episode_0071

Tei finally obtained the special magic stone (whether it’s a jackpot or not, the effects won’t be immediate).

He also set the address to receive messages from Cornelia, Mia, and Alicia.

Now, he could finally set off towards the Leaf City.

“I can smell the sea. We must be nearing the strait.”

The cross-continental train that traverses the continent.

The salt smell mixed in the breeze that came in when he opened the window.

Sitting in the first-class seat of the train after a long time,

“Is it tasty?”

“Meow, it’s fine.”

As usual, Mijung was nibbling at my neck.

Mijung was so frantic in nibbling that it felt like my flesh would be torn apart.

But without fangs, there was no terrifying scene of tearing.

Just a gentle nibbling sensation and a slight sucking of blood.

It had become a part of my daily routine.

Deciding to let her suck as she pleased, I turned my gaze back out the window.

“How long has it been since we headed north?”

Since the Leaf City was located in the northern part of the continent, we had to use the cross-continental train.

Since we hadn’t been to the north in this trip, it had been about 5 months.

It had been a while.

Thinking about the cultural region, the north felt a bit more endearing to me.

But at the same time, an uneasy feeling enveloped me.

Perhaps it was because I had caused too much trouble for Yerina.

Every person I passed by felt like one of Palana’s surveillance agents.

So today, unexpectedly, I booked a private first-class seat to avoid the crowdedness.

I was too conscious of people’s gazes.

It seemed like I was developing paranoia.

“After all, Yerina is not at fault. It’s my fault for trying to seduce her even though I knew she was a virgin.”

Of course, it was my paranoid delusion.

If you know it’s a mine, you should avoid it.

But I kept pushing myself into it repeatedly, torturing myself.

“Churp.”

As she finally detached herself from my neck after sucking enough, Mijung wiped her mouth.

She even took out a handkerchief and gently wiped my neck.

She had been trained well.

After feeling the cold breeze, I said, “It’s cold. Heater.”

“Meow.”

Mijung wrapped her arms around my waist and snuggled close, trembling, and my chest began to warm up.

Second-rank magic.

Heating magic.

It was mainly used for low-temperature cooking.

As long as I was careful not to fall asleep like this, I could be cooked like sous-vide meat.

But as long as I was careful, it was a perfect substitute for a heater.

“It’s warm. The massage chair function is amazing.”

I felt lucky that Mijung had learned magic.

We could use it as a heater in winter and as a cool mistress in summer.

It was a truly versatile appliance.

“Have you sucked enough blood?”

“Meow. Full of blood.”

“Then stay here for a while. I’ll go get some food.”

“Meow. Okay, go.”

Leaving Mijung staring at me with her red eyes, I left the first-class cabin and headed to the dining car.

Since Mijung had fed, I should feed myself too.

As I walked through the corridor and reached the dining car,

I could hear the soft music of the band and people chatting all around.

As it was a train that took almost a month from start to finish, the dining car was quite spacious.

“One omurice and a glass of beer, please.”

“Sure.”

I found a suitable spot and placed my order.

I always ordered food that would come out quickly and could be eaten fast in this train dining car.

Ordering expensive and luxurious food here would only result in poor quality.

It was much better to get off at the Leaf City and eat at a decent restaurant there.

“That guy is drunk. Drag him out.”

“Sir, I haven’t had that many drinks.”

“Stop talking back and go back to your room. Causing a disturbance on the train is absolutely unacceptable. Got it?”

“Yes, sir!”

A group of rowdy men occupying one corner.

Judging by their appearance, they were mercenaries.

There were about 8 of them, led by a captain.

Looking at the unfamiliar faces, it seemed like they were a group of mercenaries or newcomers.

“Their military spirit is quite strong. They shouldn’t cause any trouble.”

They seemed to be under control in their own way.

Deciding not to worry, I relaxed and soon the food and drinks arrived, and I could start my meal.

“What should I be cautious of when heading to the north?”

“Captain! Don’t worry, I won’t let the mercenary corps’ honor be tarnished!”

“Alright. Just remember that. We have to head to the northern continent because the dungeons in the south are running low, so there might be conflicts with the local forces. Let’s try to avoid any armed conflicts. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

At the sound of the mercenaries’ voices, my head involuntarily tilted.

