Chapter 68: Guardian (1)
paJF4Title) A vigorous and energetic morning!vjJK
xRWWildGrillsQkKSLL
vwH2SToday marks the beginning of day 9!mp6ujPm
yTXTemㄴHeavenlyDemon) You’re already awake. What are you planning to do today?rCC49
SL0QXㄴWildGrills) First, I’m going back to yesterday’s cave. I want to confirm whether the whole cave is filled with orichalcum.gapr
4mcㄴHeavenlyDemon) If you find more, could you give me some? Having even one doesn’t sound bad.KGqaCFu
YEfVb3yㄴWildGrills) If it’s a request from HeavenlyDemon, of course. I’ll give you a big one.CXN
7mgBㄴHeavenlyDemon) Thank you. Since we’ll be trading, I’ll give you some fasting pills I prepared beforehand.DS70sV8
OT8HfㄴWildGrills) Thank you.5hm
HxifpCㄴSwordMaster) You really do stay busy every day. I think you’re even busier than me.cQsB
t2hㄴWildGrills) But you could get a job if you wanted to, right?sutE27
gkIPㄴSwordMaster) Yeah, but I don’t need to haha1u3OC
OOnㄴso jealous, unemployed millionaire4vuB
8NPfCTㄴthat guy literally beat lifeEFhBSx5
wAmLOnㄴwhile some people work until their bones break, others… sighlxL45
uSgeMYxㄴhe definitely was born noble with a golden spoon lmaoXoWvC
BjNl6RㄴDwarfPassingBy) Ah, right. Another day has passed. What you gave me really was orichalcum.sJL79N
5AeAgLㄴWildGrills) Your timing is incredible;; what time did you start getting drunk yesterday?Q4m0s
x1VuJPCㄴDwarfPassingBy) From lunch until night. But hey, what was in that fish? When I drank alcohol with it, my whole body started burning;; I slept the entire day because of it.wBhV
EFATfAh, right.V7N
h69TaWkIt was a fish that contained an internal core.rKF
YqnHeavenlyDemon explained that fish with internal cores were spiritual creatures and spiritual medicines.2agi3
nh9KuZbSo it wasn’t strange for it to cause body heat.y43
qE3ㄴWildGrills) That happened to me too, but after sleeping a whole day it went away. Does it still hurt?gdoje
OxXyNㄴDwarfPassingBy) Other than feeling full of energy, I’m fine. I think I’ll return to the mines for the first time in a while.37Ci
z1wHanTNow that I think about it, this guy really is a dwarf.swvsyoR
4mkvPThe image of him being a drunk was so strong that I forgot.cpO
kBXDwarves are the race of alcohol and mines.Nn5FiK
IqiDrinking after mining work was tradition.UTvLg
4Eq7OAnd those small bodies were made for working in mines.LbiW
vTYThat’s what I’d heard.5sN8GL
5mTLㄴWildGrills) I could also use a pickaxe. Any advice?ncUE
ZhERㄴDwarfPassingBy) Don’t put mana into the pickaxe. There could be mana-sensitive minerals.IaEUfNi
4ZVfUPㄴWildGrills) Is orichalcum also sensitive to mana?FOT9Ozb
mWlR9RㄴDwarfPassingBy) More than sensitive, it has absurdly high absorption. Seriously, never use mana.x1kt
VBKㄴWildGrills) Just hearing that sounds exhausting.g6X
q5pwKeGㄴmining is a shitty job haha, there’s a reason it’s one of the hardest jobs in the world3fMfpYt
ifeaSㄴif the mine collapses you just diefMuR
sjn1iVfㄴWildGrills) I’ll just pick up stones lying around instead.zQv3Lzu
cndmdㄴsurprised this bastard still hasn’t diedEIqZk
1bDn9ㄴwhen is this bastard gonna die lmaoocoP2
5ZhFFbㄴhe really is durablegI6y
ApufZfㄴI’m already tired of him staying alive~8YzW
