I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents-Chapter 25: The Forest of Beasts (2)

The one-eyed beast thrust the spears it held in both hands toward me.

Its trajectory was swift, but not impossible to deflect.

The crimson spear shot forward in a straight line but suddenly twisted to the right.

I twisted my arm sharply and struck it head-on with my sword.

Clang!

The creature’s arm, along with the spear, was sent soaring upward.

An opening.

I swung my greatsword, Carnavalt, horizontally.

The blade, rushing toward the one-eyed creature’s waist, tore through its flesh with a sickening sound.

But I couldn’t cleave it in half in a single stroke.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

I felt no disappointment—this was expected. I had never anticipated slicing it cleanly in one go.

I closed in from the left and drove the Bloodstained Dagger into its shoulder.

“Uwoaaaah!”

A cry, more like a wail, erupted from the one-eyed creature’s mouth.

Using its four beast-like legs, it leaped backward in a single motion.

It’s as agile as a horse.

Then, it charged at me again at full speed.

The crimson spear traced dozens of paths in the air.

Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, from the sides.

In other words, an ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ indiscriminate, omnidirectional barrage of spear attacks.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!

If this had been right after I entered the tower, my body would have been minced into pulp.

But now, my stats had increased significantly.

Along with the combat instincts I had honed in real battle.

Ka-ga-ga-ga-kang!

I had to achieve maximum efficiency with minimal movement.

I blocked all of the one-eyed creature’s attacks.

[Trajectory Perception Lv.1 - You have acquired a skill.]

“Urrgh—!”

The one-eyed creature let out an eerie groan, seemingly flustered that its attacks had all been neutralized.

I pulled my right arm back sharply, gripping my greatsword.

I stepped forward powerfully and thrust my sword repeatedly.

So fast that my muscles screamed in protest.

Dragon Slayer Sword Style – Fourth Form.

Five Consecutive Thrusts.

Quinque Acies.

Five large holes pierced through the one-eyed creature’s torso.

The spear it had been holding fell to the ground with a clatter.

I ended the battle with a horizontal slash, severing its neck.

[Experience points have increased.]

[Current EXP: 62%]

I swung my greatsword once, shaking off the blood from the blade.

Two more monsters of this level, and I should reach Level 20.

Now, my gaze shifted toward the beastfolk girl beneath the tree.

I couldn’t help but look.

Ever since the battle was nearing its end, I could feel her staring at me.

[NPC – Beastfolk (Myo Tribe) Mique]

“You weren’t alone at first, were you? Where are the others?”

As I approached the tree, the beastfolk girl trembled and pressed her back against it.

“I’m here to rescue you, so don’t be scared.”

Her round, green eyes quivered.

She was clearly convinced that I had come to kill her.

First things first, I cut the iron chains binding her to the tree.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

As soon as I did, she frantically used both hands to untangle the chains wrapped around her neck and waist.

“You’re from the Myo Tribe, right?”

I crouched down to meet her eye level.

I already knew her race and even her name.

But if I acted like I knew too much, she would only grow more wary.

The beastfolk girl, with yellow cat ears, gave a small nod.

Then, her lips parted.

“...Thank you... for saving me. Please don’t kill me.”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“You thank me first, then beg me not to kill you? What kind of logic is that?”

“I-I’m sorry... Please forgive me...”

What am I supposed to say to that?

“What’s your name?”

“...Mique.”

I pulled a sandwich out of my inventory.

At least the guy running the Tower Coin Shop had some conscience—sandwiches came in a default set of three.

I held one out to her.

“Here, eat this.”

After I spoke—

For a long time, Mique just stared at me with suspicious eyes.

Clicking my tongue, I took a bite from another sandwich in my hand.

“It’s normal food.”

Even then, she hesitated for a while longer before finally, with trembling hands, she carefully accepted the sandwich.

Holding it delicately in both hands, she slowly retreated toward the tree again.

Like a stray cat wary of people.

Then, like a hamster, she began nibbling at the sandwich.

“Mm...”

Her drooping cat ears perked up.

“Mm...”

She lifted her head slightly and looked at me.

Her once-dark expression had brightened a little.

“Thank youuu.”

Her voice was still low, almost a whisper, but at least the trembling had subsided somewhat.

Her wariness had faded—just a little.

I figured talking while she was eating might make her choke, so I kept my distance until she was done.

“Thank youuu.”

I heard her gratitude once more.

When I turned my head, the sandwich she had been eating slowly was now completely gone.

I always thought "slow but fast eating" was nonsense, but apparently, it was possible.

“Mique.”

“Yes.”

“Where are your companions?”

Mique’s eyes immediately filled with wariness again.

...It’s not like I can just feed her another sandwich to make her drop her guard again.

Right now, her negative reaction stemmed from the fact that I was asking about her group.

