NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 158
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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The lawless city, Canis, seemed to have taken only the ‘Harlem’ from the system and spread it out.
No, it was more than that.
Unlike Harlem, Canis didn’t even have the minimum security for civilians to continue their daily lives.
‘In simple terms, there are no normal people here.’
Most of the people encountered here were thieves, thugs, wanted criminals, prostitutes, deserters, gangs, illegal explorers, etc.
Everywhere you looked, there were black markets, brothels, opium dens, and the like for them.
The filthy and chaotic beginning of the street.
The hero entered a moderately crowded bar.
A young man with a face covered in bear traces and scars glanced at him.
“…You can sit anywhere.”
An almost dismissive response.
But as the hero entered the bar, there was a momentary silence in the air.
And he felt dozens of eyes brushing against him.
Most of Canis’ residents had more enemies than friends.
The stranger had to be cautious, and they returned to their lively conversation with their companions only after confirming the hero’s face (which was distorted by polymorph).
[Hmm…]
Larze’s doll swayed at her waist and crawled up onto the table on its own.
[That ugly face doesn’t appeal to me, but polymorphing is a good choice.]
“…Wearing a robe here is practically asking for trouble.”
The words ended abruptly.
Clang!
“Where the hell is this bastard wandering like a rat!”
A young man wearing a robe, wandering around the bar, suddenly received a blow from an outstretched fist and tumbled to the ground.
He seemed bewildered, perhaps unaware of the implicit rules.
The hero clicked his tongue.
‘…It’s fortunate it was just a punch.’
The young man, amidst mockery and curses, hurriedly left the bar.
Showing such immaturity in front of people.
Perhaps it would be better to leave Canis before sunset.
Clang-
Unexpectedly, there were a few men behind the young man who put down his drink, heading towards him.
The hero glanced at the familiar figure and roughly ordered a drink.
And he began the conversation he had postponed with Larze.
“I should have mentioned my original plan.”
[Join an appropriate exploration team and discreetly penetrate the demonic realm. Isn’t that it?]
The hero sighed softly at the casual response.
“Yeah. But when I came to Canis, the coordinates of the treasure we should have known about were openly disclosed to the public. It seems like hundreds of riffraff are about to compete.”
[Doppelganger, you don’t understand my intentions? Disappointing.]
The hero slowly nodded.
The initial surprise had long since subsided.
He could roughly guess why Larze had disclosed the information.
‘Hide the tree in the forest, isn’t it?’
However, there was an uncomfortable aspect.
The hero dryly remarked.
“Are you planning to act unilaterally like this every time? It would be inconvenient if you treat me like a toy just because you found my weaknesses.”
Larze’s doll paused for a moment at the warning.
Even she, who had always done as she pleased, realized it was time to step back.
[Feeling bad? Sorry. But this time, it wasn’t just for fun. I judged that it would be more beneficial this way.]
The hero let out a brief sigh.
“…I can guess why you thought that.”
[Yeah! You know too. Your plan. The idea isn’t bad, but the details are lacking. The demonic realm is nothing more than their front yard. Even if you disguise yourself well and hide thoroughly, the chances of being noticed by the demons before reaching the joining point are high.]
It was a valid point.
[You’ve become much stronger, and even if it’s not Ted’s form, it’s still dangerous. What if you encounter a legion commander? Are you confident you’ll win?]
“…Considering that the location is known, the Demonic Church will move. What are the countermeasures for that?”
[Oh, don’t worry about the Demonic Church for now…]
Then it happened.
Thunk-
Suddenly, a waiter approached and loudly placed a beer mug on the table.
It was a rough service, enough to rattle the table with its contents.
He glanced contemptuously at the hero and the doll alternately before shaking his head.
“…Now even the trash is coming into Canis.”
Only now did the hero realize how he appeared to others.
Sitting at the table with a female doll and drinking.
It wasn’t surprising that it raised eyebrows.