fkQpㄴWildGrills) What’s wrong with these idiots?qmUY6zX
CrH8YThat’s how my day began, accompanied by the sweet and poisonous support of users and lurkers.d5CSYch
GQ2C2GThe best way to start the morning was with a glass of cold water and the fresh forest air.0vnNfN
WY5aL0And on top of that—0uJEq7
wVKLQ“Mooo.”2CFu
yNVmo“……”hoWiMUy
ZObEFinding myself face to face with a deer far larger than the barricade.O9onghc
S7mBeautifully glowing blue antlers and completely white fur.XuvIK3
wTQVOvEyes as clear as crystal water.bWYS
YwyI silently stared at it and took a photo for the gallery.l4Bw
R0jP1VdTap! Tap!u1DSR
BAmlwFortunately, the deer fled the moment our eyes met.XqnMq
wDxtaIt lightly jumped over the barricade and quickly disappeared into the forest despite its striking appearance.juH
PUeJzR‘…Did I shrink or something?’6uq
WprcIThe Owlbear, the fish, the golden frogs, the saber-toothed tiger, the chickens, and now a deer.1Wta2n
2FuEverything was absurdly huge.iZs
r6dcRViNow I understood how Gulliver felt in the land of giants.rLIdBI
ZM7gPXIt’s scary.8NJ6
zStReally scary.L1fV97
D7f3o4RTitle) Does anyone know what this deer is?27a2
LNDRgpxWildGrills13mh
vaI8g(photo of a white deer with blue antlers)89W
URAI6NI ran into this right after leaving the cave. Does anyone know what it is?J84p2qx
njCa1QㄴHeavenlyDemon) What a beautiful deer. Its blue antlers are fascinating.G2LM
aCkIpMfㄴDemonPrincess) Yesss. Just like my eyes.lyh
12jPㄴHeavenlyDemon) I’ll hit you with a mace.zqt
yuGPH9qㄴDemonPrincess) sorry!!!Iyt7EJ
6e4qknㄴHeavenlyDemon) Hmph.zca3cOl
vhQW2ㄴSwordMaster) Isn’t that abuse of power?nlPNc
WacAxㄴHeavenlyDemon) It is completely fair regulation.0wa8
cc0K06GㄴSwordMaster) the nerve of her;;nCM
FyUrG0mㄴStarlightPrincess) I think I saw that deer in a book before. If I remember correctly, it’s a spirit deer.ZfeBPv
H91JFㄴWildGrills) Spirit? Spirits exist too?qWhDgB
xZYtㄴStarlightPrincess) You didn’t know? Where exactly did you live?na0
B0iaXYㄴWildGrills) I told you I come from another world…Oi7i4
wR3S6LMaybe I should’ve said I grew up in some remote village.HXSFx
6fDYklBut then they’d ask how I use the gallery.KNkcmih
H4oBetter to keep saying I’m from another world.KNKC
jqLX1Q6ㄴStarlightPrincess) Think of spirits as living mana. Mana that gained its own will.OgABO
HZbㄴWildGrills) That sounds really abstract.hNMjn76
0f1ㄴStarlightPrincess) Do you remember the guardian you met at the beginning?MKffkm
AEglc4cㄴWildGrills) The huge stone giant?qYE7JR
twk5QiI still remembered it perfectly.DgS
AkqmThe rock I leaned my back against started moving.iZQa6
ZBkXL2And it was gigantic.7EngDC3
uIQIf it had stepped on me, I would’ve died instantly.u1hTE
MDHㄴStarlightPrincess) It’s not certain, but we believe natural guardians possess spirits.pl0
p4UrCㄴWildGrills) And that deer?J7kZS9Q
W9OuXㄴStarlightPrincess) It’s called a spirit deer because it resembles a spirit. Spirits cannot directly influence living beings. In the end, they are still mana.WFbDgv
2JoㄴWildGrills) Doesn’t it shoot lightning from its antlers?ACR
8p8AENㄴStarlightPrincess) A kick would probably hurt more.GHr
