Ch 10
NEYMAR
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Episode 10
The next morning.
Having recovered some of our stamina, we immediately started searching the hideout.
Normally, I would have just left, but I remembered what I’d heard.
—Hahaha! It's been a while since we had a haul this big…!
Weren't they celebrating how much they'd made?
I had to take everything I could.
And since it belonged to the plunderers, I felt no guilt.
“Wow… they got all this from plundering?” Keila exclaimed, her voice filled with awe as she rummaged through a large bundle.
The bundle was stuffed with all sorts of items…
Regeneration potions and a hundred silver coins. …What’s this, there’s even an Artifact? Where the hell did they loot something like this?
Did they rob some newly rich fool who had just been kicked out into Sector 7?
Even from my perspective, there were certainly a lot of useful things.
“You take these.”
I only took the items that were useful for my build and handed the rest to Keila.
“You’re giving me all this?”
Keila looked stunned, surprised by the large share she was receiving.
But this was a carefully calculated distribution of things that were utterly useless to me.
What am I supposed to do with a Mana Attunement Ring? My attunement can't get any higher.
The same went for the single-use consumable, the ‘Instant Awakening Stimulant.’
Since I could achieve Awakening through my Spirit Imprint, there was no reason for me to take it.
What I really needed was something like this.
“Hehehe…”
“The hell is wrong with him?”
I couldn’t stop the laughter from escaping.
And for good reason. I never expected to find something listed in my build this early.
I gazed at the silver bracelet on my wrist.
The Bracelet of Sacred Oil.
Its official name was [Bracelet of Sacred Oil].
Though it looked ordinary, the bracelet was infused with sacred oil—an oil with an effect similar to Holy Water.
The wearer would absorb this sacred oil, gradually increasing their Sacred Power stat.
Sacred Power was a counter-stat that was maximally effective against demons.
In [Devil Fantasy], it was an absolutely essential stat that could not be overlooked.
My previous character had about 500 points in it.
Completely absorbing the oil from this bracelet would raise the stat by 5 points.
Considering my previous character’s Sacred Power stat, I still had a long way to go, but for now, this was more than enough.
Just being able to raise Sacred Power in the early stages was a massive advantage.
Furthermore…
I can infuse my magic with Sacred Power.
Unlike other classes whose bodies were protected by Sacred Power, a wizard could channel it into their magic.
Simply put, the higher my Sacred Power, the higher my attack power.
This was one of the reasons why wizards boasted superior attack power compared to other classes.
Sigh… Why did I raise a swordsman character? I should have just played a wizard from the start…
If I had, I might have cleared the game and quit long ago.
Then I wouldn’t have been dragged into this world.
A wave of regret washed over me, but I quickly pushed it aside.
What mattered was what came next.
In any case, the haul is good.
Besides the Bracelet of Sacred Oil, I had secured a few other decent items.
First, a round [Wood Shield] and [Leather Armor] to supplement my flimsy defense.
And though it wasn't an item, a pair of leather boots that fit perfectly.
This was more than enough to get by in the early game.
“Heehee! Hehehehet! I’m rich now.”
Beside me, Keila was laughing like a madwoman.
Hmph, and you were just asking what was wrong with me for laughing.
Still, I understood.
While the items were useless to me, many of them were quite valuable to Keila.
Even the Mana Attunement Ring is a pretty rare item for a wizard.
Keila’s ‘Awakening’ wasn't perfect yet.
It meant she couldn't visually perceive faint traces of mana.
Because of that, when she practiced Spell Modification, I often had to draw in the mana she couldn't see for her.
But with that ring, it would no longer be necessary.
She’ll be much stronger the next time I see her.
Having Keila, a future ally, grow stronger was naturally a positive thing.
A sense of anticipation bloomed within me.
Just how strong would she become?
“This should be everything.”
After we finished all our looting, we stood at the main gate of the hideout.
Keila asked as if she just remembered something.
“Hey, what’s your name, anyway?”
“My name?”
Right, I hadn't told her my name.
After a moment of thought, I told her my real name.
There was no need to hide it.
“Yuhan.”
“Yuhan…? Hmm, that’s an unusual name.”
Keila replied with a puzzled expression, but she soon accepted it and said her farewell.
“Well then, Yuhan, let’s part ways here. I’m heading this way.”
Keila pointed in the opposite direction of Sector 6.
I gave a slight nod, and as our eyes met, I noticed something strange.
For some reason, her eyes were burning with a competitive spirit…
She spoke, her voice filled with determination.
“Just you wait. Next time we meet, you won’t be able to look down on me.”
“…When did I ever look down on you?”
“Just know that I mean it.”
As if that didn't matter, she turned and walked away after those words.
Her back grew smaller in the distance.
She was completely different from the person I first met in the underground prison.
Watching her, a small smile formed on my lips.
“Getting stronger, huh…”
Keila’s words could be seen as a challenge to me.
But rather than feeling anxious…
I was looking forward to it.
“…My standards aren't exactly low, you know.”
A challenge like this was always welcome.
After all, people grow the most by overcoming failure.
Feeling strangely unburdened, I turned my back as well.
It was still broad daylight.
I moved as quickly as I could, surveying the surrounding terrain to find my way.
There was a good reason for my haste.
If I take my time and run into a Demon, it'll be a pain.
Demons are primarily active at night.
For that reason, walking the streets during the bright daytime like this was the safest option.
