Chapter 8 - The Beastkin and the Fishkin
I was always alone.
Not many kids noticed my existence in the first place, so how was I supposed to build friendships?
I'd never made a friend in my life, so my social skills never had a chance to grow.
But I wasn't completely alone.
Even someone like me could have a pet.
Big ones were too much of a burden, and I liked something small that could fit in one hand, so a hamster was perfect.
The one I raised was a golden hamster that looked like it would smell nutty.
Its name was Mongshil-i.
Its round ears and even rounder tail. Its pointy little heels were so charming…
Ah, come to think of it, I haven't explained why I'm suddenly talking about hamsters.
The reason I was unexpectedly thinking of Mongshil-i was simple.
The being I had saved… the being I thought was human, looked exactly like Mongshil-i.
The round ears and round tail.
Even the tiny feet.
Ah, I need to snap out of it. This creature just resembles Mongshil-i; it isn't Mongshil-i.
"Bring it on, you bastard. I'll f*cking kill you!"
"U-um, Benefactor? Why would I kill the one who saved me? Please calm down. Have you been affected by the Murloc's hallucinogenic poison?"
"..."
Even its complete lack of aggression was a carbon copy of Mongshil-i. Mongshil-i was easy to handle from our very first meeting, too…
Anyway, this was my first time ever meeting a beastkin from another world. At the very least, it didn't seem to be an enemy. The little one who looked like Mongshil-i prostrated itself before me. If I wanted to, I could stab its neck right now.
"To risk your life to save me. Thank you so much. I heard that humans especially dislike us. My name is Mosilian. As you can see, I am a different race from you. Have you heard of the Golden Mogu tribe?"
"Mosilian. Does it have to be that similar!"
"Pardon? What do you mean by..."
"It's nothing. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."
Of course, I was talking about myself, not Mongshil-i.
pSome strange creature that wasn't even human. It wasn't my business.
"I have to get back now. I need to return before the sun comes up."
"Wait a moment!"
"Heok."
The strength of this other-worldly Mongshil-i was incredible. Even I, who had received the goddess's blessing and had the highest combat power among the summoned heroes, couldn't shake her off at all.
No, if she's this fast and strong, why was she getting beaten by the Murlocs in the first place? Could this be a kidnapping operation targeting me…
"We were living peacefully. That is, until that creature appeared."
"I said I don't want to hear it."
"It was a truly vicious creature. It suddenly attacked our home and killed all of my kind, so now there are only five of us left."
This kid was planning to keep chattering on whether I listened or not.
It would be better to just engage and get the key points quickly.
"Those fish-freaks from before? For a place you guys used to live, it looked a lot more like their home."
Fish living in a swamp, besides the fact they lived in log cabins, was far more plausible than hamsters living there.
"Our mortal enemy isn't the Murlocs from earlier! It's the ruler of the forest, a creature named Rankol. Doesn't the name alone sound terrifying? We only ended up in the swamp while running away. Even Rankol doesn't enter the swamp. For some reason, it's an ominous place."
"I guess so. If I didn't absolutely have to go, I wouldn't have entered either."
"I almost died, too. If it weren't for you, Hero. The way you went stab, stab with your dagger. It was the most skillful ambush I've ever seen. The Murlocs didn't even notice."
"That's all I know how to do."
"You're humble, too! It was a brilliant skill. You must have honed it for a long time, right? They say someone who has honed one thing is scarier than someone who has honed many things."
This kid was good at flattery.
She'd be well-liked if I put her next to Hyung-seok.
"Hero. With skills like that, I don't think even Rankol would be a match for you..."
"No."
The intention behind my Mongshil-lookalike's praise was so obvious it was transparent.
A troublesome request would surely follow.
I refused before even hearing it.
No, it was easier to refuse precisely because I hadn't heard it yet. It would be difficult if she started selling me a sob story with a face that looked like Mongshil-i.
"Why not? You saved me! Aren't you full of heroism, Hero?"
"Yeah. No."
"But if even you, a hero, turn your back on us, we'll all die. Our Golden Mogu tribe will be completely wiped from the continent."
"Sorry, but humans are the kind of bastards who abandon their own species. My heart won't be moved by a reason like that."
"Ugh… that may be true, but. The Golden Mogu are a tribe that never forgets a debt of gratitude. I will be sure to repay this debt, so please help us just once."
"Well then, see you."
The only reason I saved Mongshil-i in the first place, whether it was a human or a beastkin, was because it seemed manageable. If it was a stronger enemy, I had no intention of fighting.
That kind of thing is the protagonist's job. I am definitely not the protagonist type. Just an extra. Or a being like an NPC.
An NPC, huh.
Now that I say it, that's a pretty fitting analogy.
In games, there are main quests, but there are also sub-quests.
NPCs would pop up when you went off the beaten path like this and give you lore about the world or some minor rewards.
"Wait a moment, Hero! How about this? I heard humans like treasure!"
Mongshil-i took out a jewel embedded in a rock. It was an uncut gem, but it sparkled far more than anything I had gotten from hunting goblins.
"Please. Won't you?"
Mongshil-i looked at me, her round eyes blinking and glistening.
"How much do you have?"
"Pardon? Is this one not enough?"
"Are you kidding me? I'm putting my life on the line for a single rock?"
"But..."
"If you don't want to, then don't. Once you're all dead, Rankol will probably take it all anyway. Maybe use it to pick its teeth after eating you?"
"Here! It's here! And there's more at home. I'll give you everything. Just please save us. Please!"
