Chapter 15

15th Chapter

First Mission. Accomplished! Afterparty… Successful?

015 – <First Mission. Accomplished! Afterparty... Successful?>

“d*mn it, I don’t know!”

Crack.

As I picked up the statue, the first thing I noticed was an odd sensation. What is this? Why is it so squishy?

Despite its dark and cold appearance, the statue was unexpectedly soft, more like a giant gummy jelly than an actual stone statue. Anyway, that’s how it felt.

But before I could revel in the moment, a sensation akin to electric currents started flowing, buzzing from my peripheral nerves straight into my head. It’s exactly as Malco described: the feeling of one’s brain twisting.

“Ughh!”

“Sir, young man! It seems cursed indeed! What should we do!? If this Samarian giant goes berserk, we won’t be able to stop him! Everyone, gather some rocks!”

“Oof, wait, just a second! Hold on!”

I held out my palm toward the group, who were about to bash my head with rocks. Everyone squinted their eyes as if they were seeing something unbelievable.

“It seems his mind is intact! Could the grace of the Sun God have truly touched a savage like you? This is astonishing. In my seventy years, I’ve never seen such a thing!”

Platan, the elder, was sticking out his tongue. Indeed, I was also astonished—not just by the odd sensation, but by something else appearing in my vision.

Ding-.

‘You can enhance one statistic by 1 point by consuming 100 Task Points.’

‘1. Strength +’

‘2. Agility +’

‘3. Stamina +’

These words were unbelievable, yet oddly familiar to a man who had spent years playing various games in the 21st century.

Consume Task Points to enhance stats? Isn’t this like leveling up and boosting abilities?

Until now, I didn’t know what Task Points were for, nor where to ask about it. Now I understand how they’re used.

It feels like peeling back a layer of the world’s secrets and suddenly my muddled thoughts are clearer.

“Brother, why aren’t you speaking! Everyone, prepare your rocks!”

“d*mn it, wait a minute, will you, kid!”

“I understand! But if you succumb to the curse, I’ll have to crack your head open with this rock for your own good! Within 30 seconds!”

That nosy bard kid. Didn’t he just say he didn’t believe in curses not too long ago?

He’s now clenching a hefty rock, ready to bash my skull.

Maybe he just wanted to bash someone’s head with a rock; everyone has that destructive urge.

Anyway, my comrades were watching me with suspicious eyes, leaving no room for leisure.

I couldn’t explain the words floating in my vision, nor my situation, clearly, so with a “whatever then,” I decided to select the Strength stat with my finger.

Ding-.

A weird, artificial sound effect rang, and the words disappeared. Was that it? Just as I was thinking this,

Psshh-.

The squishy obsidian statue in my palm began disintegrating into powder, slipping through my fingers as if it were being corroded. What is this? Nothing seems off yet, but it’s unnerving.

However, the buzzing sensation that had enveloped my mind and the strange tension in my body were gone. Instead, I felt a refreshing clarity and vitality, a far cry from my earlier discomforts.

“It… it’s disappeared… turned to dust…”

Luna murmured faintly behind her mask. Beside her, the bard Malco asked me, stone in hand,

“Brother, are you alright? Can you recognize us?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It looks like the seal was successful.”

“Young man, this wasn’t so much a seal as outright destruction. Nonetheless, let’s keep an eye on you for five more minutes, just in case. Everyone stay back!”

Old Platan’s concern made perfect sense. So, we waited until the second bard song had ended.

…

…

“Old man, until when are we waiting? It seems fine so far.”

“Maybe, but curses can slowly eat away at the mind. For now, it seems we’re good. Let’s head home before sunset!”

And that was the end of my first mission as an adventurer.

*

Settling Accounts!

One living bee, + 30 copper.

Temple cleaning reward, + 30 copper.

20 goblin tusks, + 20 copper.

Ripped clothing ? 10~30 copper.

Mental and physical damage, -+ 0 copper.

Strength stat increased by 1.

Is that so-so? Compared to when I was a slave, it’s a world of difference in terms of income.

My footsteps as I headed back were light, the throbbing and stinging wounds from the battle calming noticeably.

“Old man, you mentioned earlier some relic, the pen tip?”

“The needle of appraisal, you mean? Why ask?”

