Chapter 286.

—Village? There’s really a village in Africa?

Aileen’s tone went up as if in surprise .

I looked at the map on the village lord’s desk and said, “Yes, the village is named Crean . We just took down the lord . ”

—What? It even has a lord?

“It was a humanoid monster resembling a lizard . Tenzuhar was his name . ”

—… .

Aileen became quiet for a moment, and other voices began to buzz from the other side .

“Ah~ It’s that kid again~?”

Jain grumbled unhappily . I smirked and turned the transreceiver off .

“I’ve been curious, Jain . How do you know Aileen?”

“Me? Mm~ It’s nothing special~ I used to act as a Hero in the past . She was my superior . That stupid brat is only two years older than me . I hated how she acted all important because of her Gift~”

Tzzt—

The transreceiver buzzed as soon as Jain finished her sentences .

—Who’s living in the village?

It wasn’t Aileen’s voice but Yun Seung-Ah’s . Jain, who had a bad relationship with her, frowned .

I cleared my throat with a cough, then replied with my voice changed to Black Lotus’s .

“Humans . ”

—Are they doing okay?

“They’re physically healthy . It looks like they were brainwashed, but it didn’t look like they were being abused . They think of themselves as ‘miners’ who have been living here for a long time . ”

—… .

It became silent once again .

Since I wasn’t hearing any static noise either, I guessed that they turned off their transceiver and started a meeting .

I checked the ‘minigame’ while I waited for a response .

「…Half a day had passed since Litrain was chosen . Many knights congratulated her, but it was obvious how much they envied her .

Litrain’s physical strength improved the moment she was chosen, and she received close to 130,000 points . It was clear that Litrain’s sponsor was an unprecedented magnate .

The knights couldn’t understand what such a rich sponsor saw in Litrain .

An uneducated squire who came to the capital without a plan, a country bumpkin who would only remain a baggage carrier, that was who Litrain was in their eyes .

No one knew whether Litrain was aware of the knights’ dissatisfaction, but she began to turn her life around . The moment she was ‘chosen’, she set up a shrine for her sponsor in her small room and prayed before every meal . Being ‘chosen’ was her dream . Now that she achieved it, her happiness knew no bounds… . 」

“Hm . ”

Things seemed to be progressing well . Though, she didn’t really need to worship me…

Seeing Litrain, who was praying before eating, I pondered .

===

[Buster Call] [High-rank]

—Using Stigma’s magic power, summon from the Tower of Wish vassals, who swore loyalty to Kim Hajin, or his possessions .

===

My sole active-Gift, Buster Call .

By adding another word or two after ‘Tower of Wish’, I felt like I could use it to summon Litrain as well .

For example, [summon from the Tower of Wish or another dimension…]

“Oi, Kuong . ”

I spoke to Kuong who was standing around silently .

—Yes?

“You said we live in a higher dimension, right?”

—Yes, compared to the minigame’s dimension .

“Then is it possible to summon a being from a lower dimension to a higher dimension?”

—Mm, I’m not sure since I haven’t tried . But it could be possible . Afterall, you are from an upper dimension .

“…What’s the difference between an upper dimension and a lower one?”

—Simply put, higher dimensions are more stable . To people from lower dimensions, beings from

higher dimensions are like gods .

‘Stable…’ I was thinking about the meaning of this word when Kuong kindly explained it .

—More stable dimensions have weaker humans . The most stable dimension would be one where an individual human would have the least freedom to interfere with nature .

It was clear what Kuong was saying .

But why did I think of my original world, ‘Earth’?

The Earth I lived in didn’t have magic, mana, magic power, martial arts, or anything of that nature .

Although humanity advanced technology to overcome nature, countless number of people died during the process . It was certainly the world where ‘an individual human would have the least freedom to interfere with nature . ’

I stared at Kuong with a look of suspicion . But Kuong only grinned without saying anything .

