Chapter 61
“Krrrk. There was a disturbance on the sub-second floor?” Homaruba, in golden armor and helmet, asked.
“Yes, Sir Homaruba. A tiger beastfolk ran wild, but it wasn’t a problem. Kerek! I guarantee that nothing will happen in the stables as long as I am the warden,” reported Chanagita, a large goblin in a leather brigandine.
Homaruba nodded and smiled satisfyingly.
“Krrrk. Who else would I trust more than a Semi Ranker like you ranked 1,097?”
“N-not at all! Kreeek! I am at the bottom of the barrel compared to you, Sir Homaruba, 89th in the goblin ranking. I should be the one with unconditional trust in you.”
“Krererek! Good, I’m glad to have you on my side.”
They flattered each other because they were now on the same boat. Chanagita, the warden of the sub-second floor, had sided with Homaruba, the soon-to-be leader of Clan Trophy.
A smart goblin must know how to follow the trend! Chanagita shouted inwardly.
Tutobure’s stocks were plummeting while Homaruba’s only knew how to rise.
Based on their roles, Clan Trophy was divided into four units: the defense and maintenance unit, the barrier and sealing unit, the hunting and securing unit, and the collection unit.
The defense and maintenance unit consisted of guards monitoring the stables and keepers maintaining dungeons; Chanagita was the head of this unit. The barrier and sealing unit consisted of sorcerers who maintained the dome-shaped barrier sorcery Cage, which isolated Clan Trophy’s base of operations from the outside. They also managed the steel bars and restraints holding the prisoners. Homaruba, the Golden Wall, and a master of barrier sorcery, was the head of this unit.
The hunting and securing unit consisted of individuals with exceptional combat skills. They mainly operated outside the base, and Tutobure was its head. Lastly, the collection unit collected Coins from Trophy Hunters and distributed them to the clansmen; the unit had the fewest members but possessed much authority.
“Kreeeh. We’ll begin to drive Tutobure out once Mitasra joins us, so prepare accordingly,” Homaruba said to Chanagita.
Mitasra was the head of the collection unit and the only one maintaining neutrality in the leadership transition.
“Do you think Mitasra will join us? Krrrk. He is loyal to Tutobure,” Chanagita asked skeptically.
Collecting Coins came with immense authority. Hence, Tutobure had not left the head position of the collection unit to just any goblin. Mitasra was the most loyal goblin to Tutobure in Clan Trophy.
“Kreeeh! He will have no choice. Tutobure is already losing the trust of the hunting and securing unit. A goblin with no fangs is bound to be devoured!”
The members of the hunting and securing unit that Tutobure led valued power above all and were highly prideful. It was only natural that they were displeased by the weakened Tutobure. Homaruba was the strongest after Tutobure. Hence, Homaruba would absorb the hunting and securing unit over time, leaving Mitasra with no choice but to betray Tutobure.
“Krrrk. Is Tutobure still visiting the sub-third floor daily?” Homaruba asked.
“Yes. I have yet to figure out what he is doing down there because he sends all his subordinates away before going down there.”
“Leave him to be. Whatever’s down there won’t be enough to affect the transition. The result is already set in stone—unless he gets an Elixir. Krererereh!” Homaruba cackled.
***
Seong-Hwi was at an abandoned train station in a snowstorm.
“I’m in a dream,” he mumbled as he stared apathetically at the unrealistic surroundings.
He occasionally had lucid dreams and was familiar with this scenery because it often appeared in them. The train station where no trains arrived represented his subconscious, waiting for his mother despite knowing she wouldn’t return.
Static noises and a high-pitched beep sounded from an old speaker attached to a platform pillar. Just then, a woman’s voice in his imagination echoed from it.
“Wait for me right here. Mommy will come back to get you, no matter what. Wait for me right here. Mommy will come back to get you, no matter what. Wait for me right here. Mommy will come back to get you, no matter what.”
The repeating words echoed throughout the empty platform, getting slower over time and changing pitch.
Why have the lucid dreams begun? Seong-Hwi wondered.
It had been a while since he had lucid dreams. It was the first time since his return to the past.
Have the side effects of Borrowing Destiny already begun?
