itself as the leader.

Upon seeing his own group wiped out in a single blow, he couldn’t hide his rough breathing.

The clear gaze seemed like it would charge at any moment…

“Chaeseol!!”

In an instant.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from sight.

When he turned at the sound that followed,

A lone figure’s shadow was about to ambush Chaeseol.

There’s no way to avoid this.

Chaeseol is undoubtedly capable of defending against attacks, but if caught by that…

Thud…!!!

A few seconds later, a roar echoed through the village.