Damn System

Episode 48

Chapter 12 Exchange (2)

‘It’s so damn fast.’

Rashar’s party’s speed was at a level where they had to grit their teeth and catch up.

It was clear that even that was going slowly out of consideration for me.

As a result, whenever I stopped moving, I was exhausted.

‘I never thought my legs would shake with this body.’

Lashar approached me hesitantly for a moment before I lay down and catch my breath.

Recognizing the signal, I bought bread and drinking water at the store.

I couldn’t light a fire unless I knew where the monster might appear.

So, my party is making a meal out of the bread and drinking water I bought at the store.

“… … thanks.”

I peek and laugh as I look at Rashar, whose ears are reddened.

“If you listen to it one more time, I will fill it up a hundred times.”

It wasn’t just empty words, it was really too much to say thank you. It’s to the point where scabs sit on your ears.

In the first place, there are times when my schedule is delayed because I have to go at my own pace.

“If you’re grateful, let’s ask for safe driving to the temple.”

“race… … ? Well, don’t worry, I’ll guarantee your safety all the way to the garrison.”

I waved my hands and began to eat my portion of bread.

“Tell me if you need more. I can provide you with any amount of bread and water.”

“This is enough.”

Rashar returned to my side after distributing bread and water to the others.

Although I liked it because they gave me magical power.

The eyes that looked at me were strangely burdensome.

That’s why it’s better for Rashar to stand by his side.

Then at least he won’t look at me and talk to me.

It’s a while to have a quiet meal while gazing into the dark forest.

“Did you say this was your first trip?”

Rashar spoke first.

I gulped and swallowed the bread in my mouth and nodded.

“Yeah, I don’t even know what’s where.”

Isn’t that why you asked to take me to the temple?

After adding a word, Rashar’s words continued after a short gap.

“Then may I ask where your hometown is?”

Instead of answering right away, I stared at Rashar.

It’s because she got a strange feeling from what she just said.

‘It’s not a particularly strange question.’

It was a question that anyone who has never met before would ask.

Confirming where one’s hometown is and where one is from is the most basic household survey, isn’t it?

Still, I feel a sense of discomfort.

‘They consider me a stranger.’

It means an outsider who does not belong here.

In that situation, if you’re curious about your hometown, shouldn’t you ask ‘what kind of place’?

But Rashar asked ‘where’.

‘I think it’s too focused on location.’

Isn’t it strange to measure the distance in a situation where you mentioned a stranger?

It seems like I’m overreacting, and it’s just embarrassing to let it go.

It doesn’t matter if this sense of incongruity is an illusion… … .

‘If it’s real?’

I crossed my arms and leaned my back against the rock.

‘Border… … Do you mean to doubt?’

That would be pretty unpleasant. Still, I’m the benefactor who saved that person’s life, so you doubt it.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t understand it.

‘The story of a person miraculously saving his life at the moment of desperation is not realistic.’

But the timing is right. Why now and not when we first met?

When I stared at Rashar with a complicated mind, she also responded without avoiding my gaze.

“Is it difficult to answer?”

“well… … .”

With that one word, with that prompting, things that had been vague became clear.

Looking at his expression, it was clear that he was nervous, but he was not mistaken.

She’s right to suspect me now. I was convinced, and I smiled.

‘It’s clear that I’m not good at politics.’

Can’t you read the fact that you’re suspicious of me right now?

If you can see clearly in a word, it means that you are not good at hiding yourself.

‘Well, it’s a hundred times better than those who hide their insides so they can’t read them.’

I took a moment to organize my thoughts before answering.

The title of the hidden mission I am currently working on was ‘Main Scenario’.

It is a word that usually means the story flow that penetrates the large world view of the game.

It will be a lot different from the past, where you have simply entered missions marked with numbers and caught monsters.

If that’s the case, there’s nothing wrong with making connections here.

I need to quickly shake off any unnecessary doubts and build friendships.

“hey.”

“huh?”

“I followed the footsteps, not that side.”

“what… … .”

“There were human tracks in the swamp where I found this shield.”

Touching the shield with my finger, I took out the bag I had put in my storage box.

My voice as I continued talking was not much different from usual.

Apart from being upset, I wasn’t angry.

‘Honestly, even if it was like me, I doubted it.’

chance or fate? That’s only possible in a story.

Had I been in Rashar’s position, I would have been more tenaciously suspicious than her.

So, instead of getting angry, he took out his bag and started explaining and defending himself.

As if farming, one by one, the loot they took became a great piece of evidence.

After the not-so-long talk, I said sternly.

“If you insist, it means that I did not pursue you, but that you fell into the forest where I am.”

So that meant don’t look at it. Rashar cleared his throat and turned his head.

‘Looks like he can’t understand the language.’

I tried to pack my things back, content to have her mouth shut.

However, I hesitated when I saw my hand still swollen in the timeless locker.

Fragments of corpses taken from the swamp.

I was taking it to check if it was a human hand, but I met a person who bought it.

Do I really need to raise my hand and go and examine it?

‘No.’

Instead of putting my rotting hand in a bag, I threw it away.

The skull that came along with the medium was also thrown away.

“after.”

I ignored it as much as I could, but it wasn’t very pleasant to have a rotting hand in my bag.

After cleaning it up like this, everything felt cool inside.

Of course, you can’t make your body uncomfortable just because your mind is comfortable.

I added a word to Rashar, who was staring at the things I threw.

“Don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t need it because I met someone.”

When I explained that I originally intended to take it to my world to check it out, Rashar’s face turned red.