“Now then—”

Tzzt— At that moment, the transceiver buzzed again . Kuong also said his time was up and disappeared .

—This is Beetle . Can you hear me?

“…Beetle?”

—It’s a codename . What are your plans from now?

“…We plan on using the village lord as our pathfinder . ”

—Pathfinder? Ah, got it . Let us know when you reach the next village . I have a meeting to attend to now .

With that, the transreceiver went quiet .

I looked at Tenzuhar, who was tied up and dangling from a rope in the ceiling . His eyes were closed as though he was unconscious, but I could see his status .

[Status – nervous he might be discovered . ]

He was pretending to be unconscious .

“Open your eyes . Otherwise, I’ll kill you . ”

“… . ”

“Five, four, three… . ”

“I, I’m awake!”

Tenzuhar shot his eyes open before I even reached two .

“Oh~ He was awake~?” Jain grinned and approached him .

Tenzuhar made a submissive smile and rubbed his hands together . “Slurp . I, I just woke up… Slurp . ”

“… . ” I left him dangling in the air and spoke, “Oi . ”

“Yes?”

“…Can you act as our pathfinder?”

“Pathfinder?”

“That’s right . We have to keep going . ”

Even if I could avoid traps using my excellent eyesight, it likely couldn’t compare to a humanoid monster who had knowledge of the area .

“…O-Of course! Slurp . ”

Tenzuhar seemed to ponder for a moment but quickly gave an enthusiastic reply . He must have realized this was the only way he could live .

It was then .

[How have you been, Hyung-nim?]

A message popped up in front of me .

[It’s jajangman . It’s been a while ㅋㅋ ^^]

“…What’s this?”

[I stopped in TOW (Tower of Wish) to pull some cards . I’m messaging you because I pulled something interesting . ㅋㅋ Hold on, let me see if I can send you the card info . ]

“The hell?”

Chae Nayun’s voice was also transmitted along with the message . The ringing sound gave me a slight headache .

[ㅋㅋ Look at this ㅋㅋ I screamed the moment I pulled it ㅋㅋ It’s the first 8-star card I pulled ㅋㅋㅋ]

A card info popped up in front of me .

===

[Infinite Communication] [8-star] ＊Effective Good＊

—Select 55 Players for unlimited communication .

—Text and voice will be transmitted simultaneously . The receiver cannot reject your communication without the 7-star card, [Refuse Communication] .

—The user of this card becomes immune to mental interference-type effects .

===

[Hahaha, how is it, Hyung-nim? Have you pulled an 8-star card before~? Ah~ It’s been a while since I quit the Tower but pulling this makes me want to go back . I have an important mission to do too… . ]

“Geez, so loud… . ”

Wasn’t she supposed to stay in the underground fortress? Why did she go to the Tower?

[…Ah, oops, my bad . I put the sound up too high ;;]

Well, it seemed she figured it out .

Chae Nayun’s voice, which was akin to a roar, fell to the level of a whisper .

“Haa… haaa… . ”

[Ah, Hyung-nim, I set it so the communication is bi-directional . If there’s anything you want to say, you just have to text me . ]

“…What kind of a card is this?”

How did she pull an 8-star card anyways with her luck?

I clenched my head and collected my breath .

**

The next day .

Chae Nayun, Kim Suho, and several other Heroes returned to the underground fortress after pulling cards in the Tower of Wish’s Card Kingdom . Aileen had ordered them to do so in case they might pull something that could help their mission .

Kim Suho pulled an 8-star card and three 7-star cards, while Chae Nayun pulled two 8-star cards .

[Ah, ah, Kim Suho, can you hear me?]

“…Yeah . ”

Currently, Kim Suho was suffering from Chae Nayun’s attacks .

[My voice isn’t loud anymore, right?]

“Oh yeah . ”

[ㅋㅋIsn’t this card amazing?]