If I were to make an educated guess, she must have had a bad experience with humans. That much was obvious.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through so far, but I have nothing to do with those people.”

Mique’s mouth moved again, her words coming out slowly.

“You gave me something tasty, so... I’ll believe you...”

Finally!

“Humans kidnapped me and my friends... They were going to sell us somewhere. We managed to escape when we saw an opening, but... the only place we could run to was here, into the Forest of Beasts.”

Human trafficking. Slave traders. So that’s what this was.

My mind began racing.

“Is there a chance your tribe will send a rescue party?”

Mique’s voice was still thin and weak as she answered.

“If the elders in the tribe noticed we were taken, they would’ve sent a rescue party by now.”

The moment she finished speaking, a notification window appeared before me.

『You have uncovered the truth of the narrative!』

『You must now make a choice.』

『1. Turn over the escaped Myo Tribe members to the slave traders.

Minimum Clear Requirement: Hand over at least 5 living Myo Tribe members to the slave traders.

Quest Difficulty – ★★★★』

『2. Rescue the Myo Tribe members and turn them over to the Myo Tribe rescue party.

Minimum Clear Requirement: Deliver at least 8 living Myo Tribe members to the Myo Tribe rescue party.

Quest Difficulty – ★★★★★』

『You must choose between these two options. If you fail the first attempt, all subsequent attempts will only allow you to choose the opposite option from your first choice.』

『Quest Failure Condition: If you fail to meet the minimum clear requirement.』

『After failing the first attempt, no experience points can be gained in subsequent attempts.』

『Retrying the quest is impossible if the player dies.』

『The higher difficulty option will provide greater rewards if successfully cleared, but only on the first attempt.』

What should I choose?

The answer came to me more easily than I expected.

Having made up my mind, I opened the Transcendent Gallery.

Title: Is this how it works? I'm suddenly being given a choice.

Author: ㅇㅇ*

- 1. Hand over the escaped Myo Tribe kids back to the slave traders. Difficulty: 4 stars.

- 2. Hand them over to the rescue party from the Myo Tribe. Difficulty: 5 stars.

- And if you fail the first attempt, all subsequent attempts will only allow you to choose the opposite option of your first choice.

└ It existed before, but that last part wasn’t there. That’s seriously messed up. Damn Pandemonium Mode.

└ Why the hell would they flee into the Forest of Beasts?

└ Lmao, for real. 😂

└ Archmage) Back when I climbed, I assumed these kinds of choices were meant to make players reflect on who they really were. Do you take the easier path and abandon your morality, or do you walk the harder road and try to do what’s right?

└ Archmage) But this... That last condition makes it different from before.

└ Lmao, what’s with this "abandon morality" talk? Helping others is what being human is about.

└ Sorry for being a misanthrope...

└ Just do what you want. We’re not the ones in that situation, so we shouldn’t interfere.

└ At the end of the day, they’re just NPCs. Even if they seem alive, they’re just part of the tower’s story.

└ —Says the guy who forced himself to take the easy route and later deeply regretted it.

└ Lmao, why the hell are you getting emotional over fake characters?

└ Hah, I actually did the same thing once. I kinda felt bad afterward.

└ Damn, these two choices are way heavier than they should be. 😂😂😂 You gonna cry?

└ Room Conspiracy Theorist) Maybe they’re just trying to survive? You’re not trash, don’t worry. ㅇㅇ - This world is one giant locked-room mystery.

└ Elf Guy) Uh... Wait. Is this guy really not a demon?

└ Pioneer) But yeah, that last condition... If someone with weak mental fortitude fails their first attempt on Option 2, they’ll be forced to take Option 1 in every retry. Even if they don’t want to do it, they’ll have to keep doing it over and over.

└ Spear King) But those who fail once will probably fail again on the next attempt.

└ Dragon Lord) Beltui—That’s correct!

└ Heavenly Demon) If you pick Option 1, you’ll have to kill the Myo Tribe’s rescue party. If you pick Option 2, you’ll have to kill other humans.

└ Considering Option 1 has a lower difficulty, it’s likely that the Myo Tribe’s rescue party is weaker, while the human slave traders are stronger.

└ Sword of Light) Just make sure you don’t die. Choose without regrets, whether it’s dirty or clean. Don’t overthink it.

└ Ice Queen) Frozen! Frozen! That’s right!

My decision didn’t change.

└ ㅇㅇ) I’m off.*

With that final comment, I closed the Transcendent Gallery.

A notification popped up in my vision.

『Choose one of the two options!』

I pressed my right index finger on the choice.

『Quest selected.』

『2. Rescue the Myo Tribe members and deliver them to the Myo Tribe rescue party.』

I have no intention of going into a second attempt where I can’t even gain experience.

I’ll finish this in the first round.

“At the very least, I’ll get you out of those humans’ hands.”

Mique’s green eyes widened.

“...Thank youuu.”

She thanked me again.