Even if it wasn’t a side effect, lucid dreams were a sign that his subconscious was too scrambled with thoughts and needed to be organized. Seong-Hwi thought about why the lucid dream began.
Is it because of... the Tin Can?
If Seong-Hwi possessed his former powers as a High Ranker, he would have done whatever it took to punish Clan Trophy for their malicious trafficking. However, he had lost most of his strength and was in the process of surpassing his former self. His emotions screamed at him to punish Clan Trophy and rescue the prisoners, but his calm and collected sense of reason weighed the risks and gains and deemed it impossible.
This was why Seong-Hwi could remain calm even after seeing the crow birdfolk strutting in the sub-first floor with the heads of six human newbies on his belt. He calmed his surging rage by telling himself he couldn’t cause problems and that securing the artifact came first. He would get stronger first and hope for a better future.
However, it did not mean the tragedy before him was not happening just because he consoled himself. He knew there was only one way to stop the tragedy.
Borrowing Iljimae’s destiny created the fuse, and Thumper’s proposal lit it.
Seong-Hwi realized why he was having a lucid dream. The more destinies Seong-Hwi borrowed, the more their psyches melted into his. Iljimae was a compassionate man, and the Tin Can was a crystallization of hell, a market where individuals were treated like tools for one’s benefit. It was similar to the late Ming dynasty, which greatly influenced Iljimae’s destiny.
Thumper’s proposal served as the final blow. The rabbit beastfolk was planning an escape and needed Seong-Hwi’s help. The lucid dream had manifested from his suppressed desire to punish Clan Trophy and rescue the prisoners.
If I don’t help them, their plan will most likely fail.
It was a simple deduction. The hidden dungeon was supposed to be discovered and explored in a few years. However, the delay despite Thumper’s knowledge of the dungeon meant his escape plan failed, burying the information.
Of course, the current situation was different from before his return. Tutobure suffered serious injuries because of the information Jurie sent, leaving Clan Trophy in disarray. The chances of escape had undoubtedly risen.
Dammit. Is that how it is? Seong-Hwi thought as he looked down at the train tracks covered in snow.
The more he thought, the more certain he became about what his heart wanted. Just like the prisoners waiting for the day of their escape, Seong-Hwi had been waiting for something to validate his suppressed emotions.
In that case... A fire lit in Seong-Hwi’s eyes. Judge like a mountain, act like fire.
The various words and situations aimlessly floating around Seong-Hwi’s head quickly combined.
The weakened Tutobure. The sub-third floor. Thumper and the other prisoners. The dungeon. The Ancient Fairy Queen’s Wings. The Rescue quest.
Various plans were piled and erased inside his head like Tetris.
“Wait for me right here. Wait for me right here. Wait for me right here. Wait for me right here. Wait for me right here.”
The woman’s voice from the speaker grew louder as if interfering with Seong-Hwi’s thoughts.
“Shut up! I’m not waiting for you anymore!” Seong-Hwi shouted at the speaker and jumped down from the platform on the train tracks.
He began walking along the endless track covered in snow. If the train didn’t come, he would walk. He was sick of waiting.
Could I reach the Ten Lords and Fiends if I ran like a coward because I’m not strong enough? Not a chance.
Seong-Hwi would never defeat those stronger than him if he only faced those he was sure were weaker than him. One could only raise their caliber by challenging the impossible. He had to change his mindset—he was too cautious. At this rate, he would only reach the level of his past self.
Sometimes, the craziest methods were the shortcuts to the top. Besides, there was no such thing as a safe option in the Mirror World. If one focused only on avoiding immediate danger, it would eventually return as a bigger disaster. Risks were necessary at times.
Seong-Hwi’s eyes glinted with determination and slight madness.
Alright. If I’m gonna do this, I might as well go big and obtain everything I can!
The woman’s voice disappeared from the speaker, replaced by an irritating high-pitched noise. The noise grew quieter the further Seong-Hwi got from the station and eventually disappeared. He reached a pure-white plain covered in snow once the train station was no longer in sight.
Seong-Hwi stood in the middle of the plain and muttered, “I should borrow a destiny the complete opposite of Iljimae’s next time to balance things out.”
***
Safety is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
Helen Keller
***
Silence filled the west wing. A day passed since Warden Chanagita arrived after hearing the commotion and dragged Tigrinus to solitary confinement for causing a disturbance.
