Chapter 266: Seventy-First Floor, The Crimson Wilderness (4)

[Complete a contract. Time remaining: 89 hours 11 minutes.]

Unlike before, the arrow was now aimed squarely at me. However, despite the tension in the air, the native didn’t seem intent on releasing it just yet.

Planting my axe firmly into the ground, I raised both hands in the air to signal that I meant no harm. “Calm down. I’m not here to fight.”

Unfortunately, my words seemed to have the opposite effect. Rather than easing his wariness, the young man’s caution only deepened.

His sharp gaze bore down on me as he scrutinized my every move. “Who are you? A sympathizer? You don’t look like one. Then, are you a hunter?”

It wasn’t difficult to guess what had put him so on edge—I could speak his language.

To be honest, I couldn’t blame him. Even if two languages differed significantly, it wasn’t necessary to learn both for basic communication.

This isn’t Earth, though.

In a world like this, there were typically three primary ways one could become fluent in another language.

The first was through sheer determination, either by rigorous study or through prolonged interaction with native speakers. The second and third were far more deliberate. Someone learned the language either to align themself with the natives or to exploit them.

Of course, this was just my personal categorization, so it wouldn’t be a hundred percent accurate. Applying that reasoning perfectly explained why the young man remained so distrustful, however.

Sympathizers likely referred to pioneers who had allied with the natives, whereas the term hunter probably meant more than just a bounty hunter. It was likely shorthand for those who actively hunted his people.

Given my attire and equipment, it was reasonable for him to assume the latter.

Maintaining a steady tone, I answered, “If I were a hunter, I would’ve shot you the moment you appeared.”

He scoffed in response, before confidently stating, “

Hah!

And my arrow would’ve torn through you in return.”

Still a child.

He seemed to be the type who clung a little too tightly to his pride.

I exhaled softly and suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.

“Haaa.”

Engaging in this pointless posturing wasn’t worth my time.

“Sure, maybe. Either way, I’m not a hunter. Now, what’s a native doing all the way out here?”

“I asked first. Answer my question. Who are you?”

“Well, if I had to put a label on it, I suppose you could call me a wanderer.”

“Explain properly.”

The young man’s grip on the bow tightened, and he pulled the string back even further. The tautness in the draw made it clear that he was prepared to fire at any moment.

I wasted no time in responding. “It’s exactly as I said. I’m not a native hunter, never have been. My targets are criminals with bounties on their heads.”

“Where did you learn our language?”

“A while back. I once saved a native.”

The words had left my mouth effortlessly, almost instinctively. I was even surprised by how naturally the lie had come out. Ever since that espionage mission, fabricating stories felt like second nature.

The young man pursed his lips, his expression unreadable. “Liar. If that were true, you would have a token.”

A token? So they have something like that?

I had no idea what he was referring to, but I couldn’t let that show.

Instead, I shrugged, already formulating a plausible response. “How was I supposed to get one? He was thrown into a cell wearing nothing but rags. He had nothing on him back then.”

I still had no idea what the token he had mentioned looked like, but it hardly mattered. Regardless, if I didn’t come up with something, he would see through the lie.

“They had locked me up in the cell next to him. During the days we spent preparing our escape, I picked up your language. When we finally broke out, I freed the native, and we parted ways immediately.”

“You expect me to believe you mastered our language in just a few days?”

“I pick things up quickly.”

“Then what was the name of the native you saved?”

Damn, he sure is persistent.

I hesitated briefly before shifting my gaze above the young man’s head.

[Tunyak]

Making up a random name didn’t seem like the best course of action. It wasn’t as if names were completely unique, and there was always a chance that someone else had the same one.

“Tunyak.”

His eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent. Judging by his reaction, he no longer had any solid reason to doubt me.

“See? I’m not your enemy. I answered all your questions.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

I let out a deep sigh.

Part of it was to make my frustration evident. In truth, I really was growing tired of this back-and-forth. I was entertaining this conversation mostly because of the potential for a hidden mission. However, that didn’t make it any less tedious.

“I’m tracking the monster.”

“It’s not a monster.” Tunyak’s voice carried a sharp edge, as if the very idea of it being a monster offended him.

“It’s not?”

“No. Not that you pioneers ever bother listening to the truth.”

“Then explain it to me.”

“And why should I?”

At that moment, inspiration flashed. I thought of Ryun, still embedded in my axe. Typically, those with deep ties to nature reacted strongly to him or the Ring of the Dawn Breeze.

