Chapter 53 – Blood and Gold
#053.
“You are here again. What are you looking for?”
“Give me a blood transducer.”
“Ohh—you catch the troll already? Are you still quite strong among the people of Earth?”
“Give it quickly.”
“All right. Please wait a bit.”
A few days have passed since the return.
After taking a leisurely break and relieving fatigue, they went to the upper level to prepare to enter the Demonic Realm again.
Chorin’s significant growth could not be seen by catching orcs now. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we catch higher level monsters now?
Speaking of monsters higher than orcs in the Lesti Territory, except for trolls, there were none.
Anyway, since they only exist in groups the size of a family at most, there should be no difficulty in subjugating them. If Chorin’s support is added, it’s enough to handle about 5 at the same time.
Above all, you need to catch trolls in order to buy magic books. Their blood is used as a raw material for potions. To that end, he came to buy a blood scavenger, a tool needed to collect troll blood.
After a while, the merchant, Rieno, brought an splicer. This thing looks like a foot pump used to inflate something like an inflatable raft.
When a needle is inserted into a blood vessel, fixed with a foot, and pumped, the blood is automatically drawn up and poured out from the connected tube.
You just put something like a plastic container in the tube. Although somewhat annoying, the troll’s blood is so expensive that even catching and exploiting just one troll can cost you 50 gold.
It would be hard to imagine how much money they earned by subjugating monsters for more than two weeks was only 5 gold.
It is indeed a foolish act to insist on other ways because it is annoying even when there is such a good money-making.
Gaon took over the splicing machine and the container to contain the blood, and after paying the price, he and Chorin left the company.
As we left the guild and headed for the east gate, Chorin secretly asked, looking at the bleeding device in his hand.
“Miss Gaon. Will you stay longer this time?”
“Yes. There’s no need to hesitate. If you suffer this time, you won’t have to hunt monsters for months. You can even buy magic books.”
“Hmm… Definitely so. I want to use a new magic too!”
“Then Let’s go. Trolls are very popular monsters, so it would be hard to find them.”
“Yes! Gaon.”
Gaon led Chorin, who responded bravely, to the Devil’s Land. After leaving the east gate and passing the barracks, he went back a little further and saw a large group of mercenaries.
It informs that all of them are veteran mercenaries who are well armed. Unlike those in the goblin realm, his face overflowed with composure.
All of them seemed to have been here for quite some time, and even though they were at different parties, they were talking amicably.
As strangers step into such a space, their eyes gather. They looked up and down at Gaon and Chorin, then turned their heads again and resumed their conversation.
Of course, in most cases, and in the case of a small number of men, they would look at Chorin with a sinister smile.
Still, it made me realize that not talking to or approaching recklessly is different from talking about something.
Gaon, thinking that there was no need to draw attention from this place, led Chorin into the Devil’s Landing. As the eyes disappeared, Chorin exhaled as if relieved.
“Whew… It’s a little scary. Everyone over there must be strong, right?’
“… Enough to hunt trolls. Don’t worry too much though. There will be no problem as long as you do it.”
Yep, there won’t be any problems.
Unless you encounter mercenaries in the woods, not a shelter, and they don’t have a bad temper and survive by raiding others from time to time.
If so, the things Chorin worries about won’t happen.
Even if that happens, Gaon is confident that he will defeat all of them. Now that Chorin has the minimum amount of power to protect herself, she can run amok with peace of mind.
Gaon clasped his hand, recalling the memory of him walking through the forest and killing goblins not long ago.
As Gaon recalled the memory of that time and recalled the thrilling taste of his hand, Chorin shuddered.
“Ugh… I don’t want to stay here long. Let’s quickly fill the container with blood and leave.”
“Of course. There are 5 in total, so that’s about 4 or so. This is an amount that can be eaten in a day at the earliest.”
“Thank god. Come on!”
With the words of Chorin, who blew away the awkwardness and shouted vigorously again, the two advanced deep into the troll’s territory.
***
A troll was eating fruit hanging from a tree. The fruit, as it is, will supply even fresher blood to the whole body as nutrients.
Gaon hid among the bushes and peeped at them, asking Chorin one last time.
“Lee Cho-rin, in order to collect the blood of a troll, you have to pierce the brain at once. That way you can avoid wasting blood in vain.”
“Yes. If that’s not possible, create a gap. Right?”
“Excellent. Then I’ll go first, so get ready.”
When Gaon saw Chorin concentrating her magical powers, he secretly moved through the bush and caught the troll’s back. Preoccupied with the fruit, she fixed her spear while watching the guy who was defenselessly exposing a gap.
If Gaon’s attack succeeds at once here, it’s fortunate, but if it fails, you’ll have to leave it to Chorin.
Repeating her deep breath, Gaon raised the tension in her muscles appropriately and kicked the ground vigorously, concentrating her mana on her toes.
Taat-!
The distance from the bush to where the troll is standing is 5m.
That distance became zero in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t until Gaon reached close range that the troll flinched and reacted.
Now all you have to do is open the window.
As long as the brain is pierced in one blow, blood can be collected effortlessly.
However, he didn’t just take it.
“Kwaaaaagh!”
“Ugh!”
He vigorously spat out the remnants of the fruit that had filled his mouth. Juice and pulp mixed together and flew in, occupying the field of vision.