Kim Suho sighed and replied, “It is . ”

[I was slightly mad when the first 8-star card I pulled was some communication non-sense, but ㅋㅋㅋ I love that you can’t reject it ㅋㅋㅋ]

“…Can’t you just talk?”

Unable to stand it any longer, Kim Suho nudged Chae Nayun who was standing next to him . But Chae Nayun remained silent and shook her head .

[No, I have to get used to this . It’s harder to use than you think . ]

“…Ehew, do what you want . ”

Kim Suho shook his head .

While they were testing the cards they acquired, the command tent’s door opened and Aileen walked in . She glanced at Kim Suho and Chae Nayun before shouting loudly .

“All members! Come out!”

Her voice carried a small portion of her Spirit Speech power . Immediately, all 177 members of the underground fortress walked out of their barracks in a daze .

Seeing them standing in a line, Aileen said with satisfaction, “You all bought cards yesterday, right?”

But replies were unenthusiastic as most Heroes present were elites who were too powerful to serve under someone else .

“Tsk, well I’m sure you’ll know what cards are useful . Exchange them if you need to . Anyways, the reason I called you is…” Aileen put on a serious expression . “…to tell you that Africa has villages . ”

“Huh?” Chae Nayun and other Heroes, who were busy taking out their cards, all tilted their heads .

“Orden kidnapped humans and built villages in Africa . The Association says it’s to deter us from dropping nuclear bombs, but who knows… Anyways, we decided to form a reconnaissance team . ”

The Chief Strategist, ‘Yi Gongmyung’, ordered the Special Task Force to form a reconnaissance team to scout the outside .

“It’s voluntary, so let me know if you want to participate . It’s going to be a dangerous mission, so I’ll offer the three 7-star cards I have . ”

“I’ll participate!” Someone shouted and raised her hand the moment Aileen finished her speech . It was Chae Nayun, who has recently taken a liking to ‘dangerous missions’ .

“I’ll participate too . ”

“Same here . ”

“I’ll go as well . ”

Kim Suho, Shin Jonghak, and Jin Seyeon quickly followed after . The reconnaissance team now had four people .

“Mm, great . ” Aileen nodded contently .

“I’ll be the pathfinder”

Then, the man who introduced himself as Rebé spoke up . He had stayed in the underground fortress even after his mission was over, serving as a janitor .

“…If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s finding the correct path . ”

With a smile, Bell looked back and forth between Kim Suho, Shin Jonghak, and Chae Nayun .

**

On the other hand, Jin Sahyuk was establishing an independent path all by herself .

“Fuck… shit… I’m gonna burn to death . ”

She cursed with every step as she walked through African land .

She was toiling under the hot sun just to find Bell, who had cut off contact with her .

“Huu, huu… huu… . ”

She walked through the desert without a single equipment on her .

If a monster or a humanoid monster appeared, she killed them with her energy .

Monsters who smelled blood then approached her, and she quickly killed them as well .

Not long afterwards, humanoid monsters who smelled magic power approached her . They called themselves the ‘humanoid monster patrols’, though Jin Sahyuk quickly dispatched them as well .

Killing, walking, killing, walking .

She repeated this cycle for a long time before smelling a lingering scent in the air . It was different than the smell of blood or magic . It was the smell of a person she knew .

“This… sniff, sniff . ”

Like a dog, she sniffed the air in all directions .

“It’s Bell . ”

It was undoubtedly Bell . But it wasn’t just Bell’s scent she smelled . There were at least four more, which meant Bell had companions…

“What is that son of a bitch planning this time?”

Jin Sahyuk closed her eyes and sent a transmission once again .

—Bell, answer . I’m in Africa . Your scent is here . What are you scheming?

1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

Five seconds later, a reply came back .

—Oh~ You came all the way to Africa~? I’m scouting the area with my companions right now .

—Companions?

—Yep~ Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, Shin Jonghak, and Jin Seyeon . You know all four of them right?

Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak .

They were the two men Jin Sahyuk detested the most . Her face quickly distorted to a frown .