The probability of encountering a Demon was lower, and I had a clear line of sight by default.
Well, it's not like you can't encounter Demons during the day.
In a world grim enough to be described as "teeming with demons," you couldn't let your guard down anywhere, in any situation.
Especially Vassals like the red-haired man, who were active day and night without exception.
Still, now that I had learned some magic, I probably wouldn’t run into any major problems.
But there was no harm in hurrying.
“But… this terrain seems a little different from what I remember?”
I had memorized the geography and major landmarks of Sector 7.
But contrary to the information in my memory, I was sensing discrepancies.
For example, there was a side path I had never seen before, and a building that used to be relatively clean was now dilapidated and abandoned.
“…Come to think of it, the plunderers' hideout was like that, too.”
If my memory served me right, there was no plunderers' hideout of that scale in Sector 7.
Moreover, it had been enchanted with spatial expansion magic.
There was no way I would have forgotten a place like that.
A nagging feeling grew with each difference I discovered, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find a reason.
“Well, I’ll probably find out later.”
So I simply filed it away in my mind and kept walking.
About two hours passed like that.
“Pant, pant…”
My stamina was completely drained.
“I’m seriously going to die at this rate…”
This pathetic body was so frail it couldn't even handle walking for two hours without a break.
My breath came in ragged gasps, and my legs trembled.
Of course, I wasn't exhausted just from walking.
“What else would you expect from Sector 7…”
Sector 7 was famous for being a place filled with endless suspicion, betrayal, and conspiracy.
True to its reputation, a few beggars, seeing my exhaustion, tried to attack me for my belongings.
It seemed there were quite a few organized groups of plunderers, just like the ones at the hideout.
Because of that, I often had to reinforce my body with Lightning Modification magic.
Infusing my mana with an element and then cloaking my body with it consumed even more stamina.
“Still, I made it.”
I finally managed to calm my ragged breathing and looked ahead.
An endless wall stretched before me.
It felt like looking at the Great Wall of China.
My gaze was drawn to the large opening in its center, and to the world beyond.
It was hard to believe that this place, so much cleaner and more developed, was separated by just a single wall.
“…Sector 6.”
Although it had only been about ten days, it felt like it had taken a very long time to get here.
That must have been a testament to how much I had struggled.
Time is relative, after all.
“Let’s go.”
I cleared my thoughts and stepped forward confidently.
Giant guards clad in steel armor stood watch at the base of the Great Wall-like structure, but they wouldn't be a problem.
I had a hefty pouch of gold coins, pilfered from the hideout's safe, hanging at my waist.
One of the guards spotted me and scowled.
“Huh? What’s this, a beggar? What are you doing loitering around here?”
Clank!
The heavy sound of his armor was threatening with every step.
Ignoring it, I presented what I had at my waist.
“Let me through.”
As I spoke, I gently shook the pouch.
Jingle, jingle!
A pleasant sound echoed.
The guard’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the pouch.
“I suppose you’ve got gold coins in there?”
“Of course.”
And a tremendous amount of them, at that.
Enough gold to be irresistible for a mere Sector 6 public servant!
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
The guard took the gold, and I offered him a relaxed smile.
“May I go in?”
However.
“…Haha, look at this one. Why so confident?”
The guard’s face, which I expected to break into a wide grin, twisted into a vicious snarl.
Clang!
He tossed the pouch of gold in front of me without a hint of hesitation and continued.
“Did you really think a trick from 100 years ago would work? Tsk, you beggars…”
“…Excuse me?”
For a moment, I couldn't control my expression.
A thousand questions flooded my mind.
A hundred years ago…?
What the hell does that mean?
It can’t be that I didn't offer enough…
Is he saying bribery is something people only did 100 years ago?
In the game I played, it happened all the time.
No, even if that were true, shouldn’t this much gold have been a free pass?
I couldn't make sense of the situation at all, but the guard didn't wait for me to understand.
“Arrest this bastard, now!”
Shing! Shk-shk-shk!
They were thoroughly trained soldiers.
At his shout, a dozen guards stepped forward, forming a circle around me.
In that split second, I sensed danger.
A wave of irritation washed over me.
“…Sigh, nothing is going my way.”
Fwoooosh!
Mana, now moving as if it were a part of my body, condensed in an instant.
-Magic computation ability is maximized.
Simultaneously, I completed the calculation at an accelerated speed and formed a mental image.
The image I pictured was of crackling electricity.
Next, I imbued it with the property and wrapped it around my body, reinforcing it.
Crackle!
A yellow current sparked to life from my toes, glowing brightly.
Lightning Modification Magic.
Only then did the gazes of the guards, who had been looking at me like a rat scurrying around, finally change.
“Ma-Magic…?”
“That beggar is a wizard…?”
“That’s right, I’m a wizard.”
Even as I answered, I quickly scanned my surroundings, searching for an opening.
My plan was to kick off the ground and break through their encirclement.
“Everyone, draw your swords—!”
“Re-Reinforcements…! Call for reinforcements!”
Shing! Shing! Shing!
The guards moved in perfect unison, drawing their swords.
I felt a surge of frustration.
They really don't know how to listen.
“I said I’m a wizard.”
What do you think you can do with those?
This cruel world wasn’t lazy enough to stand by and allow me any leisure.
But.
No crisis this world could throw at me would ever be enough to stop me.
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