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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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“A familiar ceiling.”
“…That’s the first thing you say when you wake up?”
“Oh, Luna. Good morning.”
Sleep mode was the best. He felt refreshed.
“…Do you know how hard it was to carry you back yesterday?”
“Goo goo ga ga. I’m baby Luke. I’m light.”
“…”
She was being petty. He had gotten her a free dinner.
This was why raising a slave was pointless.
“Sigh… what are we doing today?”
“Hmm. How about a different kind of request?”
There were four types of requests at the Adventurers’ Guild.
First, General Requests: like hunting monsters and bringing back proof for a reward, what he usually did.
Second, Personal Requests: nobles or commoners hiring adventurers for tasks like gathering herbs, cleaning, or delivering goods. Mostly F-rank stuff.
Third, Designated Requests: when someone specifically wanted a certain adventurer. There was an option to refuse, but nobodies like him wouldn’t get those requests anyway.
And finally, Emergency Requests: non-negotiable requests issued by higher-ups. The rewards were substantial, so he wouldn’t mind getting these every day.
He wanted something challenging.
Something interesting.
“Let’s go check the board.”
“Shouldn’t you change your clothes first?”
“Oh, right.”
He took off his clothes and tossed them to Luna.
“Luna, infuse it with magic.”
One of the perks of the academy uniform was its self-repair function when infused with magic.
Fighting was a daily occurrence for students, so they couldn’t afford to keep buying new clothes.
It was a convenient function, but Luke couldn’t use it. He had zero magic power.
Luna infused the clothes with magic, and the torn parts quickly mended themselves.
“Done,” she said.
“Good.”
He put his clothes back on and left the inn.
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Instead of going straight to the reception desk, he went to the request boards.
He usually checked the General Request board, but today, his target was the Personal Request board.
“Being D-rank opens up more options.”
Instead of just regular animals with ‘monster’ slapped onto their names, there were some proper monsters he recognized from other fantasy settings.
He was interested in the Stone Snake extermination request in the A-rank section, but he knew he wouldn’t be allowed to take it.
He scanned the Personal Requests. Goblin extermination, dog walking, slime extermination…
Pathetic.
They could walk their own dogs.
He was bored. He needed something interesting. Something to spice things up. Like cooking the dog into a stew and feeding it to its owner.
No, that’s not enough.
He found nothing interesting.
“Adelaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
He went to the one person who might know something.
“I can hear you…”
“I know.”
“…What is it?”
She was good at changing the subject. She could probably handle any annoying adventurer.
“Recommend me an interesting request.”
“There are none.”
She was lying. He could feel it.
She was hiding something.
He threw himself on the floor.
“Waaaaaaaaaah! Luke wants! Luke wants!”
He rolled around on the floor like a human rag.
All eyes were on him.
He usually just screamed, but as a special favor to Adela, he added a remix.
“Luke wants! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Stop! I’ll tell you! Luna, please stop him!”
A panicked Adela finally relented.
“Luke, that’s enough,” Luna said.
He got up, dusting himself off.
“Should’ve done that sooner.”
The attention was still on him, but whatever.
“So, what do you have?”
“…Here.”
She handed him a piece of paper.
=Missing Person Investigation=
Multiple disappearances have recently occurred in the Count’s territory. The Count requests the assistance of adventurers in the investigation. Required Rank: D or higher. Reward: 15 silver coins. Client: Count Isaac Devon.
=
The request had a seal, confirming its authenticity.
It was rare for a noble to use polite language in a request for adventurers.
How did they know I’m D-rank?
This looked interesting.
It was like a targeted request just for him.
This reeked of trouble.
It was a classic setup. He’d go to investigate and get dragged into something bigger.
Usually, there would be some kind of reward, but even without one, it promised to be entertaining.
I’ve heard that name somewhere.
Hmm…
Isaac… wasn’t that the protagonist of that game where you kill your mom?
Whatever. Probably just an extra.
“I choose you!”
“W-wait! Let me explain—”
“I choose you!”
A true man never went back on his word.
Changing his mind would be an admission of weakness.
This quest was his now.
“Listen to me!”
“Okay.”
He had just seen something that looked like Adela’s mom behind her.
A Stand user?
He had no Stand, so he should stay quiet.
“This request hasn’t been approved yet. I have a bad feeling about it.”
“Even better.”
“…?”
He had awakened!
It was a classic trope: the protagonist encountering danger and undergoing a transformation.
Maybe Luke, the original owner of this body, would appear and awaken him.
But what could a magicless loser do to help?
He might want to reconsider.
“…Well, it’s good timing. The Devon estate is a famous resort with beautiful beaches. You can go and relax.”
“Oh, that’s not bad.”
He had only ever seen the ocean on a screen.
The last time I saw the ocean was in a dating sim event.
He had spent a fortune collecting bikini outfits for the characters.
He survived on instant ramen that month.
It had been years since he had seen the real ocean.
A vacation sounded nice.
“Yes, why don’t you stay there as long as possible?”
“Why the emphasis on ‘as long as possible’?”
“Did I say that? I couldn’t have.”
She had definitely emphasized it.
“You should hurry. It’ll take a while to get there. You might not make it before nightfall.”
“No time to waste!”
He rushed out of the guild, heading for the carriages.
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A beautiful woman was chained in a dark room, devoid of light.
Wooden planks covered the windows.
A thin layer of magic muffled any sound.
The stench of blood filled the air, staining the floor like a gruesome carpet.
“We’ve received a revelation. We’re moving up the schedule.”
The voice, refined and commanding, echoed through the room.
“Please… stop this…”
Her voice was trembling, desperate. She had pleaded many times before.
The man watching her replied:
“It’s too late. The ritual will soon be complete, and we will rise again.”
“Please… we’re just frogs in a well…”
“Even if that’s true, I’d rather die trying than live like this.”
The world was full of powerful beings. Their struggles were meaningless.
Crack. Crunch.
The man twisted what appeared to be a human arm and leg, blood oozing out like water from a rag.
“Drink.”
“N-no!”
Her struggles were futile. She was bound, unable to move, and after days of starvation, this was her only sustenance.
How many times had she drunk human blood now?
Her thirst only intensified with each sip, and she felt herself changing.
Her body craved blood.
She bit her lip until it bled, trying to resist, but her tongue darted out, lapping up the blood.
Something was pulling her down, controlling her.
She could still resist, but it was a temporary reprieve.
She hoped someone would find her and stop this before it was too late.
Before more people died…
Before she hurt anyone else…
Please… someone stop me…
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The remix: https://youtu.be/uLeAot4Zrxo?si=0bsj_28TBTdnsfJN