—…What are you planning to do with Kim Suho? Get over here, now .

—But I can’t~ I’m restricted by Spirit Speech . I have to obey them until Orden dies .

—Stop fooling around, you son of a bitch . I know you can get rid of it any time you want .

Jin Sahyuk kept sending Mental Transmissions until her hair stood on ends .

But when Jin Sahyuk’s language began to turn bad, Bell cut off contact once again, and Jin Sahyuk had no choice but to stomp her feet in anger .

“You motherfucking piece of shit, wait ‘til I get my hands on you…”

Demon Realm, demon merchants, Baal’s descent .

There were many questions she wanted to ask, yet Bell avoided her like he developed a new hobby of leaving people on cliffhangers .

“I’ll kill you . ”

‘Bell, the eternal death you so wanted, I’ll grant it to you personal the moment I see you again . ’ Jin Sahyuk clenched her teeth and began to chase Bell’s scent .

**

Africa’s blazing sun set .

The scorching heat quickly disappeared, replaced by a freezing cold, and the world became shrouded in darkness .

I used this opportunity to leave Crean with Boss, Cheok Jungyeong, and Tenzuhar . We planned to head to the second village .

We let Tenzuhar guide us .

“Not all humanoid monsters are loyal to Orden, slurp . Monsters are at the root of humanoid monsters, slurp . We instinctively desire battle and strength, slurp . If a humanoid monster stronger than Orden appears, Orden’s humanoid monsters will surely turn on him, slurp . ”

Tenzuhar insulted Orden to gain our favor .

“This is a secret, but I never liked Orden, slurp . In fact, I’m on the side of humans, slurp . I’ve been planning on taking Crean’s humans and escaping from Africa, slurp . ”

He was clearly lying, but I let him be .

“So what do you want us to do about it?”

But Cheok Jungyeong seemed to think otherwise as he placed his hand on Tenzuhar’s head .

“Ah, hahaha, n-nothing, i-it’s just that I, I wanted you to know that there are humanoid monsters like me… . ”

“I’m looking at a humanoid monster like you right now . Stop blabbering nonsense and explain where we’re going . ”

Cheok Jungyeong shot his eyes open and glared at Tenzuhar .

“Y-Y-Yes, of course . A mid-rank village called ‘Lupiton’ is a little ways ahead . Lupiton’s lord is ‘Pleron’, a snow-bird humanoid monster . ”

Tiriring—

At that moment, Boss received a text message from Jain .

“Mm~ Jain says she’s excavating ores . ”

“Great . ”

‘Premian’ was an excellent ore, a treasure that was only found in Africa . In fact, most ores found in Africa were rare and precious . I designed Africa to be a high-risk, high-return place .

“Looks like it’s time to upgrade my equipment . ”

Premian was a delicate, thin ore . Just applying it on the surface of an item could improve its toughness many times .

At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if I overgeared myself to victory .

“… . ”

Then, Boss looked at me somewhat enviously . I smiled, thinking that it was cute .

“I’ll make one for you too, Boss . ”

“…Mm, I won’t decline . ”

“Make me one too, kiddo . I don’t need anything grand, just shoes . There aren’t many that fit my feet, and even if I find one, it quickly breaks . ”

Cheok Jungyeong asked for a new equipment too, when Tenzuhar suddenly looked back at me .

His lizard-like eyes were sparkling brightly .

Curious, I waited for him to speak .

“…Slurp . I, I’m also afraid I’ll be assassinated… slurp . ”

“What? Did this lizard go mad?”

“Ah, hehe, I’m kidding, slurp . ”

As Cheok Jungyeong was about to smack Tenzuhar…

chwaaaa—

The sound of wind shook the area .

“…?”

Because it was quiet until now, the sudden change was easily noticed . Furthermore, the air contained a faint scent of magic power .

I turned to the direction the wind came from and infused magic power into my Thousand-Mile Eyes .

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