He grimaced and tucked Larze into his pocket.
Of course, her voice continued to echo in his ears.
[Ahahaha…]
“…….”
[Anyway, the risk… There’s no need for you to bear it alone, drawing all the attention of the demons.]
“So you’re suggesting we throw all the trash into the demonic realm.”
[Yes]
Thunk-
The doll twitched once inside the pocket.
[To ordinary people, the demonic realm isn’t as scary as it used to be. The Demon King has fallen, and humanity has been flourishing for the past few centuries.]
Larze said in an indifferent tone.
[Thanks to that, many fools are thinking of going into the demonic realm to try their luck. I just added fuel to the fire. Of course, I know what you don’t like, but…]
“…But?”
[Most of those who are lured into my trap to enter the demonic realm are hopeless trash from lawless cities. Is it necessary to have a conscience burden?]
Finally, Larze uttered a word.
[Those blinded by gold, they become your meat shields, don’t they?]
…The hero recalled Ted’s comment about her, scanning the interior of the bar.
Certainly, there were far more thugs than in the Canis he remembered.
Larze’s bait, her spread information and the promised unimaginable riches must be the reason.
‘…Sharing the risk.’
Originally, exploration and excavation of heritage in the demonic realm were national projects.
For unauthorized individuals to wander around the demonic realm and acquire something was strictly illegal.
But since actual enforcement was difficult, ‘illegal demonic realm exploration’ had been secretly carried out.
Unauthorized individuals exploring the demonic realm and acquiring something is strictly illegal.
However, due to the difficulty in actual enforcement, illegal demonic realm exploration has been clandestinely carried out.
Especially in Canis, it was even more prevalent because several large organizations dominating the area had made demonic realm exploration their main business for a long time.
‘They support and mediate exploration in various ways, acquiring shares in exploration teams.’
Whether they were explorers or organizations, it was a win-win business.
Sometimes there were exploration teams that struck it big with thousands of gold coins, and those goods were also consumed in the markets within Canis.
So whenever a large number of discoveries occurred like this time, there was always a huge crowd flocking in.
…And the fact that they would become efficient bait, the Hero couldn’t deny.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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As if Larze had read his mind, she added.
[So these guys are just garbage. But…]
“The flame burns just as hot, right?”
[Correct! Now, what do you plan to do?]
The Hero sighed briefly.
It was useless to argue about what had already happened.
Given the situation, one should just do their best.
“Since we’ve come all the way to Canis, I intend to join a decent exploration team.”
[Hmm, how?]
“I need to prove my skills and build a reputation in Canis.”
Whirr.
The doll in Larze’s pocket trembled.
It was a reaction to the interesting spectacle ahead.
[There won’t be time for that. Is there a way to build a reputation quickly?]
The Hero chuckled.
“Here, infamy is reputation.”
As he finished speaking, he arrived at the counter.
The waiter and the thug who had been harassing him earlier stared at him with hostile expressions.
“What’s your business here?”
“Huh…Isn’t this the guy who was talking to a doll earlier?”
“What? A doll?”
With that, their guard softened and derision crept in.
“Huh, playing with dolls isn’t my taste.”
As a few jokes were exchanged, other patrons began to laugh raucously.
But the Hero remained unfazed.
The small metal badge on their chests, fixed with a sickle-wielding ghost, was all that mattered.
“Reapers.”
One of the largest organizations in Canis, dealing primarily in narcotics, human trafficking, and other illicit activities.
…As famous as they were, they would surely attract attention.
“Hey, this bastar*. Why do you keep acting like this?”
Sshling!
The swords of the clerk and the giant were drawn.
It was at the same time that other customers were leaving the bar.
Five or six more guards opened the inner door and appeared.
“…Look at him.”
As the Hero showed no signs of fear, their eyes narrowed.
“Who are you really?”
“Did the arrow send you?”
