Chapter 7 …

The Foreigner Workers of a Trash Game –

The Foreign Laborers of a Trash Game (3)

Even though they had managed to bring in a new player, the party’s combat power hadn’t increased at all.

“—What are you even talking about right now!!!”

Even after explaining things for several hours, the new player kept screaming and denying the situation. Just coaxing and persuading them enough to bring them back to the village had completely drained their energy.

“Hoooo… crazy woman. Why can’t she understand simple words?”

Niemmel wiped his sweat and sighed in disbelief.

But Azof reacted a little differently.

“Not everyone in the world is like Baek Geonyeong and Kang Hyuk… or like us.”

He said it with a bitter smile, sounding as if he understood.

Niemmel narrowed his eyes.

“Are you saying we’re abnormal?”

“I’m saying we adapted unusually fast.”

They had suddenly been dropped into this strange land, leaving behind family, acquaintances, the lives they built, and everything they valued in that world.
The sense of loss, the pain, the helplessness—those things could be an enormous wound to someone.

So big that they might not even be able to pull themselves together.

‘Which is exactly why you need to get a grip and fight back!’

Niemmel scratched his head while venting a frustration that would never reach its target.

“What are we supposed to do with her?”

“She probably just needs time.”

Neither of them even considered the option of simply leaving that player alone.

Whether outside where monsters roamed everywhere, or even inside the village, they had already realized the importance of numbers.

Players had to stick together.

At least for now.

“Back from hunting?”

One of the reasons soon appeared.

A group of dark-skinned men approached them.

They were the village youth association.

Normally they worked their regular jobs, but when something big happened in the village or the militia needed manpower, they were called in.

With that responsibility came power.

“Yeah.”

Niemmel answered casually and tried to keep walking.

That was, until a man named Drenak suddenly grabbed his wrist.

“Isn’t it tough? Sleeping in a barn and hunting monsters with such delicate hands…”

Smack!

“Mind your own business.”

Niemmel coldly shook his hand off.

To be honest, he had almost twisted the man’s wrist instead, but he held himself back.

It wasn’t time to cause friction with them yet.

“……”

“Drenak got rejected!”

“Hahahahaha!”

The other men from the youth group burst into loud laughter.

Drenak’s face flushed red as he glared at Niemmel before shouting at his friends.

“Shut up!”

They looked like a bunch of carefree young men, but the reality was slightly different.

The village militia sometimes “dealt with” outsiders who threatened the village’s interests, and they also drove away dangerous beasts.

Behind those innocent faces lurked cruelty.

Because this was that kind of world.

The two quickly slipped away from the scene.

“F***ing hell.”

Niemmel shook his wrist like something filthy had touched it.

He was a man. Even if some handsome actor tried flirting with him, it would just annoy him.

Did those guys seriously think he’d like it when scruffy vagrants tried that kind of thing?

Azof sighed.

“They’re becoming more and more direct.”

Several days had passed since Niemmel and Azof arrived in Deerhorn Village.

That was enough time for the villagers’ curiosity and caution toward the travelers to fade.

Of course, Niemmel’s unbelievably beautiful appearance played a big role in that.

“We should’ve introduced ourselves as a married couple from the beginning. It would’ve reduced some of this hassle…”

Wherever they went, people approached with ulterior motives and openly stared at them. It was hard to move around comfortably even inside the village.

Though it wasn’t all bad.

‘If it had just been two men, they would’ve been far more suspicious of us.’

They might not even have been allowed into the village at all.

Perhaps misunderstanding Azof’s gaze, Niemmel squinted.

“What? So this is my fault? Don’t you know it’s standard for guys to play female characters? You also only played Blood Elf females except— mmph.”

“Ahem. Why bring that up here?”

Shaking off the unpleasant feeling with jokes, the two headed to the village’s only general store.

They soon sold the byproducts of the gremlins they had hunted to the cheerful middle-aged shopkeeper.

“Haha! Bring more if you catch them again. I’ll pay you well.”

Niemmel rolled a copper coin between his fingers before spitting toward the shop.

‘Pay well? My ass.’

After all that hardship, they got just one copper coin.

And the market price of a gremlin ear was five copper coins.

Sure, that was the price in city shops including distribution and brokerage fees—but still.

“They’re ripping us off hard. Bastards.”

“Everything about this village pisses me off.”

Feeling the hardships of being outsiders in this cruel world, the two returned to the barn.

The rookie player was nowhere to be seen.

Now used to the foul smell, Niemmel spoke.

“Should we go look for her?”

“Leave her. She’s carrying a sword, so nobody will mess with her. After struggling alone for a bit, she’ll change her mind.”

Azof’s words were authoritative and cold.

Very different from the understanding tone he used earlier.

Leaning against the wall, Niemmel thought that was probably Azof’s true nature.

“Did you level up?”

“I hit level 3 today.”

Their efforts over the past few days hadn’t been fruitless.

Niemmel had reached level 4.
Azof had reached level 3.

In Dunz, leveling was extremely fast until level 5.

“Skills?”

“I’m investing in Eagle Eye.”

It was a basic buff skill for archers.

When used, it allowed the user to see farther distances more clearly.

Since gaining the initiative in combat was extremely important, Azof’s decision was excellent.

‘Also because archers don’t have much else to invest in before level 9.’

Niemmel clenched his fist.