7ZKㄴmore than hurt, it’d crush your bonesQyQk
c2WbAㄴGrills, you should let it kick you once. You’ve got a shield and everythingDFNtjMC
MoIaㄴWildGrills) ;;;nLwydn
48lwsCㄴStarlightPrincess) Ignore those idiots.vLCLN
DFi4Since the forest is saturated with mana, all kinds of creatures appear.TMv6
fNFIt was a very fantasy-like world, but for me it was dark fantasy.YwRB7JB
XngH6A place where one mistake means death.aF5k4r2
48diCyWill I really be able to leave this place alive?vofY1q
54RpP‘First I should worry about staying alive.’iXoC8mN
URM5YiZI shook my head and headed toward the river.ZGVBz
jieYsdI wanted to check the traps.iSXuBEH
rU6QSplash! Splash!dXFrZ
LlpeyBTExactly two fish had been caught.6I1p8
bBiDBlEAnd they were huge.ZFw
XtBUEhI happily collected the traps.auVLSR8
MNJRrTNow this is easy living.6qq
YV7ShgjRustle—e54Q
d6xOTp“Hm?”5QMc6uK
Mfw6LTWhile collecting the traps, I heard a noise in the bushes.nkvT
VyHVery close.2Rtwesc
axE7m5kI immediately went on guard.zfklG
8iWdI drew my sword and shield while staring intently in the direction of the sound.Mrdn
5pL“……”krzi
HDEMaybe it was just my imagination.56O
ZNzyeThe sound didn’t happen again.gMDoXJ
3yXeCehEven so, I didn’t lower my guard while finishing up with the traps.CS4wzg
68COne small mistake could cost me my life.eGb
nOExntd‘Near the river, you always have to stay alert.’Idy
egLiuxA lot of animals would come to drink water.7SwJ5hv
RjpoYQThough there seemed to be fewer here because of the golden frogs.2aWMFbO
0yeFNow I wasn’t so sure anymore.qdkCo0
OFhaobI had killed quite a few of them.lS2D
9lRwtI returned to the cave while staying alert the entire way.5yW28
yyJ7iwFortunately, nothing appeared.1xk1
oM8‘I definitely need to keep the Sloth with me at all times.’TQiBEo
oNgSMO0Thinking that, I prepared breakfast.SFHUC
MFff3Right then, Wonmo woke up.2Mp71
tueI gave him one of the fish.IdsRm
Zrn9I2Of course, I removed the internal core first.1oSAiv
Hgwhj‘…I think he grew.’W9ZDiyO
IkHYf7fI watched Wonmo while he devoured the fish.hRQ
tZA3HCXRight now, he was wearing the uniform DemonPrincess gave him.uPgfde
AafxEBefore, it fit perfectly.175QKTb
lJdJxIONow it was completely stretched out.DvP
3Uz7HlEither he got fatter or he grew.nTn
Z93rEiOr both.W6kelTs
MbhS8Since he’s still growing, I didn’t think much of it.TVaT
AcTo‘The bigger he gets, the better.’rqvZBq
FwgaSZePeople have always said size matters.FKP7
DRG4EySo this is fine.FZx
miHs6Maybe someday he’ll be bigger than me and help me a lot.p3wf
gakThough who knows when that day will come.JGCbem3
akRZ‘Maybe I’ll leave the Four Seasons Forest before then.’wy0NQ
XtKEven if it’s an empty hope, it doesn’t matter.kAodz0M
a18xAt times like this, people need hope.t8y2Ku
MGVPa4I finished eating and cleaned everything up.eBmf
XM6xI felt satisfied.jRMf8To
kqXP5‘Now I’ll use the cultivation method after taking the medicine AllFather gave me.’8xZt
a7eNI continued using the cultivation method constantly.RuC
OAmDzQMost of all, I focused on the breathing technique.JWZ
RkqeOJTraining to increase lung capacity overall.jQ50
oA7L6That was the most effective thing.AHliVMU
XuvVZEF‘Later I should ask how to increase lung capacity even more.’Ps4x
