Chapter 53 (1/2)

Volume 1

CH 27

「Nice, nice, it’s working properly . 」(Kaito)

Seeing the princess wrapped in a faint green light on the screen made by the mysterious slime, I know that the spell formula I rewrote is working .

The only thing she can immediately experience is the『Perception Obstruction』spell formula that I adjusted so that she can’t hear any words that indicate people, but it seems that it’s having an interesting effect on her .

The four enchantments that the necklace had to begin with are『Automatic HP recovery』,『Slightly Increased Healing Effects』,『Illusion Record』and『Self-repair (Small) . 』

Among these, two of them have had their effects rewritten . I also deleted one and wrote something else to take its place .

The first thing I did was rewrite『Illusion Record』into『Perception Obstruction . 』

And then I rewrote『Automatic HP recovery』into『Reverse Healing (Minute) . 』This causes wounds to heal by returning to their original state . So if there are any almost-healed wounds on the body, they slowly return to their most terrible state before starting to heal again .

But since neither of these would work if the necklace is removed, I deleted『Slightly Increased Healing Effects』and imbued the『Prevent Removal』spell . And then I applied a camouflage that would prevent these changes from being seen by anyone without specialist knowledge .

This is what I have done to the necklace .

The【Hook-Blade of Magical Repair*]has the ability to rewrite the spell formulas of enchantments that have been applied to magical equipment . Of course, its power isn’t unlimited; it consumes an incredible amount of MP .

TLN*: Previously translated as Magical Mending Hook Sword

It takes a considerable amount just to rewrite one enchantment to another of a similar type, and erasing one to replace it completely is impossible without something like a potion for recovery .

Because the MP cost of using it is calculated as a portion of one’s total MP, I can use it even at this low level . But looking at it another way, that means that I can’t avoid mana intoxication when using it even after I level up .

The rewriting work itself is difficult, using techniques based on hidden stats and requiring full use of my fast reaction time . It’s a very inflexible process, and I can’t make it progress any faster no matter how hard I try .

On top of that, the more I rewrite, the more the performance of the original magical equipment decreases; all of its enchantments become inferior . Because of this, I wasn’t able to make any further alterations to the necklace .

「Kuhah, look at that, she’s panicking so much that you’d never be able to tell that she was all composed just a moment ago . This is plenty of value for my sixty gold coins . 」(Kaito)

「Watching this kind of reaction is quite enjoyable, isn’t it? It serves her right . Ah, I wonder if we can change the angle a little; she is hidden behind the pillar . 」(Minnalis)

We spend the next little while laughing at the pieces of trash that are stressing over how to deal with the necklace .

「Ah, it seems that the Guardian has collapsed . 」(Minnalis)

It seems that the Guardian has fallen, right around the time that the scene on the screen has stopped .

Minnalis removes her poison and we enter the Guardian’s chamber, we see the Goblin King’s rotten corpse and corroded equipment .

「We have to retrieve the Core quickly and escape the Dungeon . The monsters we thinned out have probably started respawning, so the『Poison Garm』packs have probably gathered up the other monsters as well . If we go back now, we might be able to see the residents and the soldiers looking for me being captured and taken into the forest by the monsters . Since we’re here, let’s go and watch . 」(Kaito)

「Yes, let us enjoy some tea with the fruits we found in the forest while we watch the cockroaches that betrayed you cry and scream, Goshujin-sama~♪」(Minnalis)

Garms typically don’t venture far from the trees of the forest, so even if they enter the royal capital, they are likely to drag any prey they kill back to the forest before eating them .

Even average soldiers would be able to deal with normal Garms, but the ones attacking the royal capital would be a pack of mutated『Poison Garms』accompanied by other monsters . When they attacked in my first time through this world, there were around forty of them .

Poison Garms are intelligent . I showed off my battles with other monsters multiple times to the『Poison Garms』that were observing from a distance .

