harleyscars Chapter 107 : To Become 4th-Rank (2)
Chapter 107 : To Become 4th-Rank (2)
To Become 4th-Rank (2)
Granfen of the Kaischen Duchy,
And the Nest of the Red Rooster of the Heroni Federation.
Surprisingly, the size of these two villages was quite different.
In fact, the Nest of the Red Rooster was on par with Grey Fortress—one of the cities stored in my game database.
Therefore, it was simply unthinkable for Granfen to go up against the Nest of the Red Rooster on a fair footing.
No, the very fact that Granfen had managed to hold the line and continue the war for so long was nothing short of a miracle.
But then, how had Granfen managed to guard this frontline while also defending the spirit stone quarry?
The answer, I found, came from Ralph during our journey.
― It's thanks to the battalion commander's terrain tactics.
The Duchy to the North was mostly covered in mountains.
Among them, the perilous mountains and forests were infested with beasts and demonic beasts,
making it impossible for ordinary soldiers to traverse the land.
Of course, if the enemy gritted their teeth and tried, they could muscle their way through the mountains and forests to invade,
but that would be majorly disadvantageous for them as well.
To face the North's Duchy army in the mountains?
That would be like pitting a fire-type Pokémon against Squirtle,
not to mention doubling the risk of ambushes.
In other words—
'For the Heroni to get to Granfen, they have to cross the frontline between the ravines.'
With that logic in mind, the battalion commander established the frontline right between the ravines, blocking the Heroni's path to Granfen,
which allowed Granfen to be guarded for years with relatively few troops.
This was also the reason Ricky and I were so worried when we set out to hunt.
In this area where I now was, not only were there beasts and demonic beasts,
― ...monsters do appear here from time to time, so you have to be careful!
Belkhazium's mob classification divided creatures into four types:
beasts, wild beasts, demonic beasts, and monsters, each type generally growing stronger in that order.
'Still, the monsters that spawn here should be within my abilities to handle.'
For the first time in a while, I felt proud of my status as a seasoned veteran in Belkhazium,
but I didn't let my guard down.
Whenever I had relied on odds and statistics before, the worst had always happened.
Shaking off memories of bad luck, I chewed down on a piece of sugar as I ran.
Crunch!
...
〈 ... Strength slightly increased. 〉
〈 Focus slightly increased. 〉
〈 Stamina slightly increased. 〉
〈 After consuming enough sugar, stamina will not decrease. (30 minutes) 〉
The system's announcement filled me with a surge of confidence,
but again, I heard something crash nearby—
Kuuuung!
And then came the sound of a bear's roar.
"Kuooong!!"
I clearly recognized it as the Ice Bear's cry I'd heard yesterday.
Which meant,
'Is the bear fighting someone? Or are the Heroni hunting?'
After quickly coming to that conclusion, I immediately stopped and hid myself.
I then fished a rice ball out from my hardtack pouch and ate it as a precaution.
〈 Strength slightly increased. 〉
〈 By consuming the completed Korean food 'rice ball,' you gain a bonus effect. 〉
〈 The increased strength will not decrease. (30 minutes) 〉
Now fully prepared, I recalled the movements of Schutmann and Jeros as I slowly crept toward the sounds.
'Let's minimize my presence and sound as much as possible.'
Even as I moved, my mind played out possible scenarios.
Whether the monster was fighting the Ice Bear, or the Heroni were out hunting, both were fine by me.
I could deal with either one.
There was just one highly unlikely, worst-case scenario left—
'... Let's not jinx myself.'
If I acted cautiously from the start, I wouldn't get caught off guard no matter what happened.
With only that thought, I crept forward.
And that's how I arrived at the scene.
"Kuooong!!"
I felt a wave of relief.
I'd avoided that worst-case scenario—a Heroni beastkin company commander, a 4th-rank, hunting the Ice Bear.
'Besides, a company commander would never go out hunting directly, and a 4th-rank wouldn't take long to defeat an Ice Bear, anyway.'
Still, this relief was fleeting,
and I kept myself hidden, calmly observing the situation:
the Ice Bear was locked in a fierce fight with three white lizard demonic beasts.
"Kuooong!"
"Kirik!"
All around were the corpses of other demonic beasts,
and the Ice Bear was covered in blood, left in shreds.
"Kyaaak!"
Then, the Ice Bear grabbed one of the attacking demonic beasts as it lunged at him, flinging it down to the ground.
He raised his claws and brought them down:
Thud! Kuuung!
My eyes must have gone wide at that pattern.