EuCYXQNow only one thing remained—go to the orichalcum cave and collect some pieces.Z5OnAy
DJzI already knew the path by heart, so there was no way I could get lost.v64Ewn
NiyUJ‘Wonmo…’vzAx7
93HNormally, after eating, he would immediately fall asleep.rL2
CC1tQLiBut this time was different.ZVU0U
Z38He looked at me with those characteristic empty eyes.3UiwlO
FO6DHe didn’t seem to have any intention of taking a nap.TYwzlh3
F9R3“Wonmo. You can’t go to strange places, understood?”OzVk8hx
Fxr1lat“Kyu?”QJXRnAH
utrFUh“Even if you see something delicious, you must not go.”zZzk
pgpBYh“Kyu?”VrEP
ZOLI0P“It’s dangerous.”uY4MUE
7LAIEvery time I spoke, Wonmo tilted his head while making adorable sounds.M9c8UqH
spzNdNJust like the Sloth, he strangely understood my words, so he would probably follow me properly.WV8TBBx
ZwtiWe had already finished breakfast, so I started preparing our things.UESQwNf
WtBT93As always, the equipment consisted of a sword, shield, and the subspace bag AllFather gave me yesterday.3ZFHW
9vsSInside, I carried the crossbow and various tools.CHVm
laI4But I didn’t store fragile things like elixirs.N5az
E2rNxThe bag ignored space, not weight.3xiE3bl
koJWULyAs strange as it was, the objects inside could still hit each other and get damaged.saJ
0BYlThat’s why I put the emergency elixirs and Bigu pills in another pouch.l09Hom
symOLOn the left side of my waist, the pouch with food and elixirs.3H2Hz
Estm0feOn the right, the subspace bag with the crossbow and tools.fMu9kiN
sOqU9m‘This should be enough.’oCosq
YirteIt was a bit heavy, but manageable.ho9yqm
REbQfpzThe crossbow was extremely useful for someone like me who had no ranged attacks.XftRkvD
pNsmOnce I finished preparing, I put the Sloth on my back.APNGIQ
swxEWonmo was also wearing the stretched uniform and hopping around excitedly so we would leave quickly.bLLg
nTaq14DHe looked adorable.7CBdI
IRiwc“Yeah, yeah, let’s go. But don’t wander off, understood?”8xuKh
pKm7M“Kyuu!”E5mLsQ
nK4RJUnlike the escape incident, this time the three of us—or rather, one human and two creatures—moved together.rqH
xUE2Our destination was the orichalcum cave.ODvXzG
KM9zvQUI planned to explore it more thoroughly.ZrxY
aofWkOfAnd besides, I had the item KingLeor gave me.NK8c1LN
dhjO6j3‘Yesterday there wasn’t anything dangerous inside.’SGos6
CVTU0There were bats and snakes, but they weren’t real threats.10l
LzlQAnd I had elixirs just in case.kfH
QyWBesides, even if I did nothing, Wonmo would probably take care of everything anyway.C96BnT
UaZR6Remembering yesterday’s route, I headed toward the cave.atptid
GxIThe marks I left were still there, so finding it was easy.09EiOT
pBa9‘I hope I don’t run into the chickens and chicks again.’49ejEpb
bH7I still didn’t understand why the hell there were chickens in the forest.U0aI
jodGBut I needed to be careful.14O6
JLCEven the chicks were almost my size.eLj
NyTlOTaAnd the hen was much larger than me.FCNw
4JWHI needed to know the extent of their territory if I wanted to move around safely.7d9nT
9mWxc“Sniff sniff.”5T7fA0
VJDmvMQ“Wonmo. Don’t touch that.”XgdN
bLIfpFWonmo approached a strange plant and started sniffing it.5cqMwFh