Dungeons running low in the southern continent?

What on earth does that mean?

There should be over a hundred dungeons in the south alone.

“Everyone is getting too excited. Let’s calm down the atmosphere a bit. We’re going to challenge the Black Star Dungeon, after all.”

“Ah, don’t worry too much. There are even those who single-handedly clear all the Black Star Dungeons in the south. Our elite team is more than enough.”

“Are these guys crazy enough to die!”

So that’s what it was.

A party aiming for the Black Star Dungeon.

I’ve heard rumors that more people have been targeting the Black Star Dungeon lately.

It seems like the perception that it’s not that dangerous has spread after people saw me clearing the Black Star Dungeons.

From the perspective of those who have ventured into the Black Star Dungeon and barely made it out alive, it must be a terrifying place, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

Most of them are probably people who gave up on the strategy and haven’t even tried entering the dungeon.

But suddenly, why would some unknown group start conquering the Black Star Dungeon?

Even I would be suspicious.

Maybe the Mercenary Corps Council members are manipulating the difficulty to benefit themselves.

“I have to experience it firsthand to know.”

There’s no use trying to stop those guys a hundred times.

Sometimes, you have to hit your head hard to come to your senses.

But the fact that dungeon conquests are picking up again is good news for me.

It would take me a long time to clear all the Black Star Dungeons on my own.

The top-grade mana stones from the dungeons have lost a lot of value over time.

Now, my main mana stones are made of the magic of the Four Demon Kings, not the ones from the dungeons.

Whether you look at the basic performance or the additional effects, the Black Mana Stones far surpass ordinary top-grade mana stones.

In the future, when I change mana stones, I’ll switch to ones obtained from defeating other Demon Kings, not the ones from the dungeons.

And if dungeon conquest speeds up, the day I face the final boss will come sooner.

That’s the key.

As someone being chased by the main heroines and engaging in a time attack, time is truly a precious resource.

“But do you know that? There’s a lunatic who only goes around conquering Black Star Dungeons.”

“The Black Star Slayer?”

“Yes, that guy.”

The Black Star Slayer.

That’s the nickname attached to me, who only conquers dungeons marked with Black Stars.

I wish I had a cooler English nickname like Black-Slayer, but I didn’t have time to sneak into the Mercenary Council and change my nickname.

There’s no time to waste on that.

It’s a little, no, very disappointing.

The moment I missed showcasing my awesome naming sense.

I could have seen the mercenaries applauding and admiring my creativity.

“There’s a rumor going around that they want to include that guy in the 4 Great Swordsmen by adding him to the 3 Great Swordsmen.”

“Who’s spreading such nonsense…”

“The Captain said so.”

“Upon further thought, it does make sense.”

The 3 Great Swordsmen.

It’s a term that refers to calling the three strongest swordsmen in the world.

But as you can tell from the names alone, it’s just an unofficial list created by armchair experts.

Unlike the strict assessment and witnesses present in the Swordmaster hierarchy, the 3 Great Swordsmen are purely subjective.

Of course, even among those who are not Swordmasters, there are undoubtedly strong individuals.

For example, Yerina or Transylvia.

Yerina is a person from the northern continent, so she has no intention of being included in the Swordmaster hierarchy of the south.

And Transylvia is a vampire who has regained her sanity, so she can’t even be considered for the Swordmaster qualification since she’s not treated as a human.

Considering these points, you could say that the 3 Great Swordsmen have their own objectivity.

Of course, no one knows if they are truly that strong since no one has seen them fight.

It’s nothing more than gossip like ‘Top 3 Swordsmen Ranking for Fun!’

Even if I were to enter that list, I wouldn’t gain any benefits or increase my honor, but…

It just feels good.

That’s all.

Secretly, the desire to push for inclusion in the 4 Great Swordsmen using my connection with Cornelia and Mia stirs within me.

“But how can you include an unknown Black Star Slayer in the 3 Great Swordsmen? We don’t even know if he’s a swordsman in the first place.”

“If that’s the case, there is evidence. It was said that all the monster corpses found in the dungeon that he swept through were cut by a sword.”

“So, you’ll investigate?”

“Yes.”