“Damn, did you stick a d*ck in your ears? Who are you!”
After a moment of consideration, the Hero replied.
“Kasim.”
There was no need to draw a sword.
Splat!
The fist that shot out like lightning shattered the waiter’s front teeth and jawbone into pieces.
.
.
.
“It’s Kasim, the doll-loving guy!
“I’m Kasim, a doll collector!”
“Run away!”
By the time they had smashed up a few more taverns and laid waste to all the reinforcements sent by the Reapers, the expected “scouts” had arrived.
“Our boss would like to see you. If it’s convenient for you, please come with us.”
Naturally, they were not from the Reapers.
The polite invitation came from another large organization, the “Black Arrows.”
They were in a hostile relationship with the Reapers and were the ones investing most actively in demonic realm exploration.
I hesitated no further and went straight to meet their boss, who greeted me warmly.
“To think that someone with such exceptional combat skills is unknown. Are you Kasim, the doll-loving guy?”
“…Yes, that’s me.”
“If you’re as skilled as you are, you probably have an idea why I invited you.”
As expected, the conversation unfolded just as predicted.
You’ve come to pursue the treasure in the depths of the demonic realm, haven’t you?
But reaching the depths is nearly impossible even for most heroes alone.
We have many experienced veteran explorers who treat the demonic realm like their own backyard.
So don’t fuss alone, join the exploration team.
We’ll take care of you separately, and when we reach ancient ruins, we’ll conduct explorations for additional profits, and so on.
After the explanation, a thick and surprisingly proper contract was handed over.
“Understand. Dealing with those as dark as ink requires a lot of ink. Of course, I don’t think you’ll be rash or overly greedy…”
“Greedy?”
“For example, making very wrong judgments due to being too tempted by that treasure. Such foolish greed.”
The boss of the Black Arrows gave a sinister look.
“Don’t do that. Eventually, the Black Arrows always hit the target.”
To the residents of Canis, it seemed like a proverb akin to a death sentence.
Of course, I didn’t care much.
…I just nodded without saying anything, and the boss’s expression brightened again.
“Hahaha… Kasim. Since we’ve struck a deal this time, I hope our relationship will continue to be good in the future.”
“I hope so too.”
“We’ll depart in two days, and we’ve already searched for some excellent companions with our funds, so let’s share some camaraderie until then.”
…Of course, they weren’t particularly excellent companions.
As soon as we reached the point where I agreed to meet Larze, I wouldn’t have to see them again.
I spent a few days at the exploration team’s lodging, keeping a reasonable distance from them, and we were able to set off into the demonic realm without any trouble.
We spent three days traversing the Great Mountain Range.
On the evening of the third day, the goal of the exploration team was to reach the entrance of the demonic realm before the sun completely set, and we were running later than expected.
As the earth spider rapidly descended, we noticed the first signs of abnormality.
Thud, thud…
Most of the exploration team members were looking down.
It was because occasionally mutated wild animals or monsters hid in the ground covered with layers of rotten leaves and then attacked when someone stepped on it.
It was such ground that made a soft sound when stepped on, along with an unpleasant sensation as if stepping on someone’s flesh.
But with my senses spreading in all directions, I could detect it in advance.
“Stop! Stop!”
“What’s that?”
“Oh, shit.”
Sharp orders to halt were issued from the front, and everyone’s gaze followed the finger of the exploration team leader, Zeon… and then moved to where it pointed.
…The dark, tall treetops.
There, broken pieces of something were hanging in a row.
It seemed as if someone was displaying them proudly, or as a warning.
Thud…
Blood trickling down the tree trunks.
Due to the dry bark greedily absorbing the liquid, the amount reaching the ground was surprisingly small compared to the number and condition of the corpses.
“…”
“…”
With narrowed eyes, Zeon examined their attire and let out a bitter laugh, waving his arm.
“Record this. 17th Exploration Team, wiped out just before Point 0.”
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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