The elves and Langley did. Since Tunyak is a native, why wouldn’t it be the same with him?

I reached for my axe, still planted in the ground. Immediately, Tunyak tensed and pulled his bowstring back even further.

I lifted my left hand in a calming gesture. “Relax. I’m not attacking.”

“Then why are you reaching for your weapon?”

Ignoring his question, I called out, “Ryun, say something.”

***

[Complete a contract. Time remaining: 88 hours 57 minutes.]

Even after Ryun opened his eyes, convincing Tunyak proved to be more difficult than expected. It seemed that the natives here, unlike elves or beastfolk, couldn’t perceive natural energies.

Perhaps it was because this world lacked species like ents or goblins.

Tunyak insisted that Ryun was just a homunculus. No matter how many times I explained that he was an ent, he remained skeptical.

The real breakthrough came from an unexpected place.

I contemplated whether it would be easier to knock him out and force the information out of him. As a last-ditch effort, I decided to show him Doppy’s divine magic.

Everything changed the moment Doppy chanted, “Natural Healing!”

Radiant energy enveloped the long, narrow wound, causing fresh skin to regenerate beneath it. Seeing this, Tunyak sprang off his bizarre ox-like mount with astonishing speed.

Without a second thought, he dropped to his knees before Doppy and pressed his forehead to the ground in reverence.

“

O-oh!

Apostle of the Forgotten God! Please forgive my insolence!”

To be honest, his actions caught me so off guard that I was momentarily at a loss for words. All the effort I had put into convincing him suddenly felt like a complete waste. I could have just shown him a healing spell from the start.

Still, I quickly composed myself. This development showed potential, so I had to turn it to my advantage.

Doppy wasn’t an apostle of this “Forgotten God” that Tunyak spoke of, but he was an apostle.

Doppy glanced at me, asking me how he should respond with his expression. We didn’t need to correct the misunderstanding.

After briefly organizing my thoughts, I let out an intentional sigh. “Well? You see now that I’m not your enemy? Enough with the dramatic groveling. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“Silence! The Apostle has not yet spoken!” Tunyak barked at me without even lifting his head.

Hmm.

It was a rare experience to be ranked beneath Doppy.

Still, I played along smoothly, masking my amusement. “I am the Apostle’s representative. He has given me his full authority, so you may direct your words to me.”

Hearing this, Tunyak hesitated, then cautiously lifted his head just enough to look at Doppy. “Apostle, is-is that true?”

Doppy turned to me, and I nodded firmly.

Immediately, Doppy squared his shoulders and responded with absolute confidence, “Indeed! Su-Yeok has full authority as my representative! Speak to him!”

“Understood.” Tunyak rose to his feet and met my gaze.

Unlike before, his demeanor was markedly cooperative.

At this point, pressing him about the Forgotten God would be a mistake. After all, it would be absurd for supposed followers of the Forgotten God to be clueless about their own deity.

For now, it was easiest to simply assume that this so-called Forgotten God was the natives’ deity and proceed with that assumption.

“Tell me everything. What is this ‘monster,’ and why are you here?”

A faint crease formed between Tunyak’s brows. He glanced at Doppy with a wary expression before shifting his gaze back to me. “You are his representative, and yet you don’t know?”

It seemed he still had lingering doubts. I couldn’t be entirely sure, but it felt like he was only suspicious of me, not Doppy.

Fortunately, I easily thought up an excuse. At this point, I was beginning to wonder if I had a natural talent for deception.

Getting him to talk was my priority now, though.

“The Forgotten God has lost much of Their power. That is why They had no choice but to appoint such an unusual being as Their Apostle. As for why we’re seeking out the ‘monster,’ that is a direct order from the Apostle.”

Tunyak fell into brief contemplation, then turned his gaze back to Doppy.

Doppy, who had scowled after being called an “unusual being,” quickly adjusted his expression.

I seized the opportunity to mouth a silent apology.

After a moment, Tunyak nodded. “I suppose that makes sense. It has been ages since the Forgotten God disappeared. So how is it that you travel alongside Their Apostle?”

That momentarily stumped me, so I took a moment to think.

“Do you think all pioneers are the same? Just as there are natives who have allied with pioneers, there have to be pioneers who have sided with the natives.”

“Treacherous cowards. Of course, there are.”

That was all the time I needed to come up with a plausible explanation.

“To put it simply, the Apostle sought me out. Like you, I witnessed a miracle and chose to follow. That’s all there is to it. I may not be the most polite, but that’s just my nature.”