Mongshil-i took out five more jewels.
They were far more brilliant than the first one; these seemed to be the ones she truly treasured.
To think there was more of this at home. With that much, even if they weren't particularly great gems, I'd be at a level where I wouldn't have to worry about money for a while.
"Ahem. Well, if you're that desperate, I guess I can help a little."
Let me be clear, I'm not helping because of the jewels. It's because this kid looks so much like Mongshil-i. Hah, seriously. Being too soft-hearted is also a problem.
"This Rankol thing, what does it do?"
"It's a very fearsome creature. That thing is..."
The explanation was long and dramatic, but to put it simply, it was a cat monster. Sharp claws and rough, brown fur. A warrior that brandished a dagger and leaped through the trees.
"So in the end, it's just a cat?"
"It's not just a cat."
"I'm sure it is to you."
I had already experienced several monsters on my way here. From the basic-of-basics goblin, which didn't resemble anything specific, to the dog-like kobold and the hyena-like gnoll. To me, this one and that one were all equally a one-shot kill.
Well, it must have been a fearsome being to Mongshil-i. If it was a cat monster, and she was a hamster-person, the matchup was bad.
Of course, I'm not a hamster. I was a human who raised a hamster, so I knew a thing or two about how to stop a cat.
Cats hate water, they like Churu, and you can subdue them by grabbing the scruff of their neck, right?
No, I don't need any of this. When I caught the kobold, all I had to do was get behind it and stab it.
"So, do I just have to catch that one? Or do they move in packs?"
"It's just one. Rankol is the last survivor of its tribe, too. So it's that much more desperate and fierce. That's how it usually is with the last one."
"A battle for the fate of the tribe, huh. That thing, can we go catch it right now?"
"Right now? Don't you need to make other preparations?"
"Now is perfect."
"You truly are a hero! I knew I saw you correctly! Now, this way!"
I had to get back before morning anyway. More importantly, I was an assassin. The night was more advantageous for me. I followed Mongshil-i.
I had plenty of reason to be confident. Until now, I had been able to kill any monster I met in one shot. And my level was even higher now.
[Lv.10 (Assassin) - Strength: 20, Agility: 25, Intelligence: 23, Total Combat Power: 500]
[You have reached Lv.10. This is the level at which you can change jobs.]
[Search and explore a job that is right for you.]
[You have already found a job.]
[A blessing is bestowed upon you, who is ahead of the others.]
[Decoy (New) - Assassin Exclusive Skill]
[Creates a dummy to trick the enemy.]
[Poisoned Blade (New) - Assassin Exclusive Skill]
[Applies poison to the blade. The types of poison you can use increase as your proficiency rises.]
[Currently usable poison: Paralysis Poison]
[Paralysis Poison: Temporarily paralyzes the nerves.]
Level 10, the level for a job change.
Since I had already changed jobs, I didn't get a fateful opportunity to advance to the next stage, but I got two new skills instead.
Knowing how much power a single skill could bring, I was more than satisfied.
'If worse comes to worst, I can use this too.'
I looked at the Goblin Shaman's orb hidden in my clothes.
[Goblin Shaman's Humble Jewel (Rare)]
[Contains the spell Fireball, created with the Shaman's entire life force.]
[Uses: 2/3]
[Activation Word: Gorakurak]
I still had two uses left, so even if I used one on Rankol, I could still burn the swamp.
It was truly a battle I couldn't lose.
All I could think about was quickly dealing with Rankol and collecting Mongshil-i's jewels… no, the ample reward for saving Mongshil-i.
That is, until I saw the creature called Rankol for myself.
"You said it was a cat. You said it was a cat!"
I grabbed Mongshil-i by the collar and shook her.
"I said it was a monster!"
"No, kobolds are canine monsters and gnolls are hyena-types, but they don't look like that..."
Rankol was more than 1.5 times my size.
If it straightened its curved back, it would be twice my height. The dagger it was brandishing was as big as my thigh.
If I get cut by that, my waist will be split in two.
Oof.
Is it even fair to call that a dagger?
"Sorry to say this, but how about you just give up on your tribe? You survived, at least. Try evolving into a hermaphrodite or something."
"What are you saying after coming all this way, Hero!"
"I'm saying this doesn't seem like my job. Now, snap out of it. We need to run."
"No! Rankol never lets go of a target it has marked. It's not a simple monster, it's a hunter!"
"Yeah. It looks like it. So how about you shed some fur and hand it over? Better to be a naked mole-rat than to be dead, right?"
"My family is all in there. If not for this chance..."
Mongshil-i's large eyes welled up with tears again. Sorry, but that kind of tear-jerking tactic…
"Mithril! My armor, I told you it's made of Mithril. I'll give you this too."
"Hey, you punk. Do you think I'm an idiot? It's obviously leather, where do you get off trying to scam me..."
Mosilian lifted up the patched leather.
Underneath, a metal that gave off a brilliant light could be seen.
"It's the only one in our tribe! My grandmother gave it to me, saying I had the best chance of survival."
"Hmm..."
I don't know the exact value of Mithril. But this is another world. A land where goblins breathe and magic exists, right? Mithril is definitely an expensive item…
No, it's not because of the Mithril. Let me be clear, it's because I feel sorry and pity for Mongshil-i. Hah, being so soft-hearted is a real problem.
"What the hell, let's do it. At the end of the day, it's just a cat."
Seriously, I'm too soft-hearted for my own good.