In my first run-through, they didn’t get a chance to do that . They will likely attack the city with even more monsters accompanying them than the first time, and the number of Poison Garms should be larger as well .

Ah, I have to see just how many of those pieces of trash will become food for them .

I enjoyed myself considerably while watching the princess, but she wasn’t really in pain, so I’m looking forward to this as well .

Because of the dream that I had at the perfect time, my hatred for the guys that sold me out has taken a distinct form again .

And so I feel quite happy as I cut out the Dungeon Core .

【System Message: You have acquired the『Dungeon Clearer』title . ]

【System Message: The Sword of Demonic Beast Eggs has been unlocked . ]

「Hmm, I’ve unlocked a new Soul Sword . Oh, ah, I see . This is the first time that I’ve directly destroyed a Dungeon Core myself . 」(Kaito)

「Really? Congratulations, Goshujin-sama . 」(Minnalis)

「I cleared so many Dungeons, but to think that I would only receive that title and unlock this Soul Sword at a time like this . 」(Kaito)

In my first time through this world, I continued my adventures in a polite way . It went without saying for regulated Dungeons, but even when we found Dungeons in the wild, investigated them and defeated the Guardians, we simply reported it to the lords of the area or the Guild without breaking the Cores .

And so this is my first time cutting a living Dungeon Core . And I can feel that I’ve gained a lot of experience points in doing so .

I decide to check the effects of the new Soul Sword later and open my Status Board while gathering up what’s left of the Dungeon Core .

「 . . . Hey, hey, 25,000 experience, are you serious?」(Kaito)

I didn’t think that I’d get that much experience for cutting a Dungeon Core that didn’t even move, let alone resist . What an easy gain .

While thinking of paying back just enough of my experience debt so that I still don’t level up, I finish collecting the important items and put the Guardian’s chamber and this Dungeon behind me .

「Nnh, the light of the sun feels really good, doesn’t it, Goshujin-sama?」(Minnalis)

It’s taken us five days to return outside from the Guardian’s chamber . The monsters didn’t suddenly disappear after the Dungeon Core was broken, so we took the shortest route possible while cleaning up the monsters along the way, but it took us longer than I thought .

「You’re right, humans need to live in the sun; it’s not good for our bodies to be without it . 」(Kaito)

「We are told that the sunlight has always had the stimulating power of the spirit of light . In fact, regions that receive a lot of sunlight produce better crops than other places . 」(Minnalis)

「That’s probably because plants need photosynthesis . . . Wait, do certain regions really possess the divine protection of the spirit of light? This is a fantasy world, after all . 」(Kaito)

My first time through this world was mostly very tense because I wanted to return to my original world, so I didn’t have time to think about these things . But starting a farming life might not be so bad once I’ve finished my revenge .

Thought right now, I can only imagine that kind of future as an uncertain dream .

Before I came to this world, I could have imagined that kind of realistic dream easily, but I’m too much of a different person now and I find it difficult to think about .

I probably won’t be able to see such a distant dream properly until I’m finished with my vengeance .

That’s why, yes, I have to take everything from every single one of those guys until I’m satisfied .

I coincidentally re-confirm my need for revenge, and we make idle talk as we approach the side of the capital city’s outer wall .

As expected, the frequency with which we encounter monsters increases as we get closer to the wall .

Among them, we hear the howling of Garms and the strange voices of Goblins .

「I guess we’ve arrived just a little too late to see the beginning of the show . 」(Kaito)

「Let us make haste, Goshujin-sama . At this rate, we may miss all the good parts . 」(Minnalis)

「You’re right, I suppose we should hurry a little . 」(Kaito)

We use the『Conceal Presence*』skill to ignore the monsters, and come to a spot where we can see the hole that we made in the wall .

TLN*: Previously translated as Hide Presence

We find an appropriate distance where we can observe while not being noticed by the people of the city, climb onto a thick tree branch and look upon the battle from afar .