It seems that an analysis of me has been conducted without my knowledge.

At least I seem to have figured out that I am being investigated.

But it seems like there is more to it.

Thankfully.

I have been very thorough in erasing my traces, but I was worried that I might have accidentally left some evidence behind.

It seems that wasn’t the case.

During the past 12 rounds, I have hidden my tracks to avoid suspicion from Ye-Rina and focused on training.

Thank you! Ye-Rina!

“Bring the dishes.”

“Yes.”

I must have gathered enough information discreetly.

After finishing the meal, I stand up.

The train will soon cross the strait and enter the northern continent.

Then, it won’t be long before we reach the City of Taeyeop.

We should arrive by tonight, so I should rest for a while.

“Vice Captain! Something terrible has happened!”

“What? What’s going on?”

Just as I was about to leave the dining car, the door suddenly opened, and a mercenary rushed past me.

Breathing heavily and with a pale face, he seems very shocked.

“The youngest, the youngest has fainted!”

“How much did he drink to end up like this?”

“It’s not because of alcohol. His fever suddenly spiked, and he fainted, unable to regain consciousness.”

“What the… Ugh.”

As I was about to scold him with an annoyed expression, the Vice Captain staggered.

A look of confusion spreads on his face.

I soon realize it too.

“Why does my head hurt so much?”

My current condition is definitely not normal.

My head is throbbing, and my stomach feels queasy.

The bustling dining car has quieted down, and some are already slumped over without energy.

“Food poisoning?”

At first, I suspected that the food might have been poisoned and glared at the chef, but even he is dazed and unable to regain his senses.

At least the chef is not poisoned.

Then what could it be?

“I have a hunch…”

There is a suspicion forming in my mind.

There is only one thing that can cause such a quiet, eerie, and widespread effect.

Quickly kneeling down, I place my hand on the train floor.

And the moment I activate the skill search.

[Transcontinental Train]

[Status: Curse]

[A large passenger train that runs from the Southern Continent of Galia to the Northern Continent of Palanaka. *Cursed. All passengers are affected by debuffs.]

As expected.

The one who caused this phenomenon is a shaman.

Unlike magic that consumes mana, shamanism is an ability that uses magic.

In terms of using magic, it can be considered similar to a necromancer who uses sorcery.

“They’re quite powerful.”

Although I am sensitive to the movement of mana, I am not as sensitive to the movement of magic.

Still, I can sense the massive amount of magic Belphagor and Kali emitted from a distance.

To cast such a curse over the entire train, the shaman must have used quite a bit of magic.

Yet, I didn’t notice it at all.

It is clear that the shaman is quite skilled.

“Oh my. It seems to be getting stronger.”

Currently, only I and the mercenaries in the dining car are keeping their senses.

It seems that the curse is affecting those with larger bodies and muscle mass more slowly.

But even the mercenaries are starting to collapse one by one.

I feel like I will soon succumb as well.

“This is maddening…”

There is only one way to stop this.

I must capture the shaman.

If there is a totem installed, I will have to destroy it after capturing the shaman…

Capturing the shaman will reveal the location of the totem.

“Ah, darn it.”

But as soon as I try to leave the dining car, my legs give out, and I feel like I’ve drunk about eight bottles of whiskey.

My senses are dulled, and the world is spinning.

“It’s impossible to activate the Heavenly Gauntlet.”

I briefly considered activating the Heavenly Gauntlet, but decided against it.

The curse affects the entire train.

The Heavenly Gauntlet can deflect physical force but does not protect against curses.

Could this be like when I woke up sealed in a slave market in the north?

Or waking up in an operating room with my organs removed and being hit with ‘Sir, this guy is smiling’ spell?

As these terrifying thoughts crossed my mind…

At the end of the corridor, someone walking slowly comes into focus.

As they approach, their features become clearer.

“Why are you lying down?”

Mijeong’s bewildered expression comes into view.

She sits down in front of me, looking puzzled.

I can see your panties, you jerk.

“You…”

You should run away too.

It was at that moment that I was about to say that.

“…This. Keep moving it.”

Mijung pushed a wooden box towards me.

That box contained Kali’s soul.

And it was wriggling like crazy.

Emitting an ominous energy.