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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Startled, I shouted, but Song remained silent. He simply moved taciturnly, as if saying he just had to do what he had to do.
“Oh.”
Watching him, I felt, how should I put it, a professional, expert air.
Could this guy actually be a master? Is that why he was acting so cool?
I felt a certain gravitas, a weightiness.
If I had become an actor as planned, perhaps I, too, would have become a dignified man maintaining a taciturn demeanor like Song.
“Jaemison. Doesn’t that Song fellow seem to have a certain gravitas about him?”
“Indeed… you have a keen eye.”
“We’re on the same wavelength.”
“Heh.”
This guy, the more I see him, the more amiable he seems with his smiling face.
“Hey, Song! Why are you moving on your own?! If you move around like that, you’ll get ambushed! Follow my instructions!”
Gujuman, however, seemed rather dissatisfied.
When I first met him, he seemed to have a magnanimous personality, but as we traveled together, he revealed a somewhat petty side. It seemed he felt the need to take the lead. Fortunately, Song didn’t say anything, so it didn’t escalate into a fight.
“Goodness!”
Whether or not Gujuman expressed his discontent, Song professionally examined the trees and carried out the search.
“Let’s join in!”
Well, we should too.
After a rallying cry, I mimicked Song’s actions, searching for traces of the gobulins.
This was an opportunity.
A golden opportunity to learn the professional Song’s techniques by observation. Frankly, I knew nothing about this world, nor about the demons that would become my long-term livelihood.
I needed to gather as much information as possible about them.
For instance, characteristics of gobulins like these.
Naturally, my gaze shifted from the search itself to observing Song, and in that way, the two of us rapidly grew closer.
“Song. You seem to know a lot about gobulins. You didn’t say much at the inn, so I didn’t know… Are you actually an expert?”
“…”
“I’m coming to the conclusion that your insight and skills are essential to eliminating gobulins more effectively and in greater numbers. Could you offer a piece of advice for smoother progress on this commission?”
This was the Kim Geun-hyeop method of making friends.
Complimenting the other person while asking about something presumed to be within their area of interest. Would this tactic work on Song?
“…Gobulins.”
It worked!
“They diligently patrol their territory. They leave marks on trees during their patrols. Find the marks and wait, and the gobulins will soon appear.”
Such valuable information!
“Incredible…! I think I’ve never met a demon expert like you! Thank you for the excellent advice! So, would it be alright to use a strategy of waiting and capturing them?”
“Two patrol together. Kill one, injure the other, and let it go. It will flee back to its base. Then you can find their hideout.”
Legendary!
“Amazing, amazing! Song, are you a scholar?! To be so well-versed in gobulin habits! And that taciturn, no, prudent and serious demeanor… you seem to be a properly trained martial artist?”
After praising Song to that extent, a layer of his taciturnity peeled away. Finally, Song began to share personal stories.
“…I just have a grudge. I learned their habits through repetitive work.”
There’s a man named Kaygun Draka living in the remote jungles of South America, and he was also extremely taciturn. What melted his heart was none other than his cheerful friends.
Because I treated Song with the heart of such a friend, his heart opened.
“A grudge! Whoever that may be, they won’t be able to escape the hands of an expert like you!”
“…”
I appropriately praised Song until the end of the conversation, guiding him to give me the answers I desired.
This wouldn’t do.
After this was over, I needed to treat him to some liquor and dumplings and hear his stories. Song was not only my senior in the martial world but also possessed a considerable amount of knowledge.
If I could glean even a fragment of his knowledge by treating him to a drink, it would be a profitable exchange.
“There, Kim Geun-hyeop! I find your search attitude to be lacking!”
“Ah, my apologies, Gujuman. I was merely seeking Song’s advice for a more certain success on this commission. I’ll get right to it.”
“If you have questions, ask me…”
Despite being just the leader of an adventurer party, Gujuman seemed very sensitive about leadership.
For now, I needed to do what I had to do.
Well, we were searching separately anyway.
“Hm?”
I found a mark carved into a tree!
“Son…!”
I immediately tried to call Song, but my sensitive senses sounded the alarm. You could call it the danger detection sensor honed from living under my aunt’s watchful eye. The moment I covered my mouth and lowered my posture…
“Keruk.”
I heard a strange sound coming from the other side.
“Keruk, keruk.”
Yes.
Gobulins.
The gobulin patrol had appeared…!
