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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The Abandoned One put the Corpse Finger Mushroom into the constantly boiling cauldron and waited for a moment.
Bubble… bubble…
After a puff of black smoke, he poured the liquid into two bowls.
“You must drink. You will need this as well, benefactor.”
Kang Seol quickly drank the liquid in the bowl, as the Abandoned One suggested.
Gulp…
The reaction was immediate.
Kang Seol checked the pleasant message and turned his gaze to the Abandoned One. He, too, had changed.
Swoosh…
The torn wounds on his skin healed instantly, his hunched back straightened, and his stooped posture became upright. The only thing that remained unchanged was his eyes, which shone like stars, full of intelligence.
He let out a breath and asked Kang Seol, “Benefactor, may I know your name?”
“It’s Snowman.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means snowman.”
“A wonderful and skillful name. I am Mael, which means ‘child of the stars’.”
“It’s a good name.”
“I will never forget your help for the rest of my life, Snowman.”
“First, I will offer you the help you need. Is there anything you want?”
I plan to crush the Rock Tusk from the front. Can you help me?
A frontal assault is impossible. Is there a way to break them down from the inside?
Number 1 was not worth mentioning now that his party members had been wiped out, and numbers 3 and 4 did not meet the conditions. Therefore, the only remaining option was number 2.
“I intend to break them down from the inside. Can you help me?”
“From the inside… I understand. I happen to have a method worth trying.”
Mael transferred the liquid in the cauldron to several bottles, washed the cauldron, and began to boil a new liquid.
He calmly added herbs to the cauldron and said to Kang Seol, “As you said, benefactor, today is a good day to strike the Rock Tusk.”
“The reason is…”
“Today is the Rock Tusk’s harvest festival. It’s a ritual dedicated to the earth dragon Tancreed, whom they worship.”
“What does it have to do with the harvest festival?”
“There is one rule in the harvest festival that can never be broken.”
Kang Seol already knew this. The Five Fraternal Brothers adventure was divided into when it was the harvest festival and when it was not. In the case of the harvest festival, a green flag was raised from the entrance.
Kang Seol had confirmed the green flag during his initial reconnaissance. From there, he had known that the harvest festival was today, and he also knew the rules of the harvest festival.
“At midnight, the entire tribe must drink the blood of a beast boiled in a large cauldron.”
Mael said, stirring the cauldron. “What you are aiming for, benefactor, will be this cauldron.”
“…Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
To destroy the tribe he was born into with his own hands. It would surely bring an unusual shock. But Mael answered dryly.
“Have you forgotten my mother’s last words?”
My mother, even as she was dying, resented the tribe. She said that everything… everything should be destroyed. The tribe, the disease, and me….
“…”
“Although it will be a long time before I am gone, I intend to fulfill some of her wishes.”
“I understand.”
Mael left after helping. With medicine for the endemic disease patients scattered throughout the mountain range. He burned all the books in his hut and took only one book with blank pages.
“What’s that?”
My dream is to be an archaeologist. The world is vast, and there are endless things shrouded in mystery to be discovered. I plan to travel the world and record them.
It was a strange thought for a troll. Perhaps that was why he was a Hero grade assistant.
May you punish barbarism with the star of your intellect, benefactor.
Kang Seol checked the newly acquired title.
In the long run, it was not a bad ability. Kang Seol was looking at the two vials Mael had given him at the entrance of the largest peak of the jagged mountain. A red vial and a blue vial. First, the description of the red vial was as follows:
“If you drink this potion, no one will think you are strange, Snowman. As long as you don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself.”
Next, the description of the blue vial.
Pour this potion into the cauldron. It doesn’t contain a single speck of poison, so even a skilled shaman won’t easily find out.
Pop—!
Kang Seol opened the red vial and chugged the contents.
“Burp…”
With an uncontrollable burp, his body began to change.
Crack…
Creak…
After gritting his teeth and enduring the pain for a moment, in his place stood a rather large troll.
Voodoo was useless for now, but Troll Language was essential. Kang Seol, remembering that he didn’t have much time left, diligently climbed the mountain.
He didn’t know if turning into a troll also helped with stamina, but he strode up the slope and soon arrived at the boundary post of the settlement where the green flag was raised. There were troll guards standing there.
“Hmm…?”
“Hey!”
Perhaps because he could use Troll Language, he could understand everything the guard said.
Squeeze…
Kang Seol clenched his fists and nervously approached the guard.
“You’re not allowed to leave the post before the harvest festival is over! Go back!”
“You foolish thing!”
“I’m sorry, I’ll join them right away.”
“Hmph!”
Kang Seol smiled faintly as he passed them. The plan was going smoothly from the start. The settlement was divided into six floors. Of course, it wasn’t clearly divided like a building, but it was roughly so. The criterion for this division was factions.
The Rock Tusk Tribe was composed of five factions, and although they cooperated when it was important, they mostly clashed and feuded. Kang Seol planned to exploit that part in this adventure.