“The numbers it measures, like strength and whatnot. Can those numbers rise or fall easily?”

“Young man, even if you’re from a foreign land, this is too much ignorance. If they could fluctuate so easily, the order of the world would collapse.”

“Is it that serious?”

“Exactly. It usually takes from a year to five years to increase one stat point. It requires consistent training, discipline, and devout prayers.”

Platan, pleased to have a chance to show off his knowledge, kept talking. Apparently, raising my Strength stat was quite a special event.

It’s been two years since I came to this world, and those stats hadn’t changed. I had a vague idea that it was a big deal.

It’s so significant, it’s even giving me the chills. d*mn, what the hell is this?

“Anyway, work hard, young man. Youngsters have boundless potential. Don’t get fixated on numbers. Nowadays, young people seem obsessed with numbers, but it’s just for show. Experience, knowledge, wisdom, skills. Those things aren’t visible…”

“Hey, brother, look! There’s the city wall! We’ve made it safely.”

Thanks to Platan’s maps, contrary to his worries, we navigated the return journey quite well.

So, we reached the west gate of Sodomora just as the guards were closing it, and we managed not to camp outside the wall until the gates opened tomorrow.

“Next time, move faster. You iron-rank rookies are always the last. You look just like beggars who’ve tangled with goblins…”

We ignored the guard’s comment as my fellow party members and I returned through the west gate. I don’t know what they’re thinking,

but as someone who endured a sleepless night, bizarre monsters, a cursed artifact, and stings from bee-like creatures, I can’t imagine being happier to see this hellhole of a city.

Even the thick, smoky odors that hang over the city now feel comforting. Nice to see you again, my sweet city.

“Well, I, as the leader of this party, will report to the guild. We also need to file the strange goblin behavior and the cursed artifact.”

I almost wished the job was done, but then the absurdly-hatted bard chimed in.

“So, how about we all celebrate with a drink tonight? Between the reward and the side incomes, we’ve earned quite a bit. What do you say to meeting at the agreed inn after we wrap things up?”

“I’m fine with that. Hassan, what about you?”

“You, too, Luna?”

“How else am I going to pay for my new instrument after the damage mine took? Oh well, this is a fated encounter. Brothers, let’s share the costs equally.”

“Me? No thanks. I’m not desperate enough to join young people drinking. Besides, I’m busy. Time is more precious for an old man.”

Though he fits the stereotypes of being old-fashioned, he knows when to join in and when to step back. When I think about it, he’s been surprisingly helpful among the group.

Knowledge and wisdom are indeed better in abundance.

“Fate brought us together; we’ll see each other again. Young man, you should visit the shrine just in case you’re under any curses.”

And with that, the short old man waved goodbye and disappeared. I felt a lump in my throat looking at his silhouette against the sunset, even though we’d only camped together for a night.

“Well, where shall we drink?”

“Sister, the place I know well. Let’s meet at the Nymph’s Wings Inn by eight. The price and quality there are the best.”

“Alright, see you all then!”

With that, both Luna and Malco turned and headed separate ways. It was about five o’clock now.

With three hours until the evening gathering, there was plenty of time to take care of a few tasks.

So, what to do first? I want to wash the dust and goblin bl**d off my body. Should I head to the bathhouse first? And I need to deal with my torn clothes somehow.

Most of it will cost money, though.

So, I decided to focus on handling this giant bee buzzing violently inside this leather flask first. Better to handle money matters first, right?

But I’m not sure where to sell this bee. I should’ve followed that bogus Voodoo Priest and asked him where to sell it when he mentioned it could be used as herbal material.

If there’s anything like a Health Center here, maybe the Alchemist shops that make suspicious potions would be just the place…

Wandering through the slums near the west gate, I finally stopped in front of a shop with a sign etched with a beaker and a potion.

The fumes puffing from the chimney and the pungent, damp smells brought back memories from my childhood—like things were being boiled and bubbled everywhere.

Honestly, I didn’t really want to go in.

Jingle.

“Come on in—.”

Pushing the creaking wooden door open, a soft voice greeted me from the deep inside the shop. It sounded feminine, so either it was operated by a woman or there was a female assistant.

What the hell is this place…?

When I cautiously stepped inside the dimly lit shop, my legs nearly gave out at the bizarre sight.

