Chapter 012 …
Outsider of a Trash Game
Newbie Lim Su-jeong (3)
Just like Reina and Kevin were killed in an instant by a monstrous boar. Even if this place was only the size of a local mountain behind the village, it was essentially no different from a dungeon.
Its ruggedness was a far cry from the carefully maintained parks or forests of the 21st century.
“Huff… huff…”
An uphill path littered with leaves and stones. Then downhill again. Twisting and turning. There was barely anywhere to hold on.
Lim Su-jeong exhaled raggedly. Her jeans and turtleneck were damp from sweat running down her body. Her feet, clad in sneakers, ached as well. She had trained somewhat, but this was what it came to.
Beside her, Niammel spoke.
“Tired?”
“Ah… no. I can manage… ugh.”
Niammel grabbed her as she nearly fell.
“I wish I could heal you, but long-term, it would do you more harm than good.”
Heal? Could Niammel also be a priest?
“Because of adaptability?”
“That, and if you heal torn muscles, they won’t grow properly.”
Lim Su-jeong shivered.
“You’re really meticulous about useless things.”
“Look around; it only gets worse if you dig deeper.”
At that moment, Azope, who was walking ahead, gestured, and the group stopped. He climbed a nearby tree like a monkey and scanned the surroundings. Lim Su-jeong marveled.
“Wow.”
“You’ll be able to do that too once you build strength and learn the technique. I’ll teach you later.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Kevin got killed by the boar because he couldn’t climb a tree.”
“…Haha.”
Niammel laughed, but it was a grim sound. Lim Su-jeong let out an awkward chuckle.
Was she serious?
Niammel seemed kind yet cold. Her intentions were impossible to read.
Thud.
Azope came down from the tree.
“Found it. Looks like they haven’t moved their habitat.”
“Good. Let’s get ready.”
“Understood.”
Karl nodded and pulled out a bundle of herbs from his bag. Niammel struck a flint and lit it.
Fff. The rising smoke made Lim Su-jeong cough.
“Cough, cough. What are you doing?”
Niammel shook the herbs vigorously, producing even more smoke, rubbing some on the others’ bodies as well.
“You said they’re sensitive to smell, right? So what do we do?”
“Ah! To mask our scent?”
“Bingo. Remember the name: Laplispool. Besides masking scent, it also has a slight paralyzing effect.”
“Wow… Niammel, that’s amazing! How do you know so much?”
Every time Su-jeong said “Niammel,” the woman flinched slightly. But she quickly brushed it off.
“Well, I’ve been playing this game a long time.”
Time passed.
As the surroundings became familiar, herbs, fruits, and other items with special properties began to stand out.
Why couldn’t I see these before?
Why couldn’t I act like this back then?
If I had, surely Geon-yeong, Kang-hyuk, Reina, and Kevin could have been saved…
’No point regretting it. Focus.’
Niammel shook her head, brushing away such thoughts. The group, unaware of her inner thoughts, continued chatting.
“Niammel is unusual. Even for a veteran, who memorizes details about such trivial items?”
“That’s true. But thanks to that, we survived.”
Karl and Azope said this.
To me, it was natural.
I had played this game as a single-player game before it became a race-war online MMO. I knew every chapter’s story, hidden pieces, and the strategies needed to clear them.
Now fully adapted, I had no hesitation. I could act freely.
But I didn’t share these secrets completely with the party.
Who could I trust?
Humans can be cruel when it comes to their desires. In this world, there’s no room for notions like loyalty, love, or true companionship.
Niammel simply smiled.
“Hm. Looks like everything’s gone. Shall we move?”
Azope resumed leading the way.
“Shh.”
Niammel tapped Lim Su-jeong gently, signaling her to stay quiet. From now on, this was the monsters’ territory.
Rustle.
With Lim Su-jeong in the center, the remaining two flanked her, cautiously pushing through the undergrowth. Soon, they came upon a vine-covered stone wall. Two bipedal wild dogs stood before it.
Equipped with stone axes and bone spears. Judging by the bloodstains, they’ve hunted before.
Niammel’s fingers moved deftly. This was sign language they had prepared for moments like this.
Azope, crouching, nocked an arrow. A faint click was quickly absorbed by the forest’s ambient noise.
Chirps, buzzing insects, rustling leaves… the forest was never silent. Unless you were an elf or demigod, distinguishing subtle sounds like these was impossible.
Only one thing mattered: smell.
A west wind blew from behind them.
Keng, keng keng.
The kobolds sniffed the air. Wrinkled black noses, narrowing eyes, a grip like veins were rising in their hands.
Caught! Su-jeong swallowed nervously.
Pft!
But contrary to her worry, the kobolds merely sneezed lazily.
With their experience, the veteran hunters had prepared everything. At Niammel’s signal—
Thwung!
The arrow pierced a kobold’s neck with ruthless precision.
Cough!
One grabbed its throat, staggering, while the other widened its eyes in shock. Its hands clutched the bone spear tightly, jaw agape. Quick reflexes—an old one, perhaps?
But it didn’t take long for the open mouth to close. A stone thrown from the bushes struck the sentry. Karl’s missed, but Niammel’s hit the eye.
Click.
What followed was breathtaking mastery.
The threatening spear shot straight forward, but the blonde warrior twisted her upper body, dodging effortlessly.
Then, a flashing blade.
“Gack… gurgle…”
The partially decapitated kobold died in less than three seconds.