I shrugged and met Tunyak’s gaze. “In any case, if the Apostle sought me out, then that means the Forgotten God chose me.”

“

Tch.

”

Tunyak swallowed his frustration. He didn’t look particularly pleased. It seemed he wasn’t entirely thrilled about the idea of me freely representing Doppy.

“Of all people, why would the Forgotten God choose someone like you?” he quietly grumbled, although he definitely said it loudly enough for me to hear.

Doppy immediately sprang up, indignant. “Are you questioning the will of the Forgotten God?!”

“N-no! I apologize!” Tunyak swiftly bowed his head in remorse.

Doppy turned to me with a mischievous grin—an impish smirk. Taking the chance, I discreetly gave him a thumbs-up while Tunyak wasn’t looking.

When Tunyak finally raised his head again, Doppy quickly wiped away his grin and put on a solemn expression. “I shall forgive you this time. But do not show such disrespect again!”

“I will not forget, Apostle!”

Wow. Doppy’s acting skills are quite impressive.

Maybe he was picking up my habits. He seemed to have a knack for deception and theatrics, too.

With Tunyak still bowing his head, I asked, “So, what exactly is the connection between this ‘monster,’ the natives, and the pioneers?”

Tunyak hesitated, clearly debating how much to reveal. “Do you know nothing at all?”

“No. Honestly, I haven’t been with the Apostle for long. Even the Apostle doesn’t know everything yet.”

Tunyak finally relented. “Then it would be best to start from the beginning.”

He spoke quickly, only giving me a brief explanation. It wasn’t a particularly complicated story.

Long ago, the natives lived on this land and worshipped their god.

At some point, their god vanished, and in its place, sacred beasts known as divine creatures appeared. These beings enriched the land and allowed the natives to harness the power of nature.

As generations passed, the natives grew to revere these divine creatures and, in doing so, forgot their god’s name.

Then came the pioneers.

At first, they pretended to be friendly, but in time, they began seizing land through sheer force, namely, their superior firepower. The natives and their divine creatures were driven from fertile lands, forced into the barren wilderness.

That was when disaster struck.

As the pioneers expanded, the divine creatures began to fall into corruption. Stripped of their purity, they transformed into monstrous abominations.

To make matters worse, this corruption was infectious. Once a divine creature turned, it spread the affliction to others, ravaging the land and harming those who lived on it.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

That black, tar-like blood I saw earlier. That has to be it.

Tunyak had taken on the role of a guardian, tasked with granting corrupted divine creatures eternal rest.

At the end of his explanation, he gazed up at the sky before turning to Doppy. “Your arrival here with the Apostle is no coincidence. The Forgotten God has sent you to restore these creatures with divine power.”

This time he said “restoration,” not “rest.”

Well, whether that was actually possible was a matter for later.

For now, I only needed to confirm one thing.

“Maybe. We still aren’t sure if purification is possible.”

“It will be.”

“That aside, is this a contract?”

“A contract?”

“I prefer to think of all tasks as contracts. It helps me stay motivated.” I pointed at Doppy. “The only reason I'm accompanying the Apostle is because he called it a contract. Just to be clear, I don’t need any compensation. Simply calling it a contract is enough.”

Even after hearing that, Tunak frowned. “Are you seriously calling this sacred duty a contract ?”

Before I could answer, Doppy interjected with a loud cough. “

Ahem!

”

Tunyak flinched.

Smirking, I asked again, “So, is it a contract?”

“Fine. Call it whatever you want.”

Tunyak was glaring so hard at me that it almost seemed like he wanted to burn a hole through me. I grinned.

With that, I had secured a way to clear the seventy-first floor. On top of that, almost certainly, a hidden mission as well.

I approached my mechanical horse with a smile. “Then let’s move. We’ve wasted enough time.”

It was time to charge through the tunnel and pursue the monster.

***

「Invisible message: The hidden mission ‘Purification of the Divine Beasts’ has now commenced.」

「Invisible message: If Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok succeeds in clearing the hidden mission ‘Purification of the Divine Beasts,’ the seventy-second floor trial will be linked to ‘The Forgotten God.’」

「Invisible message: The third-class god ‘Endless Furnace’ submits a formal protest to the Tower of Ordeal. The Tower of Ordeal disregards the protest.」

「Invisible message: The fifth-class god ‘Master of the Five Carriage Wheels’ smiles.」