“Ugh… I’m dizzy.”
A huge change that barely supports itself on two legs is diligently being produced.
As the wave of energy expands rapidly, the mental power becomes overloaded by the aura emitted from the newly recognized entities.
“Ugh… It’s not good if it expands too much…”
The world is as it is, yet the world I hold has completely changed.
“Sigh… Even in death, it’s tough. Ugh.”
Just when I barely collected my thoughts, a bizarre message popped up.
– Trait [Obsession] is hurriedly sorting through 2,749 mana stones and 37 runes!
“…Huh? Right, you’ve got it rough too.”
After soothing the [Obsession] trait that seems a bit neglected like a child, I cautiously scanned the dungeon with my expanded senses.
Even 2 kilometers is just a small portion of this dungeon, but I could easily guess that there would be many others around here besides us, clearly a hot place.
“… As expected, quite a few survived.”
As I surveyed the increased range, I detected about 300 people besides those on the small island above the swamp.
Of course, they were scattered under trees, beneath collapsed stairs, and among grave markers, but I was honestly surprised at the number of survivors being more than I expected.
“If there are 300 in this range… Doesn’t that mean at least half of the entrants survived?”
It was just a hunch, but even thinking conservatively, I’d say that many must have survived.
Even now, several Skeleton Knights were detected wandering around with a large number of people, which was unexpected considering a large number of survivors.
“We need to save as many as we can…”
My experience of taking down boss-level monsters alone gave me that confidence.
However, the more hunters crowded in one space, the more dangerous the atmosphere became.
I had to decide the scope of assistance.
“Hmm… Food supply… Should be fine? Can’t do water.”
I might get into trouble if Irmana’s water becomes known, so I should hide it until I have a proper supply line.
After reaching that conclusion and defending the bridge for a few hours, the fourth night of survival arrived.
Although it was night, it was originally dark here, so it wasn’t particularly scarier. However, the stats of the monsters roaming the field must have significantly increased.
Still, at night, their vision would narrow, and the frequency of combat would definitely decrease.
In this darkness, not a single sound of the typical chirping of insects could be heard. Perhaps because of that eerie atmosphere, people naturally started to gather and form groups.
The parties gathering in front of me were likely seeking emotional stability under the pretext of a meeting.
In fact, there was nothing to discuss.
It was simply a matter of relaying and spreading the information I had gathered outside one by one.
“So, there are at least two boss-level monsters? In this dungeon?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right…”
“Sigh… We’re in deep trouble. Heh.”
“Still so many boss-level monsters…”
“Though they’re weaker than the one in the hidden dungeon, they are still monsters, right?”
“They’re definitely one or two levels above us.”
I instructed Yeon-hee not to reveal to anyone that I had defeated the boss-level monsters. They needed to remain appropriately tense to react quickly.
Thanks to that, the faces of the party leaders were filled with worry. When Yeon-hee expressed her desire to share food with the hunters hiding around, their furrowed brows deepened even more.
Of course, that idea was something I had first mentioned to Yeon-hee.
“… Uh… Why?”
“I also think it’s unnecessary…? That crossed my mind.”
“Is that… the ‘White Alliance’s’ unified opinion?”
“Um… It’s just a personal opinion based on Il-wol’s information.”
“I see.”
“Then, well…”
Yeom Tae-seok nodded quietly, indicating that he agreed with Yeon-hee’s opinion, but the other party leaders seemed to think differently.
But since it was Yeon-hee’s suggestion, they couldn’t dare express any other opinions.
Considering the summoned creature’s contributions in the previous battles, it must have surpassed 40%.
So, the party leaders remained silent, constantly touching their chins instead of voicing any objections.
Only when Yeon-hee reassured them that the food supply was sufficient did their expressions regain their composure.
‘They don’t know how much Big Boar I have.’
It would be defensive behavior stemming from a lack of information. I understand.
‘There are instant noodles, and more than 400 Big Boars still left. We have more than enough food to last three days.’
Of course, I had no intention of handing out food for free.
I would price it fairly, and with that, prepare refined ingredients for dungeon use.
Buying high-quality, compact, calorically rich, and nutritionally balanced ingredients in bulk would work much better than the taste of Big Boar. Plus, the smell during eating would be less noticeable.
Surely, the people currently surviving on the island are thanks to those who prepared ample ingredients in their subspace.
‘Glad I prepared in advance.’
I was contemplating whether to spend a day to gather a bunch of Big Boars.
After finishing the meeting, our party, including Yeom Tae-seok and Noh Ha-yoon, gathered briefly to have a discussion.
“I understand that other parties opposing sharing food is a natural reaction, right?”
Bae Joo-ah asked with a hint of concern.
Yeon-hee and I nodded, followed by Baek Ah-rin saying,
“So how will we exchange food?”
“Il-wol can’t go alone.”
‘Of course not. If I went alone, that would mean I’m asking for a fight.’
“I was going to go back and forth with Il-wol, but since I need to stay close to the summoned creatures, I have to stick around. I can go nearby, but… Anyway, that’s how it is…”
Yeon-hee spoke with her head bowed as if asking for sympathy because she thought it was very sad. Is it really something to be so disappointed about? I don’t know. It should be a quick trip.
“So that means Il-wol and someone else have to go around, right?”