‘The cauldron is on the middle floor, he said…’
The Rock Tusk have been ruled by five leaders for generations. But this generation is a little different.
Kang Seol climbed the mountain, mulling over what Mael had said.
Even the kings of humans are careful in choosing one successor, but the trolls have chosen five. How could there not be problems?
In the plaza Kang Seol entered, a huge cauldron was burning, and next to it was an altar made of bone and stone, close to the cauldron.
This generation is particularly problematic. It’s no wonder the mighty Rock Tusk are faltering with incompetent leaders. But….
Kang Seol’s eyes went to a huge troll sitting on a bone throne, looking around. Whether it was because he was well-fed or because he was born different, he was much bigger than the trolls guarding him.
‘You must be careful of Chieftain Jamad. He is… a man who was born with the spirit of the mountain. He is the one who single-handedly wiped out the shamans of the previous generation. Please… do not confront him. He is the wisest and strongest troll in the history of the Rock Tusk.’
Kang Seol pushed through the trolls filling the surroundings and approached the altar. Very slowly, carefully, so as not to reveal his identity.
‘When should I approach…?’
“No need to rush. The final event of the harvest festival was still about two hours away. The important thing was to surely put this potion in the cauldron.”
‘Goni’ donated 200 madness!
“It’s cold… a dagger flies and lodges itself in my chest… Ouch!”
– It’s okay… the hand is faster than the eye… failure!
– Strange, he was a human when I saw him during the day. Where did that friend go? Is the troll now that friend?
– Yes
– Yes, that’s right.
– This friend plays creatively lol
– But how is he going to put that potion in the cauldron?
– You’ll see from now on.
Kang Seol watched the opportunity with wide eyes near the altar for 30 minutes. If there were no openings, he would have to force one, so he was gradually getting anxious.
‘I have a method in mind…. Will it work?’
But then, the change he had been waiting for came. A troll had approached the guard protecting the cauldron.
“Here… here!”
“What is it?”
“There is some blood that I would like you to add to the cauldron. This time I got…”
“Hmph, there’s already enough blood for the ritual.”
“But…”
“Go away.”
The troll who had spoken to the guard retreated with a look of disappointment. Kang Seol, seeing that, unconsciously tightened his grip on the potion.
‘The setting is the same. Is it now?’
Kang Seol looked around and approached the guard who had chased away the troll.
“Excuse me…”
“What is it?”
“I have some blood to offer for the harvest festival.”
“Didn’t you hear? I said the blood is already full…”
“It’s the blood of a white-horned Arago. It will definitely be helpful…”
‘Hmm? You mean to disguise it as the blood of a white-horned Arago? That’s… ah! A good idea. But how…’
Kang Seol recalled the contents of the setting book.
‘…And the white-horned Arago is a rare species on the jagged mountain, so its blood is considered the most precious for rituals.’
So there was no way his potion would be refused. If everything went according to his plan. The guard snatched the blue vial, opened the lid, and sniffed it.
“This is the blood of a white-horned Arago?”
“Yes, please.”
“Hmm… I’ll tell them.”
“Thank you.”
Kang Seol stepped back. The guard took the blood to one of the five leaders who was officiating the ritual. He could faintly hear their conversation amidst the roars.
“Lord Makgata, a brat wanted to offer the blood of a white-horned Arago.”
“Sniff sniff… it’s genuine. Put it in.”
“Yes.”
’As you said, Snowman, I made the potion indistinguishable from the blood of a white-horned Arago, so they won’t notice.’
The guard, thinking the potion was the blood of a white-horned Arago, climbed the stairs and approached the cauldron. And he muttered something. Probably something trivial like, ‘Lord Tancreed, this is actually my offering.’
Splash…
The potion was poured into the cauldron. And so, the first stage of his plan was complete.
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Time passed, and the finale of the harvest festival, the Blood Drinking Ceremony, began. The blood that filled the cauldron was poured into crude cups and distributed. And it was given to everyone, including the leaders and Kang Seol. The officiant of today’s harvest festival was the youngest of the five leaders, Makgata.
“It’s almost midnight. Everyone, raise your cups.”
Swoosh—
Swoosh—
Swoosh—
All the trolls were holding their cups with their large hands, waiting for the order. Makgata said with a sinister smile, “Everything is the grace of the earth. Flesh, blood, and plunder.”
“…”
“Drink. Drink all this blood and drench the earth with more blood. That is… the path to Lord Tancreed. And that is the Rock Tusk!”
“Ooooh!”
“Lord Tancreed!”
“Lord Tancreed!”
“We are the Rock Tusk!”
Gulp…
Gulp, gulp…
Splash!
The one who was not drinking the blood but pouring it on the ground. It was Kang Seol. He glanced at the leaders and the troll crowd, then quietly left. Because it would soon become a pandemonium.
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