“…!”
Just as I’d heard, they were small, green dwarves! Short, hunchbacked, long-eared demons with impressive noses!
Two such demons were walking towards me, wielding stone spears and chuckling!
And they were headed right for me!
What should I do? Should I call my companions right away? No, I didn’t know the gobulins’ fighting strength. There were two of them. I had to consider the possibility that they would skewer me like a kebab before I could do anything.
With those thoughts, I lay flat.
“Keruk, keruk.”
“Kerek.”
The gobulins were getting closer and closer.
Fortunately, they hadn’t noticed me and stopped in front of the tree with the mark.
They were… close!
“Keruk.”
The gobulins chuckled as they used the tips of their stone spears to make a mark on the tree. My current position was behind them. Both of them were engrossed in marking the tree and weren’t looking back.
Should I go now?
Should I jump up and ambush these guys?
Thump, thump!
My heart felt like it was about to explode.
They were just two gobulins, mere fantasy mooks, but they were demons wielding spears and professional enough to patrol. And look at their humanoid forms. If I wasn’t careful, I could be the one in trouble.
Should I just stay quiet like this?
That thought crossed my mind, but…
“…”
I decided to steel my resolve. In the end, they were weaker than humans. I, who had even killed a robber, couldn’t lose my cool and become a fool by being scared of something like this.
If I were to survive in this martial world, I would surely face things far worse than this every day. Could I back down?
Right.
I would strike these unsuspecting fools before they spotted me.
Swish.
With that thought, I carefully raised myself.
You’re all dead.
“Keruk, keruk.”
“Keruruuk.”
My heart felt like it would burst. My blood raced so fast that I felt as if the blood vessels throughout my body were swelling.
My gaze fixed on the gobulins’ backs.
Do it.
Just do it!
“Ha!”
Just like that.
Like a kidnapper reaching out, I extended my left hand. My arm stretched out, and my hand grasped the gobulin’s ponytail.
“Keruk?”
The moment the fool made a stupid noise…
Whoosh!
I yanked its head towards me and plunged the sword in my right hand into its lower back.
Thud!
An explosive kill in an instant.
I felt the intense sensation of my sword tearing through muscle and organs, protruding out the other side…! The coppery smell of blood spread instantly. I had finished off this little dwarf in one blow.
“Kek, guk…!”
Gurgle.
A surprise attack.
The assassinated goblin merely twitched and convulsed. At the same time, the goblin next to it turned around in shock, and…
“Kek-!”
Before it could do anything…
“Shut up!”
Wham!
I dropped the sword and punched it in the face.
“Keheeek!”
The moment the goblin, having dropped its spear, fell on its backside, I raised my leg with the momentum of splitting bamboo and slammed my foot into its face.
Crash!
“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”
Like a wrestler, I threw myself with all my might and tackled the goblin.
“Kweeek! Kwek! Keeek!”
Facing a humanoid demon screaming like this honestly made me feel a little sorry, but that didn’t mean I stopped. Would I stop eating hamburgers because I felt sorry for cows?
“Here! I’ve captured a gobulin alive! Come quickly!”
I put the gobulin in a chokehold and called out to my companions.
Rustle!
My companions came running.
“Oh, oh! Keep holding it!”
“You did it…!”
“We finally found one!”
It was Gujuman, Jaemison, and Ogisu. I asked Song, who arrived last:
“Song! What should we do now?”
“Break its arm and let it go.”
A rather urgent response.
“Alright! I’ll hold it, so everyone, get to work!”
“I’ll do it, as the leader!”
Gujuman stepped forward valiantly, and…
“Keruk…!”
The goblin whimpered in despair.
Crack!
“Keryaaaaaaak!”
A merciless arm-breaking. I finally released the chokehold and set the goblin free.
Honestly, that looked really painful.
“Keruk, keruuuk!”
The goblin with the broken arm sobbed pathetically, staggered, and threw itself forward, limping and stumbling repeatedly as it began to flee in a truly miserable state.
Just as Song had said, it was trying to return to its base.
“It’s really running away…! Song! It’s happening just like you said!”
“It’s their nature.”
“But what if it leads us somewhere else as a decoy for its companions?”
“I’ve never seen that happen. Gobulins aren’t intelligent enough to think that far ahead. Now, keep your distance and follow it.”
“Understood.”
I nodded heavily.
This Song fellow…
He was quite impressive.
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