“Cough- Then I-”
Yeom Tae-seok pretended to clear his throat and tried to step forward, but others immediately stopped him.
“Uncle, you need to stay here and manage morale. Plus, having a woman with you would help lower the guard.”
“And you need to be nimble. We’re trying to move during the night.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
Convinced by Noh Ha-yoon’s persuasion, Yeom Tae-seok scratched his head.
“So how about I go? If something happens, I can freeze them all.”
Soon, Noh Ha-yoon confidently created a small spiral of ice in her palm, but Yeon-hee objected.
“If… we need someone nimble, then… Hae-yoon can’t do it… she’s slower than me…”
Unexpectedly provocative, Yeon-hee’s comment made everyone’s eyes widen.
“M-Me? You’re saying I’m slower than Yeon-hee?”
“Yes…”
“Pfft- No, I don’t think that’s right.”
“Pretty sure it is…”
Even though Yeon-hee had already decided to stay, she seemed discontented with Noh Ha-yoon coming with me.
“Ha ha ha- What do I do? I can’t show it right now.”
Noh Ha-yoon reacted with disbelief, but the ambiguous expression on Yeom Tae-seok’s face indicated that Noh Ha-yoon’s victory was not guaranteed.
Ultimately, the two decided to hold a contest after the survival came to an end, but since what kind of contest they would hold wasn’t specified, I predict it might end up vague.
Everyone was quite circumspect about it, but in the end, the partner that I got paired with was Baek Ah-rin.
“They say people with beastman traits can’t lie. It should be easy for people to accept.”
I recalled a beastman merchant who tricked me during my underdog days, knowing well that was absolute nonsense; however, it was just a thought.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Clap, Clap, Clap!”
Baek Ah-rin, receiving Spirit Ran’s [Haste] buff, matched my speed quite well.
Of course, if I used an additional skill, the gap would widen immediately, but this should be enough to outpace the relatively slow undead.
Not long after we started, Ran’s summoning was released, but since the duration of [Haste] lasted longer than expected, we should be able to reach our first destination without issue.
Thanks to the cleanup I did earlier in the afternoon, there was a noticeable decrease in the number of monsters around our main base.
As Ah-rin observed the scattered bone fragments here and there, she couldn’t hide her surprise, saying, “Wow… Did you do all this alone?”
I just clashed my teeth and focused on finding the safest route.
The first place we were heading for the food trade was a small island above the swamp.
Upon discovering us, the people on the island showed heightened wariness, but when they saw the prepared Big Boar meat slung over my shoulder, their gaze noticeably wavered.
I had wrapped the Big Boar skin as a cloth and rolled it up; if they rationed it carefully, it would be enough for everyone here to last until the end of survival.
*Gulp-*
I swore I could hear the sound of their saliva going down their throats. Just then, Ah-rin stepped forward and exclaimed cheerfully.
“Hello! I’m Baek Ah-rin! We’re here to trade for food! So… please lay out everything you have!”
‘……’
The last remark was a bit awkward, but fortunately, the people on the island didn’t seem to find anything strange. They connected plant vines to make a bridge over the swamp and over a dozen people crossed over.
Watching their plant abilities, I suddenly remembered Sorceress Yu Dal-ri, whom we encountered in the goblin dungeon. With that talent, she must already be on par with D-rank, perhaps even performing excellently in the abandoned school or harpy dungeon.
“Um, how much for one?”
A scraggly-looking man carefully approached and surprisingly turned out to be the leader of the group. They seemed to be at their wits’ end; the negotiation was assertively one-sided.
“How much do you have? First, show us all the mana stones you’ve got!”
‘……’
It was a different kind of robbery, but the man looked to have no leisure for such nonsense.
Soon, he and the hunters following him produced a pile of mana stones. They seemed eager to buy all the meat I brought.
‘When would they even count all this…’
While feeling a tad overwhelmed looking at the scattered mana stones, a message popped up.
– Trait [Obsession] calculates the value of the presented mana stones based on existing information.
‘……? What’s this now?’
– Trait [Obsession] informs that the value of the processed Big Boar meat is 1:247 compared to the mana stones proposed by the trading partner, which is a significant profit.
‘…… Incredible, Obsession?’
I couldn’t help but be surprised by the Obsession’s ability to quantify the staggering 247-fold difference in value. Did it have an obsession with executing proper transactions?
– It advises that trading is beneficial!
– It advises that trading is beneficial!
‘W-Wait a moment! I’m not trying to trade.’
I felt a strong urge to quickly sort out those messy, jumbled mana stones.
‘Seriously, what is this? Did Tanya add another function?’
No matter how much I thought about it, all I could do was shake my head.
Though there are many mysteries in skills and traits yet to be revealed, it was undoubtedly a peculiar ability.
“Clap, Clap, Clap.”
“… Ahem- How about we trade like this? You look quite rushed, so we’re making an exception and not bargaining!”
“Oh! Thank you! It seems food must be scarce over there. Just as I heard, a beauty like you is also very generous. Cough- cough-”
Seems like he’s lost any normal judgment considering the scarcity of food to the point of thinking about negotiating, but the man looked to be in really poor condition.
Seeing that the man was looking unwell, we promptly handed over the meat and collected a fitting (?) reward.
Once the smell of Big Boar meat spread through the island, even those who had been asleep suddenly awoke, causing a huge commotion.
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