“Kuhmm, oh, I didn’t get it wrong.”

“f*ck.”

Even though he replied insignificantly, his mind was busy.

I don’t think Rashar isn’t a bad person, but it’s clear that he’s starting to be wary of me.

‘Why suddenly? What did I do wrong?’

I looked back over the past few days.

I wondered if I had made a mistake or if the reaction of the people around me had been unusual.

Still, the hand was moving vigorously.

I’m going to throw away my uneasy luggage. Now I was going to pack my bag again.

“Anyway.”

“hmm?”

Rashar, who had cleared his voice, picked up a piece of paper from the floor and said.

It was one of the trophies recovered from the skinny corpse.

“It looks like you followed the trail of the investigators.”

“examiner?”

Why are you like this all of a sudden? You were wary just before, but now you explain first?

I don’t know why they come and go like this.

‘Well, there’s no need to refuse.’

I leaned over and looked at the paper in her hand.

「Sevarma Gorge, estimated 13 meseo gathering, serious contamination.」

“Further investigation impossible. April 22, decision to retreat”

It’s obviously an esoteric letter I’ve never seen before, but I was able to understand its meaning.

‘Come to think of it… … The name of this earring had both an interpreter and a translation written on it, right?’

As soon as he remembered the name of the earring, Rashar’s finger popped into his field of vision.

“Those who observe the contaminated area and record the population and distribution of enemies are called inspectors.”

More like a scout role.

They are a high-risk occupational group that has to go directly to enemy lines.

For that reason, there was also an explanation that a wizard who could use a barrier was required.

“Here, can you see?”

Immediately after, Rashar’s finger pointed to the bottom of the paper.

There was a picture of a bird with its wings spread wide.

“It is the symbol of the old Ferel royal family and the official coat of arms of the current Ferrell resistance.”

This time it was the handle of the sword she was wearing around her waist.

“ah.”

A bird pattern identical to the one on the paper was engraved on the end of the handle.

“It’s a record left by investigators belonging to the Resistance, so I’d like to retrieve it. Can you forgive me?”

“… … It seems to be more important to you than to me, but it’s like taking it forcibly. Oh, no weapons.”

Except for the two bags on my waist, all of them are missing teeth, but there is something I want to check in the shop window.

“I will be satisfied with the recovery of the record. But the owner of this record… … .”

“It was a body when I found it.”

Rashar clicked his tongue when I told him about the six withered corpses.

“It looks like there is a colony of parasites nearby.”

“helminth?”

“They suck all bodily fluids, including blood.”

The main body is rooted in an inconspicuous place and does not move, but worm-like clones suck the body fluids of living things and bring them to the main body.

Because of that, as long as the main body is not killed, the double body will continue to multiply.

“If there is a colony of parasites, there is no other way than to burn the area. Maybe that’s why I’m sensitive to flame-type magic.”

Rashar sighed heavily, and I chewed on the words she had chosen.

‘Flame magic? Isn’t it fire-type magic?’

There must be a reason why it was translated into a different word.

While wondering whether to ask or not, Rashar put the paper into his chest and continued.

“Probably, it seems that the clone body was hidden because of the flame magic implemented by the pursuit team. If it wasn’t for that, we would have been beaten overnight. Like the investigators who left this record.”

Again, the unfamiliar word stuck in my head.

‘The pursuit team… … .’

Two groups suddenly fell from the sky with a flash of light.

Perhaps the first flash was related to Rashar’s group, and the second flash was related to the pursuit group.

I recalled Rashar’s past, which I had seen through the power of God.

“There is something I want to ask you this time.”

“For what?”

“Your past as seen through authority.”

I unknowingly swallow dry saliva.

“Who did you rescue?”

Instead of answering right away, Rashar paused for a moment.

He seemed like someone choosing what to say.

I waited without rushing Lashaar.

‘I don’t know if you’re going to answer me.’

Until just yesterday, she explained every question I asked in detail.

Thanks to that, I was learning little by little about common sense in this world.

The fact that there are seven major gods and their names and powers are the same.

The past few days she has been quite nice to me.

But for some reason, I’m on the fence now.

Before I spoke, I began to be careful whether I could say something or not.

Fortunately, Rashar gave an answer after a long silence.

“Those oppressed on the farm.”

“Farm… … ?”

“Edible Farm.”

A long explanation was not necessary.

Just put a human in front of the word edible farm and everything made sense.

Just as there are farms that raise pigs for slaughter, there are farms that raise humans.

It was like the meaning that humans are being treated as livestock in this world.

Perhaps led by so many monsters I’ve seen. I felt sick to my stomach.

However, it is not possible to stop collecting information just because it is inconvenient.

I was going to ask about magic.

But before I could even open my mouth, two pieces of news arrived simultaneously.

“Sir Bennet, Ahel has awakened!”

“A chat message has arrived from the code name Kj.”

Rashar ran straight to Ahel, and I looked at her from the back and opened a chat window.

– Kj: Just now, both captains were whispering hyung’s name, and Namgyu Delco went along~

‘Nam-gyu?’

It was not the first time that a message came from Kim Yul.

Not only when I cleared the 4th level mission as Yamae, but even before I met Rashar’s group, I got a call.

My code name is being mentioned within the NIS.

‘I couldn’t overhear the details, but what about Korea and what about overseas… … .’

It seemed clear that something had happened to me.

In such a situation, Yang Jo-cheol, the manager, took Nam-gyu.

If you look, you must have some news to tell me.

‘I’ll find out soon.’

Sure enough, after about 20 minutes, a familiar yet unfamiliar name appeared in the message window.