I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents-Chapter 26: The Forest of Beasts (3)

The top priority was finding Mique’s group.

But before that, there was something I needed to confirm.

“It wasn’t this one-eyed beast that tied you up here, was it? Where are the ones who did?”

At my question, Mique used both hands to push aside the bushes behind the tree.

“Here...”

Two men lay collapsed on the ground.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Their hearts had been pierced clean through.

My gaze shifted back to the one-eyed beast sprawled on the ground.

“This thing killed them, didn’t it?”

“Yes.”

This was manageable.

The ones killed by the one-eyed beast /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ weren’t likely the leaders.

But thanks to these corpses, I could assume that even if they had a leader, it wouldn’t be someone so overwhelmingly strong that I couldn’t handle them.

“Mique, is there a way to locate your group?”

Mique’s yellow cat ears drooped again.

“...I’m sorry... The Forest of Beasts has a strong, lingering scent. Unless I get close enough, I can’t fully pick up their scent.”

“So you’ll be able to tell once we’re near. That’s enough.”

My gaze fell on the two dead men.

Both of them had a red emblem attached to their uniforms.

It was small, but noticeable despite its size.

A crude, vertically-shaped emblem with a red sword as its logo.

Most likely a way to distinguish allies from enemies.

Without hesitation, I ripped one of the emblems off and attached it to my shoulder.

This should make the slave traders' enforcers mistake me for one of their own.

If they happened to be a close-knit group that memorized each other's faces, then I’d just be plain unlucky.

Preparations were complete.

“Don’t stray from my side.”

“Okay.”

Mique nodded.

We walked for several minutes.

Tug.

Mique finally gave me a signal.

She was pulling at the cuff of my sleeve.

“The distance?”

I crouched down to match her height.

Mique pointed forward and whispered into my ear.

“Just beyond that hill.”

The sleeve of my clothes trembled slightly.

It meant Mique’s hands were shaking.

“I smell my kin... and the scent of their blood.”

Instead of answering, I simply patted her shoulder.

In my right hand, I gripped a Black Javelin.

Moving cautiously, I kept my body concealed within the undergrowth.

[Skill 'Concealment' has leveled up. Lv.4]

Then, I saw them.

Myo Tribe beastfolk.

Their necks and ankles bound in chains.

From what I could see, there were five of them.

One of them lay flat on the ground, motionless.

‘They really are bleeding.’

Judging by the faint twitches of their body, they were still alive.

I took out a Low-Grade Potion and placed it in Mique’s right hand.

“Once I get things under control, heal your wounded kin.”

Mique clutched the potion tightly in both hands and nodded furiously.

“I’m going to put on a bit of an act. Just stay still and don’t panic.”

Holding the Black Javelin in my right hand, I grabbed Mique’s arm with my left.

Then, I pushed through the undergrowth and stepped forward.

A total of seven NPCs.

[NPC – Slave Trading Company, 2nd-Rank Combatant, Beron]

[NPC – Slave Trading Company, 1st-Rank Combatant, Hans]

Three 2nd-Rank Combatants.

Two 1st-Rank Combatants.

[NPC – Slave Trading Company, 3rd-Rank Combatant, Maion]

Two 3rd-Rank Combatants.

A rough-looking man—Beron—approached me.

His eyes landed on the emblem attached to my right shoulder.

“Yo, good work. But I told you not to wander around alone.”

Most of the other men were focused on Mique.

One of them smirked at the sight of her but then turned to look at me with a confused expression.

“...Was there a guy like him before?”

“He’s probably one of the mercenaries we hired. There are a few of them.”

I listened to their voices and took a deep breath.

The most efficient plan was to take out one of the 3rd-Rank Combatants with a javelin strike and then initiate combat.

But the 2nd-Rank Combatants were blocking my line of attack, making that impossible.

“What the hell, I go through all this trouble catching an escapee, and all you can say is ‘Was there a guy like him?’ That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

The words flowed out of my mouth more smoothly than I expected.

The 2nd-Rank Combatant, Marco, the one who had questioned my presence, scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“M-My bad. My memory’s been bad lately.”

There’s no need for you to apologize.

[Activating Skill: Mana-Enhanced Body Lv.4]

Crack!

The Black Javelin I threw shattered Marco’s skull.

His corpse slammed into the ground.

Drawing Carnavalt, a weapon that increased critical hit rates against multiple enemies, I readied myself.

[Activating Skill: Focus Enhancement Lv.4]

I slashed—

A horizontal crescent arc.

It sliced through the necks of both 1st-Rank Combatants.

Five enemies remained.

My mind calculated the next move in an instant.

Two 2nd-Rank Combatants and one 3rd-Rank Combatant lunged at me simultaneously.

Three different attack trajectories rushed toward me.

[Skill 'Trajectory Perception' has leveled up. Lv.2]

The axe swing from the leftmost attacker was ridiculously sloppy.

I tilted my shoulder slightly to dodge and then swung Carnavalt upward.

The axe fell to the ground, and the severed arm of the 2nd-Rank Combatant was sent flying.

“Die...!”

A 3rd-Rank Combatant with a diagonal scar across his face charged at me.

A faint sword aura flickered around his blade.

But I felt no fear.

I had already killed King Kobold, who wielded an aura far stronger than this.

His technique was crude. His swordplay, amateurish.

Dragon Slayer Sword Style – Defensive Technique: Libra.

I blocked his downward strike and drove the Bloodstained Dagger into his neck.

The 2nd-Rank Combatant approaching from the side abruptly stopped.

Because Carnavalt had already sliced through his waist.

The 2nd-Rank Combatant collapsed to the ground.

“...Movement, speed, situational awareness... All of it is impressive.”