KioQOIt was a yellow flower that glowed under the light.sTo
vRMmNIt practically screamed “I’m poisonous.”R9hqUgy
jciI scolded Wonmo and took a photo for the gallery.XXbm
7NpIt would be better to ask AllFather or StarlightPrincess later.cYW
kcRSeNEThere was no need to take risks now.DXZ0Zo
VzmN— Kokekokooo!nxSknrV
QGopThe powerful cry of a chicken echoed not too far away.MCacK3
r9FnLooks like we had entered their territory.AQ2Vd
bCT7xwQ“Kyuu!”9iWTZM
SColThe moment he heard the sound, Wonmo ran toward me in terror.mxdfrlg
9VZ8bmxHe was definitely traumatized by that chick chase.t9qE
5y11I patted his head to calm him down and observed the surroundings.iIVNtb
47SqThere was nothing especially concerning.OuweB
iGiy‘There are feathers here.’Y6wX
gYqnyBlack feathers that probably belonged to the hen.D85RFv
WeP6They were enormous.10x
pRA2YfKI picked one up and stored it in the subspace bag.diJ
57MoIt might be useful later.90f
WIR4grZ“We’re here.”A7QsAA2
W7fXkWe managed to reach the cave without facing any danger.zTihj
pRmGQAYAs soon as I arrived, I took something out of the normal bag.7qcJ
6vprqdThe crystal sphere engraved with Light magic that KingLeor gave me.tjKe6
OChHe said all I had to do was tap it several times to activate it.5709a
zPiqrOmTap tap—rTbJ
XNFQJust as he explained, something strange happened.P5ss
v9gGThe sphere began emitting a bright light, and then that light floated into the air.Y2m65CM
1J1aThe sphere remained in my hand, but the light stayed suspended above my head.snYPz
t9u8OdIt was a fascinating sight.hF9ekr
VX6“Wooow!”XscM6
ff5rRhWI stared in amazement at the floating light.jGUkibe
zDM2GAs if I had become a child again.duk
9BbtUThey said it lasted a full hour, so exploring would be easy.F46A
a6M‘Much brighter than a torch. Excellent.’YZpK5d
ks45UiWith this, I wouldn’t have trouble exploring dark places.T5H1O
pJkExcited, I entered the cave.FOTBU8
LoBTSvWonmo also followed behind me, hopping around.UvCuR
QPCA52eSoon after, we reached the slope leading down into the orichalcum cave.Xko76Jn
i8oVThe rope I installed yesterday was still there, so we carefully descended.1C6
Kvs1lTN“Hm?”Tlb
J1zxYThe moment I got down, I felt something strange.iE9A5
IA6As if the arrangement of the rocks had changed slightly.qm2D
HSqyjQBut without photos to compare, it was hard to be sure.1WCp
JCXm0‘Am I imagining things?’CGOd
zZEBbceI tilted my head while looking around.1368G
hxQNThe cave was still glowing.QDx
7XLabSince I had light now, I took photos and uploaded them to the gallery.IjxiT3
zUG0CMTitle) Orichalcum cavevf2eRw
UAbzsZUWildGrillslrI
QC6YKLj(photo of the cave filled with orichalcum)9gI7TXm
G3Z(photo of a chunk of orichalcum)lqt6Hm
hxWvR0(photo of orichalcum picked up from the ground)CXEhfEZ
jKPw9What do you think? The glowing stuff really is orichalcum, right?y6Zf
aTWㄴHeavenlyDemon) What a beautiful cave. A cave filled with divine metal.odCH
9tcㄴSwordMaster) It truly is beautiful. So what will you do now?4cjihv3
w9vIwㄴWildGrills) Not sure. Maybe collect some stones and explore a bit. There doesn’t seem to be anything dangerous.6se