Weeks of life-and-death experiences had forged their results.
The weak modern humans were gone. Niammel was now a true warrior.
“Wow…”
Su-jeong’s jaw dropped. It was like watching a scene from a movie. Every movement was clean, precise, and flawless—a perfect ambush.
But the reality immediately afterward was different. Instead of high-fives, curses filled the air.
“Hey, you crazy bastard!”
Niammel, catching her breath, glared at Karl. Karl froze, bowing his head.
“S-Sorry.”
“You did this before, didn’t you? Did I tell you to practice or not?”
“I did… but my hands shook…”
“How long do I have to take care of you? Aren’t you a warrior? How can I trust you with the front lines like this?”
“Sorry.”
Azope finished off the arrowed kobold. Muscular arms held a dagger; archers were naturally strong. He was second only to Niammel in skill.
Su-jeong, unable to intervene due to the tension, whispered.
“I’ve never seen her this angry…”
“Lives are on the line. The situation just now was precarious.”
“Precarious? It seemed over in an instant…”
“Hm.”
Azope chuckled. From a newbie’s perspective, that might be true. He explained to avoid misconceptions.
“The original plan was: I’d disable one with an arrow, then Niammel and Karl would attack the other simultaneously, throwing stones to limit its movements while running.”
“Wasn’t it fine?”
“Karl’s timing was off. Niammel hit first, but Karl’s follow-up should have struck as the creature struggled. If the stone missed, he should’ve yelled to draw attention. He failed both. Niammel’s anger is justified.”
“Ah…”
A small mistake, slight environmental change, and life hung by a thread. Niammel compensated with her abilities, and Azope didn’t intervene.
“Sigh. Do better, okay? You’ve got some experience now.”
“Y-Yes…”
“Alright. Get ready.”
Niammel tapped Karl’s shoulder and opened her backpack. This time, a colorful mushroom appeared. It looked dangerous.
Karl cleared the vines from the wall, revealing a black hole emitting a foul stench. Azope explained.
“Even low-level players should never blindly enter a monster habitat. That’s no longer human territory.”
They had learned that lesson painfully before.
“So…”
“We’ll flush them out. That’s a clown mushroom. Once lit, it emits a terrible stench—several times worse than a skunk’s spray.”
Soon, the horrid smell filled the air, like rotting garbage left for months.
Niammel shoved the burning mushrooms into the cave. There were many, perhaps to block other entrances.
Squiiiiik!
Kobolds’ noses were as sensitive as dogs’. No chance to withstand it.
Footsteps indicated this was the only entrance. Niammel pressed her back against the wall, sword ready. Invisible from inside.
“Get ready. Su-jeong, stay right beside Azope.”
Soon, a small creature the size of a child leapt out.
Thunk. Karl’s longsword struck its head. He staggered, the force from earlier Niammel’s scolding spilling over.
Another popped out. Niammel’s sword flashed. The strikes were precise—not lethal, but effective.
One by one, or even three at once, Azope’s arrows controlled the variables. This was less a battle than a hunt—a means to gain experience.
But given the meticulous effort, the results were natural. Unlike a game, there were no save points here.
Thunk, clang!
The last kobold fell to the pommel, not the blade. Niammel confirmed.
“Phew. Most of them are dealt with.”
Azope readied his dagger.
“Shall we enter?”
“I’ll lead. Watch Su-jeong and the rear.”
“Got it.”
Light of Radiance!
Niammel extended a hand; bright yellow light shone. Su-jeong’s eyes widened.
“That’s…”
Karl, looking gloomy, said,
“A skill called Light of Radiance. Niammel is a paladin.”
“Oh… a skill.”
The previous sounds—the monster’s panting, curses, and smell of blood—felt utterly real. Yet now it was a “skill.” She didn’t know how to keep up.
The light was strong enough to instantly illuminate the cave. No kobolds were inside, and the cave was small, so the group quickly reached its depths.
Step.
A fork in the path. Niammel pointed right. Walking a bit, they reached a broad hollow. Niammel raised her hand further, intensifying the light.
Bones, hides, ropes, sharpened stones and branches, fruits… the hollow was cluttered with miscellaneous items. But something else caught their attention.
Screeeek!
Eight baby kobolds and two female kobolds blocking the way. Niammel looked at them emotionlessly.
“Quite a lot. If we were a few days later, it would’ve been dangerous.”
The males looked like fierce wrinkled Dobermans; the females like soft-lined white dogs. The babies were small and plump, like human or animal offspring—reminiscent of Pomeranians on Earth.
“So… cute…”
Su-jeong murmured. Niammel nodded; she had thought the same initially.
Even though these monsters could easily crush a child’s skull, sometimes preying on humans, their cute appearance dulled instincts.
Much like cats and dogs replacing cows and chickens as human pets.
Grrr…
The females bared teeth to protect their trembling young, evoking maternal instinct. Niammel asked,
“Su-jeong, were you an animal rights fan on Earth?”
“Huh? Uh, no. I had a dog, but it died when I was in middle school.”
“I see. Then no problem.”
Thunk! Whine!
Niammel kicked the female kobold with a boot. The creature coughed up blood from broken bones.
Karl sighed; Azope fiddled with his dagger. They knew what was coming.
“Ah…”
Su-jeong widened her eyes as Niammel spoke coldly.
“Rested well so far?”
Plop. Niammel sat on the bare ground, placing her finger on her chest in a prayer-like stance.
“Now… kill each other.”