「Ooh, they’re going at it, they really are . Or rather, haven’t we arrived at the perfect time?」(Kaito)

「It seems that things have only just begun; as far as I can see from here, only two or three people have been hunted down so far . 」(Minnalis)

The hole that we made was big enough for two people to fit through side-by-side, but now it’s large enough for three large carriages to pass through at once . Considering it was about the size of a single carriage in my first run-though, it just shows how foolish these residents s are .

From what I can see from here, it seems that the attacking group of monsters is about twice as large as it was the first time . And just like that time, the Poison Garms have likely scattered paralyzing venom through the hole and begun hunting the immobilized residents .

Now the monsters are fighting with the soldiers who have heard the commotion . The Poison Garms’ paralyzing venom is their trump card; after they use it once they can’t use it again for a while . So the battle between them and the soldiers is quite even .

Even so, they’re being pushed back by the sheer number of monsters and one by one, the residents who have become immobilized by the paralyzing venom are being killed by the claws and fangs of the normal Garms or the wooden sticks wielded by the Goblins . And then they are dragged off into the forest .

If they gather a few capable adventurers, they should be able to repel the monsters easily, but let’s see how things turn out .

「Hahah, they’ve taken control, haven’t they? I wonder how many they’ll be able to kill before the adventurers come . Want to bet on it?」(Kaito)

「You mustn’t, Goshujin-sama . Alcohol, women and gambling will ruin you . Even without indulging in such things, this scene is a sufficient show to enjoy over a meal . Here you are, Goshujin-sama . 」(Minnalis)

「Oh, thank you* . 」(Kaito)

TLN*: In English .

I thank her and take the Ricoco fruits that we picked from the forest . They’re strange fruits that have the appearance and consistency of blue apples and the flavor of strawberries .

「Thank you?」(Minnalis)

「It means “thank you . ” Oh, another one got killed . 」(Kaito)

I bite into the fruit with a loud crunch as I watch the battle .

It’s not like the soldiers are low in rank, but because of how large the hole in the wall is, they can’t keep up with the number of monsters .

「『Gyaah, stop, somebody, GYAAAAH!』」

I’m quite far away, but I can see the man who dragged me into the city and sold me out to the princess in the first time .

「『Help, no, someone help me! Help me, please, AAAAGH!』」

「Hahahah, who’s going to help you? As if I’d save you a second time . Just be eaten by monsters and die . 」(Kaito)

The man screams as his leg is bitten to pieces by a Garm and his arm bends the wrong way after being punched by a Goblin . Those screams sound pleasant to my ears .

「Ah, Goshujin-sama, isn’t that the same for that woman over there? I remember seeing her in your memories . 」(Minnalis)

「Hmm? Ah, that’s that man’s wife, oh, she’s surrounded by Goblins . She’ll become a seedbed for them rather than food . I feel sorry for her . 」(Kaito)

「You are not very good at lying, Goshujin-sama . Your mouth is smiling, you know?」(Minnalis)

「Ah, I’ve been exposed . 」(Kaito)

We mess around and ridicule the idiots struggling on the battlefield .

They’re too insignificant for me to kill them myself, but watching like this is enjoyable .

「Hmm . . . Hey, hey, what are you doing, mister?」(Kaito)

I say this as the old man who owns the weapon store appears . His store is close to the hole in the wall, but it’s in a place that’s pretty much in a safe zone . Why is he here?

「Hey! Hey, hey, stop it, you idiot!」(Kaito)

What is he playing at? As if trying to protect the other residents, he swings a sword that he’s never properly used before at the monsters and pours something from some bottles into the mouths of the residents that have been immobilized by the paralyzing venom .

The residents who receive the contents of those bottles start to become able to move . It’s probably antidote potion .

「There’s no value in saving those guys! And your store can’t afford to be doing this . . . !」(Kaito)

「Goshujin-sama, you mustn’t, we will be noticed if you go any further . 」(Minnalis)

「Ugh, sorry . 」(Kaito)

After Minnalis warns me, I calm my emotions that have gone too far and conceal my presence once more .