USSEiJㄴSwordMaster) Even so, be careful. Natural caves usually contain many monsters.M6b
ks0Cm30Monsters.jlj0S3
1bHAfter reading that, I looked around.dA6
JMgAside from bats and small animals, I couldn’t see anything alive.dLhr
6AWohZKAnd from what I could see, the cave seemed to end here.6rkS
1I9DGOEven so, I had to stay alert.eiyJ
NIqㄴDwarfPassingBy) Ahhh, now I really want to go there and mine some ore hahaFe6
SePyㄴWildGrills) Want to come?2dA3He
sRm9S2ㄴDwarfPassingBy) After I finish drinking.8yh8f
VFsㄴWildGrills) So you’re not coming, you damn bastard.lIHe
Q17UㄴDwarfPassingBy) Do you think I’m crazy enough to go there? HahaRts
OzcpㄴAllFather) How interesting. An entire cave formed from orichalcum—what kind of place is the Four Seasons Forest?1eI1X
wBycDㄴStarlightPrincess) Perhaps it was an area with enormous tectonic changes. Orichalcum appears where mana is abundant.dOnF
Iii6XㄴAllFather) That’s true, but there is definitely something more. Something that generates extreme mana.5HpoO
DFLgveTㄴStarlightPrincess) That makes sense. If even space is distorted, perhaps it’s something superior to the World Tree.LW1H5B1
U0KㄴAllFather) Perhaps. More exploration will be necessary.a4I27a
4g6ㄴWildGrills) Am I the only one who understands none of this?Cc1Nk
VzXㄴsame hereg8F
BYdXUㄴno idea lol6bLsK
AfxMPㄴah haha no need to understandmjNvIxQ
6mj9UIGㄴLetsPlantTrees) There is only one World Tree in this world. The World Tree of Alvenheim.32K
93OEㄴwe already know, arrogant elf2ScOTJd
CgBpDLOㄴa race living thanks to the World Tree~8Waq
AbWlXㄴLetsPlantTrees) Then did you receive the blessing of the World Tree? Since you didn’t, all you can do is mock us.ZqBhRp9
xWBㄴahhh damn it, that really is irritating haha7heu8q
0Pr1ㄴsince it’s true we can’t say anything hahax0D4
IFWzubxWorld Tree or not, what mattered was exploring.bG4
lglMuaI walked through the cave with Wonmo.kerlC59
AaHGWhat the hell happened for an entire cave of orichalcum to exist?9vYdB
oURs0I wasn’t an academic.ggYpci
bpcI wasn’t even born in this world.V44
K62PbAll I could think was—aFR0Ra
4AZ‘How interesting…’hBg
m7q‘They said orichalcum has excellent mana absorption, right?’15GO
0TqZAI placed my hand on the ground and began circulating mana within my body.Oc9Q
0KYSoon after, the mana flowed out through my hand.tVrZWV
7PmFlash!Pa8a
kY9TBut it didn’t rise like a mirage.xvODO
FookzsInstead, the orichalcum glowed far brighter than before, as if it had truly absorbed the mana.Id9ITzT
ig0njlJust as I pursed my lips in fascination—dTZ
sd0BVjuRumble—0qXo
bcN5XSGrrrrrk—EJwd
Y7zJBFBehind me, I heard the sound of rocks grinding together.MQNNC
ZpVP7fJThe instant I heard it, I flinched and quickly turned around.pJMUikP
abA“W-wha… huh?”GONO
SBGWX9eThe rock was moving.2rqjf
dS4qPBdThe rock made of orichalcum.bqP
mJQThe enormous mineral mass began moving as if it were “standing up,” and eventually rose firmly onto two legs.CMR
aYmSeeing that scene, I slowly stepped backward.nee
PtCrAnd then, the mass of orichalcum completely rose up, taking on a humanoid shape.kxZ4
aNgHummmm—ycS8Q
gvRT9CThe “Guardian” appeared before me.qzS
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