'Damn. That's no regular Ice Bear.'
That move—grabbing an opponent, slamming it to the ground and pounding it with a furious punch—
that was the move of an Ice Bear Boss, not a regular one.
'It's the Ice Bear Boss.'
Only then did I notice the differences in size and features.
Standing near the lizard demonic beasts, it was 1.5 times larger than the Ice Bear I'd seen yesterday,
with arms noticeably longer in proportion to its body.
'Damn. If I'd run into this thing while it was healthy, I'd have been in trouble.'
Ice Bears become easy prey from the 3rd-rank on, but bosses are not.
I could probably just barely defeat it after a close fight,
but this isn't a game—there's no point in risking my life for a hunt in the real world.
But if I get to "reap the reward" like this? That's a blessing.
Because—
'The boss's reward will be incredibly sweet.'
In the game, you could go months without seeing such a boss, not even a glimpse!
Yet here I was, facing an Ice Bear Boss in reality.
'Damn. Is today some kind of special day?'
Just as a learned sense of unease swept over me, sensing my unusual luck,
the Ice Bear pounded down with a finishing punch, bursting the head of the lizard sprawled on the ground.
Kwa-jik!
"Kyaaaaak!"
Another lizard demonic beast seized the moment to bite the bear's left jaw. Kwa-jik!
"Kuooong!!"
Howling in pain, the Ice Bear violently shook its head and arms,
but the lizard hung on like a promotional balloon,
and another lizard seized the chance to bite the Ice Bear's thigh. Kwa-jik!
'Is this my chance?'
With all three mobs tangled together,
I could finish them all off at once.
What grade would the system give for the boss's meat compared to normal Ice Bear, which is a mid-to-low grade ingredient?
Just as I was about to make my move—
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
The Ice Bear charged at a huge tree and smashed its head against it.
Kwaaang!
At the same time, the lizard biting the bear's head was crushed and blood erupted.
Squelch-crunch!
The tree was falling, but the Ice Bear didn't stop.
He swung down his massive claws onto the lizard biting his leg—
and soon the tree, struck by the bear's head, toppled to the forest floor.
Kuuuuung!
Grass, debris, and branches shot up
and, finally, the bear's rampage ceased.
Watching the spectacle, I thought:
'It's like a National Geographic documentary.'
I'd thought I'd grown used to this medieval wilderness,
but maybe theirs was true untamed nature, a life without reason or language—only the law of the jungle.
'But right now, it's my dinner.'
Thinking of Bear Grylls's famous line, I walked toward the fallen Ice Bear.
No need to hide anymore.
Sabak, sabak.
My footsteps must have sounded like the Grim Reaper to the bear.
Shwik. Shwiik. Shwik.
Locked in a stare with the fallen Ice Bear amid the corpses of the lizard demonic beasts.
Hm.
Yesterday, I'd hunted without a second thought,
but killing a half-dead creature left me feeling a bit guilty.
So I said:
"You've done well. Rest in peace."
The creature seemed to understand and closed its eyes,
and I sent out a Sword Energy, severing the Ice Bear Boss's neck.
Seok!!
*
"Nggh. Ngggh!"
Hanging a gigantic bear upside down from a tree was an ordeal.
I couldn't help but groan.
"Nggggh!"
I yanked on the rope Jeros had given me with all my might.
Watching the bear and lizard fight, I felt like I'd wasted that rice ball,
but maybe I'd eaten it precisely for this strength buff.
"Whew. This is so damn heavy, seriously."
Barely, I managed to haul the boss bear up into the air.
Blood poured out from the cut in its neck.
With this much weight off, it should be manageable to drag.
With that, I approached the bear and tightened my grip on my knife.
Now then—
'Let's see what this Blood Iron kitchen knife can do.'
Like a wilderness survivalist under a waterfall,
I held the Blood Iron kitchen knife under the cascade of bear blood.
Slurp. Tssup.
It sounded different compared to just drinking a drop or two.
It was like sucking coffee through a straw—blood disappeared quickly,
but as so much blood gushed, the recharge was finished in no time.
I looked closely at the Blood Iron.
"Impressive. That color."
Originally, blood Iron was already a dark, inky hue,
but now it was pitch-black enough to swallow the very light around it, like a black hole.
'This is really fun.'
The little differences from dot games to real life gave me some small joys.
Well, be that as it may.
The next action with this fully powered Blood Iron kitchen knife would be the most important.
"Fufufu..."
My current expression must have been a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
'I have to get the White Bear Bile.'