It wasn’t hard to figure out who had spoken.

Beron, the remaining 2nd-Rank Combatant, stood stiffly.

There was only one person left who still had a relaxed expression while watching me.

The 3rd-Rank Combatant, Maion.

“What’s your reason for interfering with the company’s business?”

His silvery white hair was neatly combed back.

He had the kind of face that looked fitting for a noble, but he kept spitting out unnecessary lines.

A red current flowed across the twin blades he held.

It was essentially the same as aura, just another name for it.

“Why don’t you try cutting me first and then ask? Wouldn’t that make for a more honest conversation?”

A smirk spread across Maion’s lips.

“That’s... an excellent idea.”

Maion and the trembling Beron charged at me at the same time.

“U-Uwaaaah!”

I had no idea why Beron was screaming like he was on the verge of tears.

Slice!

I instantly lowered my body and slashed Carnavalt across Beron’s ankle.

His body flipped backward.

“Kiiaaaah! Uwaaaah!”

And now, he was actually crying.

Maion lunged forward, his aura-infused spear stabbing in rapid succession.

His technique was a slight improvement over the one-eyed beast I had killed earlier.

Ka-ga-ga-ga-kang!

But it wasn’t at a level I couldn’t handle.

I stood firm.

When his final spear thrust came at me, I didn’t dodge.

Instead, I caught the spear shaft with my bare hand.

Maion’s face turned pale.

My strength was superior.

Yank!

I pulled the spear toward me.

Maion’s body was dragged forward in an instant.

You should’ve let go of the spear.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I shot my left hand forward, Bloodstained Dagger in my grip.

Thud!

One stab into his shoulder.

Thud! Thud!

And two into his neck.

Maion stumbled backward, blood spraying from his throat.

Then, his body collapsed to the ground, face-first.

[Level Up!]

[Lv.19 → Lv.20]

['Strength' increased by 5.]

['Agility' increased by 7.]

['Endurance' increased by 6.]

['Mana' increased by 5.]

Level 20 achieved.

I wanted to open the Transcendent Gallery immediately and ask about sword aura, but there was something more pressing.

“Hey.”

Only one person remained.

The one I had intentionally spared for information.

“Where are the rest of your men?”

I grabbed Beron’s hair and yanked his head up from the ground.

Terror filled his eyes.

“If you don’t talk, the next one’s your left ankle.”

Diète Kingdom

Royal Mage Tower, Top Floor

“Ophelia.”

A young girl with platinum-blond hair gazed at the man bowing before her.

“Yes, Belzep?”

“It’s time for your lunch. Shall I prepare your usual steak and salad?”

“Mm.”

“Oh, and Lemaine Academy has sent an invitation—”

“Not going.”

“...Understood.”

Ophelia, dressed in a deep blue dress, was immersed in her work.

“I wonder if this will work.”

Scattered across the white desk were countless sheets of paper.

Even as the one who had created this chaotic mess, Ophelia herself struggled to make sense of the order.

One of the more neatly stacked pages had a few words written on it:

"Make the Climber Use Magic."

"Since I’m obviously the only possible magic instructor."

"I, a genius, will make it happen."

Ophelia imagined Han Yuseong—ㅇㅇ*—using magic he had learned from her and then writing glowing praise about her.

“Hehehe... Hehehehe.”

She giggled.

“...Was that too undignified?”

Pulling at her cheeks to compose herself, she picked up her pen again.

“Whew! Focus.”

Now that Han Yuseong had reached Level 20 and could activate his mana circuit, he would soon unlock the aura circuit required to wield sword aura.

It was the natural path for someone who had already proven their talent in close combat.

Even a magic fanatic like Ophelia had to admit that.

Players who chose the mage path had to unlock the magic circuit instead.

Since the starting points of these two circuits were fundamentally opposed, it was impossible to open both.

That was why "Magic Swordsmen" didn’t exist in this world.

Even so, Ophelia had no intention of giving up on "Making the Climber Use Magic."

If it didn’t exist, she would make it exist.

Magic that could be used with the aura circuit alone.

Any other mage would call it impossible, but Ophelia was not just any mage.

She was developing buff-type magic and spells that could assist in close combat.

"I hope nothing’s gone wrong... But climbers are strong at the third floor, so..."

Tap, tap.

She pulled out her Transcendent Gallery terminal and checked the latest posts.

Title: Let’s all pray for the climber’s safe return.

Author: ㅇㅇ

- Hurry up and come back to write a post. I’m bored.

- Anyway, I’m serious. I’m praying. Wishing for a safe return!

└ Dude, if you’re bored, go farm or something.

└ Farm what?

└ Wow, disrespecting farmers? Do you know how many lizardmen I’ve slaughtered with a sickle? Anyway, I’m praying. Safe return!

└ Ice Queen) Frozen! Safe return! Praying!

└ Gutter Swordsman) Praying for a safe return.

└ Hey, it’s been a while. What have you been up to?

└ Gutter Swordsman) Closed-door training.

└ Lmao, that was short for a retreat.

└ Gutter Swordsman) My choice.

└ Heavenly Demon) Praying for a safe return.

She tapped the floating keyboard and left a comment.

Tap. Tap tap.

Input:

└ Archmage) What’s with the praying? Climbers aren’t weak enough to die on the third floor.

Ophelia awkwardly clasped her hands together.

“Safe return...!”

After saying her prayer, she looked back at the post.

Someone had already replied to her comment.

└ As expected of the undefeated, ice-cold queen of Climber Gallery, Magical Girl Ophelia. ㅇㅇ

“Uwaaaaah!”

Ophelia clutched her head in horror at the relic of her embarrassing past!