His strength had grown stronger compared to a few days ago, and their hunts were becoming increasingly stable.

Little by little, they were adapting to this world.

At this rate…

“If that rookie gets her head straight, we could take care of her and try challenging a dungeon together.”

“Isn’t that too soon?”

“I’m not saying right away. We stop trapping monsters and start fighting in the field. Once we’re experienced enough, then we go.”

“Hm…”

Azof didn’t think Niemmel’s reasoning was wrong.

Life was precious—but time wasn’t infinite either.

‘At most, one month.’

Within that time, the Kingdom of Minot—and Deerhorn Village itself—would be devastated.

Because of the invasion of the Greenskin Empire.

To clear Chapter 1: Savior of the Village, they had to defeat the enemy scouts.

And to do that, they had to get stronger quickly.

Even if they wanted to obtain hidden pieces using knowledge from outside the monitor, they first needed to expand their range of movement.

Azof thought he couldn’t match Niemmel’s boldness and insight.

“Alright. We can’t live like this forever.”

A bow’s string had to be loosened when not in use to prevent damage.

Azof removed the bowstring and lay down on the hay.

Niemmel grinned and closed his eyes.

Another night passed in this unfamiliar world.

A few days later

But the rookie still hadn’t come to her senses.

And the two of them could no longer focus on her.

“Gasp, gasp… P-player?”

“We’re alive! We’re alive!”

Two more newbies had appeared.

Two of them, in fact.

The man and woman introduced themselves as Kevin and Reina.

Apparently they had been playing Dunz together in a motel room when they got dragged here.

“Kevin and Reina… are those your real names?”

“Yes.”

“…Then they’re real names. Do you also have fake ones?”

“Well, they could be nicknames.”

This b*** raising her eyebrows?*

A vein popped on Niemmel’s forehead, but he quickly suppressed it.

Right. She’s just agitated.

“Where are you from?”

“Ah, we’re from Eng— Agh!”

Reina stomped on Kevin’s foot before he could finish speaking.

Then she tilted her head toward Niemmel.

“What about you?”

“I was an office worker attending Kaoka in Korea. Azof is a fisherman from Tennessee in the U.S.”

Even though Niemmel answered calmly—

“…We’ll tell you later. I don’t think we’re at the stage where we should share personal details yet.”

Reina responded lukewarmly.

This damn girl…

Did she think he had nothing better to do than share personal info?

He only asked so players could feel solidarity and empathy.

Because in this unfamiliar world, the only ones they could trust were fellow players.

“If you start like that, things won’t be fun.”

Niemmel cracked his knuckles with a smile.

The killing intent from the tall, 180-cm female warrior made Kevin and Reina panic.

Azof stopped him.

“I understand. Getting dragged into a game world out of nowhere is bad enough. It’s hard to trust strangers immediately.”

Azof understood Reina’s distrust of people.

A player’s enemy could also be another player.

“But remember the advice we give you. It won’t hurt.”

After explaining how this world worked and giving basic instructions, the two left to hunt as usual.

Several more days passed before Kevin and Reina approached them again.

“Can we join your party?”

Looking at their haggard faces, Niemmel crooked his mouth.

“Run out of money?”

“…What does that have to do with you?”

“You little—”

“I’m sorry! My girlfriend has a bit of a strong personality. I apologize on her behalf! I’m very sorry!”

From what he had observed lately, Kevin was a timid nerd.

Reina was simply rude.

Almost no social skills at all.

They weren’t ideal party members…

But the earlier rookie was a complete disaster, and they still needed numbers.

So the two decided to take them along and train them.

“What classes?”

“You first—”

“Shut up and answer. Otherwise you’re getting nothing.”

Niemmel growled.

Reina frowned and answered.

“Rogue.”

“I’m a warrior! Haha!”

Kevin carried a longsword at his waist, just like Niemmel and the earlier rookie.

Reina carried a short dagger.

“Hm.”

Niemmel stroked his chin.

The class composition wasn’t bad.

The rogue’s poison crafting skill was essential for an easier early game.

And the more front-liners they had, the better.

But…

‘This woman seriously looks like she’d actually steal things.’

‘And Kevin can’t even control his girlfriend. Can he really handle being a front-liner?’

Suppressing their worries, the four set out to hunt.

They first taught them how to climb trees.

Then how to burn a certain herb to hide their scent.

“Just do exactly what I say. When Azof fires an arrow, run out and stab it. Okay?”

“Y-yes.”

“Easy.”

“Good. Here it comes.”

They prepared thoroughly and began the hunt.

But—

“W-WAAAAAH!”

“KYAAAAAH!”

The hunt failed spectacularly.

The first time.

And the second.

Kevin was as timid and weak as he looked, unable to even charge at a monster.

Reina, despite her attitude, was unbelievably clumsy.

There was no way they had encountered a monster even once before reaching here.

And that wasn’t the worst part.

“Hit its legs! Its eyes too! It keeps charging!!!”

“I-I can’t! Ow!”

They couldn’t even finish off an old goblin that had already been staggered by arrows.

Yet their demands were endless.

[Heal]

After performing a miracle and healing the two disasters, Niemmel glanced at Azof.

—Do we really have to raise these idiots?

—…Let’s endure a little longer. They’ll adapt soon.

Niemmel sighed.

Turns out we adapted incredibly well.

We must’ve been elite among elite players.