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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Baldwin.
A D-rank adventurer.
Known as the “Eternal D-ranker,” he was a man consumed by insecurity.
Nearing forty, he had given up on becoming stronger, accepting his limitations.
He had convinced himself he had reached his peak, but he couldn’t help but envy those who surpassed him.
That damn brat…
He disliked Luke from the moment he saw him at the Adventurers’ Guild.
He had assumed Luke was another arrogant noble from the academy, looking down on commoners like him.
While not all nobles were like that, most were, which was why adventurers, mostly commoners, resented them.
Regardless of Luke’s actual personality, the mere fact that he was an “elite” fueled Baldwin’s insecurity.
They had clashed at the guild, and Baldwin had been humiliated by the Guildmaster. And now, this damn brat had even taken his money.
He had vowed to put Luke in his place.
He wouldn’t kill him, but he’d break a limb or two, crippling him and preventing him from being an adventurer.
But his plan went awry from the start.
He had planned to sabotage Luke during the quest, but they had been constantly interrupted by goblins and War Wolves, monsters that were usually scarce in the morning.
It felt like the world was conspiring against him.
That bastard… he didn’t even help…
He had given Luke some of his money, but the brat hadn’t lifted a finger.
I’ll show you the difference between theory and practice, you little shit…
Baldwin clenched his fists.
“We’re here.”
Despite the setbacks, they had reached their destination.
Even if he was dealing with Luke, he had to be careful.
This was a D-rank quest, and he could still die if he wasn’t careful.
He would pretend to cooperate for now and execute his plan when the time was right.
“Still just watching?”
“…No. You lead the way.”
He was tired from the previous encounters, and it was better for his plan if Luke was in front.
He might try to pull another one of his stupid pranks.
He had to prevent any further interruptions.
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“Wow, that’s a big entrance.”
The entrance to the Giant Ant lair was large enough for an adult to walk through standing upright.
It looked more like an underground tunnel than a lair.
This is more like it.
A lair this size must be teeming with monsters.
He hadn’t leveled up from killing goblins and War Wolves earlier.
He needed something bigger.
He could farm a lot of experience from the sheer number of ants inside.
They entered the lair without taking a break.
The bald man was complaining about being tired after just a few fights.
Luke led the way.
There wasn’t much to see, but it was his first time inside an earthen tunnel, especially one that was an ant nest.
“Wow, Luna, I’ve never been inside an ant nest before.”
“…It’s a monster lair, not an ant nest.”
“Giant Ants are still ants.”
He had seen a YouTube video where someone poured molten aluminum into an ant colony to reveal its structure.
If this lair was as extensive as that, clearing it out would be a challenge.
He’d just grab what he could and collapse the tunnel.
“Hey, Luna, couldn’t a C-rank or B-rank adventurer clear this out easily? Why send a D-ranker?”
“That’s—”
“Hmph. Kids these days… so naive.”
The bald man interrupted.
“Everyone has their place. Sending a C-ranker for a D-rank quest is a waste of resources.”
“Ah.”
Like calling the fire department because you forgot to turn off the stove.
“Did anyone ask? No.”
“…”
He had asked Luna, not him.
What was he going to do, glare at him?
Click click.
“?”
A clicking sound came from within the lair.
“Luke, they’re coming.”
Coming? The dentures army?
Click click.
The clicking grew louder, and more clicks joined in.
Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click. Click click.
Was there an army of denture-wearing old men being held hostage and brainwashed by monsters inside?
Long antennae. Six legs. Triangular faces with sharp mandibles.
Giant Ants.
Seriously, author?
Even if ants didn’t make any noise, clicking mandibles sounded like dentures.
These weren’t Giant Ants!
They were Giant Dentures Ants!
It was so anticlimactic.
Monsters were fictional creatures. Their sounds were whatever the author decided.
And he had chosen… dentures.
He felt his motivation drain.
“This isn’t fun.”
“Luke, they’re coming!”
Just as he was considering leaving, the ants charged, their antennae twitching and mandibles clicking.
“Luna, Friend Shield!”
He hid behind the bald man.
Luna, understanding his intent, followed suit.
“…What?!”
The bald man was now facing the dentures army alone.
He quickly grabbed his axe and slammed it into the ground.
A wall of earth rose, temporarily blocking the ants’ advance.
“Ugh…!”
He was struggling to maintain the wall.
It seemed his body was connected to the wall somehow.
Like in Dragon Ball Z, when characters strained to maintain their energy blasts.
“You… bastard! What am I supposed to do if the vanguard retreats?!”
“The rearguard becomes the vanguard?”
There were substitutes in sports, right?
If he retreated, the bald man, the substitute, would take his place. Simple.
“The vanguard protects the rearguard!”
“But… I don’t want to protect a man.”
If the rearguard was a cute little mage girl, he would gladly protect her. But a muscular, bald man with a giant axe? No thanks.
“Hold them off, baldy! We’ll be right back to help!”
He turned and ran out of the lair.
Luna, following him without a word, asked, “…You said you’d help…”
“I am helping. I’m going to get help.”
He pulled out several sacks from his inventory.
“What are those?”
The contents of the sacks were…
“Flour.”
“…Don’t tell me…”
“Why wait for them to die one by one? Let’s just blow up the whole lair.”
“But… there’s someone inside…”
“He’ll figure it out.”
The bald man was probably planning to betray them anyway.
If he died, it was a win-win. Free experience, money, and he even aggroed the monsters for them. He was a golden goblin in disguise.
“Baldy, your sacrifice will not be forgotten…!”
“…That’s not a sacrifice, it’s murder.”
“Luna! Don’t disrespect his memory! He’s a hero!”
He ripped open the sacks and started pouring flour into the lair.
“Luna, use your wind magic to spread it inside.”
“I feel like I’m becoming an accomplice…”
Despite her hesitation, she did as he asked, creating a gust of wind that carried the flour deep into the lair.
The sacks dwindled.
The lair was now filled with white powder.
He lit a match.
A famous villain had once said:
“I hope your death makes more cents than your life.”
He tossed the match into the lair.
It spun slowly in the air, like in a cartoon.
Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive explosion rocked the ground, sending dirt and debris flying.
The initial blast triggered a chain reaction, like a domino effect of TNT.
It was like watching fireworks explode underground.
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ You have defeated the demon Borg! You have acquired the skill Herculean Strength! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
[ Level Up! Check your status! ]
There was a strange notification in there somewhere, but…
“Baldy coin to the moon! Ahahahaha!”
He knew it was disrespectful to laugh at the deceased, but this was too good to pass up.
He put all his stat points into Strength.
Rustle.
“Huh?”
A pile of rocks shifted, revealing a human figure.
“Cough! Cough!”
A shiny, egg-shaped head.
It was the bald man, miraculously alive.
“You’re alive! I knew you could do it!”
The bald man, startled, scrambled backward as Luke approached.
Luke extended his hand.
“…?”
“Pay up.”
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Fucker is really brutal
Insane
Luke” he died a hero “
Luna” he died from murder”