Aside from being blind, it is too dirty. Thinking that this would greatly damage his dignity as a human being, Gaon hurriedly turned his body to avoid them.
And by the time he balanced himself and gazed at him again, he had already finished responding. Now that this has happened, I have no choice but to leave it to Chorin.
While thinking so, Gaon rushed wildly. He didn’t seem to be able to bear it if he wasn’t beaten up at all.
Puck! Bubbububuck—!
“Kuaaaaa!!”
The spear rotated with an afterimage and hit the troll’s entire body. The guy waved his arm at the constant series of attacks, but there was no way Gaon would be affected by such an attack. On the contrary, the movement of Changdae, who was beating his body, only became faster.
The spear that had struck the hamstrings rotated, then the body bent down and struck the chin. The tip of the spear lodged in the pit of the stomach of the man whose brain was shaken like that, and the fist struck the lowered chin.
Although Gaon’s physical ability is still not comparable to that of a troll, if he gets hit in a row in a critical spot, there will be no damage.
He let out a roar and moved his hands briskly, as if he was angry at it, but rather, his rationality was blurred and his movements grew larger, only resulting in an effect of revealing gaps.
Gaon shouted as he lightly dodged his attack.
“Now!”
At the same time, a spear blade flew in from a blind spot and curved its trajectory, scraping off the guy’s eyeballs.
“Big!”
The pain of his eyeball splitting was so great that he let out a scream and raised his hand to cover the wound. The action has the effect of protecting vital points, but on the contrary, it also has the effect of completely blocking the field of view.
Taking advantage of that gap, Chorin’s magic bullet flew in.
The magic bullet fired with a small noise lodged in the back of his head and shattered his brain.
“Ku, Kreur… Rrr…”
Wow!
As if he had intuited his death, he lost his balance and fell to the floor with a weak cry. Hearing the heavy sound, Gaon immediately called for Chorin.
“Lee Cho-rin. A blood transfusion machine and courage please!”
“Yeah—wait a minute!”
While waiting for Chorin, Gaon checked the troll’s condition. It was really just in case, but it was to prepare for a situation where the breath would not have stopped.
Gaon, who confirmed that the troll’s soul had successfully separated from his body, waited for Chorin to come, received a blood splicer and a container, and set out to collect blood.
By injecting mana, I found the location of his veins at once and immediately inserted the syringe. After confirming that it was properly inserted, Gaon immediately started pumping.
Push- Push-
The red blood moved through the coffin to the vessel with the repeated sound of being blown out and injected. Seeing the courage quickly filling up, he naturally smiled.
“Are you that good?”
“Yes?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen Gaon smile like that.”
“Is that so?”
When she responded lightly, Chorin, who had a sullen expression on her face, blushed slightly, and she said,
“Yes. It wasn’t like that when you were doing it with him, right?”
It’s not like I can’t laugh like I’m having sex now, I want to say that, but I was afraid to hear that I didn’t notice again, so I just nodded my head quietly and answered.
“Hmm… Okay. Then, from now on, I will smile.”
“Chit! Who wants to smile only when you do that? Please smile as usual. I like when Gaon smiles.”
“… All right.”
It was hard to see Chorin’s face, who gave him a fresh smile as if he were doing this.
How would Chorin react if she found out what she did in her previous life? Will she put on a look of contempt, saying she’s trash, or will she smile, saying she’s gone and saying she’s fine.
I couldn’t reveal the fact of her return for fear of how that bright smile would change.
Even if time passed like this for a very long time, even if her trust grew stronger, it wouldn’t be possible.
It was because it had already become something that he could endure without such great guilt. If she were to face evidence of the crimes he had committed, he would not be able to raise his head.
– Because of you. Everyone died because of you!
– Watch smart. That this world will perish Because that’s the result of what you’ve done so far.
Hehe… Disaster was no different. It’s you guys! Without you, the Union would not have perished. I should have killed you the first time I saw you!
Echoes of resentment and hatred that I had heard countless times in my previous life passed through my mind. Memories of the future that have disappeared that can neither apologize nor reflect on.
“Miss Gaon?”
I regret it, and I want to beg them for forgiveness, but I don’t want that future to come again.
It’s a future that will never come again.
“Miss Gaon!”
Never let that future come. With all their might, this time they live not just for themselves, but for everyone.
Chorin’s push awakened his ego, which had been darkly immersed in such alone time.
“Miss Gaon! Wake up!!”
“Ah… !”
It was only then that I came to my senses at the deafening sound. Raising his head, Gaon could see Chorin’s worried face.
I could feel the warmth of the cheeks at any moment. When I raised my hand and touched it, it felt smooth.
Chorin caressed Gaon’s cheek and asked anxiously.
“Are you sick somewhere?”
Only Gaon’s face existed in his beautiful emerald eyes. The gaze that holds him upright is full of affection.
Gaon, who had definitely regained his sanity, let out a long breath and lowered his head.
“Sorry. I couldn’t hear it because I was thinking about it for a while. Do you have something to say?”
“… My courage is already full.”
When I lowered my head, I could see the blood that had spilled from the canister and stained the dirt floor red. Not too much, but obviously his fault.
“You made a mistake. I will be careful next time.”
“Yes…”
Chorin asked if he wanted to ask, but he shook his head and stepped aside. Feeling grateful for her consideration, Gaon began collecting her blood again.