All sorts of things were preserved and dissected, floating in jars containing formalin-like liquids, the forms of the creatures inside eerily grotesque and foreign.

The smell was the same kind I had encountered years ago during a human anatomy class—an unpleasant, strange scent from preservatives.

“Who is this now? A proud Samarian, isn’t it?”

At that moment, with a rustling sound, the curtain at the back of the shop swayed as someone stepped out. The first thing I noticed was the tall hat—and a massive chest.

Yes, her chest.

She wore a flowing off-shoulder frill top that barely contained her enormous bosom, catching my attention immediately.

Below that, she wore a dark blue skirt that revealed her toned thighs and calves, resembling something like a Chinese cheongsam-style cut.

“Hmm, you seem fierce, Samarian. Did you come here to take my head, Nemea the Witch?”

Her voice had a sticky charm to it, and the mole near the corner of her left lip seemed to mock me seductively.

“Witch.”

Indeed, this woman was hard to describe except as a witch. In her mid twenties, with long, fiery red hair, she exuded an aura that was far from ordinary, making me feel unusually meek.

Often, when someone is exceptionally beautiful or commands a strong presence, they emit a sort of aura that repels men. This was exactly one of those moments.

Worse, having been a slave for two years, I had ingrained weaknesses for Elfprides and witches like her. Our relationship could be described as magma and fire—clearly hierarchical.

“Uh… I came to sell… something.”

“Sell?”

“It’s more like… uh, it’s kind of alive….”

“A living thing?”

I struggled to articulate, feeling too clumsy amidst this lazy yet enchanting witch. Mentioning that I came to sell a bee might sound absurd, after all.

Tock, tock.

As I hesitated, the witch approached me, stopping right in front of me.

She was shorter than me but still relatively tall for a woman, even enhanced by her heels and the tall hat. I had to admit, it was genuinely impressive!

“Living, selling… Fascinating. You’ve brought a splendid item—.”

With a sly smile, she extended her soft fingers toward my lower body.

What? She pointed to my waist?! Taken completely off guard, frozen like a gazelle in front of a lioness, I was startled—but then,

Swoosh.

“Is this what you’re referring to?”

The witch deftly snatched the leather flask hanging from my waist and brought it close to her face. As she unscrewed the cap, the furious bee inside burst out with a buzz.

sh*t, the bee’s loose! It’s dangerous!

As I prepared to jump back, the bee calmly settled on the tip of the witch’s index finger, as docile as a butterfly perched on a flower.

So, even bees find beautiful women attractive. This one was definitely a male bee.

“Indeed, a magnificent beetle! It’s vibrant and has a sturdy, dark form—splendid. I’ll give you thirty copper coins for this—.”

“Thirty copper coins.”

Though I already had a vague idea of the price, confirming it filled me with excitement, momentarily forgetting the oppressive atmosphere.

With this thirty copper, I can pay for my bath and get a new set of clothes! Haha! Just as I was musing over this, the witch spoke.

“But since you visited my shop, I’m interested in something else you might have—.”

“Something else I have…?”

“Yes, with your skills, I might increase the offer beyond thirty copper—. Precisely, I’d be referring to the tasks ahead from you—. Five minutes? Ten minutes? It’ll only take that long—.”

Chuckling softly, the witch stared at me with eyes as alluringly red as Elfpride’s, causing an involuntary chill to run down my spine.

It’s better to avoid getting involved with witches. This is common sense in this world.

Wizards and witches are usually people whose minds are on the edge of sanity. Just as Elfpride was a fire mage who acted like fire, this woman was clearly another madwoman!

I imagined a horrifying scenario where my skin and fingernails were being peeled off and placed in a beaker as ingredients for some sorcerer’s experiment.

Yet, paradoxically, curiosity got the better of me, wondering what this beautiful lady wanted from me. After all, that’s what makes me a male—.

So, despite knowing instinctively that it was like stepping into a spider’s web, I couldn’t help but ask:

“What kind of work are you asking for?”

“Tough customers like you can surely handle it, Samarian.”

[Author’s Afterword] I am always grateful for your support and recommendations.

And I received an anonymous manuscript coupon! I can’t figure out who it’s from, so I’ll express my gratitude towards the direction of the rising sun.