The 'White Bear Bile' you could sometimes get from an Ice Bear Boss.
Even catching the boss didn't guarantee it.
It was a double-layered rare drop from a rare spawn.
'But this isn't a game of dice—this is reality.'
Whether I'd acquire the White Bear Bile would depend on my skill.
How much of Flaco's theoretical lessons on extracting bear bile would help me, I wondered.
Of course, theory and practice are worlds apart,
but I'd slaughtered and dissected an Ice Bear myself just yesterday.
'If I do well, I can do this. As long as I don't mess up.'
Thump. Thump.
My heart raced.
I wanted this incredibly rare and powerful item more than anything,
but the adrenaline rush right now was counterproductive to a precision job like extracting bile.
'Time for a calm mind buff.'
I immediately opened the [shop window] and bought some scallion, chewing it raw. Crunch! Crunch!
〈 Calmness slightly increased. 〉
My racing heart instantly eased.
It wasn't a complete dish, so the effect wouldn't last,
but as long as I finished within four minutes, it would do.
'Surgery ready.'
Let's begin.
Cue the White Tower* OST, B Rossette!
'Bam-bam, bababam! Bam-bam, bababam!'
I put the Blood Iron kitchen knife to the bear's chest and started slicing—
"!!"
From the start, I was shocked.
That tough hide of the Ice Bear was splitting open easily.
'No matter how much I augmented the sharpness with Sword Energy, a Blood Iron knife filled with blood is something else.'
I felt the corners of my lips curl up.
If I failed now, I couldn't even blame my equipment anymore.
Let's do this, Ian.
I sliced through the pelt and thick fat layer.
A hot, thick wave of blood scent burst out all at once.
'Now I have to find the gall bladder tucked under the liver.'
Flaco's advice came to mind.
If you prod too deeply, the bile will burst and lose all value.
But if you go too shallow, you won't even touch it.
So, carefully, while picturing the butchery and dissection I performed yesterday, I got to work.
Swoosh, sasak, swoosh. Sasak.
And then—
"... Got it."
Through the gore, I saw a translucent membrane.
A tiny, pure-white pouch, the exact opposite color of Blood Iron, hanging beneath the liver.
'It's the White Bear Bile!'
The thrill was overwhelming, but I held back a shout.
Not time for a victory toast just yet.
Grateful for the calmness buff, I angled the blade.
Sssssk.
I gently followed the bile duct, slicing delicately.
Flaco had warned: if the bile leaked, it was all over.
I focused, focused, and focused again.
And finally—
"This right here is the legendary White Bear Bile, said to be rarer than the Heart of Jude."
A small pouch was in my hand.
A beautifully alive, pure-white, glistening pouch!
I couldn't stop grinning.
The burst of adrenaline felt like a landslide, probably because my calmness buff had run out.
"NICEEEE!!!"
With no one else around, I let out a yell.
And then—
Crack. Crackle.
A thin membrane formed over the surface of the bile,
and in an instant, it hardened into something like petrified crystal.
A living organ had just solidified into a lump.
"... My God."
It hit home again—this really was a fantasy world.
No wonder—
'In the game, you'd always toss bear bile into your inventory, even though you had to handle it carefully and it'd be ruined if it burst.'
So that's why that setting existed.
I gave the bile a gentle thunk with my finger.
It wasn't stone, but had hardened to a plastic-like consistency.
"Even better. No—this is amazing."
Now I wouldn't have to worry about transporting it.
I tossed the bear bile, about the size of my fist, into my backpack,
and lowered the Ice Bear, now drained of most of its blood, to the ground.
That should be light enough.
'Time to haul it out of here.'
I grabbed the rope to drag the bear away—
"... This is annoying."
I noticed the corpses of the lizard demonic beasts nearby.
Wanting to clear them aside to make hauling easier, a bolt of lightning struck my mind.
Come to think of it—
'When I ate the imp wing—monster meat—in the minor Demon Realm!'
The system had played a special message back then.
I remembered it vividly.
At that time,
- 【 You have eaten monster meat. 】
- 【 Consumed. 】
After that, [Chaos Awakening] was unlocked, and the first stage of 'Shackle of Mutation' was activated.
Then—
'Is there something special about demonic beast meat as well?'
Licking my dry lips, I muttered,
"This is gonna be heavy as hell."
It was going to be brutal, carrying all this weight—
the Ice Bear Boss and the lizard demonic beast meat.
Hahaha.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
White Tower" refers to a famous Korean drama about doctors, often used for comedic effect during tense surgery scenes.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】