“If the goblins ask about the escape plan... Play dumb and say you don’t know what they’re talking about,” Thumper said to the other prisoners.
Chlor in the cell across from Thumper asked, “What about you?”
“I’ll also play dumb, of course. I’ll act like the human is just making up absurd stories.”
“You’re lying. You’re planning on confessing, aren’t you? Are you trying to take the fall for all of us?”
Thumper remained silent.
An orc named Qwee said angrily, “Chwik! Chlor! I see your eyes only work when unveiling your comrade’s virtuous intentions! Why didn’t you tell Tigrinus where the human was when he vanished?”
Chlor answered, “Back then, I... doubted my eyes because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”
“What are you talking about?” Thumper asked.
Chlor explained, “As you all know... I am a Quarter who has inherited a quarter of a high elf’s blood.”
There was a saying among the elves; although elves were an intermediate race, high elves were a superior race. It went to show the difference in caliber between elves and high elves.
High elves could use several race skills imprinted in their genes, the most famous being the skill Veritas Oculus, or the Eyes of Truth. Veritas Oculus could distinguish between truth and lies and look into an individual to see their desires, thoughts, and even their innate destiny and soul. It was the ultimate detection skill.
“I can imitate Veritas Oculus because of that, although it’s nothing compared to the real deal.”
Chlor’s skill was Veritas Oculus Imperfectum. It was nowhere near the same level as a pure-blooded high elf’s Veritas Oculus, but its effects were still impressive. It had been Chlor who had seen through Seong-Hwi’s words and signaled Thumper whether Seong-Hwi was lying or telling the truth.
“My eyes see one’s essence as a wavelength. One’s essence is their true nature. They’re born with it and it never changes.”
“Chwik. What are you trying to say?” Qwee asked, unable to understand.
Chlor touched her eyelids as she answered, “I was staring at the human. His wavelength was vaguely shaking and seemed veiled by a curtain. But all of a sudden... his wavelength changed.”
Chlor was referring to the moment when Seong-Hwi borrowed Iljimae’s destiny.
“How could someone’s essence change? I’ve never heard of such a thing. How could one’s nature they were born with, change? That’s why I doubted everything I saw.”
The other prisoners couldn’t understand Chlor or her shock since they weren’t born with the ability to see people’s wavelengths.
“Dammit. This is why you should never listen to the goddamn long-eared. Enough delusions, and let’s talk about reality. What do we do now?” said Muka, a male dwarf.
A female naga named Sayo added, “I agree. At least that human doesn’t know the details of our plan.”
“Chwik. Worst-case scenario, we might be split up and sent to different cells.”
“Hah, I welcome it. It’ll give us a chance to recruit more people. This place is riddled with prisoners who want to escape!”
“Then we should make a new plan in preparation for that situation.”
As the prisoners actively discussed potential countermeasures, Thumper quietly mumbled, “Weird... He’s already had enough time to tip off the goblins if he wanted to. Why is nothing happening?”
Has the human kept his promise not to tell a soul? Thumper wondered.
Just then, the prisoners heard footsteps approaching the west wing.
“Dammit. They’re here.”
“Chwik. We won’t give up on our escape even if we’re split up. Let’s meet again, everyone.”
Thumper’s pink ears twitched as the prisoners lamented while thinking the goblin guards were coming for them.
“Wait. These aren’t goblin footsteps,” he said.
The footstep intervals were too long for them to be a goblin’s. The footsteps’ owner reached Thumper’s cell. It was the human man with blond hair and green eyes, holding a bucket filled with carrots.
“Cheon... Seong-Hwi,” Thumper said in surprise.
“I told you I wouldn’t take long to decide, Thumper. I’m here to give you my answer,” Seong-Hwi said as he grabbed his face with his right hand.
[Canceling Artifact Skill: Myriad Faces.]
Miroslav’s face contorted and turned into a terrifying wooden mask. Seong-Hwi removed the mask, revealing a man with black hair and eyes.
“Does your offer of true friendship still stand?” Seong-Hwi asked.
Thumper’s wide eyes widened even more as he stared at the bucket of carrots his human friend brought toward him.